Home /Guides /To the Sea with Your Dog: Private Dog Runs and Mornings of Waves
To the Sea with Your Dog: Private Dog Runs and Mornings of Waves
The first time a dog sees the ocean, it usually freezes for a moment. It backs away from the incoming waves, chases the receding ones, and before long it is playing tag with the sea. Those few minutes alone make a beach trip with your dog worth planning.
A seaside trip with a dog, though, turns cramped the moment you stay at a hotel. Sandy paws, wet fur, excited barking. The more often you have to worry about the people around you, the more both owner and dog wear out. That is why, if you are taking a dog to the sea, a whole-house rental is the way to go. Rinse off the sand in the garden, dry off on the terrace, and apologize to no one when the barking starts.
One thing to know before you go. Whether dogs are allowed on the sand differs from beach to beach, and many beaches restrict dogs during the official swimming season. Check the rules of your destination beach first, and only then decide how long the leash gets to be. This is where a stay with its own dog run pays off: even if the beach says no, your dog will never lack a place to run.
The invention called the dog pool: BREEZE AND DOG, Sajima, Yokosuka
A whole-house ocean villa on a hilltop in Sajima, Yokosuka, overlooking Sagami Bay. Alongside the private pool there is a separate dog pool, plus a dedicated dog run and even a sauna. There is no need to puzzle over beach rules at all: your dog’s summer is complete within the grounds. For the owners, the reward is a BBQ of Hayama brand ingredients on a wooden deck with a magnificent view. Sleeps up to 10, together with your dog.
A lawn in a surf town: 88 Beach Resort TORAMI, Kujukuri
A one-party-per-day rental villa in Ichinomiya, Kujukuri, close to Tsurigasaki Beach, a sacred spot of Japanese surfing. It has a spacious wooden deck, a lawn garden and a dedicated dog run. Walk the near-empty beach first thing in the morning, then spend the hot midday hours on the lawn and the deck. A seaside dog trip becomes dramatically more comfortable once you can switch between beach and garden like this. Sleeps up to 10.
A dog villa five minutes’ walk from the sea: Water’s Edge, Amanohashidate
A whole-house private dog villa a five-minute walk from the sea at Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s three most celebrated views. There is a dedicated dog run for your dog, and for the owners an in-room onsen bath and a private pool. Dinner is a full ten-course BBQ of Kyoto wagyu, abalone and local Tango fish. What makes it special is that, while built for dogs, it concedes nothing on the quality of the humans’ stay. Sleeps up to 4.
A dog’s summer is shorter than ours
Count the years we get to live with a dog, and the summers left for watching the sea together are not so many. This summer, pick a cool morning hour, pack plenty of water, and take your dog to the sea. That sight of them playing tag with the waves is something to burn into your eyes first, before any photograph.
Stays in this article
Miura PeninsulaKanagawa
ブリーズアンドドッグ
A villa resort in Miura Peninsula. Sleeps up to 10 guests. With ocean views, a sauna, a private pool, BBQ. Pet-friendly.
KujukuriChiba
88 BEACH RESORT torami
A villa resort in Kujukuri. Sleeps up to 10 guests, 3 bedrooms. With ocean views, a jacuzzi, BBQ, a kitchen. Pet-friendly.
3 bd
Amanohashidate京都
WatersEdge
A villa resort in Amanohashidate. Sleeps up to 4 guests. With ocean views, an in-room onsen, a private pool, BBQ. Pet-friendly.