Most French Bulldogs love the beach, and it’s not hard to imagine why: seemingly endless miles of sand, sun and water that literally jumps at you. But even a couple hours on the beach with your French Bulldog only work if you’re prepared. A poorly packed dog beach bag (or no bag at all) is a recipe for pain, frustration, boredom and an early trip home. Here are five things you need on your next beach checklist.
1. Fresh Water
A frenchies gotta drink, right? Water, water may be everywhere, but ocean water certainly isn’t safe to drink. Most dogs need an ounce of water per pound of body weight every day, so, make sure you’re prepared before your dog beach trip.
A great tip is to make sure they are not drinking the salt water! This can make them very sick so come prepared with a area to make it known for water! Consider freezing at least some of the water so it’s chilled and refreshing when your Frenchie is looking especially parched.
And don’t forget to bring plenty of food; your dog’s normal diet will suffice. While he’s probably going to go wild for dog beach day, nothing will derail it as quickly as a growling stomach will. Cooling bandanas are a great idea because your can keep them wet and they will drastically help with keeping your Frenchie cool.
2. Dog Bowls
You need some type of container to pour the water and food into. You can easily fit a silicone collapsible travel bowl, in your beach bag. While the spill-proof design won’t make much difference at the beach, the ride there is another story. Just set the bowl out and you don’t have to worry about any stops because your pup can lap up all the H2O he wants during the ride without causing a soaking wet mess in your backseat. Also, never bring a metal bowl. They can get super hot if directly in sun. I ALWAYS recommend to have a canopy/ shaded area at the beach for my Frenchie.
3. Dog Poop Bags
Your Frenchie will need to go potty during your dog beach trip, so don’t be that guy at the beach!! You’ll want poop bags. Come prepared with some sort of system to pick up after your Frenchie! Always keep the beach’s clean and be that example!
4. A Dog Beach Towel
Circling back to the shaded area for your Frenchie to relax and get our of the heat. We must remember that this summer is going to be brutal, especially in this Texas area. A dog beach day almost certainly means swimming, and odds are it’s going to be time to leave while some saltwater still clings to your dog’s coat. A microfiber bath towel is made to be super absorbent, meaning drying your Frenchie off will be quick and painless for you both. If you have a second towel, you can throw it in the car with your pup to keep him , cozy and (hopefully) calm on the drive home.
5. A Frenchie Life Jacket
Although you can see a lot of photos and videos of French Bulldogs swimming on the internet, you must not let that fool you! All bulldogs are generally bad swimmers because they are top heavy and have flat snouts. In other words, they sink very easy and have quite some trouble keeping their noses above the water line and breathing in the water.
The number one consideration you should keep in mind is the jacket’s buoyancy. Since you’ll be relying on this piece of equipment to keep your dog from drowning, you’ll want to make sure it’s actually capable of keeping your pet’s head above water.
In general, look for a life jacket that uses a liberal amount of flotation material! The best products will also feature side and belly panels to keep your Frenchie’s head well above the surface of the water.
Make sure to measure when looking for your frenchies correct size. This is SO important when buying a life jacket. Having life jacket on your frenchie is an extra precaution to take to ensure safety.