There’s a new international canine celebrity—Otto the skateboarding Bulldog.
In Lima, Peru, Otto, a 3-year-old owned by Luciana Viale and Robert Rickards, set a Guinness World Record for “longest human tunnel traveled through by a dog skatboarder” by zipping through the legs of 30 people. The people all stood in a row, facing the same direction, with their feet apart.
Otto’s epic roll was part of Guinness World Records Day, Thursday, November 12.
Otto now joins the ranks of other Bulldog superstars, including fellow Guinness celebrity Tillman, who set the speed record for 100 meters, at just under 20 seconds, in 2009. Otto’s owners were inspired to get a Bulldog after seeing some of Tillman’s stunts.
Sadly, Tillman passed away in October at age 10. In addition to skateboarding, the amiable brown-and-white social-media star was also known for his surfing prowess, so it seemed fitting that his memorial “paddle out” be held at sea. More than 200 fans turned out to pay their respects. He was so famous that Charles Osgood read his obituary on CBS Sunday Morning.
Tillman and Otto are just two of the many Bulldogs on a roll. The breed appears to have an inborn talent for skateboarding. One reason may be their low center of gravity, which makes it easy for them to balance, says tricks trainer Kyra Sundance.
But you don’t have to be a Bulldog to learn how to skateboard. It’s a very popular trick, no matter what the breed, and is a standard in many tricks-training books and seminars. Sundance offers three basic steps to getting started:
- Show the dog a skateboard and get him interested in it, by rolling it, riding it yourself, or getting him to chase or play with it. After a few weeks, the dog will view it as a toy.
- Teach your dog to get on the skateboard by holding it with your foot and using a treat to lure him to put his front feet on the board.
- Once the dog has mastered this step, start to slowly move the board with your foot or with a leash attached to the front axel.