A policeman has been bitten by his own dog while trying to arrest a man on a beach on Queensland's Gold Coast.

The dog squad officer was called to Coolangatta after a man, suspected of trying to break into cars, ran into the surf.

The dog handler approached the man from behind, there was a struggle and both men were bitten by a police dog.

The man was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital and the policeman was also treated for an arm injury at the Tweed Heads Hospital and released.

Water police and the police helicopter were also involved in the 90-minute operation.