The beach is not just for summer

Mention the beach to most people and what immediately comes to mind will be sandcastles, swimsuits and summer. But that means they're only enjoying the fantastic experience of being at the beach for half of the year.  Harbour Hounds is here to tell you that the beach is not just for summer.

Of course, being on the beach during the warm, occasionally hot, summer months is delightful. But there really is nothing quite like a walk on the beach with your four-legged friend on a crisp winter’s day. Wrapped up in a warm hat and scarf with the obligatory ball thrower in hand, it’s perfect medicine for the soul and those winter blues.    

Nelly and I just love our local beach at West Wittering, in some ways more so in the winter than the busy summer months. It is just so beautiful and when the tide is out, dogs galore are running and playing on the wide open sands - Labradors swimming, Flatcoats chasing balls and Cockapoos digging. 

I also love the social side. I’ve met some really interesting and diverse people on my walks with Nelly. This morning I chatted to Gareth, who was on the beach with his Cockapoo Charlie. While Nelly and Charlie played chase and swapped balls, Garath told me all about his job as an angler fishing for bait. Twice in 24 hours (once in the middle of the night and once in the afternoon) he’s on the beach collecting Lobworms. “The summer is better than the winter,” Gareth informed me, “not just because it’s more pleasant but because the worms dig deep into the sand in winter, so the catch is less. In the summer they can be found in the harbour amongst the seaweed en masse.” I found it all quite fascinating, definitely something that I’d never thought about as a job before. 

A little bit further round East Head I exchanged smiles and chat about the glorious weather with an elderly couple walking their Lab. Next up was ‘Mrs Doubtfire’, a lady I regularly chat to with her Tibetan Terrier. I don’t know her real name but her lovely soft Scottish accent reminds me of the infamous film character - always makes me smile.

We all know owning a dog has wonderful benefits to our wellbeing but for me walking on the beach with Nelly is just the best. Fresh air, beautiful views, a bit of exercise and chatting to other dog walkers...one thing uniting us... our love of our dogs and the beauty of coastal living.