Fun, sun bring animals together

By Rebecca Sloan

A day at a dog beach can give pet owners a chance to bond over their experiences.

HONEYMOON ISLAND, Fla. — People really do look like their dogs.

That’s what I was thinking as I relaxed on a dog-designated beach at Honeymoon Island, Fla., and watched a parade of people and their look-a-like pets pass me by.

A pudgy, fluffy-haired woman was the spitting image of her fluffier Shih Tzu, and a tall, wiry-haired man with an angular jaw and broad shoulders looked just like his regal, curly-eared Airedale terrier.

A petite, copper-skinned woman sunning on a beach blanket resembled the tiny, brown Chihuahua cuddled at her side, and a dark-haired athletic man wading in the waves was as agile and energetic as his black Lab mix.

Hmmm ... I glanced down at my own dog — a Welsh corgi named Speedy — and wondered wryly if there was some resemblance between me and my pet.

Did I have short, stubby legs, a long back and fox-like ears and snout?

Well, I’d rather be a Welsh corgi than a St. Bernard or a pit bull, I thought with a smirk. After all, I’m proud of my pup and like him enough to treat him to a day at the beach, don’t I?

And I’m not alone. People and dogs have always been best friends, and what could be better than enjoying the sun, sand and surf together?

During my first visit to a dog beach I quickly discovered how much fun it is to pass the afternoon with other folks who love the water as much as they love their furry best friends.

The sweetest part of going to a dog beach is encountering someone else who owns the same breed of dog as you do.

It’s a little like finding a parent who has a child with the same mannerisms and looks as your own child.

First you size up each other’s canines, and then you’re swapping stories.

This is exactly what happened when I met a husband and wife who also owned a Welsh corgi.

While our dogs sniffed each other, we chatted about them.

The man told me he was a police officer who had rescued his Welsh corgi from an unfortunate home life in a ghetto neighborhood.

“He was neglected — tied to a tree with no food and water,” the man said.

“My dog came from a bad situation, too,” I told him. “The woman I bought him from rescued him from a breeder who was abusing him.”

After we exchanged stories about the adorable peculiarities of Welsh corgis, I strolled on and soon met a woman with a beautiful sheltie.

This dog reminded me of a sheltie owned by of my good friends.

My friend’s sheltie has some serious health problems and sometimes suffers seizures.

Soon this woman and I were talking about how a dog’s diet can affect all aspects of its health and what some of the best dog foods are.

This woman was very knowledgeable and even shared a great recipe for homemade dog cookies with all-natural ingredients.

You can learn a thing or two about pet nutrition by chatting with the folks at a dog beach!

Another thing you can learn is when to get out of the way.

After my conversation with the sheltie owner, I was surprised when I turned my head and discovered a wet golden retriever barreling toward me like a runaway train.

I tried to get out of the way, but I was too late.

In the blink of an eye, I was splattered by a spray of cool saltwater as the energetic pooch — who had gotten free from his leash — stopped beside me and shook his honey-colored coat dry.

The dog’s owner — a girl about 14 — promptly grabbed hold of her pet’s collar and began apologizing.

“It’s no big deal,” I told her.

And it wasn’t.

I was having such a swell time that I didn’t mind getting a little bit wet.

One thing a dog beach will certainly sharpen is your sense of humor and your ability to appreciate the silly things in life.

As the girl clipped the leash hook to her pet’s collar I couldn’t help but notice how — with her blonde ponytail, big brown eyes and freckled cheeks — she looked an awful lot like her golden retriever.