Dog Friendly Destinations in Orange County CA

Dog Lovers' Best Places to Visit with Canine Companions

Aug 4, 2008
Lanora Mueller

Panchito, a young Havanese, loves outings. - Copyright 2008, Lanora S. Mueller

Dogs can go to the beach, to the shopping mall, even out to breakfast or lunch at these pooch friendly destinations in southern California's most beautiful beach towns.

Orange County abounds with fun places to go where dogs are welcome, including dog parks, beaches, outdoor dining, even major shopping destinations.

Dog Beaches

Easily viewed from passing cars on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, Huntington Dog Beach is probably the best known of all southern California dog beaches. Open from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day of the year, Huntington Dog Beach offers a mile-long stretch of sand where dogs can run and play freely. The beach has been administered for more than 10 years by the not-for-profit organization Preservation Society of Huntington Dog Beach.

Other dog beaches in Orange County, such as Corona Del Mar State Beach on Ocean Boulevard and the Newport and Balboa Beaches on Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach, are a little harder to find and allow dogs only during off-peak hours.

Shopping with Dogs

Fashion Island in Newport Beach is the trendy spot in Orange County to be seen with your dog. On sunny weekend afternoons, Fashion Island's outdoor public areas are filled with dog owners and their pets. Fashion Island is not just a place to show off the fur kids. Dogs are welcome to become part of the shopping experience as well. Shoppers are welcome to bring their dogs into Macy's and Bloomingdale's at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Many other smaller shops welcome furry friends as well.

Dining

Besides the outdoor dining spots at Fashion Island, several other popular outdoor cafes in the Orange County beach towns cater -- literally -- to dogs. Here are a couple of surefire hits.

The Park Bench Cafe in Huntington Central Park on Golden West in Huntington Beach offers a special menu for the doggy crowd plus great breakfast and lunch choices for humans.

For the best gourmet grilled cheese sandwich on the planet, try one of the outdoor tables at Lazy Dog Cafe on Beach Boulevard in Westminster. The cafe provides water for dogs. Sharing people food is optional.

Standards of Conduct for Dogs and Pet Owners Apply

As always, proper etiquette is a must when dogs accompany owners in public places.

According to Tara Kain at DogFriendly.com, following rules of etiquette helps ensure a continued welcome for dogs at public beaches and may encourage formation of more dog parks and beaches.

The guidelines she proposes (paraphrased below) are commonsense standards for any dog-friendly public place:

Keep dogs on leash wherever there is a leash law.

Make sure dogs are well-behaved and obedient to verbal commands before removing their leashes in official off-leash areas.

Always pay close attention to a dog that is off-leash.

Ask permission before allowing a dog to approach and visit with another dog or beachgoer.

Use poop bags to clean up and dispose of dog waste.

References

Sites such as DogFriendly.com are great resources for pet travel information around the world. For information specific to Huntington Dog Beach, visit DogBeach.org.

Lanora Schoeny Mueller, writer and photographer, Lanora S Mueller

Lanora Mueller - Lanora Mueller is a writer, photographer and blogger with a background in high-tech marketing communications and electronic publishing. ...