He crosses France on a paddle with his dog
In life I love to challenge myself and always accompanied by Musher. The craziest of challenges was to create EmmèneTonChien.com and bring this beautiful community to life! On the sporting side, Musher and I started cani-paddle two years ago. We both love that. When I take her to Lac du Salagou, our favorite place for cani-paddle, she is like crazy.
So when I discovered the story of Thétis and Yohan, I had only one desire: to share it with you… This duo set themselves an incredible challenge; cross France on a paddle. As their adventure will last a few weeks, we will choose to tell their adventure in two parts. In this first article, our Wouafer's duo will tell you their moving story, their training and their physical preparation for this extraordinary adventure. Go Yohan, it's up to you to speak. Tell us everything!
Yohan and his dog, a close relationship
My name is Yohan Ozanne, I am 33 years old, I come from Caen. I am a canine trainer and dog handler. Thetis is my female dutch shepherd 5 years old. She is a professional private security female dog with a diploma! She is curious, sensitive and loves people despite difficult beginnings. However, she has some small difficulties getting along with dogs of her size and bigger than her. She also has an obsession with pebbles since she was 4 months old 😉
In the past, I had a dog called Achille; A malinois belgian shepherd of work. After his disappearance, I wanted to find a first name that would have had a link with him in Greek mythology; like a wink in his honor. I quickly thought of Achilles' mother, Thetis, a Nereid of the seas. Until now I had never had a dog that liked water. Bingo, my other dog, like Achille, wouldn't fit in the water. I was not mistaken ! I finally have a dog that swims and loves nautical activities for my greatest pleasure and his as well 🙂 How this name may have influenced the character of my dog.
Musher and Sophie: “Yohan seems to have fun with Thetis in the water, however I remind you that even if your dog is very comfortable with water, it is important to equip him with a life jacket for added safety. Besides, I tested several with Musher, I give you my opinion here –> “Dog life jackets“. And as it is unfortunately in season, I also allow myself a little reminder about cyanobacteria. These are very dangerous bacteria and unfortunately sometimes present in the waterways near you...
We had a rather difficult start with Thétis. She was a dog afraid of everything, which adapted very difficult to environments. She had a huge fear of the outside to the point where to help her I had to resort to anxiolytics. Although I had adopted Thetis as a working dog, the training sessions were too anxiety-provoking for her (gunshots, shouting, aggression scenario, etc.). I decided to give up, until several months later, during training with Bingo and in parallel with the gentle work at home, Thétis suddenly decided to overcome her fears and to attack the biting, without constraint of course. This activity allowed him to gain confidence, and overcome a lot of his fears.
If I had to describe the Dutch Shepherds that I know and that I train in everyday life, they are curious dogs, very close to their master, constantly questioning, thinking, sensitive, affectionate and very cooperative! They are many qualities...
An exceptional complicity with my dog
I have a close relationship with my dog. We are H24 together. I work with Thétis at night and she is also my work companion in my dog training business. So he's my constant dog, we have a wonderful time. I am enormously lucky to be able to live with her constantly! As in all relationships, there are super nice things like our little rituals. Waking up starts with a little game in bed, we fight, we cuddle, then comes the time to wash up! Out of the shower, I dry my hair, but Thetis is above all a girl, and needs to be blow-dried too (she actually comes to ask me to pass the hair dryer over her and the brush). The moments I spend with Thétis and like those I spent with Bingo and Achille, despite being different, all remain magical and unqualifiable happiness!
Crossing France on a stand-up paddle with your dog
I have always had this frustration of not having a dog that is comfortable with water. One day, I saw a video on Youtube, of a man who was doing paddle boarding in the waves in the United States and did tricks with two dogs on the board. I thought it was crazy, but at the same time I couldn't see myself doing this kind of thing, because I had never done stand up paddle, let alone in the waves. I wanted to buy my first board, without any knowledge, and by dint of insisting with my darling, she ended up cracking. My birthday gift ? My first board. From the start, in the middle of January, I wanted to initiate myself and directly with my dog.
At that time, I followed a lot of inspiring people, like Blandine, a Caen native who set off to take on the world on a Footbike, but also Claude Dhondt who was the first to cross France on a paddle and also Ingrid Ulrich and her expeditions. on a paddle in Greenland... I too wanted to go on an adventure with my dog, on a stand up paddle and cross France by rivers and canals, for the benefit of an association that helps amputated and handicapped dogs: Tri-pattes.
The paddle course of Yohan and his dog
For this crossing, there are not a thousand possible routes. My only difficulty at the moment is deciding where to start the crossing. Either I leave Normandy my region of origin, that is to say Dunkirk to go down to the Grau du Roi.
To join the North to the South, nothing more simple, I will navigate by the rivers and the canals, passing by the locks and two tunnels according to my plans. I'm still trying to see if I need authorizations from the VNF (waterway of France) to be able to navigate without worries on my entire route.
Regarding the meals, the tent, the mattresses, the duvet, it will be an adventure. We will surely do a lot of camping with my dog. I will eat thanks to my stove and my freeze-dried meals which are one of the biggest costs of the crossing elsewhere. My bet is to have no assistance during this crossing or the minimum. But if someone sends me an invitation to sleep in a real bed and the comfort of a shower and a good meal; I can't refuse 😉 Or of course in case of a problem.
What training for this canine adventure?
Training: it's when we can! There are weeks where we will be able to train twice, others once, others not at all. It varies. But in any case, minimum two to three times a month.
My dog, she trains at the same time as me on balance in addition to increasing physical endurance. Thétis swims a lot, in addition to staying with me on the board, which makes her a more than enduring dog! To introduce my dog to Stand up Paddle, I started by getting her to get on the board on the ground on dry land, then stay on it using the clicker training method. Once the positive association of the board, I climbed on it (still on the ground) and I imitated the movement with the paddle so that it is not afraid of the paddle which will pass over it. 'She. Then, I started to lift the board a few centimeters off the ground, and do a few small rotations.
Once my dog was comfortable on the ground on the board, we went into the water. At the start she on the board and me next to it. Then quickly I climbed on it. Initially seated, then on your knees to finish standing. From the first session in the water, I stood up. Several times we fell, then persevering we tirelessly started again. Now, it's rare (but not impossible) for us to fall off the board.
Yohan's equipment and his dog
For the crossing we will use a lot of equipment, namely a safety jacket each. Safety first ! A Leash, a clip that keeps me on the board. My female dog will have a biothane collar and leash set that is dirt and water resistant. Then: the 4.67 m paddle board, the various waterproof bags containing the care products, the equipment for sleeping and eating, the electronics, the care kit, the food (kibbles and freeze-dried meals), the water purifier filter. water… We are therefore going to be self-sufficient in water, without carrying any! The goal is to filter and purify the water present in rivers and canals. Unlimited water consumption! The purifier allows me to filter out viruses, bacteria and protozoa so that I can drink the water without getting sick.
For electricity, I will take a foldable 24w solar panel for the day and a turbine in case of wind. The objective is to put it in the flow zones in tidal turbine mode for the night. I want to be able to recharge the external batteries day and night and be self-sufficient in electricity. You should know that I would make videos and gallery each day. From episode #1 to the last day!
We will also be doing live from Facebook, in order to share our adventure with the people who will harm us. I will have a social contact which is important during a crossing where we will be alone. I will also have a GPS watch to know how many kilometers I will cover per day, increase my pace in case of delays on the forecasts and share my position in real time every day.
I am also thinking about creating a shelter against the wind and the rain for Thétis on the board. A quickly removable and lightweight shelter. I already have ideas, but I need people who can help me. So if there are handymen among the Wouafer's, I'm a taker! I tried to contact Youtubers but no response yet…
Test phases before the big day
I will leave on Tuesday August 20 for the crossing of theOrne or around 152 km, starting as close as possible to the source to the banks of the Orne in Caen. This will allow me to see what we can do with the board we will have for the crossing, loaded with a minimum of equipment. We can then add or remove amenities.
The day of the big departure for Yohan and his dog
The big departure will be in April 2020 I think, at the end of the hunting season, but also at the end of the winter frosts. The water is likely to be cold, the nights still cold (see below 0°) so the equipment will be put to the test, our mind too.
Musher and Sophie: “To bring some warmth and comfort to Musher when the season is still a bit chilly, I equip him with a neoprene vest. Usually, it is rather hunters who equip their waterfowl retrieving dog with this type of vest. Musher gets into the water whatever the weather conditions, so once soaked, she shivers quickly on the board. She can't run to get warm so she quickly catches cold. This neoprene vest brings him significant warmth. It's never very good to let a dog catch a cold; this can have consequences on his osteoarthritis when he is old… ”
My state of mind is very positive. I know that I still have time to train, to improve and refine the project for this great crossing. My physical condition is good and will be better. Psychologically, I'm fine, but I guess it's when the departure approaches that things will get complicated for my dog and me… Thetis' state of mind is good! Where I go, she follows! Without hesitation, without complaining, she is more ready than me for this journey, for this adventure. Both physically and mentally!
In any case, I will be his strength and vice versa, we are more than a pair, we are more than just a master and his dog. She is my fuel in the same way as my darling and my children. She is my strength, my pride, and I know that together we will get there! The key words: pride, honor, determination!
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I don't know about you, but I will be in the front row to follow the extraordinary challenge of Yohan and Thétis. They have already planned to tell us about their journey when they arrive. I will tell you about their adventure through part 2 of this article, can't wait?
You can also follow the adventures of Yohan and his dog via their account Facebook and their account Instagram ! They are in the starting blocks!