Rules and Regulations of Cani-Sports Edinburgh

  1. The welfare of the dog is paramount.  In the UK they are not permitted to race until they are 1 year old and we do not allow dogs under 1 year old to run in harness during a club run.  If there is any doubt as to your dog’s suitability for cani-sports, please discuss with your breeder or rescue organisation and consult a vet.

  2. Everyone participates at their own risk and is solely responsible for them self and their dog.  Any incident involving a third party is the sole responsibility of the owner/runner.  The Club’s insurance is to safeguard the club, it is strongly recommended that participants have appropriate insurance to cover cani-sports (e.g  United Canine Sports Club).

  3. All relevant health issues of both participants and dogs must be disclosed to the run organiser prior to participating.

  4. If you are new to Cani-Sports Edinburgh please advise the run organiser as you must complete a disclaimer prior to participating.

  5. Cani-Sports Edinburgh are only in charge of club runs, they are not in charge of non club runs.  A club run is defined as: One designated as an ‘club run’ at the time of organising, one that is organised under the banner of Cani-Sports Edinburgh by either a committee member or a member of Cani-Sports Edinburgh in liaison with a committee member and one that has at least 1 committee member present.   Club rules and regulations apply to all club runs.   Conversely non club runs can be organised by anyone within the group on an ad-hoc basis.

  6. The run organisers are not fitness instructors and as such will not guide you through a warm up.  To avoid injury please ensure you and your dog are suitably warmed up prior to participating.

  7. All dogs must show a willingness to run in a harness.

  8. All participants must be polite and courteous to members of the public and bear in mind they are a representative of Cani-Sports Edinburgh.

  9. All participants must follow the guidance of members of the committee.

  10. The committee has complete discretion if they wish to remove a participant and their dog(s) from the group, this must be respected and acknowledged that a decision to do so will not be made lightly.

  11. The committee reserves the right to request any dog be muzzled.

  12. Children 7 years and over are welcome to run with the club; however they must be supervised by their parent/guardian (over 18 years old) at all times, 1 child per guardian.  Please do not attach any child onto a dog by themselves without consulting with the run organiser; an adult may be required to be attached as well, Please do not allow children to approach any of the dogs without speaking to the owner first and please make the run organiser aware they are with you.

  13. Many of the running trails have natural hazards e.g. tree roots, pot holes, bridges and mud!! Participants negotiate these at their own risk and level of expertise.  Cani-Sports Edinburgh and the land owners/managers are not responsible for any incident related to the trails.

  14. Please ensure you pick up after your dog and dispose of this appropriately.

  15. During dark runs all runners must wear some form of high visibility clothing and a head torch.  Appropriate footwear is recommended all year round.

  16. Appropriate equipment is to be used on the dogs at all times.  If in any doubt please seek advice from a committee member.

  17. If there is an incident or accident whilst participating with Cani-Sports Edinburgh, please inform the run organiser as soon as possible and in all cases prior to leaving the run.

  18. Participants are counted in and out of each club run, do not leave without ensuring the run organiser has accounted for you.

  19. All dogs must be identified by collar tags and/or microchip.

  20. The club is a friendly group and all participants are responsible for keeping it that way and showing encouragement and support to their fellow participants.  Runners must alert other runners if they wish to overtake.

  21. All dogs must be kept on a lead during club runs, unless otherwise dictated/allowed by the run organiser.

  22. All participants must be aware of appropriate times for feeding and watering dogs in and around exercise.

  23. All participants must be aware of the appropriate conditions to run dogs; e.g. temperature and terrain.

  24. Bitches in season are not permitted at club runs.

  25. Dogs referred to as “my dog” or “your dog” in Cani-Sports Edinburgh documents are defined as any dog that you bring along to a club run regardless of ownership and/or any dog that you borrow directly from the owner at a club run.  If you bring a dog along that you do not own you are generally not permitted to allow anyone else to walk or run this dog (the committee have full discretion).

  26. A maximum of 2 dogs per runner at any one time is permitted, regardless of size or breed.

  27. The run organiser or a committee member reserve the right to cancel a club run at any time, as is deemed necessary by them.