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 two 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 27 minutes and 48 seconds, which is a massive achievement for us, and a big improvement from where we started. 

We had our first 5k race on March 22, 2026 at Margam Country Park in Port Talbot, held by Red Warrior Events. Toby was a little bit nervous at the start line when everyone rushed forward, so we went off to the side and created a bit of space until he was more comfortable. 

After a little while, we got into the swing of things, and ended up in 13th place with a time of 36 minutes and 16 seconds. I’m super proud of Toby for his efforts! He did so well, that we ended up entering the Canix Fur Nations in Pembrey, and came 20th in the 2 mile beach run! 

I’ve also introduced my nervous collie Bruno to canicross. He’s a shy boy, so he’s been coming along with Toby in training. Toby’s acting as a little doggy mentor to show him that there’s nothing to be scared of, and help teach him what the job is all about. 

In April 2026, I decided I wanted to help others get started with canircross, and became a DogFit Certified Canicross Intstructor. I now help people start running with their dogs through 1 to 1 and group classes. 

If you’d like to follow along with our progress or get in touch to book a taster session or a class, you can do so by following us on Instagram or Facebook. Just search for @welshunderdogscanicross or click here for our Instagram account, or here for our Facebook page.