Some animals are simply talented for water sports. Already as a puppy, Ricochet grabbed people’s attention for her confidence she jumped into sea waves with. Later on, she became a dog hero helping disabled and a role model for many enthusiasts who started craving for their dog to be also gifted with similar superpowers. Fortunately for them, it wasn’t enough for Ricochet’s mistress that her dog could conquer waves and started organizing special assistence courses with a slogan “Healing Power of Dogs”.
Some animals are simply talented for water sports. Already as a puppy, Ricochet grabbed people’s attention for her confidence she jumped into sea waves with. Later on, she became a dog hero helping disabled and a role model for many enthusiasts who started craving for their dog to be also gifted with similar superpowers. Fortunately for them, it wasn’t enough for Ricochet’s mistress that her dog could conquer waves and started organizing special assistence courses with a slogan “Healing Power of Dogs”.
Ricochet’s story only started with this. Since then, this ten-year-old bitch has helped hundreds of disabled children and adults get rid of their fear of water. Her canistherapy powers are so impressive that she managed to change lives of several tens of them. But in fact she herself was struggling in the beginning of her training and she was even expelled from water training for her lack of concentration. But her mistress and dog trainer Judy Fridon didn’t give up.
As well as many more golden retrievers, Ricochet excels in one more ability besides her love for water – empathy. As her mistress Judy says, she can amazingly adjust to the needs of any person at whom she feels some kind of anxiety or another problem. Judy thought it would be shame to train her “only” as a guide dog and she decided to use her talent for water activities. She supposedly throw herself to water already as a puppy and crept to water pad. To put it simply, she chose surfing alone.
The whole concept is based on one simple idea: “If a dog can do it, I can as well”. And Judy says it works. Ricochet is by the side of her clients at all times. She can spend several hours in water. She shares a surfboard with clients. Therefore, there is a constant contact and dog’s closeness has a calming influence on handicapped people. Judy and Ricochet use money from various surf competitions to help these people. And Ricochet has been attending competitions since 2009 when she was a little dog.
Her story is a proof that dogs really are man’s best friends. And they can learn everything for their master, including surfing. And they can even enjoy it and make good things happen like Ricochet. Also dog paddle boarding is becoming popular and we can try in the Czech Republic, too :) Are you in?
If you’re thinking about starting canistherapy with your four-legged friend, but you don’t know whether you would manage, here you will find a brief overview of the characteristics your dog is supposed to have and what he should all know.
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