Tony Nila was in his element Saturday — and so were the dogs he trains.
Surfing next to the Imperial Beach Pier.
Nila looked out at waves of dogs — 60 in all, some wearing wetsuits — riding boards with owners and handlers nearby at the Unleashed by Petco Dog Surf Dog contest, in its 10th year.
Dog behaviorist Tony Nila with Giselle, owned by Susan Gan, at Imperial Beach. Photo by Susan Gan courtesy Tony Nila
Six of his 15 surf dogs were at Imperial Beach. “We surf every Saturday and Sunday in Huntington Dog Beach,” he says.
What’s it take to get four-legged critters to hang loose amid frothing surf?
Trust — both the dogs in their handlers and vice versa.
“We don’t just throw them out there and hope for the best,” he said with a laugh.
Based in Orange County, where he operates Grumpy Puppy Dog Training, Nila has been a dog behaviorist for two decades. But he didn’t start training dog surfers until a year ago after being introduced to the sport by veteran trainer Pam Lucado.
He says getting dogs to surf is essentially a process of getting Fido to face his fears.
Abbie gets a ride back to shore with owner Mike Uy. Photo by Chris Stone
“If I can get a dog over his fears … it builds a stronger bond between the owner and the dog — like a parent teaching a child how to swim,” he said, wearing a wetsuit for his own seagoing moments.
Like being terrified of a teeter-totter, or a tunnel, some dogs can’t fathom being in the water, he says.
Steps to getting them ready to surf include a taste of zen — “teaching the dog how to have a calm state of mind — and to be stationary.”
That accomplished, dogs are introduced to the ocean, where they first simply float on a board. Then the trusted owner or handler lets go, and they start surfing.
Countering the natural flight instinct, trainers must get dogs to obey a “stay” command — on a board. This requires canines to gain confidence as well as trust.
“A dog giving you control of their movement — that’s like giving you control of their heart,” said Nila, 41, and a Lake Forest resient.
He used the analogy of a firefighter outside a home, telling a panicked resident not to keep looking for a way out of the flames but to trust the rescuer’s word: “I’m punching a hole here.”
Water dogs pose a different problem, he said. They want to jump into the sea rather than stick to surfing.
Nila says everyone’s No. 1 concern at the annual event is the safety of the dogs, whose entry fees and associated fund-raisers support the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA.
Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, a connossieur of fine surfing, joined hundreds of others at the beach, where dogs competed in small, medium, large, extralarge and tandem divisions — with the cutest little ones starting at 9 a.m. and the heftiest taking to the waves at 11:20.
Ziggy won first place in the small dog category. Photo by Chris Stone
Ziggy won first place in the small dog category. Photo by Chris Stone
Butters, a Boston terrier, rides backward as he heads for shore. Photo by Chris Stone.
A wet competitor finishes a heat. Photo by Chris Stone
Abbie shakes her head as she cruises into shore. Photo by Chris Stone
A companion watches as his dog takes to the wave. Photo by Chris Stone
JoJo, a 5-year-old Corgi, jumps off his board. Photo by Chris Stone
Hanzo (left) aka Bark Vader and Kalani aka. Princess Leia get ready to compete in the tandem category. Photo by Chris Stone
Owners cheer as their dog heads off on the wave. Photo by Chris Stone
Onyx Shorepound Surfdog and Booker D. Surfdog compete in the tandem round. Photo by Chris Stone
Finn Murphy loses his balance as he surfs with his dog Haole. Photo by Chris Stone
Kona Kai competes in a tandem heat. Photo by Chris Stone
Maverick, an Australian shepherd, and Sean Franks cruise while looking for a wave. Photo by Chris Stone
Many spectators snapped photos of Coppertone in the dog competition. Photo by Chris Stone
Joey, a West Highland terrier, is ready in his beach attire. Photo by Chris Stone
Judges watch carefully to score the dog surfing. Photo by Chris Stone
Crowded beaches in San Diego. Photo by Chris Stone
John White and his pitbull mix Chance share time in the water. Photo by Chris Stone
Finn and his dog Haole compete in the tandem competition. Photo by Chris Stone
Faith, an American pit bull terrier, gives James Wall a kiss before the competition. Photo by Chris Stone
Sydney the bulldog relaxes before his heat. Photo by Chris Stone
Abbie in the medium dog category dries off after surfing. Photo by Chris Stone
Sixty dogs competed in the dog surfing contest at Imperial Beach. Photo by Chris Stone.
Abbie gets a ride back to shore with owner Mike Uy. Photo by Chris Stone
A dog gets a ride back to the surfboard after riding a wave. Photo by Chris Stone.
JoJo the Corgi takes flight after jumping off of his surfboard. Photo by Chris Stone
Turbo, a young golden retriever, gets last-minute encouragement from his owner. Photo by Chris Stone
Hanzo, a 7-year-old Boxer, won first place in the extra large category. Photo by Chris Stone
Sydney the Bulldog checks out the competition. Photo by Chris Stone
Spectators watched the dog surfing contest from the Imperial Beach Pier and shore. Photo by Chris Stone
Brandy the Pug cruises past children playing in the surf. Photo by Chris Stone
Teddy, an 18-month-old Golden Doodle, came in second in the extra large dog category. Photo by Chris Stone
Kihei, a dachshund Chihuahua mix, hangs tight to his ball. Photo by Chris Stone.
Lanakila rides through a wave. Photo by Chris Stone
Kihei, a dachshund Chihuahua mix, jumps off of his board. Photo by Chris Stone
Lanakila rides with Bobby Ellis during the 2015 Unleashed by Petco Surf Dog Competition. Photo by Chris Stone
Small dog leaps into water after surfing in contest in Imperial Beach. Photo by Chris Stone
Owners and dog winners of the large dog category pose for photos. Photo by Chris Stone
Sydney the bulldog cruises onto the beach at dog surfing contest in Imperial Beach. Photo by Chris Stone
