I had tried running with my merle collie Jasper with a regular running belt, and decided that if I was going to start running with the dog then I'd better do it properly. The waist belt had always felt uncomfortable, and I wanted the pulling power from the dog to be felt in my hips rather than my back. 

Running with the waist belt only a few times had already given me some aches and pains, so I'd decided to get myself kitted out properly. 

Whilst attending Crufts in 2023, I grabbed all the gear I needed to get started with canicross from the Nonstop Dog Wear stand. I grabbed a belt, harness for the dog, and a bungee lead, and promised myself that I would religiously take Jasper out for runs now we were all suited and booted. 

I got home from Crufts, put all the gear on, and went for a run ... and didn't go again for another three years! 

Fast forward to January 2026, and I thought y'know what, I'm going to do it this time. I could do with a glow up, and the dogs could do with a job. 

I took Jasper first, and we were SLOW. We started out small, just running in bursts and not for too long that it felt like a chore. I wanted to make sure we ended on a high rather than feeling like it wasn't manageable. Finish feeling like we could do more, so we didn't feel defeated. 

After a week, I was already feeling more confident, and I thought I'd try my spaniel, Toby. I had tried Toby the once, however as soon as he started running, he slowed down and ran beside me. I think it was the stomping of my feet behind him that he was most upset about. 

I decided I'd try him again. I made a conscious effort to be lighter on my feet, and let him run beside me for a little while whilst encouraging him forward. 

After a few minutes, that dog was FLYING! I didn't expect Toby to be such a natural, but here we are completing 5k distances like it's nothing. Our current personal best for a 5k is 28 minutes and 7 seconds, which for us is a massive achievement. 

We have our first canicross race booked in March, and I cannot wait! 

If you'd like to follow along with our progress, you can do so by following us on Instagram or Facebook. Just search for @welshunderdogs or click here for our Instagram account, or here for our Facebook page. 

We are also undertaking a fundraising challenge to complete 99k for Canines in aid of Dog's Trust. If you would like to donate, please click here.