New shop inspires owners to try out sports with dogs
A business owner is hoping to inspire more people to get involved in dog sports through her new shop in East Wittering.
Jenni Kenyon launched her new shop Purple Paw Store by K9 Fitness in Oakfield Road on March 1, selling dog sports equipment including harnesses and belts, as well as raw food, treats and toys.
For years Jenni has competed in sled dog sports events including canicross – the sport of cross country running with dogs, bikejor – riding a bike with your dog and scooting – going on a scooter with your dog. She took part in the World Championship about 14 months ago in Firle.
Since 2014, Jenni has also run the popular South Downs & Coastal Canicrossers group, which has ‘gone from strength to strength’. “It’s such a great sport, especially for rescue dogs,” she said, explaining: “They can still run, but in a controlled way.”
She first got involved in the sport when she got her own rescue dog seven-and-a-half years ago, and says of her pet: “He just loves it, he absolutely loves it.”
It was a particularly good hobby to take up amid lockdown, which has left public spaces more crowded.
“It’s good to get a sport where you can give the dog a really good form of exercise without getting in the way of people and other dogs,” she said.
Jenni, who also runs her own licensed home boarding and dog daycare business, K9 Fitness, can give customers advice about how to get started with bikejor and scooting. She said of the sports: “It’s such an adrenaline rush, it really is.”
And the dogs love it too. “They get to go even faster. With Canicross they can only go as fast as the human can run, but with the bikejor and scooting, quite often you’re struggling to keep up with the dog,” she said. “I’ve done nearly 30mph – that’s quite scary.”