Peru's skateboarding bulldog eyes new record

  • 16/12/2015
Otto the skateboard-riding bulldog (YouTube)
Otto the skateboard-riding bulldog (YouTube)

Otto, the skateboard-riding bulldog who set a world record last month coasting down a footpath in Lima, has his sights set on a new prize: most talented extreme-sports dog.

The accomplished canine rolled his way to a Guinness World Record by passing through the legs of 30 people, or "the longest human tunnel" ever travelled by a dog on skateboard, on November 8.

Now he's hoping to take home the "Hot Dog" prize for extreme sports in January, which will be awarded by US television network CW during its World Dog Awards.

"Otto does surfing, skateboarding, sandboarding and skimboarding. He weighs 27kg and is a healthy dog for his breed and age," one of his owners, Luciana Viale, told AFP.

Otto's fondness for skateboarding started out as part of his play routine, she said.

"When we went out in the street with Otto who played on the skateboard, people would tell us: 'We want to see it.' Seeing a dog on a skateboard is unusual – and a fun thing for people."

The four-year-old bulldog's record-setting feat was widely celebrated in Lima. His Facebook fan page has more than 45,700 likes, and his owners are using his newfound celebrity status to help raise money for children's shelters.

"Otto is competing in the World Dog Awards in the 'Hot Dog' category ... That fills us with pride, he is a member of the family," Viale said.

AFP