The Extreme Sports Dog Hall of Fame has a new inductee in Chibi, a nine-year-old rescue dog who is proving that older dogs can be just as active as their younger peers.
David Williams is Chibi’s owner and says it was difficult at first to train the homeless pup. Williams began teaching Chibi tricks such as flipping and jumping hoops to use the dog’s boundless energy. Today Chibi has an impressive resume with all sorts of crazy skills, like riding a motorcycle. Chibi’s last adventure was riding the waves on a special wakeboard.
Wakeboarding is similar to water skiing in that the wakeboarder is towed behind a boat at a speed of approximately 20 mph. Instead of skis, a single board similar to a snowboard is used. Wakeboarding has partially evolved from surfing. Wakeboarding is considered an extreme sport.
Chibi is obviously an intelligent dog, eager to learn new tricks. As many trainers and behaviorists are teaching us that it is important to give our dog a job, Chibi can show how even older dogs can become athletes.
Extreme sports can be new ways to exercise your pet and while not all extreme sports are right for your pet, there are several activities that he or she can enjoy. Skating, for example, is an enhanced experience when your furry friend joins you. Both you and your dog can get an intense workout during an inline skating session. Skijoring may be another example. And if you don’t like extreme sports, you can enjoy a brisk jog with your dog every morning. Hiking is another possibility and even rock climbing is now possible with special harnesses made for dogs.
There is also another thing we can learn from the Chibi story. With patience and discipline, even the most misunderstood dog can become a star.
Training a dog can mean many things. Behavior training can teach your dog to become a good citizen, including house training, good behavior with other people and dogs, and everything that makes dogs enjoyable companions.
Obedience training refers to teaching your pet to perform certain activities. This is usually done for the sake of training and not to modify the dog’s behavior. There are dogs that can be easily taught specific tasks but still misbehave.
Activity training can include hunting, herding, search and rescue, or any other task that can showcase the skills of both the pet and its owner. Sports such as Frisbee, flyball or agility are part of this type of training.
However, there is a correlation between obedience training and behavior training. Behavior-oriented training may be the best way to learn to understand your dog. If you like sports and want to have a companion pet, you can also try more complex training with your pet.
Your pet’s personality, goals, and training skills will influence the results. Good results require perseverance and patience. It may take a year or two to teach your dog a certain skill.
