Helen Woodward Animal Center

The dog will naturally work to maintain balance.

If you are interested in getting Fido into the waves, the first thought might be how does one go about it.

His short attention span is important. Plan for an hour or so, as the dog will grow bored and maybe decide to run off chasing seagulls. As dogs do not have thumbs to grip with, chose a board that is soft and that has a doggy-paw grip-able surface. This will improve the odds of the dog staying on the board longer.

Once a dog has its legs under it, the dog will naturally work to maintain balance. But dogs fall off boards; you shouldn’t be doing this in the path of any other boards, especially with fins. Fins on the board are hard, can be sharp, and cause a lot of surfer injuries. So a surfing pup needs a proper lifejacket (Petco has them), and of course, a beach that allows dogs.

For humans, dog surfing is usually a wading event; this is not a big wave thing, it is usually done on the inside secondary whitewater waves, not out at the primary break. Summertime is best, dogs don’t like cold water any more than we do. No worries if you haven’t a proper board or vest for your dog, you can enjoy the activity with an instructor, a loaner board and a loaner dog lifejacket. Just know that your dog should be a social animal, as there will be six others in each SUP class, and surf classes are limited to ten dogs.

Of the folks that offer water-dog activities, the Helen Woodward Animal Center is putting on dog surfing and SUPing lessons on four select dates through the summer; July 8, July 22, August 12, and August 26, at Del Mar’s Dog Beach. SoCal SUP Dogs members will be on hand for the Stand-Up-Paddleboard lessons and SoCal Surf Dogs Club members will assist with the surfing. San Diego Pet Training volunteers will also be on hand for guidance.