Surfing dogs are no longer a rare find. Take a stroll through Youtube and you’ll come across miniature accessory dog after accessory dog on a board mixed in with the occasional K-9 that weighs more than 20 pounds walking the nose. And no matter how many times we see it all they’re still cute as hell. Australian dog trainer Chris de Aboitiz’ has an awesome twist that steps it all up a level though. Not only does Chris surf with dogs too big to fit in his backpack, he brings them tandem.
If the last name sounds oddly familiar it’s because the 53-year old is the father of Keahi de Aboitiz, the guy who showed up on the North Shore and snagged the wave of the winter (or one of them, at least). As for Chris, he’s found a unique way to combine his talents as a trainer with his passion for surfing, using the sport as a form of therapy for dogs with behavior problems. Big surprise, he says teaching the dogs to surf is easier than teaching their owners.
“Paddleboarding with your dogs is a great way to bond with them,” he says. “The dog needs to understand there are rules and boundaries. It won’t work with an unruly dog.”
