Pupping - Stand up paddling with your dogs...
Getting 6 legs on a SUP is easy!
To support the SPCA (Like our RSPCA), Neil decided to run a dog show - with the catch being that all dogs must be able to ride on a stand up paddle board. Over the weekend, four legged friends competed for the best trick, raced in the 'paddle board and pooch race', dressed up for the 'best dog and owner costumes and the hilarious 'most dogs on a SUP' award. The event raised over 1000 big ones for the charity, and was a fantastic experience for both the dogs and owners.
Neil commented on the sport's recent growth explosion, saying: “The growth of the sport is remarkable, not just here in Santa Cruz where it will always be a surf town, but in the Bay Area it is literally growing weekly. With that growth has come interesting subdivisions and derivations on the sport; whitewater SUP, SUP surf, SUP Yoga and now…. PUP SUP, at Lake Vasona in Los Gatos (Bay Area) where I teach SUP, I have on a weekend probably 10 people a day SUP with their dogs,”
If you'd like to get your dogs onto the nose of your board - it's actually a little more bark than bite. All you need to do is make sure your dog is comfortable with the water, and responds to your commands. As the dog whisperer would say - be the pack leader, and your pooch will feel calm and trusting on the nose of your board. Start out in flat water, and take it slow - as your dog gains confidence you might even venture out into the waves...
Have a go - your dog will love it, and if not - grab a ball and play fetch, any time you spend on the beach with your four legged friends is bound to be fun...
Hastings, VIC
