At Acorn there’s definitely a lot of dog lovers! So we’ve spoken to Georgia from our Cardiff team and Denise from our Cornwall team about where they like to explore with their canine companions as well as their top tips for happy coastal dog walks.
Tell us about your dogs…
Georgia: Archie is an Irish Red and White Setter who is crazy and has even starred in a few Acorn brochures.
Denise: I have two rescue dogs, one is an 8-year-old Shitzu/Yorkshire Terrier cross called Millie and a 12-year-old short-haired Fox Terrier, called Gem. They love nothing more than running in hot pursuit of rabbits and birds and getting completely covered in mud and sand.
What do you like most about coastal walks?
G: Archie loves to run for miles along the sand when the tide is out and particularly enjoys chasing birds up and down the beach.
D: I love the fresh air and scenery and meeting other people out and about with their dogs.
Where are your favourite places to go?
G: Monk Nash is my favourite place because it’s the best of both worlds. You have a lovely woodland walk down to a remote beach. You can then walk along the cliffs to Southerndown Beach or along the beach when the tide is out.
D: We’ve got a few favourite places we like to go that are close to home: Tehidy Woods, Perran Sands and the cliffs between Porthtowan and Portreath. The dogs like to go to different places whether it is the woods, the beach or the cliffs.
Best time to go?
G: There are loads of amazing Vale of Glamorgan trail walks. The best walk for Autumn is the coast and lighthouse walk which starts in Llantwit Major and finishes as Nash Point lighthouse.
D: The dogs don’t like hot weather so Autumn/Winter walks are best and there are fewer people around which means they can be off the lead more.
Are there restrictions on when you can walk your dog on the beach in South Wales and Cornwall?
G: The Vale of Glamorgan have a dog beach ban from 1 May until 30 September every year on the busiest family beaches but there are still plenty of amazing places to take your dogs, such as Monk Nash and Merthyr Mawr sand dunes. Do always check to see if dogs are allowed on beaches before you visit and be careful of tides as on some beaches you can get cut off.
D: We can’t walk on the beach at Porthtowan until after 31 October and then the restriction comes back 1 April the next year. The restrictions are usually posted on a board at the beach entrances. There are plenty of beaches you can walk on but you have to have the dogs on a lead which is not much fun for them.
Any particular etiquette or things new dog walkers should be aware of when using the beaches?
D: Make sure you watch your dog, clean up after them and don’t let them drink too much sea water as it can make some dogs sick and upset their stomachs.
G: Do take note of when the dog beach bans are in place and when you are on the beach make sure you don’t get cut off by the tide.
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