Dog Beach — Attraction in Del Mar

Let me start off by saying I LOVE dogs! If you don't, then this probably isn't the beach for you.

For me, all the entertainment here is watching the many different breeds, shapes & sizes of my canine brethren doing their thing. For some, like the Labrador Retrievers & Newfoundlands, they take to water like a duck.

For other dogs, they're naturally repelled by the water. I saw one dog owner try 30 times to get their little puppy in the water. Each time, this little dog dug its claws in the sand and simply refused to cooperate. With slumped shoulders, the owner finally gave up.

I watched a Poodle Mix launch into the water, time after time, to retrieve a doggie floating toy its owner was throwing. This ruffly-furred dog even wore its own swim suit. It was really cute!

Also fun to observe is the doggie camaraderie that goes on between all friendly dogs at a dog beach. There's always 1 or 2 dogs who aren't too social. They practice their menacing snarls, whenever a dog wanders too close to their beach territory. We watched a ChiWeenie barring its teeth at a French Bully, who came over to say Hi!

Del Mar Dog Friendly Beach is a great place to bring dogs...

Dog friendly? I visited on a weekday and the beach was not very crowded. Very clean. Great views. Parking not terribly bad. If you have difficulty walking perhaps a quarter mile to beach you might want to reconsider.. not wheelchair accessible. Public bathrooms along distance away.. Plenty of space to relax and let your four legged kids run, play and have a grand time. However, now the kids are required to be leashed at all times. About 15 to 20% parents technically did have their kids on leashes and let go and threw balls or let the kids run around close buy while keeping a watchful eye. If my son were alive today he would be so disappointed he couldn't run wild and free. I wonder if Carmel dog beach still allows the kids to run off leash? Perhaps the leash rule is in effect because of bad parents who bring their aggressive and non socialize children. So sad. 😥 If your idea of a leashed at all times beach is fine with you and you have no difficulty walking, than disregard this review and visit this beach, for other than the above mentioned it was very beautiful,clean, not over crowded and relaxing. I hope this review...

Local Del Mar residents take there dogs here each day to play and swim in the ocean off leash. Residents catch up on local gossip while their canine friends can explore freely. Humans are friendly and polite and the focus is on making all dogs happy here. Dog owners are responsible and your canine buddy should have basic manners or some might become upset. You are expected to pick up after your dog immediately or you also might be reprimanded quickly so make sure to grab plenty of bags from the dispensers found at each entrance. Mornings from 7 to 8:30 and sunsets are particularly popular times. People often stop conversing right before final sunset and stare towards the ocean to see if they can experience a green flash right before the sun disappears for the day. During sunsets some people without dogs sit on the wall by the various entrances and drink wine while taking in the general beach atmosphere. Rules do change with regards to leash regulations during the summer months so make to check the signs before entering or you might be stopped by a lifeguard and sometimes on rare occasions given a ticket which comes with...