I can say without the slightest trace of reservation that the word “surprised” does not quite do justice to my state of mind, as I was unceremoniously informed that dogs are not only capable of rafting and surfing, but that they can actually ski to a point. And all this time, I’ve considered it a feat to even get a dog to fetch something without asking and cajoling to an extent that would bug a telemarketer. Maybe I need to upgrade my standards, when it comes to what a well trained (most likely pretty loyal) canine can be capable of. While I could easily understand the trepidation of one new rafter, whose dog weighs 75 pounds and might conceivably tear up the floor of his raft – some of this stuff is just weird. I mean, in one forum it just about turned into a discount pet supplies conversation after a guy asked where he could get a life jacket for his pup – which is a sentiment I have a great deal of respect for. As someone who isn’t into rafting, I hadn’t initially thought of it, but just being a great dog paddler does not a good back up plan provide. The fact that there is actually a sport called skijoring twists not only my tongue, but my mind as well. Apparently, skijoring is a combination of cross country skiing and dog sledding – and I was too busy chuckling at the downhill skiing dogs to even look up how dogs ski cross country. While I could not understand some of the “purist” rants about how the ski tracks were laid out, the thought of taking “the pack” out for a little snowy sojourn comes up pretty interesting. And I could not believe my eyes when I saw that there are indeed dog surfing contests. Of course, they’re initially divided into small (under 40 pound) and large (41+ pound)… but then I saw some of the picture of people surfing with their dogs, and… wow. That’s a sport I need to watch some day, just so I can see if they’re hanging 10, or 20.