Tony Nila, owner of Grumpy Puppy Dog Training has been helping pups get over their fears for two decades, but recently, the dog behaviorist’s profession has become a lot more gnarly…
For the past year, Nila has been helping pup’s become happier and more confident by teaching his canine clientele how to surf!
Training a dog how to stay on a board and ride a wave is much more than just a pawsome photo opportunity. According to Nila, it’s also an exercise in trust, both for the dog and their owner. “A dog giving you control of their movement — that’s like giving you control of their heart.” Nila said.
“It builds a stronger bond between the owner and the dog — like a parent teaching a child how to swim.” Nila said. Like humans, exercise and a sense of accomplishment are key components in boosting a dog’s self esteem, and what better way to inspire that than hanging loose, shooting the curl, or you know, other things The Beach Boys sang about.
Watch this wagnificent video about Nila’s pawcess from the the 10th annual Unleashed by Petco Surf Dog Competition, where a few of his canine clientele were strutting their surf-stuff and catching some waves.
Hang ten! Or… hang twenty! Hang eighteen?
Of course, there were a couple wipeouts…
…but luckily, no one lost their balls.
All images via YouTube
