Gayle and her dog Toby try a ‘Puppies Go Paddling’ session at Perth’s Willowgate Activity Centre.
My Labrador Toby absolutely loves the water. If there’s a burn, river, loch or muddy puddle in the vicinity you can guarantee he’ll dive straight on in.
I discovered he’s also a fan of being ‘on’ the water – in various crafts – when we took part in a ‘Puppies Go Paddling’ session at Perth’s Willowgate Activity Centre.
These fantastic events encourage you to try kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding alongside your four-legged friend, in a safe environment – on two man-made lagoons – with friendly instructors keeping a beady eye on you at all times.
All abilities
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never tried any form of watersport before because sessions are open to all abilities – they’re more about having fun with your dog than worrying about skills and technique.
The sun was blazing when Toby and I arrived at the centre, on the banks of the Tay near Friarton Bridge, last Friday.
While tempted to hit the water in just shorts and T-shirt, lead instructor Sam Garthwaite said there would be “more scope” if I wore a wetsuit. I took his advice, even though I was initially baking inside the unforgiving neoprene shell.
Canoeing
Sam suggested we try canoeing first as there would be plenty of space for him, me and the dog in a two-seater model and it’s a fairly stable craft, meaning Toby could gently acclimatise to the sensation.
It doesn’t matter if he jumps into the water; he can easily swim back to shore.
“It’s super-safe here,” assured Sam. “No matter which pond you’re on, there’s a bank nearby. Most dogs cut about in the water quite easily, so there’s no drama.”
Getting into the canoe was the first challenge but Sam, a true gent, helped us and off we went.
Toby, sitting up front, didn’t feel particularly relaxed and I had to grip him between my legs to keep him with us.
Paddling was easy enough, although made trickier by having a solid Labrador impeding the oar’s range of motion.
Kayaking
By the time we’d done a few laps of the lagoon, he’d chilled out considerably and Sam deemed him ready for kayaking.
We were on our own this time and while the dedicated space for a dog was at the back of the kayak, I knew there’d be no way Toby would handle this: he’d be off.
Instead, I sat him in front of me, facing the water. He did NOT like this at all and it didn’t take much for him to abandon ship and swim back to shore.
Our second attempt was much better. This time he was up-front but facing me, and while paddling was awkward in this position, I tried my best.
Paddleboarding
The grand finale was paddleboarding. Admittedly I didn’t believe this would be possible. Me, standing on a paddleboard – plus the dog?
To my great surprise, we nailed it! I started off kneeling and when nothing bad happened, I stood up… and my some miracle didn’t fall off, and Toby stayed put!
The sense of victory lasted all of two minutes when of course the board wobbled and he plunged on in.
I remained standing, paddled back to shore, and we tried again. This time was even better although my legs were shaking wildly.
I’m not sure why – I love swimming and often do so in Scotland’s wild waters, so why would I be worried about getting wet while wearing a wetsuit in a nice, warm (ish) lagoon on a hot summer’s day?
Manic but great fun!
Back on dry land, Sam told me a bit more about the sessions and equipment which could come in handy.
“Puppies Go Paddling is a nice, big community thing – always manic but great fun!” he said.
“People can hop on kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, whatever they want. We don’t know how well the dog will respond to each craft so it’s good to have three options.”
While it’s up to owners whether they want to kit their dogs with buoyancy aids, harnesses with handles are really useful. Owners can grab on to them should their pet end up in the water.
Inspiration
Sessions, which are held twice a month, were inspired by centre owner Adam Burns’ black Lab Tulla.
“She was the inspiration, the original!” beamed Sam.
“We get dogs of all shapes and sizes and temperaments. There are really loud ones, and yippy ones that get worried about their owners but are mostly quite lovely.
“We have up to 16 people in a session and two instructors. We’ll give you a bit of coaching but it’s more about having fun with the dogs and seeing how they get on. We do sometimes get people who want to develop their paddling skills too.”
Reluctant to leave this gorgeous spot, I headed along the river to Willowgate Cafe, as recommended by Sam.
The coffee, home bakes and frozen desserts here are to die for – and Toby was in heaven when a waitress gave him a tub of ice cream all to himself. What a perfect way to round off an afternoon of adventure.
- The next Puppies Go Paddling session is July 26 at 6pm. For more dates see willowgate-activity-centre.checkfront.com/reserve/
- Wetsuits and buoyancy aids (for humans) are supplied. Dogs get treats instead. Bring a towel, change of clothes and shoes suitable for water.
Conversation