Going out to the beach is a great way to have fun and bond with your canine pal. If you’re fortunate enough to live close to Queensland’s coastline, then you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to dog friendly beaches you can visit, including off-leash ones.

Preparing to take your dog to the beach

As fun as it is to visit the beach with your pooch, it is important that you’re extra careful with your dog to ensure the trip goes without any hitches or harm to your beloved pet.

Before you can set off on your fun adventure, you’ll first need to do some research to find dog-friendly beaches in your location or at the destination you wish to vacation at. Some of the popular dog-friendly beaches in Queensland include Woorim Beach, Bribie Island; Nudgee Beach, Brisbane; Buddina Off Leash Area, Buddina; and Palm Beach, Gold Coast just to name a few.

Once you’ve found a perfect beach destination where dogs are welcome, then you can be on your way. Remember to pack plenty of water, treats, dog sunscreen, booties or paw wax, a leash, toys and disposable plastic bags for your furry companion – they’ll come in handy.

How to care for your dog at the beach

Here are the most essential things you’ll need to do to ensure your dog has as good of a time as yourself while at the beach:

Provide shade and hydration. With so many activities, running, swimming and playing, and the hot weather, dogs can easily become overheated and dehydrated. Make sure to provide a shaded area where your dog can take a break and cool down. Also, make sure to provide your dog with adequate water so that he can stay hydrated. Protect your dog’s paws. Sand gets hot very quickly and could cause injury to the pads of your dog’s feet. If you sense the ground is getting a bit too hot, you can apply paw wax on your dog’s paws or dress them in booties to keep their feet protected from the heat. You should also keep your dog from rock outcrops as this can get slippery and cut your dog’s paws. Apply sunscreen. Like us, dogs too can get sunburnt especially if their coat is light coloured or shaved, or they have a pink nose or skin.Protect your dog from sunburn by applying dog sunscreen to areas that are not covered by fur such as their ear tips, nose, belly and any other bald spots. Keep an eye on your dog. The beach could be a dangerous place for your dog if you’re not careful, so make sure they don’t wander off too far while off leash. Make sure your dog is not a nuisance to other beachgoers and keep them away from beach wildlife. Clean up after your dog. Keeping the beach clean ensures that you and other beachgoers can enjoy the space. Make sure to clean up after your dog when they relieve themselves and dispose the waste properly.

When it’s time to go back home after your fun beach adventure, rinse off sand and seawater from your dog’s coat and dry them off with a towel. Make sure to dry out your dog’s ears especially if they’re prone to get ear infections.

At home, give your dog more water to help them rehydrate after a long sweaty day out on the beach. You can also give your dog a bath to get rid of any remaining sand and seawater which could damage your dog’s coat.

Keep these few things in mind when taking your four-legged companion to the beach and you’re sure to have a fun and safe time!