To think if you go to the dog beach you should expect dogs

[Blackdogagain]

I took my pooch to the beach for the first time today. The beach is huge and split in half, one half is for dogs, and there were many of them. Most dogs were off the lead and playing freely.

A few families were also on the dog beach, but were without a dog. However, a few families were obviously irate with the dogs running and swimming everywhere.

Is it me, but if you sit on the dog half of the beach, you can't get huffy over dogs running around.

One father and daughter were on inflatables in the sea and 3 dogs were running into the sea next to them and the girl was obviously worried and scared of them. The owners called their dogs back and walked up the beach a bit, which was good of them.

Surely though, if you don't want dogs around, bloody well go to the dog free half of the beach!

whereisshe to clarify, a dog does not need to be leashed to be under control, just have decent recall or an owner willing to go and retrieve their dog if he behaves in an inappropriate manner towards other people or dogs on the beach. I'm assuming you would want me to call back or step in if my toddler was shoving yours around during soft play to use your analogy.

A dog beach is the only place dogs can truly be dogs. My dog is pathetic at acting like one, he behaves more like a cat when we're indoors. When I take him to the beach he goes absolutely mental, running in circles in and out of the waves and rolling about in the sand happy as larry. It makes me so happy when I see him like that. Then people like half the posters on this thread come along and tell me to stop him from enjoying himself.

Do you have to walk passed the dog part to get to the non dog part? That would annoy me.

What about if a dog owner on the beach was having a picnic & another dog came and ran all over the food? That surely cant be acceptable behaviour.

It's wise to not have a picnic near dogs

I don't think wandering they come to the beach to have a picnic though! I agree dietcoke, a dog beach is fir digs to run and be free and happy, not a place for angry non dog owners to impose restrictions!

If I was having a picnic on a dog beach and a dog ran through it I would think "well aren't I an idiot for having a picnic where there are so many dogs!" Then I would laugh my head off and see if they wanted a salad sandwich.

Don't be silly stay which dog in it's right mind would go for a measly salad sandwich? It'd be straight to the meat with mine!

My friend's guide dog bloody loves a good picnic. I have seen him run amok on beaches in wild delight, snaffling sandwiches.

Awkward when my friend is merrily calling him and blowing his whistle asking me 'is he coming back?' err...no, no he's not....

diet!

I'd be the only safe picnicker on the beach as I'm vegan. The dogs would probably be complaining to each other about that "bloody inconsiderate picnicker, didn't even bring any meat!"

The system in Victoria works well.

All beaches except National Parks are open to dogs 24/7 in winter, and before 10 and after 7 in summer. There are a few stretches, clearly signposted that are 24/7 all year, and all have bins for the dog crap.
You can be fined for being there with a dog, without a supply of poo bags on your person. The council supplies poo bags on off-leash areas.

We have a dog beach near us and it is fantastic 90% of the time. Just about every dog is off lead and socialise brilliantly. Wet, happy dogs caked in sand, and the owners are not much drier or cleaner- happy days.
The problem comes when there is a couple walking hand in hand down by the shore line, dog less. Cue everyone putting dogs back on leads and walking sedately so as not to muck up said walkers.....and they always turn and walk the same way back.
Yes, people can go where they like, but we have miles and miles of beautiful beaches around here where dogs are not allowed after May 1st so why don't they use them?
Oh, and I have never seen anyone fail to use a poo bag on the beach

We have a dog beach, it's a lovely long stretch with dunes and everything. MuttDog loses a good 2 kilos every summer just going crazy running around there. It's also a stretch for pony rides, so lots of lovely horse shit for her to munch on

Someone once approached us (whilst we were with our dogs) with a petition to get dogs and horses banned from the beach in the summer months. Umm, I don't think so, there is another 6 or so miles for humans, let the dogs (and horses) have this one. Funnily enough she didn't have many signatures.

OP, YANBU.

We have a fab dog beach. There's a huge stretch for people, then another stretch for dogs and kitesurfers, who manage to share very well. Gives the dogs exercise, socialisation, a good solid hour or two of running around madly chasing balls, daft seagulls and playing tag with the waves - and then they're well behaved crashed out on the floor until bedtime.

My dogs run. They don't jump up but they will bound over to say hello. This is because normally people come with dogs in tow for them to play with. If anyone doesn't have a dog and doesn't like them, there's a whole other stretch of beach where they aren't allowed and don't go! Plus a whole heap of beaches a short drive away in a whole island reserve where dogs are banned.

I love the sound of a dog beach! DP sensibly won't let me have a dog, I'd love to go and see them all running around!

My Aunt owns a beach hut in the dog friendly area of a beach in Norfolk- I have been with my 2 children who are not very used to dogs (as its so much easier going to a beach if you have the use of a beach hut). I completely expect there to be dogs there being daft- I tell the dc's not to play with balls as they can expect a dog to come over and I stay close to them.

However, I do not accept a dog coming over and being aggressive- I think the owner should have more control of the dog in that case- saying this in my personal experience the dogs on these beaches are well trained and it has been positive the kids get interaction with dogs and families who own dogs

Dogs are allowed on my local beach at any time of the year. Owners just have to have them under control and have poor bags

I don't know Camber Sands, but we went on holiday once and the beach there was 50/50 dogs/no dogs. We stayed in the non dogs part as my DC are wary of them. But, dogs can't read the signs and so they would be constantly running into the no dog part- cue terrified children, and owners who were terribly apologetic, but who would turn up breathless a few minutes later, not having been able to keep up with their dogs in full run. When this happened several times we gave up on the beach. So that would be my objection to split beaches- how do you stop dogs running into the other half, especially when they are excited and keen to run about?

Of course you should expect digs in a dog beach.
But thus isn't just about the dog - just because I'm a dog owner does not mean
I'm
Less of a person with rights as someone without one. I respect the rules and stay in the dog friendly bit, so
why can't the other person respect the rules and stay where they are banned ? It all works both ways.

My dog loves snacking on carrot sticks and hummus btw.

I have dogs, love dogs, my mil lives on the coast, part of her nearest beach you can take dogs on, the rest you can't. Early in the morning and late at night we take the dogs to the doggy bit and let them go crackers, there are only really dog walkers there, too early/late for picnics, sun bathing, sandcastle making.

During the day we also take them and the kids, they stay on the lead we take shade and water, we can have a family day in the beach, the dogs don't piss anyone else off. Other people though think it's fine to have their dogs bounding about all over on a packed beach, trying to steal food, running over our stuff, baiting our dogs, I hate it, it's ridiculous.

So many families have dogs AND kids hence you need to be on the dog area, however other people's dogs shouldn't be allowed to twat around and piss everyone off. All that will happen is that they will eventually ban dogs on that beach altogether, there are residents meetings and petitions every year in the town and the rules get stricter.

So I don't know about Camber Sands, but certainly in this town lots of dog owners (mostly tourists, who give no thought to the bigger picture of those who need the beach to walk their dog year round,) are hugely letting the side down and I for one will be extremely sad if the council eventually get their way and ban dogs entirely.

There are way too many dogs around, dragging incompetent idiots who can't or won't look after them properly, including picking up their shit. My goodwill towards canines has eroded to the point that I don't enjoy meeting them in public places, and I'd be bloody annoyed if they frightened my kids on a beach, whether it was a designated "dog beach" or not.

Where I am, between 1may and 30 September dogs are allowed off leash on the beaches (all beaches) before 930am and after 630pm only. All other times of the year it's off lease at any time.
They can be on leash during the "banned" times but in always feel so sorry for them just sitting there not being allowed to run free.

Yanbu. But the dogs should still be under the control of their owner.

OK- this happened to us last year. We were on a dog beach (with our dog) having a picnic. A very wet largish dog lolloped into the middle of our picnic rug and shook, covering all our food with wet sand, then lolloped off again. Owners called sorry from a distance, laughing cheerily.

Were we right to be cross, or foolish to have expected to do normal human activities on a dog friendly beach?

Ilovemydog , Sizewell is dog friendly all year , of course you do have to put up with the power station but you just have to walk past it.

Hakluyt, you were Foolish to go to a dog beach with a picnic.