Think about it.
Any time ... any day ... any distance and your canine partner is ready to go. Can you imagine waking up your human training partner at 4 a.m. and saying "Let's go for a run"? They'd look at you like you've lost your mind.
But your dog would never question the time of day. Nor would your dog care how fast or slow you go. Yes, they're truly ideal training partners.
Now, if you're like me, and you've been canine training for the last 15 years, your biggest issue is the leash laws in nearly every American community.
Unless you can find remote trails where your dog can run free, running with a leash tugging you one way or the other can be a major hassle and a big reason people choose not to train with their dogs.
Cardio Canine
Since I've grown so accustomed to running with a leash in either hand, my introduction to the Cardio Canine was met with a tentative interest.
Aside from Cardio Canine sounding like a heart program for my dog, I didn't see how strapping my dog to my waist would help if he ran to either side of me.
Without hand control, would I just get pulled all over the place? Or, even scarier, how could I release him quickly in an emergency?
Since I have a 2-year-old Hungarian Vizsla, Buddy, who runs like a greyhound and never tires, he was the perfect test partner for the Cardio Canine.
Buddy had never seen this contraption, nor had I ever strapped him to anything other than my hand. I was curious to see how he'd perform.
I strapped the waist belt around my waist and was pleasantly surprised to learn it had Velcro straps in addition to a simple belt fastener.
The padded fabric felt incredibly comfortable, even though it was securely tightened around my waist.
I also noticed the "quick release snap" in case you need to quickly disconnect from your dog. While I never tried it under extreme tension, the release disengaged fairly easily but not as easily as I would've expected.
The leash length is just long enough to keep you from stepping on your dog's feet, yet short enough to keep him within easy control. Nice thing is the leash can be hooked to either side, front or back, of the waist belt.
I found that hooking Buddy to the front worked best and -- every once in a while -- if he ran to one side and then behind me to the other side, I found myself doing a quick mid-run spin to unwrap the leash from my waist. No big deal.
For the most part, Buddy stayed in front, blazing the trail and literally pulling me up hills. Yes, the feeling of being pulled from your waist is amazing.
Instead of having my body trying to catch up to my shoulder being pulled, I was effortlessly being pulled up hills.
Always in control
And the best part was that I always felt in control. If I had to, I could reach down and steer the leash from one side or another with my hand. And having my hands free again, also made running seem, well, more like running.
No question the Cardio Canine has introduced me to a whole new way of training with Buddy. The leash has become a lot more of a pleasure as opposed to a hassle. And he doesn't seem to mind being hooked to a shorter leash whatsoever.
Gadget geeks will also be pleased to find there are pouches for keys, cell phone, dog poop bags, etc. as well as a 14 oz. water bottle and holder.
You can also pull two dogs by attaching two leashes and the swiveling portion of this feature allows you to maintain tangle free movement of both dogs if they choose to switch sides in front of you.
At $55 suggested retail for a single leash version and $63 for the double, the Cardio Canine is certainly a welcome device for those addicted to running with their canine buddies.
For more information, visit www.cardiocanine.com or call (561) 575-9403.