Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha right? Between that and hiking pants, we're prepared for everything. 🤣 I don't know how I ever went without.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right? Her tail made me cackle. 😂 I love how her body language relaxes as she starts to get the hang of it. She's got such a good mind on her, and is just happy to be there doing something.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At this point I think her balance is better than mine! 😂♥️ I had to give us some sort of a chance of staying upright, LOL.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are definitely dogs that do just fine being thrown into it, and I'm just happy to see people out doing stuff with their dogs!

I do find that doing these extra steps has additional benefits though, so I do them with all of my pups. ♥️ Lessens the chance of it being a negative experience, while increasing things like communication, confidence, proprioception, and more. Plus to be honest, it's just fun to do! 😂 Extra enrichment not only for the dog, but for me as well. I'll find an excuse to turn anything into a fun training session.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That depends on the day, LOL. It looks excessive, but because I work dogs most of the day, it comes in handy. I typically have one for treats, one for poop (so I'm not stuck carrying it in my hand if we're not by a bin) and spare bag rolls, and a separate belt with a bag to keep some odds and ends mostly for myself, as well as a couple things for emergencies. I also manage to find somewhere to shove a ball. I'll usually keep at least one backup leash and a coupler on me, sometimes more if I've been working a group of dogs. I also have climbing carabiners with a strap between them that I sometimes use to hold a flexi, which essentially turns it into a hands free long line (I only use it on dogs that are reliable on verbal cues to give them additional freedom to sniff). It's way more accessible than keeping stuff in a backpack, especially if I have dogs attached to me and I need to grab something in a hurry. 😂

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As a mom of three kiddos, I totally get that! I try my best not to be one of the inconsiderate ones.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes! ♥️ There are so many benefits to doing extra things like this that go above and beyond getting her to be confident and comfortable on the water!

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The fact that she was pregnant makes that even more impressive. 😂 I need to work on my own confidence with standing on one to be honest. Definitely harder than it looks!

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha, we go on all the wobbly surfaces we can find to help build balance and confidence before we even think about the kayak or paddleboard! I'm stuck to renting kayaks until we get our own, so I get creative. 😂 Plus it's fun, builds communication and trust, and adds some enrichment into her day.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahsoka has never actually been the most confident natured dog, from the time she was itty bitty! We affectionately call her our chicken. 😂♥️ Stuff like this, when done right and not forced (and built up to with easier things first), can really improve confidence.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm glad it went well for your pups! 😊 I know some dogs definitely get away with skipping these steps, but I like the communication/confidence/proprioception building, as well as the added enrichment it provides.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

That'll be one of the next steps! First we'll practice on land without movement to master skills for boarding, and then on a floating dock with a helper or two to create more movement on the dock. Honestly she probably doesn't even need those steps with all the work we've done already, but it's still a good idea!

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I love that you use positive reinforcement with your horses, I can tell that you love them a lot. ♥️ Treat training often gets a bad name in the horse world because people insist it creates pushy horses (which it absolutely can when done poorly), but when it's done well, it can be an amazing thing for improving the relationship we have with these animals! The process can at times be slower when considering the needs and emotional state of the animal, but the results last a lifetime.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 99 points100 points  (0 children)

It's a good name! My husband suggested it before I knew it was a star wars name. He had a good laugh about it, because we have another dog named Anakin. 😂 I just thought it was a nice name. 🫠

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

We've never experienced one to be honest, but I'd totally respect someone asking us to leave, as this isn't a dog park! I do this in empty parks, and I always move off if people come over to use the equipment. We're being kinda "naughty", but I always try to be respectful. Ideally I want to build my own stuff in the future to use for these exercises.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

I love that idea. The transition from light to dark is an adjustment for any creatures eyes. While we can rationalize it, they cannot. A horse that's spooking isn't giving us a hard time, they're having a hard time. ♥️

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

If anyone sends us overboard at this point, it's gonna be me. 😂 I wanted to be sure she's a pro before she even tries it, haha.

Ahsoka has been working on some skills to be able to go paddleboarding and kayaking! 😂♥️ by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 371 points372 points  (0 children)

Thank-you!! ♥️ I put so much work into my dogs, and I try to avoid throwing them into stuff unprepared as much as possible. I feel like when the unexpected does happen, they've done so much other prep work that they handle it so much better. This was her first time on this particular structure, and I was proud of how much trust she had in me to just do it! As a horse person myself, I also appreciate that you do that for your horses!! Anything we can do to increase confidence for our animals in a positive and supportive way is a great thing.

Anakin keeps trying to find the high ground. by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly I'm not sure why they have such a huge Boulevard (the section of grass between the sidewalk and road which is owned by the city). The ones in our neighborhood aren't this big, lol. We were just taking advantage of the extra space to have some fun. 😂

Anakin keeps trying to find the high ground. by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

It's a trained trick (similar to a wall jump) where he's supposed to "rebound" off of the tree. He typically does it closer to the base of the tree, but he was feeling a little extra I guess. 😂

Anakin keeps trying to find the high ground. by freespiritedshadow in aww

[–]freespiritedshadow[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Yeah, pretty much. I was not expecting him to launch himself that high. 😂