Angel the surfing labrador | Ipswich Pets | Animal and Dog News in Ipswich

Hanging ten, or is it eight? Nathan Williams watches on as his labrador Angel catches a wave.

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SOME dogs like chasing balls or running through the park but Angel prefers to hang eight.

Meet Angel, the Gold Coast’s own surf dog.

Angel is a four and a half year old Labrador who loves nothing more than to join her owner, Nathan Williams, for a surf.

Mr Williams said Angel’s favourite thing to do was jump on her board and chill out catching a wave.

“She will drag her board down to the water by a tennis ball attached to the board and looks back at me,” Mr Williams said.

Angel started surfing when she was just four months old.

“It all started when I put her on a board at the Spit when she was a puppy,” he said.

“I dragged her around on the board and she loved it.”

Mr Williams said Angel looked stable on the board when she started and now surfs at the beach, jumping on to the board from the water while he holds it steady.

“When she gets dumped, she stops and knows to wait for the wave before she looks for the board.”

Her technique would rival any amateur surfer.

Mr Williams said she altered her technique depending on the board she used.

“On a bigger board, she will crouch down, and on a smaller board, she will move forward over the centre,” Mr Williams said.

He said his other Labrador, Buddy, had not taken to surfing like Angel.

“He is not as confident in the water as Angel – he is more of a swimmer than a surfer.”

Mr Williams said Angel enjoyed the water but also adored the attention of beachgoers.

“She gets a lot of reactions on the beach with people clapping and asking me how I taught her.”

Angel not only rides her own board but sometimes even shares with her owner.

“We surf together sometimes but she needs a board she can grip to because she can’t claw into fibreglass,” Mr Williams said.

He said Angel did not surf much in winter but, now it was coming into summer, he would take her to the beach more.

“I find she doesn’t lose the skills even after six months of not doing it.”

Mr Williams said Angel had her own board until it was stolen from the sand on a beach visit when he went for his own surf.