Akbar Gbajabiamila partners with Purina to help shine a spotlight on the athletic dogs of the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge
Akbar Gbajabiamila joins Purina to give athletic dogs a spotlight
In a partnership with Purina, American Ninja Warrior‘s Akbar Gbajabiamila gives a spotlight to the athletic dogs of the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge. And that includes talking to us about why he wanted to be a part of this collaboration and what it’s like to be a dog parent!
If you are unfamiliar with the Incredible Dog Challenge, it is a program put on in an effort to give athletic dogs a spotlight. Whether these pups are gifted at dock diving, catching frisbees, or in the arena of agility, these dogs are showing the world their skills with the help of Purina.
And for 2020, Akbar Gbajabiamila has partnered with Purina to help share more information about these dogs. As a host for American Ninja Warrior, Gbajabiamila is already familiar with shining a light on the athletic achievements of others, and this time it is all about the dogs. And now, we had a chance to hear from him about working with Purina and why he chose to partner with them for the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge.
Akbar Gbajabiamila answers our questions about working with Purina and his own dogs
Dog O’Day: What inspired you to partner with Purina for the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge?
Akbar Gbajabiamila: “I’m a huge dog-lover, but I’m also competitive and know what it takes to be an incredible athlete. Training and nutrition are two topics I’m very familiar with because of my background as a competitive athlete, and those two things really make a big difference when you’re competing at a high level like these canine athletes.”
DOD: Would you compare the Incredible Dog Challenge to American Ninja Warrior?
AG: “The Incredible Dog Challenge is a very similar experience to American Ninja Warrior – these dogs are going through their own obstacle course. There’s a variety of events these dogs compete in that present obstacles, but my favorite is the dock diving event where the dogs run off of a 40-foot dock into a 19,000-gallon pool of water. By watching these events, it’s very clear that these dogs are truly incredible canine athletes. The Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge is airing now, so check your local listings or visit proplan.com/incredible to see where you can watch these incredible dogs in action.”
DOD: What is the best part of this partnership for you?
AG: “The best part was getting my own dogs, Yuri and Simba, to try out the obstacle course in our backyard. While it was lots of fun to try, it was definitely a challenge and gave me lots of respect for the dogs who participate in the competition.”
DOD: Can you tell us more about your dogs, Yuri and Simba?
AG: “My dogs are fun and energetic with lots of personality! Simba is the pack leader of the dogs, and Yuri has a lot of energy and really taps into her herding instincts. Both dogs are well trained, but Simba has more tricks up her sleeves. Yuri is a stereotypical dog – she loves to bury her toys and bones.”
DOD: What is the best part of being a dog parent for you?
AG: “The best part of being a dog parent is that they force me to take walks, and that bonding time allows me to clear my mind from work and other stresses. Sometimes I can get lost in my walking time and walk for miles.”
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When it comes to learning more about athletic dogs and what they can do, Purina is doing their part to get these pups into the public eye. And with Akbar Gbajabiamila helping, it seems like more people might be interested in seeing these dogs in action.