to think dogs should be banned from beaches from April to September

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

Two words: DOGS MESS!!

Hmmm down here in Devon/Cornwall it's heaving as it is during the summer,not sure we could cope with any more tourists.

I doubt St Ives who are looking to ban dogs will suffer from lack of tourism during the summer.In fact it might be more pleasurable to visit if a few less visit.

MilaMae: I wouldn't mind dogs allowed on some beaches if they were kept on leads at all times,they're not.

See, this is what I mean. I recognise that you do not wish to have a dog near you. Fair enough. But in Cornwall, there are dog free beaches, all year round. Then there are beaches you can only use during the 'low season' as a dog walker. And finally there are 'dogs welcome all year' beaches. Why should I have to put my dog on a lead on any beach, all the time, when I have chosen to go to a 'dog welcome' beach, when what she wants to do is run (and it's what I want her to do, so she runs off her energy)? As long as it doesn't interfere with others of course - so she needs to be able to come on command, and I have put in the time and effort and paid for the classes so she does. At this time of the year, people who wish to visit dog free beaches have twice as many options for beaches to go to as I do, so please select one of those. Don't come to one of the few that I am allowed to go to, and then complain that my dog is bothering you.
And if you go to a dog free beach, and there is a dog there bothering you, do something about that. It shouldn't be there. It is breaking the rule, so report it. Don't demand that all the remaining beaches then also curtail access for dogs. Again I say, why do you think that this would change the situation when the inconsiderate few don't pay any heed to the regulations already in place?
If you see a speeding driver, do you then say that all cars must be banned? No, you look to deal with that specific infringement. Please don't react by making blanket judgements and sweeping statements because it gets in the way of proper conversations about how we do deal with those who choose to ignore the existing rules.

Yes Mila probably in the summer its heaving . Who do you think uses the beaches in the winter when its pissing down.

I'm not against dogs, though would cheerfully ban certain types of dog owners in a heartbeat

But what are we going to do about the fecking crabs? Miserable buggers, creeping up on my toes. I leap out of the way of the turds only to land on one. And it's not like Mario, they don't just get splatted, they fight back.

Seriously, I think a lot of this argument is a misunderstanding. I am led to believe by relatives with dogs that you can't leave a dog at home all day and have to take it out with you on a regular basis. Fair dos. I don't leave my kids at home and they can be frightful too! So the owner is trying to do their bit in walking the dog, which refuses point blank to wear a nappy and it poops. Well they should clean it up but I dunno about you but when I want a poo I tend to go away from people and I fear some dogs may be the same and the owner might not always see the deed to clear up.

Of course the answer is to pelt all dog owners with dog poo to encourage joint responsibility

And then round up all the flipping crabs and send them to Birmingham for a holiday.

What do we think about compulsory muzzles for dogs in public places?

A friend mentioned this idea the other day and it's growing on me....

In answer to Fifi-us locals and most parents with kids.There is nothing a set of Togz can't cope with.

Just back from Whitby. The beach we go to is apparently dog free from May to September. Seems that most of the dog owners on it can't read the notices though, as they take no bloody notice. There is a lady with a megaphone that shouts at them, they shrug and ignore it.

It's the pissing on the sandcastles that really irks me. Why do dogs piss on sandcastles?

ddubs girl I live in brighton. I was on the 'dog free' beach in Rottingdean on Weds. 2 separate dog people came there. So Who do I tell? There is no one official around, no life guard on that section of the beach by the White horse.
I have never ever in the umpteen years I've lived here, ever seen this mystical warden person of whom you speak, never.
I'm not going to pack up all my kids and beach stuff and walk around looking for someone to tell, then go back to the spot I was on and unpack all the wet kids and wet stuff!!!
There are very clear signs that it is a dog free beach and offenders will be prosecuted etc. Who's going to prosecute and how? There's no one there. You need a constantly patrolling warden. There is no number to ring. If there was a number to call a warden out from his hut I would.
I reckon by saying it is a dog free beach and that they will prosecute offenders the council feel they have done their bit to appease those who don't want dogs.
In reality it's a law that's pretty impossible to enforce and the dog owners know it.

wait, wait - so dogs should be banned from all beaches because some people take their dogs to beaches from where dogs are already banned?

And how exactly would an universal ban help in this situation?
Those people would still be taking their dogs to beaches like they are now. You would, however, punish people who already follow the rules and will not take the dogs to beaches where they are not allowed. So basically the idea is to make the life of law-abiding dog-owners as difficult as possible or what exactly?

Otherwise surely you would not be asking for a ban, but better enforcement of current rules.

All droppers of litter should be pilloried. Like Dooin says, birds should be banned, so should the fish and all living organisms. Oh... it sounds just like the municipal swimming pool...

its says here you contact the seafront office open 7 days a week with the number. I would report it if the dogs are not allowed. Seems strange they weere there when dogs are allowed on some of the beach

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1146023

HeavyHeidi - better enforcement is definitely needed. If there was a real chance of someone getting a fine for taking their dog on a no-dog beach I suspect they'd take more notice of it.

There's supposed to be a fine for leaving dog shit about too, isn't there? Wonder if anyone is ever caught.

(Did I mention before that we need a Dogshit DNA Database?)

Not read all the thread.

One of the beaches we go to has a dog section, the lifeguard tannoys and picks the people out and tells them in a nice way to f off out the non dog section when they stray. One woman last year was going nuts at be told to get her dog off the non dog section was positively foaming at the mouth but typically one of those ballsy types that couldn't control the dog anyway.

in the summer there are wardens patroling along the beaches,there are there,maybe not when you were,mostly about at weekends & school hols when its busy.

opps they are there!

can I also make a vote to have horses banned on blue flag beaches. I was on a beach a few weeks ago with lots of children on it - three horses came down onto the beach - you can guess the mess. It was also pretty dangerous

Rosebud05 - no thanks. I would find the idea that my dog could never go out without a muzzle totally repellant. I am happy to stay off certain beaches and away from certain public areas (as long as I can have access to other areas and beaches), so I am definitely not against all the suggestions, and I definitely think (as I believe I may have said!) that the way forward has to be about finding ways to penalise those who ignore the rules in place about where and when dogs can go.
But I have two issues with the dogs and muzzles thing.

1. It won't stop the pooing which is one of the major concerns being posted. So it won't solve the problem. Might reassure those who dislike dogs but then they're more likely to be found on the totally dog free beach (you would hope).
2. My dog chases balls and brings them back. It is her main form of exercise. Especially since I also have a toddler and our walks are more dawdles as a result. She would find it bloody hard to retrieve a ball with a muzzle on. I would like to point out that if there are other people around, I don't throw it, and I call her in to me so she is not likely to worry other people during her game.

HeavyHeidi - that's what I was trying to say and you've said it so much better!

Oh FFs what is wrong with horses now?

On a small beach full of children - with the tide more or less in - I thought it would be pretty obvious?

Horses aren't dangerous unless they are galloping fast and you choose to step in front of them. Also their shit carries no toxoplasmosis.

Beaches are 'the countryside'. They aren't sanitised play areas.

YABU - there are plenty of dog-free beaches that are patrolled between April and September, find yourself one of those! I have no problem with parts being dog-free, just don't whinge if you're not in one of those parts.

I live on the coast and I have a dog. If you happen to have your picnic on the small dog friendly part of the beach (roughly 0.5 mile long) then be prepared to have sand sprayed in your face as my hound plays frisby

Lets ban all animals from everywhere all the time!

I think to be on the safe side we have to ban animals, plants and weather.

Children could simply be driven to centres covered in astroturf, with an adjacent sandpit filled with rubber granules that resemble sand and a ball pool full of blue balls to resemble the sea.