Surfing can strengthen your bond with your canine while giving them exercise – but it’s crucial that you know how to ensure their safety on the water.
Clicker training and treats placed on their board can help your dog learn to jump onto it quickly. Clicker training helps your pup understand this is their place!
Beaches with Waves
Surfing can be a thrilling and engaging activity that benefits both dog and human participants alike. It provides exercise, mental stimulation, bond-building opportunities and unique beach exploration that wouldn’t normally be available without leashes and humans to assist.
Start preparing your dog to surf by giving them some comfortable experience on a board in still water, such as your backyard, the beach or local lake. When they feel at ease with this activity, start pushing their board into deeper waves while offering lots of praise and treats as rewards – eventually you may even see your pup riding their first wave!! Congratulations!!!
After your dog has become proficient at staying on a board in the ocean, it’s a good idea for them to become acquainted with wearing their life jacket. This will reduce fear should they fall off the board into the water; also helping float and be easier for you to spot when floating about. To familiarize them with wearing it on land first and then in water. For optimal results, reward with lots of praise and toy play to build their confidence!
There are plenty of pet-friendly beaches around San Diego to choose from, and some even provide surf lessons just for dogs! Helen Woodward Animal Center hosts a Surf-A-Thon that helps dogs learn how to ride boards in the ocean and surf. As this event is small-scale, instructors can ensure each dog feels at ease during this experience.
Rockaway Beach in New York City provides another opportunity for dog surfing. This expansive stretch of sand and greenery provides ample room for dogs to run freely while also being an iconic surfing spot, made famous by The Ramones with their hit song “Rockaway Beach.” Leashed dogs are welcome on this beach while also watching surfers while dining at Miller’s Waterfront Restaurant or staying in one of Kimpton Shorebreak Huntington Beach Resort’s pet-friendly suites.
Beaches with Stingrays
Summer brings beautiful beaches and sunshine, but also with it comes the risk of stingrays. Stingrays frequent beaches to feed, and are easily alarmed by people in the water; when startled they may whip their tails in defense, leaving painful stingray stings behind. If you plan on taking your pup along this summer make sure that you learn some techniques for avoiding encounters with these marine predators.
Stingrays have poor vision, and can quickly approach people in the water without realizing it. To stay safe around them, they bury themselves into the sand to hide from predators; to avoid one safely you should maintain a respectful distance and never touch it; also try shuffle-stepping when entering water to reduce your chances of stepping on one and wear reef-safe shoes or boots to minimize their chance of getting stung.
If stung by a stingray, the first step should be to exit the water immediately and soak your foot in hot water to reduce pain and minimize risk of an allergic reaction. For severe pain relief call 911 or seek assistance at your nearest lifeguard station.
If you are concerned about stingrays at the beach, try staying away from shorelines and swimming deeper waters instead. When wading into deeper waters, take small steps instead of long strides as this will displace them more easily and allow for quicker exit from deeper areas.
If you want to train your dog how to surf, be sure to use positive reinforcement and introduce the board gradually. Practice with them on land beforehand so they’re familiar with it before trying it in water; also teach your pup to jump onto it from sitting position rather than standing one. If this proves challenging on its own, consider signing up for one of many beach-based dog surfing classes for additional help and fun for both you and your furry companion!
Beaches with Cleanliness
Beaches are one of our nation’s greatest natural treasures, yet poor water quality may prevent people and their pets from enjoying its fun. Bacteria from raw sewage overflows, failing septic systems, fertilizers or spills may make swimming hazardous in some parts of the ocean.
While sharks remain the primary threat to swimmers, bacteria have emerged as the top reason why beaches close or place health advisories, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council’s “Find Your Beach” ratings system. Their “Find Your Beach” rankings take into account how often bacteria levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safe threshold for fecal indicator bacteria levels that indicate potential human illness from contact with water sources in 2017.
Many coastal cities and towns face issues related to water contamination. New York City, for instance, suffers from an aged sewer system which often overflows, leaving bacteria-laden water flowing into the environment. Last summer saw record closures or advisories on beaches due to poor water quality in New York.
To lower bacteria levels, purchase organic sunscreens or long-sleeved shirts and pants to minimize sun exposure and decrease need for toxic chemical-based sunscreens; reduce plastic straw use (which ends up in ocean) by keeping dogs leashed at all times; choose dog-friendly vacation homes or hotels near beaches so you can spend more time outside without being concerned about water contaminants; buy organic sunscreens when shopping at stores that sell these items; avoid plastic straw use (which ends up in ocean), use leashes on dogs at all times when using plastic straws; finally choose dog-friendly vacation homes or hotels where possible!
Kitty Hawk and Nags Head in North Carolina offer pet-friendly beaches for you and your pup to relax on together, including Outer Banks Surf School’s mobile surf lessons that come directly to you and your dog on any beach of choice. Remember to bring along their doggy life jacket for practice at home before embarking on their lesson; at first it may feel strange; once they become comfortable on their board use lots of treats to reinforce good behavior and encourage staying put!
Beaches with Safety
Beaches must meet several criteria in order to be pet-friendly, such as leash laws and the times of year that dogs can access the sand. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that ocean water differs significantly from swimming pool water in its depth and currents – dogs who are strong swimmers in one environment may struggle in another, with surf conditions sometimes overwhelming them even as strong ocean swimmers.
Environmentalism should also be kept in mind when visiting beaches. Potential environmental contaminants include pollutants, trash from irresponsible tourists, and bird poop that may pose health hazards to both people and animals. Therefore it would be prudent to avoid beaches where environmental issues could potentially pose issues, and be sure to clean up after your dog to ensure a cleaner environment for everyone involved.
Some pet owners choose to train their dogs in surfing as a means of strengthening bonds and spending quality time together. Surfing can bring multiple advantages, including strengthening bonds between owners and dogs, physical fitness benefits and mental enrichment from new experiences in an enriching environment.
To successfully train your pup to stand on a surfboard, it is wise to begin in shallow waters with towels and leashes in hand – this will help them feel more at home in the water while getting used to riding an actual surfboard. As your dog becomes familiar with surfing boards, take him/her for walks on one and feed their meals on it to form positive associations between yourself and their own personal surfboards in the water. Over time, you may notice them jumping up onto it themselves! If this proves too daunting for your dog, consider hiring a professional surf instruction and rental company as they offer safe environments to get them surfing in no time! They may also give advice on how you can train further at home.