Meet Stan, the adventure-loving schnauzer who loves paragliding with his owner
This is Stan, the miniature schnauzer who loves going on adventures with his owner, Alex Colbeck.
Metro reports that Alex, 34, loves getting Stan involved and even takes the six-year-old pooch paragliding. The IT contractor decided to take his little bud on flights with him after seeing how excited Stan would get watching him fly. Alex, from North Yorkshire, found a company that could make a custom harness for Stan and set about getting him used to it.
Alex said: ‘Stan is used to being around paragliders launching and landing, so the sights and sounds don’t phase him. ‘I introduced him to his harness, which securely fastens to my own harness, on a few occasions before he went flying. ‘And then on his first flight, I clipped him in and off we went. I was watching him closely and praising him the whole time during the flight and I could not see any sign of fear or anxiety. ‘I landed after a couple of minutes, unclipped him, and he seemed fine, so we went for two more slightly longer flights that day.
‘Once we’re in the air, Stan is pretty much resting on my lap, inside of his harness. ‘He just watches the world go by on the ground below while I give him a stroke. I can see his head moving as he watches people on the beach or the sheep in the fields. ‘We’ve been flying over Marske-by-the-Sea and on a hill near Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales.’
The pair will go for a walk up a hill or mountain and instead of walking back down, they’ll enjoy a flight together taking in the stunning views. Alex said: ‘I have a paraglider wing and harness for myself and one for Stan which is a custom-made doggy harness. ‘All the equipment is made with extremely strong materials by professional manufacturers, much like skydiving equipment.
‘Stan is very chilled out and obedient in most situations, apart from when he sees a squirrel. I spent hours training him as a puppy, and we have an extremely strong bond. ‘He goes wherever I go. He has a great life and spends lots of time outdoors enjoying long walks in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. ‘He doesn’t like being indoors for too long.
‘I thought that riding in a car, boat or other transport must be equally strange for a dog, so why not try paragliding? ‘People are pretty surprised when they see us paragliding together and most people have never seen anything like it before. It comes as a surprise to most.’
(Article source: Metro)
