So, you’ve made it through obedience class and your dog has a beautiful “Heel.” You can walk calmly down the street, your dog by your side and your shoulder still in its socket. But somewhere out on your walk you see a dog zooming by, a human in tow. And, they look like they are having fun!
Is it possible for your dog to maintain its non-leash pulling while also being a Canicross dog?
The simple answer: yes. The two keys to your dog’s success are: they are trainable. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have perfected that “heel” position in the first place. And: they are smarter than you think.
Canicross is a wonderful sport that promotes bonding and relationship building and that happens through the training that you and your dog do together. Canicross can be as simple as slap a harness on a dog and hope for the best, but it’s probably going to be more fun if the two of you work at it. AKA: train. You need to practice. The same goes for any other dog training you’ve done. Heeling on a leash or Canicrossing are both skills that need to be consistently reinforced.
That’s one of the greatest parts of living with dogs; learning and training never stops.
Dogs also have the brains to know when it’s appropriate to do something and when it’s not. Those distinctions are taught to them by you. Equipment differentiations cue to a dog when it’s pulling time and when it’s not. The use of specific words that are trained can also make that distinction for your dog. Often, Canicrossers teach a “go behind” or utilize their “heel” cue when running down hills since the dog pulling at great speeds downhill can be jarring. The use of these cues promotes self control and regulation when your dog is doing something very exciting. Exactly the same training premise when you are asking your dog to “heel” on leash.
Providing your dog an appropriate pulling outlet can also decrease unwanted pulling. Your dog learns to trust that you will meet their needs and will be more willing to listen to the “heel” cue. Like I said, they’re smarter than you think.
So there you have it. Canicross will not undo all of the work you have done to train your dog to walk nicely on a leash. In fact, Canicross training will inadvertently improve your dog’s manners by strengthening your relationship and providing your dog with an appropriate pulling outlet. Your dog will more than likely figure out Canicross before you do.
Because, they are smarter than we think.