Australia's surfing dogs chase waves, not cats

Australian dog trainer and former surfing champion Chris de Aboitiz rides a wave with his dogs Rama (L) and Millie off Sydney's Palm Beach, Feb 18, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

"So many dogs are given away because people don't have control, their dog turns from an asset to a liability. The ultimate result is to have less dogs euthanised," said Aboitiz.

Aboitiz said he has had a positive response from dog owners, some of whom had taken to the waves with him, while others have embraced his training but stuck to land.

"People make a lot of mistakes in training their dogs, who end up being dominant over them. Training the dog is the easy part, you also need to train the owner" he added.