Profile Identification of Canicross Practitioners and Their Dogs in Brazil

Abstract

The study analyzed the profile of Canicross practitioners in Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 33 questions was used: seven related to the handler and 26 to the dogs. Results: Of the total handlers, 53.3% are women, 64% have practiced the sport for at least 5 years and 52.3% trained with a personal trainer. Of the dogs, 62.6% were females, 60% were between one and four years old and the Mixed Breeds were the majority with 34.6%; as for the health of the animals, 80% of the handlers stated that they did not carry out veterinary monitoring aiming at the Canicross. 6.6% of the animals had sports-related injuries and 80% of these cases received veterinary treatment. It was clear that handlers know strategies to prevent and / or treat injuries caused by the sport, however this is not reflected in dogs. The unprecedented nature of the work will help handlers, veterinarians and sports lovers to draw up protocols so that dogs can practice Canicross safely.

Canicross Pilot Programme: Basic Considerations for Its Implementation as an Extracurricular Sports Activity

“…A second body of research is related to the adaptation of canicross for use with groups in vulnerable situations, such as people with intellectual disabilities [11] and young minors with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [12]. Finally, there are two studies related to the profile of canicross practitioners and the conditioning factors to be considered in the practise of this sport [13,14].…”