Yahoo Lifestyle Is your dog stressed, suffering from separation anxiety, or overweight? Enter Non-Stop Dogwear
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a term that many of us are all too familiar with. It’s when the gloomy winter days impact our mood and can make us feel low. But did you know the same can happen with your dog?
If you’ve noticed changes in your furry friend’s mood, running could be the key to improving their overall health - so enter Non-Stop Dogwear.
The purveyors of dog-related sports, the brand has been designing and developing gear for four-legged friends and their owners since 2009 to promote and team up with athletes and professionals to test each and every product.
Active dogs are the happiest dogs, so increasing their levels of physical activity can work wonders for problems like boredom, destructive behaviour, stress and anxiety, which is where canicross comes into play.
What is canicross?
Canicross (or canine cross country) is a high powered dog-led sport. It will stimulate your dog mentally and physically, strengthen their muscles and improve their overall health. All dogs are able to participate, providing you respect their limits and start training once your dog has reached 12-18 months.
Some dogs are instantly naturals as they love to pull on the lead, but others need a little more instruction. They key is not to expect too much at the beginning. Reward them when they do something right and “break it down into tasks your dog can manage,” says Linn Beate Sinding-Larsen, multiple world champion in bikejoring (bike riding with your dog or dogs attached).
If you’re worried about encouraging your dog to pull on the lead, undoing all your lead training work, then fear not. Sinding-Larsen explains, “we want different behaviour in different situations. These are two different tasks and should be clearly distinguished so the dog understands what we expect. The equipment you are using in the different situations can create a clear distinction. We are attaching the leash to the collar when we want our dogs to walk nicely, and to the pulling-harness, when we want them to pull. It works well.”
Taking things day by day, and keep your canicross sessions short and fun. Gradually increase distance to build confidence, strength and stamina. It’s also important that they are well prepared in order to have a positive experience.
What do you need for canicross?
There are three key things you need to begin your canicross journey; a pulling harness, a running belt for you and an elastic lead to connect you and your dog. It’s essential that your dog wears a pulling harness in this instance so they are able to breathe and move more freely. On top of this bit of kit for you dog, you will need to be prepared to brave the elements.
Trail light jacket
To be able to withstand whatever the British weather will throw at you, you’ll be needing a waterproof jacket. Non-Stop Dogwear offers one of the world’s lightest - weighing in at just 29g. This makes it easy to slot in your overnight bag for any outdoor exploration. It also has a reflective print for dusk and dawn strolls and elasticated hem, cuffs and hood to ensure a secure fit.
Non-Stop Dogwear Freemotion harness
The Non-Stop Dogwear Freemotion harness is perfect for canicross, because of its ergonomic shape and Y-shaped neck opening. For the canine companions that like to pull hard, ensure the attachment point for the lead sits at the base of the tail instead of the middle of the back.
The Non-Stop Dogwear CaniX belt
You may have preferred to run with the lead in your hand in the past but a canicross belt will allow for more freedom and help you avoid back pain as your dogs pull force isn’t over your hips. The Non-Stop Dogwear CaniX belt which is so lightweight and comfortable that you can hardly feel it.
Non-Stop Dogwear Bungee leash
Create the ultimate bonding experience between you and your dog as you run as a team connected with the elastic lead. The Non-Stop Dogwear Bungee leash is a fully elastic line which will absorb shock and be gentle on the backs of you and your dog.
