Summer Beaches Can Be As Hazardous As They Are Fun

Dog-friendly beaches can be a wonderful way to spend the summer with man’s best friend, but keeping fun things are rarely without dangers to keep in the forefront of your mind and beach hazards to your beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are no different! Some important things to be aware of are:

Hot Sand: We haven’t seen designer flip-flops for Fido hit the market yet – so until they do, please remember that if it’s too hot for you to walk barefoot on the sand, it’s FAR too hot for your dog to do the same!

Sunburn: Believe it or not — dogs aren’t immune to sunburn! While a Cavalier’s floppy ears cover the sensitive pink skin of their ‘ear underneath’ … know that white-colored dogs have a higher risk of sunburn (so Blenheim and Tri-Color owners beware). Naturally, your Cavalier’s underbelly is also very sensitive to burning.

Overexertion: You know how exhausted you are when you finally arrive at the shoreline from your car? That’s because it takes far more energy to walk on sand than on surfaces more common in our daily lives and it’s no different for dogs. Running and/or walking on sand can wear your dog out far sooner than normal, so be sure to keep the activity level lower than usual to avoid exhaustion or heat stroke.

Sea Swimming: We all know how quickly an adult human can get caught up in a riptide and so it will be no surprise that even the most agile swimmer in your home pool will get into trouble out there, so make sure your dog keeps their feet on the ground.

Litter: From trash inconsiderately left behind by others to dead fish and other interesting sea creatures, you’ll want to keep your inquisitive Cavalier’s nose out of all the fun discoveries a public beach affords.

Truth be told, this list is only the start of the worries every pet owner should have about taking a dog of any breed to the beach, so as much as your dog may enjoy a sandy excursion, the best thing really is just to leave your Cavalier King Charles at home for a nice, long nap while you sun and surf to your heart’s content…