When on a hike, you can tap into a little dog power especially on the hills.
When hiking carry any provisions in your own backpack. If you have a comfortable
pack it will seem a lot lighter with your dog towing you.
Canicross is a good way to start training your leader. When your dog is well
trained, then you can move on to bikejoring, cart or scooter training. Bikejoring
or scootering should not be attempted until your leader is trained (very reliably)
to keep the line out taut.
Dog speeds versus Human Speeds
In canicross, the dog is taught to keep tension on the line while traveling
at human speeds. For skijorers and mushers it is a good way to train your
leaders because you can easily provide corrections when you are on foot.
Canicross is typically a one-dog sport. Any more power than one dog is not
recommended. A dog that can heel is nice for running down hills. A head halter
on a lead is a good device for slowing a dog on the downhill if your dog doesn't
heel. Your dog should be accustomed to the halter before you try it in a race.
"You are only as fast as your slowest dog" is the old mushers
axiom. The slowest dog on the canicross team is usually the human. Canicross
is a human speed sport. Skijoring and sledding are dog speed sports. Canicross
will teach your dogs to pull at slower speeds. It may be helpful when climbing
steep hills on skis. It can be excellent power training for the dog if you
canicross up hills.
Is it detrimental to a dogs speed to train at such a slow pace? No. The dog
with more canicross time than other team members often seems stronger with
no loss in top speed.
Methods
There are many approaches to the sport of canicross. If you don't enjoy running,
then walking or hiking with your dog in harness may be more appealing. Running
canicross takes a little more agility because while running you often have
both feet off the ground. When both feet are off the ground, then you are
a little vulnerable when a dog is tugging you. Running downhill when a dog
is pulling you is not recommended. Your dog should know the command for easy.
The command can be reinforced with a head halter if necessary. To a dog, a
human running is still slow and your dog will rarely break out of a trot into
a lope. The lope is a more efficient and faster stride for a dog. When a dog
is loping, all four feet are often off the ground. A dog will break from a
trot into a lope at about seven to nine miles per hour.
When walking, you have at least one foot on the ground at all times.
Walking allows more solid control of the dog.
Canicross For Training Leaders
Skijorers usually start out with only one or two dogs. These dogs are often
the family pets. Unless you buy a trained leader then you must train your
own leader. I often hear of mushers talking of this or that dog being born
leaders. For the skijorer with one or two dogs, you haven't much choice but
to make leaders with what you got. Without a team available to
show your dog what to do, you have to convey the idea yourself, in a method
the dog can understand.
The first thing you have to teach, is for the dog to just get in front with
the line out taut. Even for arctic breed dogs, the act of lining out is not
a given. Teaching your leader prospect to line out might take a little patience.
The work pays off after years of using your leader.
A good way to start training the "line out" command is to take your
dog to a new trail. The new scenery will set a joyful tone as your dog anticipates
every turn. With your belt and line and the dog in harness, encourage the
dog to get in front. Don't move down the trail unless the dog is in front.
Praise the dog more when she is out front. Whenever the dog naturally lines
out, then say the command "line out". A friend or family member
up the trail for the dog to chase is a good incentive for most dogs. Try to
always set the dog up to succeed. If the dog only pulls for a few hundred
yards then stop the lesson there. Don't expect your dog to pull much at first
for any duration. Pulling is hard work for the dog. A sustained effort of
pulling requires endurance. Endurance comes from years of conditioning. If
your leader prospect is already a good runner, don't expect that dog to be
a great puller right away. Pulling or working while running is something new,
and the dog will need to develop certain muscle groups. Keep the beginning
training sessions short. Be consistent and insist on tight lines at all times.
For training commands it is easy to enforce a gee (right) or a ha (left).
Corrections are easy because the dog is just a few steps away. Reel the line
in, hand over hand and nudge or steer the dog in the right direction while
saying the command.
Learning to go on by everything is another lesson easily reinforced when on
foot. The "on by" command is used to insist that the dog ignore
distractions like varmints or loose dogs when working.
If the dog is pulling on the descent of downhills, then you have to hold back
to prevent your self from going too fast. Both team members, the dog and the
human are wasting way too much energy. It is much easier and faster if the
dog is not pulling down hill. This is something
you will have to learn to deal with to canicross. When on skis you want the
dog to blast off down hill, but in canicross you need the dog to go easy.
Whether training your puppy to pull or if you are going for a serious hike
up a mountain, canicross has lot's of potential. Fulfill you and your dogs
off season" from the snow sports and mix it up with a little canicross.