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Common questions
The short answers on beach dog rules. For a particular beach, its own page has the detail.
How do I know if my dog is allowed today?
Every beach page shows a clear answer for today, worked out from today's date in UK time and that beach's rules. It also shows the rules month by month, so you can plan ahead.
When do beach dog bans start and end?
Most Dorset beach bans run from 1 May to 30 September. A few beaches use different dates, so check the beach's own page. Outside those dates most beaches are open to dogs again.
Where do the rules come from?
Councils set beach dog rules in legal orders called Public Spaces Protection Orders. Each beach page links to the council's own rules and shows the date we last checked them. Landowners such as the National Trust sometimes add their own requests, and we say so where they do.
What happens if I take my dog on a beach during a ban?
The council can give you a fixed penalty notice. In Dorset Council's area that is £100 fixed penalty (£75 if paid within 14 days). Other councils set their own amounts.
Do the rules apply to assistance dogs?
Council dog orders usually exempt assistance dogs. The exact wording varies, so check the council's order, which is linked from each beach page.
Are dogs allowed everywhere in winter?
Most beaches with a summer ban are open to dogs in winter, but some ask for leads all year, and promenades, piers and footpaths often have their own lead rules. Each beach page says what applies.
What if the sign on the beach says something different?
Follow the sign. Councils can change their rules, and the signs on the day are what count. Please email heydoggie@canmydogcome.co.uk so we can check it and update the page.
Which areas do you cover?
Dorset is first. We are adding areas one at a time, and only once we have checked every beach against the council's own rules.
Is this an official council website?
No. Can My Dog Come? is an independent guide run by The Contract Studio UK Ltd. It is free general information to help you plan, and the council's own rules always take priority.
Still not sure?
Email heydoggie@canmydogcome.co.uk. We can't give advice on a particular situation, but we will check anything that looks wrong on the site.