Dog Beach

Travels with Poodles
The Dog Beach in San Diego County, CA

Author: Kathryn Miles Fenton

My husband Reed and I love to travel with our two Standard Poodles Lily (purchased from a wonderful breeder) and Myles (our rescue of three and one-half years). Our Poodles also love to travel and are enthusiastic about any and all car rides. If we go to the market, they want to go, if we go to the gas station, they want to go, if we go to the . . . well you get the gist of it. We all love the beach so we try to find beaches that are friendly to dogs. There are a few in Southern California but none in Los Angeles County where we live, so we have to find other counties that will allow us to have our traveling companions.

We have found Nirvana for our little band of four legged children in San Diego County called, appropriately, The Dog Beach. http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/casdmenu/p/beach_ocean.htm  It’s in a quaint little enclave called Ocean Beach, a hippie community from the 70’s that is still thriving big time! “OB,” as the residents call it, is a sleepy little town just south of Mission Beach and has one of the best dog beaches I have ever seen! Moreover, there are dog friendly hotels and restaurants with dogs, dogs, and more dogs everywhere you look! We love it there and so do Lily and Myles. The streetlights are retro and painted with whimsical colors and details, and you see people walking with their dogs everywhere. It’s a safe, friendly place to stroll where wild parrots fly around squawking, flitting from palm tree to palm tree and, in the evening around sunset, they are out and about chatting up a storm with their friends and neighbors, telling stories and saying “good night” to all. OB is a very laidback place to come and chill.

Dogs are welcomed by a huge blue pawprint.

Ask my puppies (generic for dogs in my household). Say “Do you want to ‘Go’?” and tails start to wag, smiles get bigger, and Lily starts to spin in anticipation. Mention “Dog Beach” and things go into overdrive! Tails wag at breakneck speed, smiles turn into full Cheshire grins, and the spin turns into a whirling dervish! We try to take the pups to as many places as we can to broaden their horizons, expand their minds, and introduce them to as many different environments as we possibly can.

The Dog Beach is a wonderful place to have your dogs off leash with no worries. Arriving at the parking lot, you are greeted by a huge, blue dog paw print imbedded into the cement. There is also a large grassy area where people have picnics and where there is a play area set up for small children.

Myles and Lily make friends.

There are dispensers with doggie bags: most people, but not all, clean up after their dogs. Trash cans are also scattered around for your convenience. There is a jetty on both sides of the area like a big “C.” The other side of the south jetty is the people side but, trust me, people without dogs are on the

A little sun . . . a little fun . . . beach people and their dogs

dog side as well. You can walk the mile of sand or wade in the shallows while your dogs run and play with numerous other dogs. There is a rivulet that comes from the bay and empties into the ocean that goes for about a mile inland, and the dogs are allowed to cavort there as well. There are small dogs, medium-sized dogs, and larger-sized dogs, and they are all friendly and get along with one another. People are alert and watchful and very rarely do any altercations happen. Some dogs swim, some play Frisbee, some chase balls or sticks, but one thing is for sure . . . they all really enjoy their time there. They are having so much fun you can see them smiling from a mile away!

Enjoying the breeze

Lily, on the other hand, is a bit more cautious when making friends. She will run ahead of us only to circle back to make sure we are still there! Myles always keeps an eye on us, but he’s out on a mission… and that mission is that no dog, person, child, or bird will leave that beach without having met him! Lily really surprised us on our last trip by going up to a Jack Russell who was playing in the water with her person.She was well received and seemed to really enjoy that bit of social interaction. She came back to us (only a few feet away) with the biggest smile on her face as if to say, “Look at me! I’ve made friends!” She loves to be chased; it’s one of her favorite games! When she wants Myles to chase her, she will grab onto his tail to slow him down and then run away looking back to see if he’s after her! When Lily is excited she does a little spin and kicks up her heels.

Lily in water with Jack Russell

Lily kicking up her heels playing with Myles

Man with his seven Chihuahuas

On one of our trips, we met a man who was running with seven Chihuahuas. It was absolutely hysterical to see in person. He comes to the beach with his posse mid afternoon most days, and they love the beach! Of course they were all yapping and talking up a storm to anyone who would listen. Likewise, Myles, being Myles, had to meet and greet each one of them!

We've met several Poodles at the Dog Beach.

Poodle friends at the Dog Beach and, though I can’t speak for other Poodles, I know that when ours see another Poodle, they get very excited at seeing their own kind! They meet and greet and tell stories back and forth and, in general, enjoy each other’s company. It’s so funny to watch them interact with Poodles as opposed to another breed of dog. Subtle differences but nonetheless differences.

While visiting the Dog Beach, we’ve stayed at a few different places; however, we prefer the Ocean Villa Inn http://oceanvillainn.com/newsite/  which is right next to the Dog Beach. There are several dog friendly rooms on the bottom floor which open out to a completely fenced-in dog run that runs the length of the property. You can’t get onto the dog beach from the dog run . . . which is a good idea for safety purposes in case someone should accidentally leave the gate open. For convenience, there are bag dispensers every 15 feet. Again, most people clean up after their dogs, but some don’t. There is also a hose to wash off your dogs after their surf and sand experience . . . which is a very nice idea. The floors in the dog friendly rooms are tiled and, unless you prearrange for daily room cleaning, housekeeping will not clean your room every day as you are allowed to leave your dogs in your room if you go somewhere you can’t take them. Leaving your dog unattended is not allowed in most hotels! The Inn also has a swimming pool for humans, but dogs are not allowed in the pool area. The Inn provides Internet service; however, it is spotty at best. About the only place you can connect is by the pool or in the rec room/breakfast area by the lobby. Each room has a mini fridge, a TV with cable, a phone, hair dryer, and a few other amenities. A sliding glass door with a screen connects your room to the dog run. Most visitors leave their sliders open so their dogs can come and go as they please. How very civilized!!

Ocean Villa Inn

Lily and Myles greeting new friends in the dog run

Blenda welcomes the Poodles to O’Bistro.

Two blocks away, there is a great dog friendly place to eat called O’Bistro owned by a wonderful woman named Brenda Wakefield and her husband Jongo Park. The food is fabulous, and there is a full bar. Dogs are allowed on the patio, and Brenda always keeps a bowl of fresh water out for the pooches. We have met several people at O’Bistro who were staying at The Ocean Villa Inn with their dogs, and it becomes a social hour with guests and pets! O’Bistro even has a few things on the menu for your pup, if you so desire. After meeting Lily & Myles, Brenda has decided to adopt a Standard Poodle . . . now, she just has to convince her husband that they absolutely need one! Brenda and Jongo have adopted cats and even a fish so of course their next companion has to be a Poodle!

There is a non-beach dog park that is pretty nice (as far as non-beach dog parks go) located in Balboa Park next to the Museum of Man http://www.balboapark.org/. If you want to see a nice rose garden or take a walk along a winding, well maintained path through a lovely, old, well-established park and see some beautiful decorative architecture, take a ride to Balboa Park. There are several museums so, if you so desire, you can get a good dose of culture. There is also a wonderful outdoor concert area which has organ concerts every Sunday at 2 p.m. The architecture is amazing, and the whole experience is very calming.

We also go into Old Town to walk around, and people there love to see the Poodles. Being Standards with one black and the other white, we get stopped all the time. Standard Poodles are people magnets . . . they attract people in droves and children love to feel their hair. It’s a great opportunity to educate people about the virtues of pure breeds and especially Poodles! I call them my yin and yang because, while they are complete opposites, they compliment each other in every way.

Mission Beach http://www.a-zsandiegobeaches.com/missionbeach.htm, just north and around the bend from OB, has a beautiful, very large grass park where you can take your dogs as long as they are on leash. It’s safer that way because the park is right next to the main street which is very heavily trafficked. Also, there is an amusement park across from the grassy area where, as a child, my family and I used to go. Of course, it has been completely redone since the 60’s when I was there . . . but, it’s still there! The roller coaster was the first roller coaster I ever rode on. What a treat that was! I was 15, and I remember it like it was yesterday . . . but it wasn’t!

The San Diego County Dog Beach and surrounding area is a wonderful place to visit. I know you would enjoy going there with your Poodles as much as we do with ours.