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| An entrant in the 2014 VetShop Australia Surfing Dog Spectacular. |
Does your dog love
water sports? This weekend in Noosa, QLD, puppies and dogs are invited to
participate in the 2015 Surfing Dog Spectacular. We spoke to Chris De Aboitiz,
a former world tandem surfing champ and dog trainer, about an activity he
reckons will help dogs and owners get fitter and strengthen the human animal
bond.
What’s your day job?
I
hire stand up paddle boards on the river in 1770 and do dog training.
When did you first realise you
could surf with a dog?
It
was about 10 years ago, when I first took my border collie x dog Lani for a
stand up paddle on the river. She always loved the water and I realised that
she was the perfect surfing dog!
Are dogs naturally good
surfers? How much training do you need to do?
Yes dogs are naturally good surfers.
If dogs didn’t develop any issues in their life they generally love to be in or
on the water. Having 4 legs makes it much easier than for their friends on just
2 legs to surf and keep the balance. We usually take dogs out on the river and
depending on their natural skills and affinity to water we can take them after
a short time for a ride on little waves.
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| Chris (foreground) leads a paddleboard workshop. The dogs all seem to have the hang of it. |
Do you have any tips for
owners who wish to teach their dogs?
First
of all you need to make your dog comfortable to water if he’s not already. Make
sure you dog can swim if he decides to jump or accidentally falls in the water.
Then you can start to take your dog out on flat water and get him used to the
choppy movements on the board. Make the board a happy place to give your dog a
good experience.
Do some breeds take to it
better than others? Is there a breed you would not surf with?
There
is no breed you can’t surf with. Maybe a St. Bernard would make it tricky.
Anyway most dogs especially all retrievers and spaniels do naturally love the
water.
How much do dogs enjoy it?
I
get many customers which like to take their dog for a paddle but never done it
before. After just one lesson people are surprised how much their dog enjoyed
the paddle. Many people take their dogs for a sup now and the dogs are all
loving it.
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| Participants in last year's comp. |
What safety precautions do you
take when surfing with dogs? (eg life
jackets? Floaties? Shark patrol?)
I
don’t take any safety precautions. You just need to make sure that you AND your
dog can both swim!
Are there any full-time
non-human companions in your life and how did you meet?
I
have three dogs. Lani, Murphy and Rama. Lani is a border collie x and 13 years
old. She is a great surfing dog and very famous. Check out our youtube channel naturalbalancedog to see her surfing!
Murphy is also a
border collie x and 6 years old. We call him a grumpy old man, like his owner
(laugh). Rama is a kelpie x and 3 years old. Lani is getting
retired and Rama is becoming more my surfing dog. They all love the water. I
take them all on one board and paddle with them on the river to the sandbars.
All my dogs were giveaways/rescued dogs.
When you’re not surfing, what
other activities do you enjoy with your dogs?
I
love skateboarding with my dogs. I also like to take them for just a walk on
the beach and through the ball or stick. I have a huge property where I also
like to take them for squat bike rides to the dam. They love it!
What advice do you give
someone who is taking their dog to surf for the first time?
Don’t
worry! Be confident around your dog. Show him there’s nothing bad about it.
Make it attractive to him by taking his favourite toy with you. Be the pack
leader and tell him to sit and stay on the board. Don’t let him run around so
you both don’t lose your balance and fall in the water.
If
you’re keen to get involved visit here.
