INTRODUCTION: The term Canicross is of European origin. Cross means to move cross country. Canicross is cross country with your dog. Canicross is the sport of running your dog in harness with equipment similar or the same used for skijoring. Canicross is not simply walking the dog. Running with a dog on a leash is not Canicross. In Canicross the dog pulls you. Your hands are free because your dog is attached at the belt. You need a belt, a line with an integrated shock cord and a harness for the dog. Dog speeds versus Human Speeds In Canicross, the dog is taught to keep tension on the line while traveling at human speeds. 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 event. Fast for a human is five minute miles over a marathon distance. That is 19,3 kilometers per hour. Dogs on the other hand can run 19,3 kilometers per hour all day long. Sled dogs at the world championship often run 32,2 kilometers per hour for over thirty kilometers. "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.  It is important to free run your dogs also. Regularly let your dogs stretch it out and run at their own speed. To train a dog for dog speeds you can free run your dogs in the off season. If you have a place you can go where your dog can romp free then that is great exercise for agility and speed. Keep Your Dogs Cool Canicross is a warmer weather sport and great care should be taken to monitor your dogs performance. Dogs overheat easily when working in warm temperatures. Know the limits of your dogs and keep them well hydrated. Malamutes run most efficiently when it is considered cold by human standards At 0 degrees C. a Malamute will run like a steam train. At 27 degrees C. a Malamute will hardly work. Other breeds with shorter coats may be more heat tolerant but you should still be extra careful to provide enough water for your dogs. If the route has no good water then you have to carry water for your dog. Canicross requires the dog to work, so overheating is always a concern. Working the dogs at daybreak or at night is a good way to avoid overheating. Avoid pavement and mid day sun. Keep the distance conservative. Ambient temperatures exceeding certain limits may be cause for cancellation of events as the safety of dogs and humans is of paramount concern. Methods 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 11 to 14 kilometers per hour. When going into a walk, you have at least one foot on the ground at all times. Rules and Regulations Follow the link to the left. Events are arranged by the event giving organizations under governance of SAFDSS as prescribed by International Standards. The rules for Canicross is based on the same rules as for Cani-walk with the only difference running instead of walking.