Dog friendly camping and beaches

I'm busy booking this year's camping trips in and around the UK and am really noticing a difference compared to last year.

I'm not sure if it's just because of times and places but I'm really struggling to find dog friendly beaches during the summer months and nearly every campsite I have spoken to to check dogs are allowed has asked me what breed of dog I own!! Apparently staffies, rotties and GSDs etc are all problem dogs!!

Has anyone else had this happen? Is it getting worse, or is it just me?

I remember when I was a kid loving the fact that dogs were wondering around the beaches I was on, swimming in the sea etc.

Here in New York state most beaches don't allow dogs. Oh sure I can take her to the park, but I can't take her to the beach for a swim. Somehow my dog swimming in the water is worse than the kids peeing in it! *rolls eyes*

We have one beach in the Adirondacks that's a designated "dog beach" but the rest don't allow it. It's annoying! I want to try to teach Dahlia to swim but I can't find anywhere to do it save our local pond which is manmade and disgustingly smelly.

Pidge - you wanna come up Norf! It's pretty dog friendly round North Lancs, Cumbria and Scotland. I've never been asked what breed my dogs are when booking a site (not that they'd know wtf an Estrela was anyhoo). Cumbria is Springer heaven too. I've stayed up there for days and seen loads of dogs - most of them Springers!!!!

I think the South of England, especially Cornwall is really bad about dogs.

A couple of campsites I have stayed at that were ok with dogs, were http://www.helevalley.co.uk, which has a small beach just round the corner that was completely dog friendly

and

http://www.chycor.co.uk/parks/rivervalley/
which was a lovely site although not near to beaches etc.

I have just been on Lytham beach with my dog. We live close by so we go each week. It would be a nice place to holiday. Its close to Blackpool and Southport but its a differant kind of sea side than Blackpool.

I'll second that! Get yerself up Norf!

http://www.walneyislandcaravanpark.co.uk/

This is near where I live, its a small idland and the beaches are great, no restrictions on dogs - mine are down there all the time! At the other end of the island there are miles of beaches and a nature reserve to walk along, it's a lovely place, well I think so anyway! xx

I dont know for definite if they accept dogs but as there are no restrictions on dogs on the beaches, I would think they do

Hi,

I've just booked a campsite in the New Forest which is dog friendly - I'm taking my two. It's called Hollands Wood. They didn't ask what type of dogs I have.

I normally find with beaches that the main areas nearest the car parks and toilets etc have dog bans but if you go further away from the crowds (better anyway) down the beaches dogs are fine. Most of the local government websites have information about which beaches are dog friendly or not.

There is a lovely beach at the Gower called Oxwich Bay where dogs are allowed all year and lots of camping around there. Hengistbury Head near Bournemouth is another great one.

Bo loves swimming and I always make sure I get to a beach.

Most beaches have a sectioned off area for dogs in summer, as for camping sites you tend to get stuck in a corner far from the maddening crowd but beats being stuck next to the car stereo brigade.
Wales and Northern England seem to me to have them most enlightened attitudes towards dogs.
We have moved to cottages now but the cost is quite high.

Northumberland, no restrictions on the beaches at all and they go for miles,

try here pick your area and you can put dog friendly in the campsite search

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/

im going back about 20 years ago but we had a fantastic camping trip taking a gsd and a rottie up north,first we went to the yorkshire moors we got stopped by a local man who was admiring the dogs and he gave directions to a public footpaths across a farm and fields where we could let the dogs off, turned out he owned the farm lol.
we then went onto whitby which is a really nice place and by the sea and was able to walk the dogs on the beach (not sure if thats still possible) at night time we found a nice little pub and sat in the garden a member of staff came out with a big bowl of water without even being asked then the landlord came out and insisted we brought them inside the pub.
i was totally amazed how kind people were and how accepting they was of big dogs, we had a fantastic time and the dogs got alot of fuss everywhere we went which was especially nice for the rottie who always loved people but on the vocal side use to scare alot of people where i live with his growl chat.