Gearing Up For the Beach

Recently the sun has decided to make an appearance here in Portland.  This seems to happen ever year at the start of spring and all of us Portlanders get false hope that the weather is changing for the better.  When the sun starts to shine, everyone comes out of hibernation and flocks to outdoor activities.  This weekend we were part of the crowd who flocked to the Oregon coast to soak up the sun in the seventy-five degree weather.

This was Athena's second trip to the beach.  Last time we took her to the coast was in October and it was very clear during that trip that she had never touched sand or stepped in the ocean before.  This weekend Athena was SUPER excited to get down to the beach and she didn't show one ounce of fear about the sand, water, or the hoards of people and dogs that we shared the beach with.

Here's a video of Athena playing fetch on the beach:

The difference between this weekend's beach trip and the trip we took in October is that this time we only went to the coast for a day.  We are used to having a beachfront condo that we can go in and out of to use the restroom, fill our water bottles, and take a break from the sun.  Taking a day trip to the beach with a dog meant that we had to be extra prepared with all of our supplies and we had to park close to a public bathroom (a.k.a. the casino).

As much as we were excited about seventy-five degree weather, we got hot pretty quickly and so did Athena.  There wasn't much shade on the beach and we don't own an umbrella.  We had to rub Athena down with ice packs to keep her cool.  The people sitting next to us were clearly much more prepared for the day at the beach because they brought a small tent to provide them with some much needed shade.

Here's a list of must-have dog supplies that we would bring to our next beach day trip:

• Small tent (like this one)
• Doggles (a must-have for keeping sand out of Athena's eyes and protecting them from the sun)
• Water-proof collar (like this Ruffwear one that we own)
• Towels for laying on the sand AND extra towels for drying off afterwards
• Water, water, and more water!  (we kept ours in a cooler-bag with bags of ice to keep it cool)
• Grooming wipes (these are our favorite) for wiping off sandy paws before getting back in the car
• Toys like ChuckIt balls, a ChuckIt kick ball, and a frisbee for staying entertained
• Chilly Bone to keep in the cooler for a quick cool down
• Back-up leash just in case your leash clip gets sand stuck in it causing it not to close (likes ours did).
• Sunscreen (like this one) is important for any dog that spends time out in the sun.  Unfortunately I looked at multiple pet stores for sunscreen before our beach trip, but none had any at this time of year.  Your best bet may be to buy it online if planning a trip.

On our way home from the beach we stopped at a Petco Unleashed to give Athena a bath.  Since it was so hot out, she also got a special frozen yogurt treat to enjoy.

What essentials do you pack for a trip to the beach with your pup?