Dog friendly beaches

Hi there,

Coming to Cape Cod and staying in Sandwich from Sept 5th to 16th.

Having a hard time finding some dog friendly beaches as they all seem to have different rules etc.

Can anyone provide a good web link or just some local knowledge about places to take the pooch.

Can we take her to the beaches up on the National Shoreline area?

Cheers

Pete

Dog friendly beaches

If you type in ';dog friendly beaches'; in the search box just above your post you will get access to previous threads on this subject including a web site. Personally, I would leave her at home for various reasons, some of which you will see if you do the search that I suggest.

Dog friendly beaches

Thanks, forgot about the search function. We will still be bringing her. Have got a great place booked and apparently we may be able to get a vacination for Lyme disease so shall look into that.

Pete

For all types of information on the Cape Cod National Seashore, including beaches, go to www.nps.gov/caco

I live in East Sandwich and have a black lab I take to the beach all the time. There is 133 acre conservation land called the East Sandwich Game Farm that abuts a beach and creek, cranberry bogs, a pond, fields and forests that is DOG HEAVEN.

If you want a normal beach, you can take your dog to Sandy Neck. It is right on the Sandwich/Barnstable line.

Aside from that- beaches are not staffed with lifeguards after labor day. Kids are back in school, most of the tourists are gone. As long as you pick up after him I doubt anyone will say anything no matter where you bring him.

Feel free to email me for more info if needed

justin@capecodbeachchair.com

Since this board has had many inquiries about dogs on beaches, here%26#39;s a good, generic (not Cape-specific) source of information about dogs on beaches:

dogfriendly.com/server/…beachetiq.shtml

Dogs are banned from many areas of the Cape, especially conservation and wildlife areas, partly because their waste can spread disease. Even if most of the waste is cleaned up, bacteria can remain behind that could be injurious to wildlife. Bird nesting areas on beaches are of special concern, so please abide by posted rules.

And please, dog owners, if you take your dog to the beach, keep it on a leash. Our son is very afraid of dogs, and I can%26#39;t tell you how many times we%26#39;ve been enjoying a quiet stroll on the beach or on a trail only to look up and see a dog charging toward us, off the leash. Although most of the time the dog just wants to play, for someone who is afraid of dogs, it is a terrifying experience. More and more people on the Cape seem to be letting their dogs run off-leash, especially in the off season, in the mistaken belief that everyone will want to play with them.

Have fun with your dog pals!

I feel the need to reply to the post by Patiche regarding dogs on the beaches here on Cape Cod with regard to my prior suggestions. As a native Cape Codder I feel a bit more knowledgeable on the subject than an occassional visitor from upstate New York.

Dogs are not banned from any conservation areas on Cape Cod. This is where we locals often walk our dogs- especially mid summer when it is inappropriate to bring them to crowded public beaches. With regards to my suggestion on the conservation land in East Sandwich... as a taxpaying homeowner and business owner in Sandwich, my taxes purchased this conservation land. As a volunteer with the Thornton Burgess Society I actually help maintain this conservation land- clear downed trees from trails, plant trees, etc. It is a popular area for people to walk dogs, off leash, any time of year. Please feel free to enjoy it while in Sandwich, it is beautiful and your dog will love it.

Dogs are allowed on most any town beach in any town on Cape Cod starting mid September. They are not allowed during the day mid summer as nobody (including myself or my 2 toddlers) really wants someone elses wet sandy dog running up to them while they sunbathe. Beaches are fairly deserted after Labor Day and you can certainly walk your dog on them without any hassle. Pick up any droppings with a bag, take a leash in the event that you need it, otherwise let your dog enjoy the water.

';More and more people on the Cape seem to be letting their dogs run off-leash, especially in the off season, in the mistaken belief that everyone will want to play with them.'; People rarely vacation with dogs- the people you are referring to are local Cape Codders. The Cape is an outdoorsy place, many people who live here own dogs, we take them to our beaches when the summer is over. We do let them chase seagulls, frolic in the water, play with other dogs, and retrieve balls. This is nothing new. You are welcome to visit anytime but please understand this is part of our culture.

Nesting shorebirds are more of an issue on the Spring. The plovers lay eggs in the sand and it is necessary to keep dogs away from their nests so they dont step on eggs. By September those eggs are now flying birds. No problems for your Westie.

National Seashore- people take dogs there all year long. It is an enormous stretch of beach, you can walk for miles and miles and not see anyone else (except for maybe a dog walker or 2). Drive up to Wellfleet, bring your dog to any of the ocean side beaches, and enjoy.

Pete, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Enjoy your trip.

It wasn%26#39;t my intent to offend anyone, and I%26#39;m sorry if I did. There are different rules for different areas, and the main reason for my response was to alert dog owners to that fact.

I would just add that I am not ';an occasional visitor to the Cape.'; I grew up there, and my parents were co-founders of the Harwich Conservation Trust, of which I am a member, so I have an interest in preserving Cape wildlife.

No offense taken, didn%26#39;t mean to sound gruff. Just don%26#39;t want people to get the wrong impression about the Cape as it is very dog friendly in the fall. Enjoying a nice stroll down the beach with your furry companion is not a bad thing and is very common.

Hello Pastiche!

I%26#39;m not a %26#39;visitor%26#39; either and I agree with you. We%26#39;ve always had dogs on the Cape; we don%26#39;t often bring them to the beach.

They%26#39;ve managed to step on glass, sharp shells. They%26#39;ve found dead things that can introduce them to salmonella if one of them decides to %26#39;be a dog%26#39; and pick the thing up in its mouth and drop it at my feet in homage.

Also, one of my dogs loves the taste of seawater...since I don%26#39;t particularly like the idea of cell death and very expensive vet bills, I%26#39;ve developed a %26#39;leash culture%26#39; for our pets. Sand fleas aren%26#39;t much fun either.

Just an aside: most dogs will chase a ball until they%26#39;re exhausted. I once watched a local throw a ball into the Sound so his Golden could retrieve it, over and over again. The guy ended up taking an early spring swim to rescue his pet from drowning.

I thought the question was regarding where to walk your dog on the beach, not whether random people like to do so themselves or approve of it in general.