The technical adviser in scientific communication for Eukanuba Rita Domínguez suggests doing physical activity with your pet in addition to his usual walks, because even if it is a walk, the activity he will be doing will help him exercise his muscles and mind in a better way.
However, it must be taken into account that theThe activity will depend on your race, size, age and physical condition, previously assessed by your veterinarian. If you are already considering it at this point, the new trend for exercising with your pet will call your attention: the mushing.
Surely the idea of dogs pulling a sled in the snow comes to mind, but it is a sport that can not only be done in this way, because now you can practice it in the city thanks to its variants.
Mushing dates back to the early 20th century where dogs were trained to pull sleds and transport people or goods, especially in Canada and Alaska. In 1925 Husky Balto and his Gunnar Kaasen brought penicillin to Nome City, a 1,084 km sled ride, a race that helped start mushing as a sport.
Currently this sport has become very popular, for which you can practice any of its variants on land where there is no snow. An example is the Canicross, which does not require any vehicle, since it consists of running with your back tied to your waist by means of a belt and a shooting line connected to the dog’s harness.
However, if you want to feel like you are on a sled, you can practice Bikejöring, in which you ride a bike and your dog or dogs run ahead pulling it to drag it. If you go with a dog, the musher is pedaling, if you are being pulled by more dogs, the musher is on a bicycle without pedals, something similar to a skate.
It is important to choose an activity that your loin resists, since not for all races. Given the nature of the sport, to practice this discipline the most suitable breeds are the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamund, Samoyed and some hunting dog crosses.
Any medium-large size breed older than one year and weighing between 20 and 30 kg can practice any of these sports, always advised and trained by an expert. As you can see, this practice is for very active dogs.
If you are interested in starting to practice this sport, consider going to a sports club where it takes place to familiarize yourself with the activities and chat with the people who do it, as they can give you a better overview of this sport.
In Mexico there are several groups, the first was urban mushing in Querétaro, however there are already more available throughout the country such as Guadalajara, Puebla, León, Monterrey, among others. The starting cost per baggage can range from 1,400 to 4,000 pesos.