"But you don’t have a dog." by Nicola Deschamps

“How can you canicross without a dog?” my friend mumbled. “I’ll borrow one!” I replied optimistically. And so, my canicross journey began. Fast forward a few years, and I now run with my neighbour’s dog, Henry, a high-energy (and certifiably insane) English Springer Spaniel who looks at me after a 6-mile run as if to say, “Is that it, then?!”

With a new member of their family, baby Hugo, demanding their time and attention, my neighbours are relieved and grateful that their fur baby is out running every other day with a good mate, is well looked after and is having a lot of fun. It’s a win-win arrangement; I get to take part in a great winter sport, be a club member of Wessex canicross, serve as dog ‘auntie’, keep fit, and meet other lovely like-minded peeps along the way.

Together, Henry and I have explored some beautiful places in Somerset and Wiltshire, led and joined many Wessex club runs, and entered … er … precisely no competitions. Why? Cos Henry’s irrepressible excitement leads to an inevitable poonami, breakneck 90° turns, squirrel chases, leaps into the unknown, literally (last one was into a river up to my thigh) and other potential hazards to life and limb that no medal of any size is worth!

Henry the Hustler

So, how does dog borrowing work, and what is it? It’s a community-based concept where dog owners connect with local, vetted, dog-loving volunteers who want to spend time with a dog, either on occasion or regularly. My team at work mentioned it to me because they knew I loved dogs but couldn’t own one due to work commitments (overseas trips, long hours, blah blah), and apparently, they thought I needed to ‘chill out’!

I grew up with dogs and had volunteered for the Cinnamon Trust for several years, and I felt confident around dogs and their owners. So, I joined BorrowMyDoggy, an online platform that connects local owners with borrowers. It effectively serves as a dating agency for dogs and humans! It’s thanks to BorrowMyDoggy that I met my first canicross partner … Bob, the bestest boy ever: a short, tubby Sprocker who looked like he’d eaten all the pies, but he was a pocket rocket and a true diamond.

Bob the Brilliant

Bob and I were pals for over ten years, until he passed away at 14.5 years old: deaf, doolally, but still a darling. We'd entered loads of competitions, won medals and shared some amazing adventures, both runs and rambles. I went on to partner with Lola the Lab for four years; her owner said she loved to run and eat in equal measure. Bingo, a girl after my own heart! And when Miss Lola retired, Henry became my canicross partner.

Lola the Lush

And the moral to this ‘tail’? You don’t need to own a dog to enjoy the sport of canicross … borrow one, find a fur pal who has a spring in their paws, and get to know their owner who may become a friend too, or at the very least will be glad to have a helping hand and see their pet have fun, fun, fun.