It was a difficult task teaching four paws to glue themselves onto a paddle board. But it was worth it.
I would highly recommend getting on a paddle board with your dog. It’s brought Kygo and I closer together.
My dog, Kygo, is a silver Labrador. She lives up to her breed very thoroughly—she loves the water.
When I first moved to Bend a couple of years ago, Kygo was only nine months old. On one of our first Bend outings, I threw her in the water at Riverbend dog park and yelled: “You’ll love it sweetie! It’s in your breed!”
She swam half the width of the Deschutes river her first go. That swim gave me a little heart attack thinking she may not come home for dinner.
So after she graduated swim lessons, my next picturesque, total Bendite move, was to put her on my paddle board. My goal was to get her to lie down on it so we could paddle off into the sunset together.
Lucky for Ky, she would get more time than ever in the water learning how to paddle. Unlucky for me, so would I.
The first time you paddle board with your dog, you will get wet
The first time I pulled her up onto my inflatable paddle board, it was a comedy act. I learned quick. Sitting down behind her as she attempted to stand as well was the best way to maintain balance and control.
At the beginning, being on my knees or standing, was an automatic river bath for both of us. The minute Kygo spotted a duck or decided she wanted to be in the water, we were both dunked.
After a few failed attempts at this positioning, I learned a better tactic. Straddling her between my knees was the best way to keep her from abandoning ship.
This is when our paddle board game significantly improved. It took an entire summer for Kygo to lock in focus for at least 30 minutes during a ride. If you want to paddle board with your dog, it could take a little while. You and your dog have to get accustomed to the feeling.
Paddle boarding with Kygo is something I will always refer to as one of the most healing activities I could ever partake in.
Take your dog to the lake at first
We paddle board both rivers and lakes, but I prefer lakes. My intention is never to paddle hard and far distances, but rather to move toward the slow and stagnant water. This allows me to lay down with my hat over my head, with Kygo at my feet. If you do decide to paddle board with your dog, I would choose the lake at first.
My favorite place to paddle board with Kygo is Sparks Lake — preferably later in the summer the crowds die down. The water is shallow, clear, and engulfed by Three Sisters and Mt. Bachelor.
How do you beat those views, solitude, a dog, and an IPA? You don’t. We have also paddled on multiple spots along the Deschutes River, Elk Lake, and Paulina Lake.
Keep your dog safe with a life vest
I do recommend — if you have a medium to larger size dog who may go for a swim — to purchase a life vest.
Kygo is roughly 60 pounds. So when she decides to make a round trip back to the board after her dip, if I don’t have the life vest to grab onto, it would be impossible.
It also keeps my mom instincts at bay to strap her into a vest (as if I don’t know she is a phenomenal swimmer by nature).
Beware of the blooms
Before we ever paddle anywhere new, I always do some research. I make sure to check the internet for blue algae blooms. Algae blooms are present in bodies of water in Central Oregon and are very toxic to dogs. The Deschutes National Forest updates their website for blue algae blooms, but I also advise to join the Dogs of Bend Facebook Group—as members are constantly informing and advising about the blooms.
There are many simple and heart filling activities to explore with your four legged companion in Bend.
Paddle boarding with Kygo has brought me such joy. So, I intend to keep the board and her life vest in my car all summer long. Just in case a sunset emerges that we should romantically sail away to.
Author: Olivia Baggerly
Olivia is an Oregon native who grew up on a filbert farm in Canby, Oregon. After attending school at the University of Idaho and retiring as a Division I soccer player, she moved straight to Bend for her love of the outdoors and simple living lifestyle. Olivia is a coffee connoisseur (the head roaster for Backporch Coffee Roasters), a writer, multi-creator, holistic advocate, and dog mom. When Olivia hung up her soccer cleats after 17 years, she filled the void and mass of free time with her Silver Labrador, Kygo. Kygo loves to trail run, swim, follow Olivia on her heals throughout the house, catch flies, play singularly with a tennis ball at the dog park, and press her nose against the window when Olivia is away for work. The healing Kygo bestows daily on Olivia’s life, has been and always will be her encouragement for others to discover the same friendship and joy found only between four paws and two feet.