What to pack for the Beach

During the last month we’ve had a couple of trips to the beach, making the most of this perfect weather. Not too chilly to be in the water but also not too hot for the dogs to be out in the open all day.

Being an over packer, preparing for any possibility I usually pack everything but the kitchen sink. However a lot of our favourite dog friendly beaches are quite remote [Perfect to avoid the big summer crowds] so carrying lots of bags is not an option! Here are a couple of essentials I take for every dog beach trip:

Old collars

The mix of saltwater and the D-ring on your dogs collar [The part a lead attaches to] means that by the end of the day it will be covered in rust, and the surrounding fabric and fur may also be stained from this. I either use old collars that i’m not bothered about becoming rusty, or simply rinse the collars as soon as we get off the beach [Obviously don’t wash them in the sea as that won’t help!].

Take plenty of water

No matter what time of year or what the weather is like I always take plenty of water. My dogs [especially Woody] run around like loonies on the beach having fun, they always somehow fill their mouths with sand. So because of this, having plenty of water available means that they can cleanse their mouths. As with any exercise it’s thirsty work for them so being surrounded by water my two numpties head straight to the sea to drink it all. Of course saltwater is not going to be good for them or taste very nice but excessive intake can make them very ill. There’s always the challenge of stopping them from drinking the sea and choosing their water bowl instead. I take a small collapsible bowl for the water so it’s quick and easy & doesn’t take up much space.

Tags

Unless you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, a beach trip is likely to be a new area for your dog where they may be uncertain. This means it’s even more important to make sure that your dogs are wearing tags with up to date contact details on. For me a beach trip means a great photoshoot opportunity, so the tags I choose are from We Love To Create. Not only do they have a wonderful range of styles and patterns, they are perfect when i’m out shooting the dogs because the tags have an add on quick change clip. Meaning I can remove the tags, take my photos, put the tags back on and off the dogs run – all in a few seconds!

Drying Coats

At the end of a lovely beach day you are most likely left with some very soggy dogs. As soon as they stop running they quickly get cold so drying coats are the perfect solution! Wilma is wrapped up in her Ruff & Tumble drying coat & Woody wears his Equafleece. They are not at all impressed that their fun has come to an end, but they are soon warm, dry and ready to head home!

We hope we’ve helped you plan for a future beach trip, do let us know if you have any other tips of what to take to the beach!

Megan, Woody & Wilma