If you’ve ever joined one of our Formby Canicross group runs, there’s a good chance you’ve met Milo, our enthusiastic 4-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer who loves leading the pack.
We started canicross with Milo when he was just 18 months old, and he’s been a regular on the trails ever since. At 28kg of pure muscle and Pointer energy, he’s become the perfect lead dog for our group. He’s confident, focused, and plays an important safety role for the reactive dogs that run with us.
Milo has learned most of the key canicross cues, “left”, “right”, and most importantly “steady”, and sometimes he even chooses to remember them! When you’re flying downhill on a sand dune with a powerful dog pulling you, that “steady” cue is priceless! Luckily, most of our local 'hills' are soft sand, so even the occasional enthusiastic descent usually ends with an abrupt soft landing, laughter, and a confused GSP.
We run together most weeks, covering around 5km on our regular sessions, with the occasional longer 10km adventure. While we’ve entered several races across the UK, our approach is very much about enjoyment rather than competition. As I often joke, Milo has me to drag around, so his chances of a podium place are slim!
One of our favourite events is the Scottish leg of the Canix Fur Nations race at Glamis Castle. The route is beautiful, the atmosphere is brilliant, and it’s the perfect mix of challenge and fun.
Milo has bags of energy and pulls well into harness. He sets off with real enthusiasm, but he’s also remarkably steady around other dogs. This makes him an excellent lead dog running at the front to scout for loose dogs ahead and act as a buffer for the pack behind us.
Like many German Shorthaired Pointers, he has a strong hunting instinct. Every now and then he’ll catch a whiff of a rabbit or pheasant, freeze into a perfect point, bounce into meerkat mode, or insist on some focused sniffing. When that happens, I often just stop and let him have his moment. It’s his run too. We’re out there to enjoy the trails at our own pace, not chase personal bests.
After every run, Milo gets fresh water and a well-earned treat, usually a hairy rabbit ear or a chunky piece of sausage or two, and then home for a snooze on the sofa.
People often ask me two questions about Milo. First: “Does he pull on the lead all the time because he pulls in canicross?” The answer is no. He understands the difference between his walking collar (heel position) and his canicross harness (pulling time).
The second question is: “How do you know he actually enjoys running?” My reply is always simple: if he didn’t want to run, he wouldn’t. If you’ve ever tried to move a determined GSP from a sniff spot, you’ll know it’s not easy! The moment he sees me putting on my running shoes, he whines excitedly and bounces around ready to go. When he’s had enough, he tells me by slowing down, sniffing more, or trotting gently beside me. At that point we take a break, have a drink, and head home.
Milo isn’t just my running partner, he’s the heart of our group runs and a reason why many people (and their dogs) feel safe and welcome in Formby Canicross.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more of Milo’s canicross journey, including our race preparations, the routes we run, the kit we use, and the lessons we learn along the way.