5 Things You Will ‘Need’ When You Start Running Dogs ‘Seriously’

1. More dogs – it’s inevitable. The amount of times I’ve heard people say ‘one is enough for me’, then comes number two and then three and so on. It becomes addictive and you end up wanting more dogs, not just to enter more classes at events or cover more miles, but also because owning more dogs is more fun!

I started out with one and then rescued another two, dog number four is somewhere on the horizon....
I started out with one and then rescued another two, dog number four is somewhere on the horizon….

2. More harnesses, belts and lines – the more dogs you have, the more kit you need. Your dog will outgrow it’s harness or a newer, more comfortable, brighter coloured harness will present itself on the market that you have to have. You will decide it would be nice to have a racing belt, plus a training belt, in addition to the first belt you got which you decided you’d use for walking instead. We can help with this here:

http://www.k9trailtime.com/shop

This is a small selection of my spare harnesses
This is a small selection of my spare harnesses

3. More trainers – this is only if you haven’t already got a cupboard full of different makes and styles of trainers. The more running you do, the more trainers you will need. You might want to dabble in lighter weight, minimal trainers and then decide actually you were happier with the good old first pair you bought but now you find they don’t make that model anymore, so you have to try a different brand. Don’t fight it, embrace them!

Be prepared to create more space somewhere for the many, many pairs of trainers you will 'need'
Be prepared to create more space somewhere for the many, many pairs of trainers you will ‘need’

4. A van to put all of the above in and drive around to all the social runs / races you will now be attending because you want to be involved in as many of the activities as you can. This will often involve travelling long distances and staying overnight in woodlands or fields with no facilities, so you might want to think about a campervan to save yourself the hassle of upgrading at a later date.

A van will be preferable to home and transport all your dogs, their kit and your kit to and from events
A van will be preferable to home and transport you, all your dogs, their kit and your kit to and from events

5. More cake – as a direct result of increased activity with your dog, you will find that you need more cake in your life. The cake is your reward for having just run/biked/scooted however far and many events have even started catering for this by providing cake made by volunteers.

Cake is a must for self-reward after all the extra activity you're participating in with your dog!
Cake is a must for self-reward after all the extra activity you’re participating in with your dog!

If all the above appeals to you then you’re ready to join the ranks of the thoroughly mad in the world of sleddog sports and all you need to do now is figure out how to pay for it all! 😉

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