Prepare for a Perfect Beach Day With Your Dog

Going to the beach is best enjoyed with a furry companion. Not only that you’ll be able to enjoy the waves, but you can also allow your dog to go crazy on the sand. It’ll be a perfect day to put on sunscreen as you run and play with your dog in the waves all day long.  

Fortunately, there are plenty of dog friendly beaches around the country. Since more people are becoming fur parents, it’s only wise to open the beach for the dogs. Not only can they allow your furry companions to enjoy themselves, but they can also increase their sales due to an increase in demand. Moreover, below are some ways you can have the perfect beach day with your dog:  

Check For Dog-Friendly Beaches In Your Area

To avoid any problems as you take a trip to the beach, you should look for dog-friendly beaches that you want to visit. It could be local or out of town, as long as it’s somewhere where all dogs are welcome. The last thing you’d want to happen is to bring your dog with you on a trip only to be declined by the beach because they don’t allow dogs inside. For a hassle-free beach experience, you should check for a dog-friendly beach.

When looking for dog-friendly beaches, you should first check if they have any specific breeds or sizes that they allow. Some beaches don’t accommodate larger breeds as they fear the dogs‘ strength or the size of their stools. Before booking a beach, confirm what kind of dogs they allow inside their premises.  

Complete The Requirements 

Dog-friendly beaches usually require fur parents to bring documents to prove that their pooches are safe to be around other dogs and people. This’ll include their vaccination records and any legal papers, especially if you’re planning to bring them out of the country or town.  

Apart from basic travel documents, you should also confirm with the beach if any specific documents are required. Some may require an anti-rabies vaccination for all human companions to prevent any complications just in case there’s a biting scenario around the area.  

Consult Your Vet 

Even if you have the healthiest dog, you should first consult with your vet if they’re capable of traveling long distances. Some dogs might get sick quickly while in transit, whether they’re traveling through land, air, or sea. To guarantee your dog’s comfort and capability, you should consult your vet first. 

Moreover, if your dog has a medical condition, consulting your vet would ascertain if your dog can handle the travel and the new environment. They should be able to provide you with clearance and peace of mind. They might give your pet an additional medication that they could take to manage the entire trip.

Prepare For Emergencies 

Before going to any other place with your dog, you should always pack yourself with knowledge about where the nearest vet clinic is. Moreover, you should also check if they’re open 24/7 and could handle emergency cases should something happen to your dog. This will help lessen any possible complications if your dog runs into an accident during your trip. 

Ideally, you should have the contact number of the nearest vet clinic to the beach. You should also know the quickest route to get there by doing quick research before heading off. Moreover, you should also keep your local vet’s number handy, so both vets can communicate with each other in case there’s a serious problem. Additionally, it would be helpful to learn some basic first aid solutions to lessen the impact as you drive your dog to the vet clinic.  

Pack Enough Food And Snacks 

A full dog is a happy dog. To ensure that your dog always has something to eat, bringing more than enough food and snacks would surely be helpful. This would be great for some quick beach break keeping their stomachs full and energy levels high. Moreover, you should pack their regular dog food, along with their treats or snacks, so you can have something to give when you go and play. 

While packing just enough for the entire beach trip will help you to pack light, it’s still advisable to pack at least for an additional two days, just in case something else happens on the trip and you can’t go back on your scheduled date. Packing extra will help to ensure that your dog will have something to eat during rough moments. This will put the troubles away about finding their dog food and treats. 

Bring Dog Cap And Shoes 

Going to the beach might cause your dog to feel comfortable about the intense heat, especially if you’re planning to go during the peak of the summer season. To allow your dog to enjoy the beach trip without enduring the intense heat, you should bring their own dog cap and shoes, protecting them from the sun. After all, you already have yours. It’ll only be fair if they have their own protection as well. 

There are plenty of dog caps and shoes that you can purchase. Just ensure that they’re heat resistant, breathable, and allow maximum air circulation as much as possible. This will help prevent heat from being trapped in their head and paws. Moreover, when buying dog shoes, ensure that it has a thick sole as sand can get extremely harmful when hot. To protect your pup’s little paws, looking for high-quality shoes would surely be beneficial. 

Prioritize Identification 

A dog-friendly beach would simply mean being around with plenty of other dogs to see or play with. With the number of dogs around the beach, you can expect your dog to be too giddy, play all day with other dogs, and have a blast. However, this might result in them running to distant places as they’re too focused on having fun. The last thing you’d want to happen is to lose your dog as they go off wandering around the entire beach.  

To prevent losing your dog during your beach day, you should always make them wear a collar with identification on it. Ideally, it should include their name, your name, and your contact number. Moreover, ensure that the contact number is reachable and with you in case of emergencies. Even if you’re planning to take your dog out for a swim, they should keep their collars on, no matter what happens.  

Carry Toys And Plushes

Not every dog enjoys going out and socializing with other people and dogs as they could get anxious and overwhelmed about the big changes. This is highly common for dogs who have just moved into a new home and aren’t comfortable with their new environment. To allow your dog to feel comfortable and enjoy your beach day, you should carry with you their favorite plush and dog toys.  

If your dog has a certain security toy that they play with every day, you should bring it with you on the trip. You can let them play with the toy while traveling and while you’re staying on the beach. Moreover, you can also introduce new toys so they can keep themselves entertained, especially if they’re still adjusting to the new place.  

Provide Dog Bed 

Going to the beach will make your layout a towel that you can rest in if you’re not too fond of diving into the waters. While your dog can always sit right next to you on your towel, giving them their own dog bed will help to make them feel extra comfortable while on the beach. It’ll provide them with their own space where they can relax and enjoy the environment without having to run around.  

Apart from sitting down and enjoying the beach, your dog can use the dog bed to take a quick nap, especially since they’ve been tired from running and swimming. If you want to avoid bringing a bulky dog bed, plenty of beds are available on the market that is perfect for traveling. This way, you don’t have to feel about carrying too much where you can easily grab one on the go.  

Keep Them Hydrated 

Staying on the beach can be extremely hot and uncomfortable for most dogs, especially since they don’t have much power to relieve themselves from the heat. While they can always enjoy taking a dip on the beach, it can still make them lose water inside their body, making them thirsty and uneasy during the day. And no, drinking beach water isn’t an option as it’s not suitable for drinking.

To fill in your dog’s hydration needs, you should bring your own bottle of water for them. You can lay out a dog bowl for them to drink into, or you can purchase travel bottles that provide a small lid that your dog can drink into. This will help save space by bringing a dog bowl, no matter how foldable it is. Moreover, it’ll help if you could make the water cold to combat the heat from the sun.  

Prepare Through Exercise 

As you arrive at a dog-friendly beach, expect your dog to run and swim into the water as energetically as possible. However, it would be sad if they could only do it for a few hours as they get tired easily due to lack of physical exercise while at home. To help your dog fully enjoy their day on the beach, you should prepare their bodies by involving them in numerous activities and movements as much as possible.  

You can begin by taking your dog out for a walk for at least 20 minutes a day. If you have enough time on your hands, you can play with them by taking them for a run. You can have them as your running companion so both of you could have a great exercise. While you’re at home, you can play fetch with them in your yard or your living room if you have enough space inside. Just ensure that you keep them hydrated to enjoy the exercise and keep their bodies moving.  

Teach Your Dog How To Swim 

While your dog can always run through the beach from end to end, it would be great if they could get to enjoy the waters as well. While they can always take their paws for a dip and enjoy the waves, allowing them to swim at the beach would surely result in the best beach day with your dog. If your dog doesn’t know how to swim, you should teach them before bringing them to the beach. 

If you have a pool back at home, you can begin teaching your dog how to swim little by little. You can make them wear swimming vests to keep them floating in the pool. Alternatively, you can enroll your dog in a swimming class if you don’t have enough time to teach your dog personally. Moreover, their professional approach will guarantee a safe environment for training your dog on how to swim. Furthermore, it’ll also be a great survival skill that they should learn.

Take Lots Of Photos 

A perfect beach day with your dog should be documented so you’ll have something to look back on. Moreover, it can also help to immortalize the memories, allowing yourself to enjoy the photos and put yourself in a good mood whenever you’re feeling down. You can also use the pictures for printing to display on your shelves or walls. 

Ideally, you should bring a handy camera during your beach day. Moreover, don’t forget to bring extra batteries and a charger if your battery runs out. Additionally, you can also get an additional waterproof camera so you can take photos while you’re swimming with your dog. If you want to do a photoshoot, you could bring props that your dog could wear, resulting in a funny and enjoyable day as you take snapshots during the beach trip.

The Verdict 

Bringing your dog to the beach has to be perfect, especially since you’ll be getting plenty of things with you. Not only can you allow yourself to be with your furry companion all the time, but your dog could have a change of scenery, even just for a day. As you go to the beach, ensure that you bring everything you need and prepare for the best and worst. At the end of the day, don’t forget to enjoy and have fun!