Latest news with #MiguelSanchezMerenciano


Reuters
10 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Poodle joins dog lifeguard team on Spanish beach
TORROX, June 16 (Reuters) - Poodle Nilo has joined four labradors on a dog rescue squad at Las Lindes beach near Malaga in Spain, helping lifeguards tow people back to shore. With his fluffy white coat, a life vest strapped across his chest and sunblock slathered on his long nose, the two-year-old Standard Poodle cuts an unusual figure, as Spanish dog beach rescue squads generally use Labradors and Newfoundlands. Nilo's handler, dog instructor Miguel Sanchez-Merenciano, 45, told Reuters that he enters the water first to reach a swimmer in distress before calling Nilo or other dogs to help them back to safety. Poodles, an originally German breed, were historically used for water rescue, he said, though mainly in hunting and retrieval work in northern European lakes, their lustrous fur protecting them from the cold. Indeed, the name "poodle" comes from the German verb "puddeln," which means to splash, Sanchez-Merenciano said. Poodles are also known for their superior intelligence and exceptional learning ability, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Nilo was once scared of loud noises and crowds, so his training had to be done step by step, Sanchez-Merenciano explained. "He has gone from swimming vertically and incorrectly to swimming completely horizontally, with perfect strokes, using his tail perfectly like a rudder to turn and to move." (This story has been corrected to fix a typo in paragraph 1 and to change the dateline to Torrox)

CNN
12 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Poodle joins dog lifeguard team on Spanish beach
Poodle Nilo has joined four labradors on a dog rescue squad at Las Lindas beach near Malaga in Spain, helping lifeguards tow people back to shore. With his fluffy white coat, a life vest strapped across his chest and sunblock slathered on his long nose, the two-year-old Standard Poodle cuts an unusual figure, as Spanish dog beach rescue squads generally use Labradors and Newfoundlands. Nilo's handler, dog instructor Miguel Sanchez-Merenciano, 45, told Reuters that he enters the water first to reach a swimmer in distress before calling Nilo or other dogs to help them back to safety. Poodles, an originally German breed, were historically used for water rescue, he said, though mainly in hunting and retrieval work in northern European lakes, their lustrous fur protecting them from the cold. Indeed, the name 'poodle' comes from the German verb 'puddeln,' which means to splash, Sanchez-Merenciano said. Poodles are also known for their superior intelligence and exceptional learning ability, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Nilo was once scared of loud noises and crowds, so his training had to be done step by step, Sanchez-Merenciano explained. 'He has gone from swimming vertically and incorrectly to swimming completely horizontally, with perfect strokes, using his tail perfectly like a rudder to turn and to move.'

CNN
12 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Poodle joins dog lifeguard team on Spanish beach
Poodle Nilo has joined four labradors on a dog rescue squad at Las Lindas beach near Malaga in Spain, helping lifeguards tow people back to shore. With his fluffy white coat, a life vest strapped across his chest and sunblock slathered on his long nose, the two-year-old Standard Poodle cuts an unusual figure, as Spanish dog beach rescue squads generally use Labradors and Newfoundlands. Nilo's handler, dog instructor Miguel Sanchez-Merenciano, 45, told Reuters that he enters the water first to reach a swimmer in distress before calling Nilo or other dogs to help them back to safety. Poodles, an originally German breed, were historically used for water rescue, he said, though mainly in hunting and retrieval work in northern European lakes, their lustrous fur protecting them from the cold. Indeed, the name 'poodle' comes from the German verb 'puddeln,' which means to splash, Sanchez-Merenciano said. Poodles are also known for their superior intelligence and exceptional learning ability, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Nilo was once scared of loud noises and crowds, so his training had to be done step by step, Sanchez-Merenciano explained. 'He has gone from swimming vertically and incorrectly to swimming completely horizontally, with perfect strokes, using his tail perfectly like a rudder to turn and to move.'

CNN
12 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Poodle joins dog lifeguard team on Spanish beach
Poodle Nilo has joined four labradors on a dog rescue squad at Las Lindas beach near Malaga in Spain, helping lifeguards tow people back to shore. With his fluffy white coat, a life vest strapped across his chest and sunblock slathered on his long nose, the two-year-old Standard Poodle cuts an unusual figure, as Spanish dog beach rescue squads generally use Labradors and Newfoundlands. Nilo's handler, dog instructor Miguel Sanchez-Merenciano, 45, told Reuters that he enters the water first to reach a swimmer in distress before calling Nilo or other dogs to help them back to safety. Poodles, an originally German breed, were historically used for water rescue, he said, though mainly in hunting and retrieval work in northern European lakes, their lustrous fur protecting them from the cold. Indeed, the name 'poodle' comes from the German verb 'puddeln,' which means to splash, Sanchez-Merenciano said. Poodles are also known for their superior intelligence and exceptional learning ability, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Nilo was once scared of loud noises and crowds, so his training had to be done step by step, Sanchez-Merenciano explained. 'He has gone from swimming vertically and incorrectly to swimming completely horizontally, with perfect strokes, using his tail perfectly like a rudder to turn and to move.'