Do you love to spend your beach vacations? If you do, you could make them a blast by taking your four-legged friend along with you to the beach. However, taking your dog down to the beach will require some serious preparation and know-how along with lots of common sense and practice.
Table of Contents
Here’s How to Stay Safe With Your Dog at the Beach
Anything that can pose to be harmful to you can also be harmful for your dog like riptides, sunburn, broken glass, jellyfish, aggressive dogs and sharp shells. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that a day at the beach has to be gloomy and scary! By preparing yourself with all the safety precautions for your dog, you can prevent any kind of potential mishaps. Read on the concerns of this post to know more on this.
Be smart to choose a dog-friendly beach
First things should come first! Check the local rules as the rules of beach destinations are usually posted publicly and make sure whether it is okay for you to carry your dog to the beach. The beach should not be too long from where you stay and the driving distance should be moderate to make your dog feel comfortable. There are awesome places where you can soak yourself under the sun and unleash your dog at the dog beaches. More pet-owners these days are discovering the best pet-friendly vacations. Just do your research!
Your dog should be taught to swim
Some dogs are taken to the beach ready to bring on their game on water. Never assume that your dog will certainly be an automatic swimmer and hence you should try to keep it easy and nice for him. In case this is the first time for your dog in water, he might feel too excited about diving right in. So, it is your responsibility as a pet parent to teach him dog swim lessons before taking him to the beach.
Find out a shady place near the water
Whenever you take your dog to the beach for a long span of time, it is vital to offer opportunities for hydration and shady naps. The beach can be a tough exercise for your pet as it is extremely sunny for him. The scorching heat and the blistering temperature can lead to fatigue or dehydration. Hence, make sure you pack lots of water bottles along with a drinking bowl for your four-legged friend.
Stay away from choppy water
If you take your dog to a beach where the water is busy with boats, large boats, boards or jet skis, it can scare and intimidate your dog. Even though your dog might be a capable and apt swimmer and also adventurous by nature, rough and choppy water can be dangerous for him. And in case your dog is an experienced swimmer, keep him safe and secured at the beach with a dog life vest. When you know your dog is safe at the beach, this will give you more joy.
Keep a tab on what your dog drinks
While at the beach, salt is the most common thing that your dog can drink excessively along with the salty water at the beach. However, that isn’t good for their health. Hence, you need to do your best to control the salt water intake and motivate him to drink fresh water that you’re carrying along with you. If you don’t do this, you can be dealing with diarrhea or a tummy upset later on. It is great to pack a collapsible water dish. Carry enough of fresh water that is also cool.
Stay protected from the harmful UV rays of the sun
Yes, this might seem impossible as beach is equivalent to sun rays and sunburns. Dogs get even more serious sunburns than humans, particularly when they have light skin along with a thin coat. Just as the humans, they also run the risk of suffering from skin cancer. Focus on the nose and ears as they are the most vulnerable areas of sun damage. There are also sunscreen lotions for pets. Or you may even dress up your dog in a sun t-shirt to protect his coat from getting harmed and to also give him a ‘cool’ beach look!
Watch out for the dangerous items on beach
Be aware of the fact that there are many types of items that can be fully or partially hidden within the sand and that harm your dog. Broken pieces of rocks, broken glass, coral, hooks and garbage can all pose a threat to your four-legged friend. One more thing to watch out for during your dog’s trip to the beach is hot sand. Since you’ll be wearing sandals, you won’t feel the scorching sand. Use dog booties so that you can help your dog avoid paw burns or make him walk along the edge of water to cool his paws.
Rinse his coat properly
Regardless of whether you’ve been hanging out in fresh water or salty water, make sure you rinse off the dog’s coat to get rid of any sand, salt and beach germs before you return home. This will also protect your car from a huge mess and prevent any kind of skin irritation caused by salt and sand. In case your dog has extremely sensitive skin, both sand and salt can lead to irritation.
Don’t leave the poop on the beach
The are several dog-friendly beaches that offer ‘mutt-mitts’ at the entrance but even if they don’t you have to carry them for yourself. Dog poop can become a big issue for wildlife and fishes. So, you have to be careful about picking it up in order to avoid contaminating the soil and water. Stack in some poop backs into your beach tote and use them to clean up your dog poop before leaving the beach. You have to think eco-friendly while using the beach with your dog.
So, this summer, if you’re looking forward to hitting the beach, there’s no need to keep your dog at your neighbor’s place or locked at home. With little bit of planning and dedication, you both can enjoy a memorable day at the beach.