Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

6 Safety Tips for Taking Your Pup to the Beach

By Bobby Davidson on November 16, 2020

Pup to the Beach

A dog is man’s best friend, and going to the beach with your canine best friend sure sounds fun! As much fun as it sounds, you need to be well-prepared when you’re planning to hit the beach along with your pup. Beach day with your pup means loads of running around and lots of fun activities for both of you, so you can’t possibly keep your pup leashed all day long.

Apart from going too far into the water, anything at the beach that isn’t safe for you poses a safety threat for your pup, too, including jellyfish, sunburns, broken glass, sharp seashells, etc. So, what is it that you can do to ensure your pup’s safety at the beach? Dog Junkie highlights safety tips that can help ensure that your day at the beach with your pup is nothing but enjoyable and memorable!

  1. Avoid Heatstroke

    Staying under the sun all day long can overheat your pup’s body and increase the chances of heatstroke. Excessive exhaustion and overheating of the body can be fatal for a dog, and hence, you need to make sure that you’re doing everything it takes to keep your dog cool. The question is – how can you keep your dog cool?

    Firstly, you should avoid going to the beach during the hottest hours of the day. Once you’re at the beach, make sure there’s easy access to fresh, cool water and shade, where your dog can rest and relax. Play games with your pup but try not to involve your pup in too much physical activity. If you notice that your pup is panting too much or seems overly tired, bring them under shade right away and feed them with cool water, and wrap the day early. After all, your pup’s safety is over anything else, right?

  2. Keep Them From Drinking Too Much Seawater

    Your pup may satisfy their thirst by drinking seawater all day long, and for someone who isn’t aware of what the consequences of this could be, it doesn’t seem anything to worry about. One of the most important safety tips for taking your pup to the beach is to keep them from drinking too much salty seawater. Salty seawater can lead to severe dehydration in your pup, and if not addressed immediately, it could be fatal. To ensure your pup’s safety at the beach, you need to make sure you’re carrying plenty of freshwater for them. If your pup has consumed some seawater, you can supplement it with freshwater and be assured that nothing would go wrong. But, if the pup isn’t fed plenty of freshwater, you’re putting them at serious risk of dehydration.

  3. Teach Your Dog How To Swim

    Going to the beach with a pup who doesn’t know how to swim is a bad idea! Teach your pup how to swim before hitting the beach. It’s one of the most important safety tips that you must follow. If you think you can help your pup practice swimming at the beach, trust us – it’s not the best of the ways! You need to help your pup learn to swim in a controlled environment, where, in case they fail, their life isn’t at risk. Once you’re certain that your pup can swim well at the beach, it’s then safe to take them to the beach. You can further ensure your pup’s safety at the beach by going to the beach on days when the tides aren’t very high, and currents aren’t very strong so that your pup can swim more comfortably and safely.

  4. Protect Your Pup from Excessive Sunburn

    Just like excessive exposure to sun isn’t good for you, it isn’t good for your pup either. Like your skin, your pup’s skin is prone to sunburnt and is equally painful for them. So, when you go to the beach with your pup, pack the right sun-protective gear for them as you would do for yourself. Sunscreen for dogs and wipes are two of the most essential beach tools that you must have handy. The fur on your pup’s body is the thinnest around the ears and nose, and these are the main areas where you shouldn’t miss out when applying sunscreen. Massage the sunscreen thoroughly over the dog’s skin to make sure it’s absorbed well into the skin.

    When you finally wrap your day up, evaluate your pup closely and look for signs of redness or inflammation anywhere on their body, especially hairless and pink areas. If you do notice any redness, you need to head straight to the vet.

  5. Keep Your Pup Safe from Beach Parasites

    Your pup can get exposed to and attacked by harmful and dangerous parasites at the beach that can cause serious illness in your pup. While the seawater itself isn’t harmful, the pools of water that form at the shore can serve as breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria and other parasites that can lead to diseases like leptospirosis in dogs. But fret not. You can protect your beloved pup from getting seriously ill post-beach day. Before you go to the beach, get your pup vaccinated for leptospirosis. Also, stay on top of tick and dog flea prevention measures to ensure your dog stays safe even if they do encounter parasites along their way.

  6. Don’t Leave Your Pup Unsupervised

    No matter how clean the beach is or how much you think you can keep an eye on your pup, never leave your pup unsupervised at the beach. We can’t stress enough this safety tip. You never know, there might be a pile of dangerous trash somewhere ahead, broken glass, or anything else that might harm your dog, or your dog might swim too far away from where they can’t possibly make their way back to the shore. You certainly can’t afford to let any of these things happening to your dear pup. So, make sure that you always have your eyes on your pup!

Following safety tips for dogs at the beach is a prerequisite for taking your pup to the beach. If you can’t abide by the safety tips, taking your pup along isn’t very wise. Your pup’s safety is as important as your own, so don’t leave any gaps of ignorance in between!

by Bobby J Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

  • Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
  • Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
  • Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
  • Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
  • Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
  • Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
  • Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
  • Collect your pet’s waste.
  • Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

  • Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
  • Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
  • Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
  • Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
  • Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
  • Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
  • Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
  • Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
  • Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
  • Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.
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