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SALT LAKE CITY — You've no doubt seen those video clips of the water-skiing squirrel or Frisbee dogs doing all sorts of tricks, but what about the skateboarding bulldog?
Decker the bulldog has been skateboarding on the streets of Salt Lake City since he was 5 months old. He's now a 18 months old, weighing in at a hefty 69 pounds, and is pretty much an expert.
While it's common knowledge that dogs love to chase and fetch things, Decker's owner, Jim Wright, decided against the typical ball or Frisbee and bought a skateboard instead.
At first, Wright said, Decker didn't know what to do with it.
"After about a week I started teaching him how to ride the skateboard: put one paw on, and then two, and then pull him with a rope so he'd get used to it," Wright explained.
Now he has a hard time getting Decker off the board.
"(The skateboard's) on a rack in the garage, and he goes right over there and he wants it," Wright said. "He loves doing that more than about anything."
Every day, Decker puts on a show for whoever walks by. Back and forth across the street he goes, turning the board around himself.
"There's some kids here that skateboard at lunchtime, and he comes out and skateboards with them," Wright said.
Sometimes he just pushes the board along the street, and often, when he gets enough speed, he jumps on with all four paws.
The dog's talent is taking him places too. He's the face of the Dog Pound logo for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and he's also featured on some of the Utah-based Dr. Hess skin care products.
But Decker lives to ride. He and Wright go just about everywhere together, and the board goes too.
