Ive been looking around the forum here and checking out what people use for jogging and bikejoring with their dogs and I've noticed the setups generally aren't cheap. I know 100% for sure I want to run with Kiba when she's old enough but when i look at the canicross belts they seem to run about $50+! and that's not including a new special harness for Kiba.

1. Has anyone successfully made their own belt and running setup? If so, how did you do it?
2. Is there a less expensive alternative that doesn't involve holding a leash?
3. If there isn't an alternative, is it better to run with a fixed-length leash or a retractable one?

If there's no alternatives for a less expensive set-up then i may have to wait a long time before buying anything. If i had the extra money I'd splurge on something nice but I'm working hard to pay student loans so anything that's not a "need" has to wait.

Thanks guys!

I can only suggest English products I'm afraid. But indi dog do walking belts as well as other sled dog wear. I have just spent £50 + with her sorting out my bikejoring gear for two dogs.

http://www.indi-dog.co.uk/

actually that's not a bad price for their Walking belt. i think the pounds to dollars conversion would make it $38.00. Do you feel like their product is pretty sturdy? I also wonder if it matters if i used it for running with her instead of walking? I'm going to have to look more into this one

Thanks for the suggestion!

KibaHope wrote:

actually that's not a bad price for their Walking belt. i think the pounds to dollars conversion would make it $38.00. Do you feel like their product is pretty sturdy? I also wonder if it matters if i used it for running with her instead of walking? I'm going to have to look more into this one

Thanks for the suggestion!

She owns 3 huskies herself and has tried and tested her products on them I haven't received my set up yet but she has high praises on the pet forum we're members on.

For running I would opt for one with leg loops - she's very friendly so you could drop her an email and ask if she could do one with leg loops on?

Not sure where you live but i LOVE adanac, and from what i learned is you get what you pay for and for these guys there shit stands up to use
http://stores.adanacsleds.com/-strse-Bikejoring/Categories.bok
http://stores.adanacsleds.com/-strse-Skijoring-and-Canicross/Categories.bok
http://stores.adanacsleds.com/-strse-Harnesses/Categories.bok

oh and i see your pups only 5 months so you still have 7months to save up before you can think about really running or biking him. i would wait on a custom harness till he is closer to full grown as well so your not buying many

I love this belt by Alpine Outfitters: http://www.alpineoutfitters.net/secure/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=111

It's relatively inexpensive even if you get the padding and reflective tape. I would definitely suggest the padding, but I don't feel like the reflective tape really does much (especially considering they only added about 3 inches of it...). Make sure to note that if you order it, it expands 6" from what you order. I had to have mine remade because it fit perfectly and if I lost any weight I wouldn't have been able to cinch it anymore.

This leash is great too: http://www.alpineoutfitters.net/secure/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=88

The shockline works really well and I see the leash lasting a long time. Definitely worth the investment. I think I'd suggest investing in that and a cheaper belt if I was trying to save money.

Also, jogging wouldn't necessarily require a harness and certainly not an expensive one. I use one when I run with Pippa for fear of her slipping her collar, but I got it for about $15 at Petsmart. Canicross would require an x-back harness, but not just jogging.

Good luck on your search!

I'm with Katie! Love my mushers belt and joggers leashes! They're very durable and it wasn't that expensive IMO. Even with the padding (which I also would totally suggest).

Here's the review thread that Heather started when she got hers. Which lead me to get mine

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t7260-ezydog-convert-harness-alpine-jogger-leash-musher-s-belt

your right i DO have plenty of time before we start running together but hiking and running with her are two things im really REALLY excited about

i suppose i was saying canicross and jogging interchangeably but i should clarify that because there's not a single canicross event in VA (that i know of), i really just meant jogging. I also just said canicross because its those belts that I've looked at- assuming that they would be sturdy and more comfortable than other ones.

Quote :

I had to have mine remade because it fit perfectly and if I lost any weight I wouldn't have been able to cinch it anymore.

hey that's not a bad problem to have

Melissa i'll check that link out. Durable really IS the key word for me as Ive had 1 harness, 1 collar, and 1 leash break all at different times. i'm sure everyone can relate that its scary when any one of those breaks and suddenly your dogs loose. I'm not looking to have any repeat performances

Just to re-iterate though, we are waiting to take her running until she's of a more appropriate age and growth stage.

okay WOW! the alpine mushers belt says its $20. That's wayyy less expensive than the ones I've seen on amazon for $60 and $75 dollars! This is awesome! I know I'll wait to order any kind of harness for her until she's grown but I may order one of these belts and try it out on regular walks. Some motivation to stay the same size i am now so the belt will continue to fit me

MelissaI wrote:

Here's the review thread that Heather started when she got hers. Which lead me to get mine

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t7260-ezydog-convert-harness-alpine-jogger-leash-musher-s-belt

I meant to give both of you credit! I ordered mine after seeing that thread!

KibaHope wrote:

i suppose i was saying canicross and jogging interchangeably but i should clarify that because there's not a single canicross event in VA (that i know of), i really just meant jogging. I also just said canicross because its those belts that I've looked at- assuming that they would be sturdy and more comfortable than other ones.

Quote :

I had to have mine remade because it fit perfectly and if I lost any weight I wouldn't have been able to cinch it anymore.

hey that's not a bad problem to have

Melissa i'll check that link out. Durable really IS the key word for me as Ive had 1 harness, 1 collar, and 1 leash break all at different times. i'm sure everyone can relate that its scary when any one of those breaks and suddenly your dogs loose. I'm not looking to have any repeat performances

I know what you mean! I wish canicross was a bigger deal in the states!

Haha I suppose that's not a bad problem! I just know that my waist is the first place I tend to lose weight from and I didn't want to regret the size if I happened to lose an inch or two later.

They are very high quality and I honestly don't see any wear happening for some time. Do know that when the time comes, you'll want to order well in advance if you do order form them. They can take a while depending on what time of year you order.

sorry to bump this as the initial question was answered. For those of you who've ordered the Alpine Outfitters gear, how long did it take for the order to arrive at your doorstep? I'm thinking of ordering a mushers belt so that i can be hands-free on the trails we walk but i like to have an idea of when it would come in that way i'm not worrying that the order was lost or something.

Also did they keep you pretty updated on the status of the order? or give shipping info once it was done? thanks ! : )

I ordered mine about two weeks before Christmas and it got here the first or second week of January. It can take a while, depending on what time of year you oder it, but I think ordering right around Christmas wasn't the brightest plan on my behalf.

They're very good about updating the order status on your profile on their website. I'm not sure if they emailed to say it had shipped or not.

Perfect! I'm not in a huge hurry to have it, but more just excited to have something new to try on our walks. I'll probably order it this month or beginning or next so i'm not sure what demand will be like. Thanks for the info!

I'm glad this got bumped. I have been using an old leash around my waist snapped to the middle ring of the double ended leash when I jog with the girls it gets pretty jerky and tight around the waist when they take off. Now I am considering ordering myself a set for the summer jogging and to use pretty much any time with Ripley in the park and on trails. I think the size would extend big enough to fit Chris even (he's pretty slim and I am.....lets say curvy in the waist) so he could try roller joring with it if he wanted.
Something to think about anyways, and if they dont ship to Canada we at least have loads of friends who would be willing to mail it! lol.

I personally got a SASS belt, which was $60 from the conversion, but I love it. It arrived in two weeks. However, I will testify that I love Indi-dogs stuff. Although I would like to note that she has closed up her shop for a couple months starting March 1st so if you're considering indi-dog you might have to wait a bit

I waited 8 weeks for my Alpine stuff and then sent an email. They replied quickly and said the order didn't process correctly and they would sent it out as soon as possible. I got it about a week after that. Though only Maya's harness fits, probably because she was the only one that would stand still and let me measure her...

KibaHope wrote:

sorry to bump this as the initial question was answered. For those of you who've ordered the Alpine Outfitters gear, how long did it take for the order to arrive at your doorstep? I'm thinking of ordering a mushers belt so that i can be hands-free on the trails we walk but i like to have an idea of when it would come in that way i'm not worrying that the order was lost or something.

Also did they keep you pretty updated on the status of the order? or give shipping info once it was done? thanks ! : )

There are some old threads discussing ordering and wait times with AO you might find worth checking out as well:
alpine outfitters

Alpine Outfitter Issues?

8 weeks!! well at least they were quick to respond to you. For now i'm just looking at getting my own measurements for the belt since I know Kiba's got some growing to do yet. For now I have a really sturdy harness that i got at TJMaxx( of all places!) for our walks.

I was surprised at how quick they responded and how quick i got it after that. They also gave me 2 spotlight safety lights for my wait.

well after reading that it seems like they explained the delays with fire and also the time for creating a custom harness is a bit long. Like i said, i'm not terribly anxious and i dont neeed it right now for racing or anything. My concern is always that when i order from a company i've never dealt with, i like to make sure i actually get the product. Im very cautious when ordering online

To add some recent experience from Alpine....

I ordered two custom Urban Trail harnesses from them back in mid-February. I immediately emailed them to get an idea of lead time, and they replied that they would be able to have it done in 4 weeks.

We stayed in contact via email throughout the entire process, and they were extremely polite and prompt in their responses. They were also very patient with my nagging.

Sure enough, four weeks on the dot and I received the notice that my order had shipped. They came in two days later (yesterday).


I would definitely order from Alpine again. I plan on doing a full review on the harnesses (and Alpine) this weekend.

I actually ordered my mushers belt and leashes on Monday and it shipped on Wednesday, since its the down season the shipping times are a lot shorter. They were also very promt with emailing me the shipping costs as I am considered international.