Sports and The Portuguese Sheepdog
Rather than participating in traditional dog activities such as agility, conformation, obedience and flyball, the Por Tewgal team is involved in canicross and bikejoring. Those two sports have become very popular in Europe and are just being introduced to the North American scene. Practised in a non-competitive environment, both sports are beneficial to the well-being of dogs and their human companions. The definite asset of canicross and bikejoing is that they enable both humans and canines to exercise at a similar level. Canicross and bikejoring competitions exist but they should be regulated by ethical rules designed to protect the dogs. The Por Tewgal Project is proud to introduce canicross and bikejoring to English-speaking Canada.
Canicross
Canicross involves running with your dog. The dog is equipped with a special harness. A bungee leash links the human runner with his/her canine partner. A padded belt is attached around the waist of the human. Canicross makes it possible to develop the athletic skills of both species. Progressive and regular training is recommended. The key here is for your dog to pace him/herself at a speed that is comfortable for his/her human partner. Access to water should always be available.
Bikejoring
The equipment needed to practice bikejoring is pretty similar to the one used for canicross except that a special bike attachment replaces the belt. Riding a bike with a dog attached to it also requires additional skills. The rider needs to have a good handling of a mountain bike and his/her canine partner should be comfortable around bicycles. As for canicross, pulling is definitely to be avoided as the goal is to synchronize the ride with the dog's running.