SO CAL SURF DOGS
Chapter 5 |
Dog Meets BoardYou got your Surf Dog, your CFD and a Surfboard. Now what?
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You got your Surf Dog, your CFD and a Surfboard. Now what?
Go home, put the board on the grass in the back yard or on the floor in the living room and let your Surf Dog check it out!
You can now start slowing introducing your Surf Dog to this new strange toy by offering treats when they get on it. You can put there water bowl or food bowl on it at dinner time. Always encourage and praise! Be positive! Work on a command, like ‘up’ to get them onto the board. Repeat this command EVERYTIME they get onto the board.
Don’t pick them up and put them on the board!
The whole idea is to get them to want to get on the surfboard.
(There is an exception for this rule for small dogs that will be discussed in another chapter.)
This is very, very important. If they don’t like the surfboard, they are not going to like surfing!
When you think they are starting to be comfortable with the surfboard, put something (like a pillow or a flat ball) under the middle of the surfboard. Again, encourage your surf dog to get up onto the board themselves using the ‘UP’ command. (You can substitute any command for this. I use UP!) Now, move it around slowly. Don’t scare them! The idea is to get them used to the fact that this thing will be moving around. Repeat this a half a dozen times over a couple of days. You’ll be surprised how much this helps. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t take to it right away. Keep trying! Make it fun! Work on the ‘Wait’ or ‘Stay’ command to encourage them to stay on the board even if you walk away! (In the water, they will be surfing away from you and you’re going to want them to stay on the surfboard!)
While you’re working on this, try encouraging your surf Dog to stand in the back 1/3 of the board, facing forward. This is the place and position you’ll want them to be when they are in the water, so start getting them familiar with this spot on the board now! Use a command, a treat and lots of enthusiastic praise to reinforce this behavior.
If You’re going to give your surf dog a treat during the day, make them EARN IT by getting on the surfboard first! They will soon understand that this is a good and fun place to be!
Go home, put the board on the grass in the back yard or on the floor in the living room and let your Surf Dog check it out!
You can now start slowing introducing your Surf Dog to this new strange toy by offering treats when they get on it. You can put there water bowl or food bowl on it at dinner time. Always encourage and praise! Be positive! Work on a command, like ‘up’ to get them onto the board. Repeat this command EVERYTIME they get onto the board.
Don’t pick them up and put them on the board!
The whole idea is to get them to want to get on the surfboard.
(There is an exception for this rule for small dogs that will be discussed in another chapter.)
This is very, very important. If they don’t like the surfboard, they are not going to like surfing!
When you think they are starting to be comfortable with the surfboard, put something (like a pillow or a flat ball) under the middle of the surfboard. Again, encourage your surf dog to get up onto the board themselves using the ‘UP’ command. (You can substitute any command for this. I use UP!) Now, move it around slowly. Don’t scare them! The idea is to get them used to the fact that this thing will be moving around. Repeat this a half a dozen times over a couple of days. You’ll be surprised how much this helps. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t take to it right away. Keep trying! Make it fun! Work on the ‘Wait’ or ‘Stay’ command to encourage them to stay on the board even if you walk away! (In the water, they will be surfing away from you and you’re going to want them to stay on the surfboard!)
While you’re working on this, try encouraging your surf Dog to stand in the back 1/3 of the board, facing forward. This is the place and position you’ll want them to be when they are in the water, so start getting them familiar with this spot on the board now! Use a command, a treat and lots of enthusiastic praise to reinforce this behavior.
If You’re going to give your surf dog a treat during the day, make them EARN IT by getting on the surfboard first! They will soon understand that this is a good and fun place to be!
Here is Kenzie (Lori and Tim Mills Surf Dog)
Not only is she eating on her surfboard but she's doing it in the pool! Woof! |