SUP Dog Training with the Lite Venture ULTRA and the Dog Pad

07/08/2021

The rescue dog team of the Malteser Freiburg uses the Lite Venture ULTRA Boards with Dog Pad for training their dogs. The board trains the dogs' balance and musculature, the dog pad supports the targeted training even without the board and away from the water.

Dog training on the Lite Venture ULTRA with Dog Pad

Text and pictures made in cooperation with the Malteser rescue dog team Freiburg.

SUP offers training for man and dog in nature

Stand-up paddling is becoming more and more popular. And more and more people who have a dog are recognizing the advantages of this sport - because it can also be practiced together with the dog. Both dog and human benefit from the positive qualities offered by this leisure activity.

Isa Federer and Gerd Habel are the team leaders and instructors of the Freiburg rescue dog team. Both are on the SUP board themselves in their free time as often as they can - with their dogs, of course. As a dog trainer, Isa Federer knows about the positive effects of stand-up paddling for the team of humans and dogs: balancing on the board trains deep muscles and coordination. And in order for dog and handler to harmonize as a team on the board, it is also a matter of trust, training and obedience.

All qualities that are also very important basic requirements for a rescue mission with search dogs, because here dog and handler must function as a well-rehearsed team and trust each other in every situation.

Coordination and balance

Dogs also need to learn to coordinate their bodies and all four paws equally well and purposefully. This includes compensating for unevenness, wobbly surfaces and weight shifts. SUP also activates the deep muscles that the dog uses unconsciously on the board, just like we humans do. For this, the SUP board is the ideal training device and offers exciting tasks with different intensities. For example, the training can be further intensified by swell and choppy waters.

In rescue dog work, dogs need this ability to move safely on debris or in rough terrain. A good feeling for the body, for example, when jumping or balancing on a narrow surface.

Trust and obedience

First attempts on the ULTRA iSUP with Dog Pad

On the water we meet swans, fish dive under us, pedestrians move on the shore or driftwood floats temptingly right past the SUP board. And yet the dog is supposed to remain calm and composed on the SUP under the given command. What a challenge! If the dog then nevertheless once undertakes a leap into the water, this means usually also for the dog leader a cooling off. It goes without saying that good obedience and some fun swimming while paddling with a dog are extremely valuable for both. But how do you teach the dog that?

You should not immediately try to stand on the board together with the dog the first time. The human being should first of all familiarize himself with the board independently of the dog and be able to control it safely. Paddling straight ahead, changing direction, stopping, getting on and off the board should already be mastered.

Then you can slowly get the dog used to the board and the rocking surface. Thus the dog also learns to trust its leader. At first the dog should get a feeling for the board and the rocking without "fellow paddlers". You can try it well in shallower waters at the edge, by securing the board also first and standing next to it.

The dog must get used to rocking on the SUP

Practice lying down on the SUP board with the Lite Venture Dog Pad

To the ULTRA SUP from Lite Venture there is an extra Dog Pad, which you can attach in the front area of the board. Here you place the dog during the ride. The pad is a proprietary development of Lite Venture and fits exactly on the inflatable ULTRA board. The robust Kordura material is non-slip, padded and washable.

The dog can be trained that the Dog Pad is his place by giving him treats and positive reinforcement. A calm lying / sitting on the Dog Pad is desired and rewarded:

SUP Dog Education: "Down" on the Dog Pad

The great advantage of Lite Venture's Dog Pad is that it can be easily removed from the board. It is therefore also very suitable for "dry training" beyond the water. You can train the dog already at home to sit on the Dog Pad. Later on the water he is then already familiar with it.

"Dry training" with Dog Pad

The Dog Pad is great for getting your dog used to his place on the board away from the water."

Gerd Habel,

Platoon leader (instructor)

Rescue Dog Squadron

Gerd Habel says: "The dog must learn not to behave impulsively on the board and to remain calm. He must also not be distracted and must learn where his place is on the board. The Dog Pad supports this to a great extent, because: I can also prepare the dog very well independently of the water. Our dogs already practice lying down on dry land and staying there. So the dogs have a ritual on the board where they know what to do."

Rehearsed: Training on the Lite Venture ULTRA with Dog Pad

Gerd Habel and Isa Federer train their dogs Yago and Amigo on the Lite Venture ULTRA 11'6" with Dog Pad: a well-rehearsed team.

Der Hund weiss: sein Platz ist auf dem Dog Pad

Yago, the three year old Rottweiler male of trainer Gerd weighs 48 kilos and lies very calm and relaxed on the board - that's how it should be!

Safety for humans and dogs

To ensure that paddling together is also a safe pleasure for man and dog, a few important rules should be followed: even if man and dog can swim, there are situations in which this is no longer possible. For this reason, both should wear a life jacket. (The exercises in these pictures took place in shallower waters where it was possible for humans to stand, so life jackets were not worn here).

Why is a life jacket for the dog so important?

On the one hand, it is possible that when a dog falls or jumps into the cold water, just like humans, it may suffer a condition in which it can no longer swim. Due to the change from warmth to cold, the circulatory system can collapse and the dog quickly gets into danger without support.

On the other hand, the life jacket is also a very practical utensil, because it has a handle by which you can pull the dog back on the board or on land. A dog that tries to get back on the board in the water, you simply can not grab without vest.

The handle on the dog life jacket helps SUP training

The dog must never be tied to the board by means of a leash! If the board capsizes, the dog must be able to move freely. Especially when riding on a running water, it is extremely important not to secure the dog or yourself to the board with a leash. Here the current can push man and dog under water if the leash gets stuck on a branch or pier. For this case, there are special waist straps where you can easily release the leash.

The main thing is fun!

Spaß muss sein - gerade wenn es auf dem SUP nass wird

But first and foremost, paddling with the dog should be fun for both! It is part of it that you get wet once and that it may not work at first ...

This wonderful hobby allows a very healthy training for man and dog and also a great leisure activity that can be practiced together.

We would like to thank the Maltese rescue dog team for the insights and the explanations about the training for safe stand up paddling with the dog!

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More information about the activities of the Malteser Rescue dog squadron Freiburg and the contact: go to Facebook-Site

Important properties for the board: high load capacity and stability without inertia

The Lite Venture ULTRA SUP board is designed as a touring board: it can handle high loads for luggage, but does not behave sluggishly or cumbersomely when paddling. If you are already paddling with additional luggage (or with a dog), the board should not also be cumbersome due to excessive width. Nevertheless, it must behave stably and offer the paddler reserves when it gets choppy - or the dog suddenly moves on the board.

With the inflatable board ULTRA, this is not achieved through unnecessary width, but through high stiffness: The double-layer, laminated dropstitch fabric is woven and brings a very high basic stiffness. The continuous carbon stringer on both sides makes the board additionally stiff and minimizes vibrations. This creates a high degree of tipping stability - not by width.

The volume leaves plenty of room for weight, the board can carry up to 140 kilos and still be maneuvered quickly and safely:

Isa Federer with the two dogs Yago and Amigo on the Lite Venture ULTRA 11'6 x 31"

These inflatable boards are suitable for SUP with the dog

The Lite Venture ULTRA comes in four models, all of which are very suitable for stand-up paddling with your dog. All four models have a high volume, are suitable for payload and all have a matching Dog Pad as an optional accessory.

In particular, the Lite Venture ULTRA models with the carbon stringer are great for paddling with a dog due to their stiffness, as the continuous carbon weave on both sides minimizes vibration, bringing greater stability and stiffness. Especially with a heavier team or with more luggage load, this is a great advantage.

At the same time, the boards are not sluggish or slow. The stability comes not through high width, but through thoughtful design and processing:

Super stable with carbon stringer, suitable for beginners as well as for advanced users:

Incl. life jacket worth €135!*

Lite Venture® ULTRA 11'6 - orange/petrol

All info about this board can be found here: Lite Venture ULTRA Technical Specifications: Measurements: 11'6'' x 31" Weight: 10,5 kg Volume: 320 l Rider weight: 60 - 120 kg Scope of delivery: > Board made of Prelaminated Woven Dropstitch fabric with Carbon Stringer. > fin > Triple Action Pump from GRI (2 pistons / 3 stages) > Trolley backpack > Leash > Repair kit Set with Lite Venture Carbon Paddle for 1.325 € instead of 1.440 € single purchase More info about the Carbon Paddle. free shipping to Germany, Austria, Netherlands; other countries on request immediately available

Starting at 1,075.00 €