Paddle boarding

[Handsfullofholes]

Anyone take their pup paddle boarding? We’d like to try when we go away in a couple of weeks. Any tips?

DH got a doggie life jacket as he was keen on doing this with our dog (cocker spaniel but larger than the usual UK breed). Dog hated the jacket and wouldn't go near the water! Hope you have better luck.

I take my mini dachs paddleboarding :) He is either a complete livewire or a total scaredy cat, you can never quite tell what mood he will be in! I started off shallow as I was sure if he’d dive in or tremble on the board. That way I can stand up in the water if we come off the board. Even though he is tiny the weight affected the board in a different way, so that took a bit of getting used to for me.

I kneel with him and don’t stand as it’s more settling for him. For the first few times we stayed shallow and we venture a little deeper each time. We go to a beach now and he loves when the waves are a little choppy! He used to stand, but he happily sits and watches the world pass by.

dont be stupid it's a dog ffs, is it so you can put vids on tik tok, insta & fb. can't believe the stupid shit people put their poor animals through these days. wish the RSPCA would do something about this. Just let the dog be a dog and just run around on the sand and just splash in the water if he/she wishes.

My friend takes her collie! He wears a life jacket and has a fantastic time by all accounts

We have a PFD for the dog that has a really sturdy handle on the top, to make it easier to lift him on and off the board, I think it's RuffWear.
Also bought a mat that attaches to the front of the board as I didn't want him damaging the deck. To get him used to the board I played with him a lot when it was on dry land, put treats on the mat, encouraged him on the mat, then put the mat on the board, more treats etc.

We were told that the dog has to work at their balance as well as the human, it's not just a case that the dog is sitting or lying down so doing nothing. They do know they're on a moving object and obviously some dogs really won't like it no matter what.

We have tried with ours, kneeling up. They are fine in shallow water and it is fun. Dog life jacket is good as it has a handle for grabbing them if they do go in the water.

@ChristinePerfect what kind of mat did you use ? We wanted to try on a kayak but its very slippery. We were thinking of making a neoprene mat and sticking it on with velcro or something to give them something to sit on.

@Isithalftermyet Dog mat

Our Labrador loves it! Like others have said you need a life jacket with a handle on to help him onto the board when he’s been for a swim. Ours just treats it as a mobile diving board 😂.

Thanks @ChristinePerfect That is brilliant!

I go kayaking & see a lot of dogs on boards. Lady 2 days ago had 2 small labradors on hers. Spaniel in a body carrier other day, too (kayakers). Have spoken to some people whose dogs can't get used to it, but many love it. You can only try.

Thanks everyone for your brilliant advice! We tried today and he loved it! Hasn’t quite got the hang of standing still yet, but surprisingly he didn’t actually knock me off.

He’s a good swimmer but the life jacket is a welcome addition especially the handle.

@ChristinePerfect @JimLaheysWhiskeyBottle took your advice on board and started sitting, then kneeling and quickly got to standing. He also came in the canoe too (and did fall overboard lol)

That's great, happy paddles to you both