Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) been around for thousands of years in one form or another. The SUP sport has seen a lot of progress, and has really taken off, in the last 10 years.
I poo-pooed it for quite a while thinking it certainly couldn’t give you a workout or be that fun. Boy was I wrong! I tried it for the first time 3 years ago and love it. I even bought my own board last year so Chester, Gretel, and I could go paddleboarding at the lake by our house anytime I wanted.
It’s no wonder it’s so popular. Paddleboarding is great exercise and a lot of fun. It’s a whole-body workout that can be shared with family and friends. It’s one of our favorite things to do to escape the scorching heat.
Paddleboarding is also great because it’s something you can do with your dog. Even dogs that aren’t big fans of water usually like to stand on the board like to stand proudly on the bow of the paddleboard and feel the wind in their face. You and your dog can turn it into a whole day adventure by padding somewhere, pulling ashore for a picnic, and heading back to watch the sunset together.
And just like with you, it helps develop your dog’s core strength, leg strength and balance.
Ready to hit the water on a stand up paddleboard with your dog? Here are 5 tips for getting started:
1) Start with a big, stable paddleboard – Having a stable paddleboard will be easier for you to maneuver and balance with your dog on it. That way you can concentrate more on fun than worrying about skills.
2) Take a lesson – This is especially helpful if you have a larger dog. Dogs under 20 lbs are pretty easy to balance and paddle with. Larger dogs will shift the weight balance as they move around and may get in the way of the paddle. It’s helpful to learn how to train your dog to ride the board properly and for you to know how to handle any balance and paddling issues. If you’re near Seattle, Lindy at the K9 Fun Zone can teach you how to ride a paddleboard safety with your dog.
3) Dress appropriately – If it’s hot and you have too many clothes on, or it’s cold and you don’t have enough on, you may not have as much fun. Dress in layers that are easy to remove while standing or kneeling. No-slip neoprene socks or booties with will help keep your feet warm give you better traction on the deck. You and your pup should always wear a life jacket too.
4) Accessorize – The #1 accessory you will want with you is a waterproof camera or regular camera inside of a water-tight bag. There will be a lot of fun photo ops you’ll want to share with your friends and family. Also, having a dry bag you can strap to the deck is nice for keeping your extra clothes, water, snacks, etc. handy and from getting water-logged.
5) Put a towel on the deck – Wetting a towel and placing it on the front of the paddleboard will help your dog grip the board and keep from sliding off.
If you don’t already own a paddleboard, or have a friend that will let you borrow one, you might want to consider renting first to make sure you and your dog like it. There are several rental places that allow dogs to ride with you on the paddleboard.
If you ARE ready to buy one, check out this article from our friend Wilderness Dave – Tips for Buying Your First Stand Up Paddleboard. He also paddleboards with his pup.
Note: This article is a portion of one written by me and published in the CityDog Magazine Summer 2016 Travel + Adventure Guide.
Beth says
August 29, 2016 at 10:21 AMI have always wanted to try this with Barley–but Lake Erie is just a little too big for me to feel comfortable trying it out. I’m afraid we’ll end up drifting away to Canada! I’ll have to do some more investigating to see if there are other smaller places we could give it a try.
Jessica Rhae says
August 31, 2016 at 6:14 PMIt can be hard to paddle in wind when it’s choppy but it’s not impossible. You would probably be fine. But this is coming from someone who has been too chicken to try it in Puget Sound – big, open body of salt water – and I am sure Lake Eerie is very similar.
Dz Dogs says
August 29, 2016 at 12:17 PMI want to get a paddleboard sooo bad! I know I’ll love it, and I want to teach Dante and Ziva how to ride on it with me. I ultimately want to take them both out at the same time, we’ll start slow though and train them separately. I met a lady though who SUP’s with her 3 full sized German Shepherd dogs so I know I can do it! I was looking at getting one of the yoga SUP boards since they are wider and stable.
Jessica Rhae says
August 31, 2016 at 6:12 PMYes, a yoga board is probably the way to go. They don’t go fast but they go and there is way less chance of falling off… although the water CAN be refreshing 🙂 We started out on a wide, stable board but bought a different type. I didn’t realize the ones we got would be so much harder to balance on.
Shannon Adams says
August 30, 2016 at 11:00 AMI love this. I don’t think I could do it with Rama, though, lol. It’s too swampy here, too. Ugh. But I have been toying with the idea of kayaking with the dogs. It just seems so relaxing.
Jessica Rhae says
August 31, 2016 at 6:10 PMI guess you could if you had a double kayak where Rama could sit in one cockpit or a sit-on-top where she could sit in front of or behind you. We kayaked with the pups before we ever went paddleboarding.
Emma says
September 2, 2016 at 7:03 AMMy mom really wants to try this, most likely with Bailie because Bailie likes floating on things in the water. They did try kayaking and it was a lot of fun. We have to find a spot where we can rent a paddle board and that allows dogs. It looks like so much fun!
Leigh says
October 1, 2016 at 12:46 AMStand up paddle boarding seems like a great activity for you and your canine companion but if it’s like me who cannot balance well, I will need to practice a lot before bringing any pet on board.
Jessica Rhae says
October 1, 2016 at 9:18 AMYou just need a bigger paddleboard 🙂 Seriously, There was almost no way to fall of the huge paddleboard I started on. You can also start out the day paddling on your knees until you feel more comfortable.
Mike says
October 16, 2016 at 7:46 AMLove seeing dogs paddle boarding, it is something that they enjoy too and always look so cute!
Zoe says
August 4, 2017 at 7:41 AMWe can’t stop Henry (our dog) from getting on the paddle boards with us. He loves it. The only problem was the front of the board where he was riding was really slick. The first few times he learned the hard way (it was kind of funny). My husband recently got a board with a full length deck pad so Henry doesn’t slip anymore! Seriously, we have the best time paddling around with him. And he’s a big time-swimmer so it’s perfect. Kayaking was a no-no… he jumped out a few times capsizing the kayak in the process…. yes he’s a maniac for sure…but so much fun!
Jessica Rhae says
August 4, 2017 at 4:14 PMHi Zoe. I’m glad you found what worked. Paddleboarding with a dog is so much fun. We had a similar issue with the slick deck but I wet a town and put it on the front for them 🙂