Not at all (within reason)! Although we do have experienced people in our groups, everyone has to start somewhere so we run classes that begin at the very bottom and will help you improve your fitness and speed. Our Beginners' Workshops accommodate completely new runners, to those with much more experience under their belts. We also host monthly cani-hike sessions which may be more suitable if you are unable to run.

As long as both you and your dog are physically healthy enough to take part in exercise, then we have a class level that is suitable for you. Our main aim is for canicross to be fun for you and your dog, so your starting fitness level is not something you should worry about.

Your dog should be at least 12 months old (and fully grown) before running in harness.

Our sessions will take both your and your dog's fitness into account and beginner sessions are held at a steady pace with plenty of breaks.

Your dog must be comfortable having a harness put on them in order for them to be able to take part properly. Your dog cannot run in a collar, or run when not attached to their human counterpart. If you dog isn’t comfortable having a harness fitted on them, it is worth asking for more in-depth advice on how to help your dog feel more comfortable with this.

You should ideally have some grippy trainers to get started. Trail shoes are ideal, but ordinary trainers will be enough to let you get started. Wellies are not suitable!

You should wear comfortable lightweight exercise clothing (something you can move freely in and that you don’t mind getting muddy). In winter you will need a headtorch for the evening classes, and reflective accessories for the evening classes or early morning classes (we will cover night time running safety with you when needed). 

For your first session, your dog should ideally have a well-fitting comfortable ‘y’ shaped harness. We can lend you one from our kit bag for your session if you do not have one however as a back up, please always bring their own walking gear just in case, especially you have an exceptionally large or small dog.. You cannot use anything that is anti-pull. If in doubt, get in touch.

If you are borrowing kit from us, please come along a bit earlier and let us know in advance so we can ensure we have something suitable for you.

Canicross is a WINTER sport, so there will be mud, rain, and cold weather. We will run in most weather, provided it is safe for us and the dogs to do so.

During our sessions you will get muddy, and you will get wet as well. This is part of the fun and experience. Please bring warm socks/dry clothing to layer on afterwards. 

For your dogs, please bring a towel at the very least or a drying robe for them post session.

We will run in slightly warmer weather, however the speed and distance will be reduced, and if it gets too warm we will start earlier sessions, switch to hiking or dogless running!

The short answer is yes – as long as you are happy that you are in control of your dog and simply let us know that they like their space.

We have had many success stories of dogs that suffer from things such as fear aggression, really benefiting through the exercise and controlled socialisation of canicross. It can be beneficial to work in partnership with a properly qualified and educated behaviourist to help set your dog up for success.

Some canicrossers use a running muzzle on their dogs, and we actively encourage this in our community as they can be a fantastic tool for creating a safe space for you and your dog.

Our canicross Leaders only work with positive reinforcement, from science-based, force-free, up-to-date training methods. We will not tolerate any adverse training tools or techniques being used in classes or on the dogs that attend our session. We will terminate all bookings if we suspect these outdated methods are being used.

If you have any specific behaviour concerns before attending a class then please get in touch, we are happy to discuss.

This is the most common question we get, and the answer is NO! You will be surprised at how much control you have. We will start slowly and build not only your confidence up, but that of your dogs too. Working on the fundamentals to strengthen the bond you have with your dog as well as building in the command cues needed to canicross successfully. Canicross is a skill, the more you work on it the better you will be, it does take time. But we promise you, it is worth it!

Yes, the size of your dog is irrelevant, we have taught people with Dachshunds to Danes to run with their dogs. It is more important that your dog is healthy and has a good head, nose and muzzle shape so they are able to pant and breathe normally.

Flatter faced breeds such as boxers can take part, however you do need to be mindful of heat exhaustion! It is generally not recommended for Pugs, Frenches or similar to take part in canicross because of their inherent breed issues (deformities) preventing them from regulating their body temperatures.

The short, 'long-term' answer is yes, however, we would recommend that initially you bring your dogs out one at a time to sessions.

This way YOU can build up your skill set in learning how to run with one dog attached first. Then you can build on that foundation and help each dog learn to run in harness, before adding additional dogs.   

For Beginners' sessions we will consider a maximum of 2 dogs per runner, on a case by case basis. As we encourage partners to join as well, this can be a good way for multiple dogs to run at the same time.

Most of our leaders have experience running multiple dogs, but it is a lot harder than running mono-dog! There are also a lot of other factors to consider, from kit to core fitness levels, so we would recommend speaking in depth with one of our leaders to learn more.