empty and unescapable beaches for dogs with bad recall

[DoggerelBank]

Anyone got any recommendations? We're after a beach where we can go with our rescue dog, off season, very early morning or late, with a chance of finding no one else there. Where we could let him off and be confident we'll get him back even though recall is very poor. So a steep-sided cove rather than sand dunes at the back.

Use a longline attached to his harness. He has the "freedom" of being off the lead but you can stamp on the line and reel him in if he starts ignoring you.

@roundcork what worked for me was:

1. Not giving her a chance to engage in the problem behaviour. So in our case she was actively avoiding coming back to me because prancing just out of reach was such fun, which meant i had to stop letting her off the leaf for a couple of months. For you it sounds like avoiding areas with fox scent.

1. Doing a lot more training sessions at home to improve focus and our bond. Also training every lead walk.

1. Having high value food that is only used for recall.

1. Being loud and silly and active, running backwards etc when she's running back to me, even though I look ridiculous.

1. Giving in and using a ball, though I try to limit it.

For a spaniel I'd happily use a longline for training. I didn't with mine after she ran full pelt and hurt me, but she's bigger and faster than a spaniel.

Hmm, mumsnet doesn't like my numbered points. Just imagine they don't all say '1' 🤦‍♀️

If your dog has bad recall, you can't let it off unless properly enclosed - which means a fence.

@Unluckycat1 My husky cross gives the finger to all of those tricks and fucks off to do her own thing. Especially if you try to give her a ball.

So.... We don't go to a beach unless she's on a long line. Off lead is only in secure fields I've rented for her! Or secure gardens like mine or my brother's.

OP, I wouldn't risk it if you have a runner. Work on exercise in secure fields. Plenty of them about these days!

Just beware that there are adders on the beach at Sizewell. Someone posted on a local FB page that their dog was bitten there last week

Empty beaches are never empty, really - if those are away from urban areas, then there inevitably will be cattle grazing on the cliffs, etc. Is he generally ok with other dogs (not anxious/aggressive)? Then try designated DOG beach. Most dogs would not dash into the sunset when there are other dogs around (as that would mean ignoring all of them).

I used to walk a dog that had sketchy recall. I took her to a long stretch of beach (about 2 miles) which was empty at one end and busy right at the other.

I thought it would be safe to let her off at the empty end but no, she clocked some horses and off she went! No stopping her.

She literally ran for 2 miles to get to them. I was absolutely shitting myself. However to my surprise, after she'd had her fun (completely none aggressive) she ran all the way back to me!

So I'd say that it's never safe, especially on a beach, people can pop up out of nowhere. You'll be on edge the whole time. Just hire a secure dog walking field instead.

dint take a dog with poor recall anywhere off lead

ChampagneGold, I once made the mistake of letting our old dog off lead shortly after DH had set off on a run down a local track. She must have scented him and tracked him, and he only realised she was there more than a kilometre later.

Bless her, she wasn't very athletic, but she was very loyal and clearly thought he needed rounding up.

If they have poor recall, rent a fenced field until you have trained them. It's not fair on other users

@NCForQuestions i can believe it, huskies are notoriously difficult (maybe impossible sometimes) to teach a reliable recall. Beautiful though, I was obsessed with them as a child (when it was very rare to see them).

@EmmaGrundyForPM

thanks - i am aware but have not seen any in 5 years.

Sorry, should have said, any area in England, Wales or Scotland, really, ideally somewhere lovely. This would be for holidays. Thanks for so many great suggestions and advice. Lots to look through and consider. And yes, those who say he'll probably climb the cliffs and terrify you are probably right. And those who say keep him on a long line are probably right. But still really useful to have suggestions of secluded beaches. We just need a fun trip to look forward to that could be fun for dog too.

Wherever you go, check the council website for dog friendly beaches.

In Cornwall, dogs are banned from lots of them after Easter until September (can't remember the dates) if you go during the day time. Out of hours is usually fine but you need to know what you're dealing with.

We'll probably go off season anyway, so there'll be more beaches open to dogs. And we know to choose a week when low tides fit well with dog-walking times. Would be so lovely to book something. But DH is saying no to anything less than solid 5ft fences in a rental cottage garden, so it's quite challenging to find somewhere suitable.

There are some very isolated beaches up on the North East coast of Scotland. But I’ve no idea whereabouts you are looking for a beach so that may not be helpful!

NE Scotland might work. Where specifically would you recommend, please, @Malarandras?

I'd guess the problem with very deserted beaches is that they'll be more favoured by wildlife and the dog could disturb nesting birds.

We use a long line for our current dog, though she does tend to circle our legs with it at high speed and fell us every so often.

There are some lovely, quiet beaches in Cumbria but there are roads, livestock and cattle around, as well as horses on the beaches so you'd absolutely need to use a long line to keep him safe.

I know it's been said multiple times but please, please don't let him off if you're not sure about his recall. If he bolts off somewhere you could lose him - there was a nervous rescue here who was on the run for weeks before he sadly fell to his death. Another has been missing since Sunday.

To be clear, yes, I've realised that we'll have to use a long line. It'll still be a lot nicer for us and him if we can find beautiful secluded beaches. Long lines don't work for us in busy places.
So if anyone can share a recommendation of a small, affordable cottage with inescapable fences near beautiful secluded beaches, you'd make me very happy. Really in need of a booked holiday to look forward to.

For a properly secure cottage near to quiet beaches (and lots of advice on best times and places to go) I can thoroughly recommend going through East Ruston Cottages who are an agency for properly dog friendly cottages in Norfolk. We've stayed through them a few times and they were brilliant. Additionally there is a FB chat group for them, and you can ask anything on there and previous guests will tell you the best place to get a replacement collar/ raw food/ a quiet indoor dog friendly place to eat in bad weather or whatever

I have a rural sc property borders, about forty minutes to a beach.

Very secure garden, numerous dog secure fields to rent nearby.

Message me if you would like info.