How To Get Your Dog On A Paddle Board With Red Paddle Co

The folks over at Red Paddle Co have released a series of short videos call “Red Shorts.” They take a quick look at some of the facets of stand up paddle boarding and how to best enjoy our time on the water. Today’s short sees Jay and his bestest friend, Marley, learn how to paddle board together.

“Hi everyone! My name’s Jay and this is Marley the Sprocker Spaniel. Today we’re going to take you through our top tips on how to get your dog on a paddle board with Red Paddle Co.

Get Familiar

The first tip that I’d recommend you guys is really simple. When you’re setting your equipment up on the beach and you’re getting your board out, just let your dog hang around with you. Let it get familiar with the board and the sound of the pump.

Practice On The Land

Tip two is getting your dog on the board while it’s on the land. I always use some really nice treats or their favorite toy, which is a ball in this case. Get your dog coming on and off the board and reward them with their treat or toy. Let’s do that a few times just so they can get used to it.

Introduce The Water

Tip number three is placing your board halfway in the water and half on the land, and then just taking the toy or treat and throwing it onto the part of the board that’s in the water. It’s just nice way to introduce the water and the board in a nice environment for your dog.

Build Confidence

Tip number four is getting your dog a buoyancy aid. It’s a great idea because it gives them a bit more confidence in the water, but also as a paddler. Make sure if you do get one, you get one with handles. These are really great to lift your dog out of the water and back onto the board or if you need to grab them in some kind of situation. This one is a Red Original and it is great. Marley actually thinks when she wears it she’s invincible. I would really recommend a dog buoyancy aid if you’re planning to take your dog on a SUP.

Practice Practice Practice

Okay, so you’ve got a new buoyancy aid, your dog has built up loads of confidence on the beach and it’s now time to take them on the water. Once you’re on the water, as a paddler I’d recommend staying on your knees and keeping your dog in front of you. To start, get on your knees, invite them on keeping them on the front of the board so you can see what they’re doing. Sometimes Marley jumps in and then the board disappears from under your feet and we’re all in swimming together, which is a good laugh, but just take it step by step. Go for a little paddle on your knees, come into the beach, let the dog run off again, invite them back on, another little paddle and just slowly build it up from there. Once you’ve mastered the paddling on your knees with your dog and keeping them on the front, the next stage is really just about getting to your feet and then progressing to longer adventures, one step at a time.”

Need any more tips or tutorials to do with paddle boarding? Visit our knowledge base page for plenty of tips, tricks and videos, or contact us on 1-888-252-4983.