Dog swimming places

luckat

Brought the dog to one of the usual swimming places the other day; last time I'd swum there, there were dogs swimming off to the side, and the owners told me this was allowed.

But a *very* narky lifeguard arrived along when I was in my bathing suit and halfway into the water and told me no dogs were allowed.

Apart from Sandymount Strand, is there anywhere that dogs *are* allowed on the coast of Dublin southside?

tk123

Well thats just dumb - how can dogs not be allowed to swim in the sea?!?! If you took the dog to a swimming pool or something I could understand them kicking you out - but not being allowed to swim in the sea?!?! Fook them I say - I mean, what is he lifeguard going to - go and take the dog out!? There always used to be dogs swimming in the sea at Dun Laoghaire(sp?) when we were kids - even our dog went for a dip sometimes!

luckat

Well, it's a decision of the council, which was presumably demanded by the people who use the swimming places most.

I can understand it in the main part of, say, Sandycove and Seapoint, where a big wet dog bounding around could be a nuisance for people trying to sunbathe and have a peaceful time with their kids.

But I'd always thought that it didn't extend over the whole of these areas - that there were places off to the side that you could bring your dog.

You actually can bring dogs in up to something like 10am and after something like 7.30pm even in the places where they're banned at the main time.

RainyDay

I guess that part of the problem is that some dog owners wont clean up after their dogs, so the only way to avoid the piles of doggy-doos is to ban the dogs altogether.

luckat

You'd imagine so, Rainy, but then the dogs *are* allowed at morning and night. And the solution to doggy-do is surely to (a) provide a place to put it and bags to put it in and encourage people who use these, and (b) to fine people whose dogs foul the beach.

No, I think the rule is to keep romping dogs away from sunbathing families - fair enough, but I'd like to be able to find a place where I *could* put my dog in for a swim and get a swim myself.

commuterised

I regularyl walk Zak who is a golden retriever down at Kilcoole beach in Co Wicklow. He is scared of the sea especially big waves so we walk along until we get to a place called the breaches where the sea water comes right in and makes pools and lakes. It's very cool. He'll get in there a swim cos there are no waves. Big sissy!

There doesn't seem to be a problem with dogs in the water anywhere in wicklow.

Maybe if you just let him swim in offpeak hours then noone would give out.