Lily absolutely loves to get out on the water from the comfort of her paddle board. Swimming may not be of interest to this Golden Retriever, but getting chauffeured around to look at fish jumping, boats gliding by, and birds swooping down into the water is sure to capture her attention. When she was a few months old, she had her first experience on the water in a kayak. She quickly grew and I knew I had to try paddle boarding with her.

Starting off simple with training your dog to go paddle boarding

Her first time on a paddle board, we didn’t even leave the shore.

Remember when you first got on a paddle board? Maybe you fell off learning to stand on it. Dogs aren’t that different. They need to get a feel for balancing on the board too. Your dog’s first experience on the board should just be getting comfortable in the shoreline sitting on the board. Lily’s first time she sat with me enjoying the views from the shore of a lake. The movement confused her at first, but she began to settle into it. It may take your dog a few times of jumping off and getting back on before settling in.

Once your dog seems comfortable with the movement take short trips out onto the water to get them more confident. You don’t want to get out too far just in case they panic.

Get a life jacket for your dog’s safety

Even if your dog is a swimming breed, I highly recommend a life jacket. Lily is a Golden Retriever who doesn’t swim making this necessary. It’s impossible to know what situation you’ll end up in when on an adventure. You could be out in the middle of a lake with your dog falling off. Now you’re left with trying to lift them up onto the board that’s moving beneath you or have them swim back. A life jacket is a safe choice for keeping your dog from panicking in the water in an event like this.

Also, if you get a bright color it helps boats see you on the water!

Further helpful training

In our time paddle boarding together, I’ve taught Lily a few other tricks that come in handy.

1. Have your dog wait on the shoreline while you get your paddle board ready and yourself positioned on it. Then, tell your dog to get on. It’s best to keep your foot as an anchor on one side and the paddle on the other side touching the ground to keep it from moving to much underneath them. This helps ensure they are in the right spot on the board for the best balance.
2. I prefer to have Lily lay down on the board. She can be unsteady and move around a lot standing up. I’ve taught her to stay laying down while we are on the water.
3. Don’t let your dog jump off of the paddle board until you are positioned where you need to be in the shore. This will make the experience so much easier.