Paddleboarding with dog

If you are reading this post, you are surely a lover of water sports and dogs. We know that you would definitely like to combine it! It’s a great idea to spend time with your four-legged friend, you can swim together on the board. However, if you are going to do this, you must know how. This post will help you!

Not every board will be suitable for traveling with a dog. It all depends on your weight and the weight of your dog. Boards over ten feet long are the most stable, which makes them a good choice when you’re taking your dog along for the ride. The perfect choices will be : MOAI 10’6, MOAI 11’, MOAI 12’4 and even bigger ones, not smaller than 10’6!

Remember that you must consider your and your dog weight, it’s the most important thing because your board needs to be stable. You also need to remember to keep your dog stable on the board as the board can be slippery but our boards have a comfortable foot cushioning foam pad to stand on. This so-called EVA pad is also anti-slip, which is great for the dog!

SUP can be confusing to your dog at first, so it’s important to prepare him/her for it. You may ask : What should I do? Luckily, we are here to help you!

It would be good for you to teach your dog some simple commands, for example: sit & stay.
Let him get to know the board first, let him get used to it, dogs get stressed very quickly, so it’s important to stay calm. You can encourage him to get on the board, get to know it.

More tips

Your dog  shouldn’t feel afraid or pressured. Teach your pup to jump off the board only when commanded, and you can give him a treat or praise when he does good job. Sometimes dogs get excited and they jump off the board when you’re getting close to shore. This can throw you off balance and into the water, which can be more dangerous near the shore.

You need to make sure your dog can swim. If he can’t or is afraid of water, Sup won’t be a good idea, remember – no pressure! If your dog is energetic, you’d better tire him before going on board. Hold the board still in shallow water and allow your dog to get on. Walk the board through the shallow water and allow him to jump off if he wants.

When you’re both ready, get onto the board with your dog. Start out paddling on your knees for better balance. (if you want to know how to paddle boarding – read our another post) Stand up with your dog between or at your feet. You need to paddle without accidentally hitting him. Small dogs can sit on the nose of the board. Once you’ve mastered keeping the paddle away from your dog, he can sit in front of you on the board. For better weight distribution and balance, large dogs can sit on the back.

It’s important to keep it short the first time out because as we said before – dogs can get stressed very quickly. You also need to be prepared for your dog to jump off at any time. In that case, you need to help him get back on the board.

Please remember that dogs are also at risk of sunburn, especially on their bellies. Some dogs have a very thin layer of fur in that area and can be burned by sunlight reflected off the water. Apply sunscreen to any exposed areas and try not to spend more than a couple hours in the sun at a time.

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