Fearless dogs are practicing their wave-riding techniques ahead of the annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, as pooches and their owners try out soft surfboards, specialized flotation devices and ocean safety guidelines to prepare for the Sept. 8 event.
The contest is held at Del Mar’s Dog Beach and hosted by the Helen Woodward Animal Center, a Rancho Santa Fe-based animal shelter whose motto is “people help animals and animals help people.”
Surf dog instructor Scott Owens, whose two Dalmatians, Bentley and Bailey, typically hang loose with him on the water, said sharing the waves with his dogs regularly draws a crowd.
“Sometimes they do certain moves, from either going backward or spinning to actually just laying down and taking the waves tight. They just seemed to know when the right time to buckle down and just catch that right wave,” Owens said.
The dog surfing contest was started by the Helen Woodward Animal Center 18 years ago to raise money for pets and animal programs.
There is still time to sign up a surfer dog and/or enter them in this year’s costume contest themed “Classic Americana.”
Elizabeth Ireland contributed to this article.
