If you’re a fan of the Facebook page, you already know the fun news: Bailey (my dog) had her first surfing lesson on Saturday! We met up with the So Cal Surf Dogs for their regular weekly lessons, and boy – I can’t possibly tell you how much fun it was!! We had an absolutely stellar time – and to our absolute shock & exhilaration, Bailey actually surfed!!

I kind of still can’t believe that photo exists… My dog can SURF! It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, and we can’t wait to go back for more!

The whole day was lots of fun from the beginning: first, the dogs got accustomed to their boards on the beach. The So Cal Surf Dogs instructors were incredibly patient with the dogs, and they made sure not to rush or force anyone into anything uncomfortable. I really can’t say enough for their patience & concern for the dogs’ happiness & safety. They even had a professional dog trainer there, just to watch out for signs of anxiety in the dogs.

No anxiety here! Bailey was ready to go!

 Game face.

 And after a bit of instruction & reassurance, they sent us out into the water! There’s the handsome Mr. Shamrell with Bailey – he was so great at “launching” her!

And she surfed!!!

You’ll never guess what happened next. Right after she rode her very first wave – all the way to the beach! – I got stung by a stingray.

Yes, you read that right. Or at least the lifeguard thought I “brushed” into one, since I stepped on something poky and it immediately started hurting. So I was rushed to shore, but by the time I reached the lifeguard station, the pain had mostly gone away. I guess I confused the poor lifeguard on duty; he wasn’t sure if it was a bee or a piece of glass or a slight stingray sting that got me… but luckily, whatever it was didn’t stop me from getting back out there! I only missed a few of Bailey’s runs in the time it took for him to inspect my toes. I was too nervous to step out there barefoot, though, so I wore my sandals back out. Which didn’t make walking around very easy, but hey, I felt safer! :)

So while I was on shore, Mr. Shamrell & Bailey kept practicing, and eventually he was able to launch her without the help of our awesome instructor, Gigi. She’s a So Cal Surf Dogs volunteer, and was with us the whole time – and thank goodness, because we would have been lost without her! She was awesome at seeing what we were doing wrong and correcting us, and making sure Bailey was always in the right place & safe. There’s a lot to think about out there: your position relative to the board, your dog’s position, your hand positions, what the water is doing, when the next wave is coming, if there are any people/dogs/surfboards in front of or behind you… it’s not a simple thing!

Here’s what we eventually learned: Bailey needs someone launching her, and someone else about 20 yards closer to the beach saying “staaaaayyyyy” with their hands up! If there’s no one to tell her to stay put, she would often make a break for it:

By the end of the lesson, the president of So Cal Surf Dogs was helping Bailey & Mr. Shamrell with a bit of technique. Looks like Bailey was one of the “quick learners” in the class! (ohmygoshiamsoproudmydogisagenius!)

 As I shot these photos with my camera in one hand, my other hand was out and I was yelling “stay!” Haha!

I know she looks a bit uncertain in these photos, but I hope no one’s actually worried about her – Bailey was having a great time! I have to think that no one immediately starts smiling and waving the first time they learn how to stand up on a surfboard. Bailey was concentrating on staying up & staying put; she came running back to us after each run, and I figure that if she really didn’t like it, she’d make a beeline for the beach and stay there. She never did that, and was consistently wagging her tail between runs, so we felt good about hoisting her back up on the board each time. (Some dogs were much less sure about staying put on the boards, so they had leashes to connect their dogs to the boards. Got to say, I was proud of Bailey for not needing one of those!)

Get this: after she passed both of us, she’d just turn around and stare at us! As if to say, “Mom? Dad? Where am I going?” Too cute! We couldn’t stop laughing!!

 Like I said – there were a few wipeouts. Not too many!

We were all cheering for her! Goooooo Bailey!!

My gosh, the coastline at Del Mar is beautiful.

 Aaaaand she’s out!

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we “launched” Bailey’s board with the waves? Check it out:

Gigi’s help was crucial!

 It was a beautiful, perfect day. So many people were there – Bailey’s “class” had about 8 other dogs, and there were 2 more classes that day!

 Somehow, we always come back to this. Even with a life vest!

Ahhhh. It’s much better naked, apparently.

 Sigh. That’s my dog.

If you’re interested in surfing with your dog in Del Mar (obviously I recommend it!), you can get more info & fill out the sign-up form here.

I’m already looking forward to our next lesson, as well as the upcoming dog surfing competition! Benefitting the Helen Woodward Animal Center, the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon is September 8 at the Del Mar dog beach! I’ll definitely be there – Bailey needs a bit more training, I think, before making an appearance at an event like that – but I can’t wait to photograph all the action!

Seriously. I can’t think of a better way to spend your Saturday. We’ll be back out there soon! :)