Sports activities with dog

Canicross is probably the most popular single-dog harness sports in Canada. A lot of clubs and races have been organized around this discipline, which has greatly contributed to the growth of popularity of sport activities with dog in recent years. The principle is simple: you are wearing a canicross belt, your four-legged partner is equipped with a dog pulling harness and you are connected together with a bungee line that absorbs impacts when you are running. This enables you to run with your dog hands-free.

At first glance, it may seem easier than regular running since the dog is pulling you, but you're wrong ! You must have an excellent physical shape and running technique to be able to follow your dog in canicross - in some cases, a runner can increase their running speed by up to 30% thanks to the dog pulling them, so they will need to be able to follow this cadence while keeping a good running pattern to avoid injury.

If you are a thrill seeker and have a dog with a lot of energy, you should definitely try bikejoring ! This activity consists of having your dog pulling in a harness at the front of the bike. The bungee line is attached directly to the bike's stem so that it benefits from the dog's pulling force. Your mission is to be able to pedal fast enough to allow your four-legged athlete to run with great strides. The speeds reached in bikejoring are very impressive and, in competition, it is not uncommon to see the odometer exceed 40 km/h.

Of course, you are free to adjust the speed at which you go so that you feel comfortable and it is obviously essential to respect your dog's motivation and the physical capacity. A bike with disc brakes is a must in order to have good control over your dog and thus practice this discipline safely. Bikejoring is definitely one of the sport activities with dog worth trying!

Did you know that skijoring is a fairly old discipline which was initially practiced with horses ? Obviously, there are some nuances between skijoring with a horse and with dog, but the principle remains that humans are on skis and benefit from the pulling force of the animal. Competitive skijoring is done with skate skis. It is probably the discipline of single-dog harness sports that requires the most training because standing on skate skis while your dog is pulling is not easy.

Skijoring as described previously can be seen as a slightly restrictive winter dog activity since it requires having access to perfect trails and, of course, a good technique if you don't want to spend most of your time lying on the ground. Another more accessible way to skijor is off-track skijoring (with backcountry skis). This makes it much easier to keep your balance, eliminates the need to ski skate and allows you to have fun in the snow even if you don't have groomed trails in your area. No matter which one you prefer you should really try one of these sports activities with dog !

Kicksled is one of the sports activities with dog that, to our delight, is gaining a lot of popularity in Canada. In addition to being a very efficient way to spend your dog's energy, it also allows you to fully enjoy winter with your dog(s). Initially, the kicksled was used as a means of winter transportation in Nordic European countries and no dogs were involved in the process since it is the human who propels the kicksled with his feet.

Once again, dog owners had the great idea to harness one or two dogs in front of their kiclsed in order to enjoy this activity with their dogs. The kicksled differs from the dog sled by the fact that it is smaller and lighter. As a result, the number of dogs harnessed at the front will vary between one and two. If you are an outdoor enthusiast and dream of long rides or of hitting the trails at full speed, you must definitely try kicksledding with your dog(s) !

Probably the ancestor of all dog harness sports, dog sledding is one of the sports activities with dogs that we could categorize as the most “mythical”. Personally, it was this activity that got us hooked on harness dog sports when we first started practicing it with our shelter dogs in the mid-2000s. Since then, our pack has grown and we practice several other disciplines with our dogs, this was the passion that started it all

Exploring nature in the middle of winter with a team of dogs working in harmony offers an incomparable feeling of fulfillment. In general, we talk about dog sledding from the moment when three or more dogs are harnessed to the front of the sled, which will be a little more robust and heavier than a kicksled in order to allow better control of the dogs. There is no maximum limit, but in most of races, teams don't usually exceed 16 dogs.

Nahak started out as a manufacturer of equipment for sports activities with dog, but we have had the pleasure of developing an urban range which quickly became known and appreciated thanks to the quality, reliability and practicality of its products.

We may be outdoor and nature enthusiasts, but we all face an urban environment at one point or another, whether it's when walking the dog around the neighborhood or taking a stroll around town. The classic collar and leash are the first thing you think of when it comes to going out for a walk with your canine companion, but did you know that we offer several products such as a walking harness with front attachment and a multifunctional leash? These two Nahak products are recommended by many dog trainers and veterinarians because, in addition to being safe, they will greatly simplify your walks.