where to take dog swimming - not a dog park?

jennyk213 · July 2011

We have our foster dog. He's a gigantic, dopey, goofy black lab with maybe some great dane mixed in. So far so good with the dogs being together. I think. It seems like they're trying to work out who can be close to me.

Anyway, apparently foster dog likes to swim and so does my dog. I'm looking for recommendations for a lake where they can play in the water with the foster dog on a very long lead. I'm not comfortable with him being off leash yet so I think that rules out dog parks, right? We'll drive a couple hours and wouldn't mind doing some hiking, too. Any suggestions?

mrsdawnmarie · July 2011

I don't know, but I was on my way here to ask almost the same question. (Minus the hiking and the foster, just for our own dogs.)

jennyk213 · July 2011

So I've done a bunch of searching and I think there might be a dog beach at White Bear Lake but everything I'm seeing is 2 or 3 year old so I don't know if it's still there.

It looks like Minnesota Point/ Park Point in Duluth allows dogs on the beach. It's 5 miles of sandy beach on the other side of the lift bride.

I know Lebanon Hills has a bunch of lakes. Other than the human swimming beach, I've never seen any signs prohibiting dogs from going into the water. I haven't been there for a few years though.

Other than that, I'm not coming up with much. Maybe dogs can swim in lakes at state parks - or at least lakes that don't have human beaches.

ilovebijou · July 2011

I think dogs can swim in Lake George near St. Francis. I also remember my friend taking her dog to a lake right off of 694 on the north maybe in the New Brighton area? Hope you find something.

nicole0066 · July 2011

I think there's a dog area around Minihaha Falls that's on the water. We take our dogs swimming at *** Lake (north of the twin cities). We have a boat that we bring out and then beach on a sandbar that's away from where the other boats ski/tube. The dogs can swim without us worrying about cars and/or other boats whizzing by. We've gone to other lakes around the area, but many of them are getting more busy every year.

annieh2 · July 2011

We let our dog swim at Gray's Bay dam on Lake Minnetonka. She'll swim on both the lake side and the Minnehaha Creek side this year since the water levels are high. The creek side would be great for a pup on a long lead. I'm not sure how legal it is, but we've never been stopped and there are no signs prohibiting it. Info here http://www.eminnetonka.com/public_works/parks_trails/parks/minnehaha_creek_headwaters.cfm

If you go there, you would need to be careful of people fishing.

megandscott07 · July 2011

The dog beach still exists at White Bear Lake, at least last time I was there (last October.)

jennyk213 · August 2011

Thanks for all these ideas!

Megandscott - where was the dog beach at White Bear Lake? From what I'm seeing online, it was at Matoska Park and then maybe moved near a boat launch. Would it be okay to keep the dog on a long leash there? Thanks!

KatesTyger · August 2011

We take our lab to the dog beach at White Bear Lake all the time! I'm not sure if it's an official dog beach, but we're not the only people with dogs there, so it must be okay. Smile

The beach we go to is Ramsey County Beach (also the public boat launch) off Hwy 96 east of Hwy 61 in WBL. The water level is so low there that you have to walk out a bit to reach the water, but there's plenty of shore line and having the dog on a long lead would work great. Have fun!

where to take dog swimming - not a dog park?

Re: where to take dog swimming - not a dog park?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards