If your four-legged friend could talk, he'd be telling you just how much he loves to get out, run a muck in the sun, feel his ears flapping in the breeze and socialise with other dogs. Luckily for animal lovers, Perth offers a fantastic range of dog-friendly reserves, beaches and cafes scattered across the city. Here are a few of my favourite dog spots, I look forward to hearing yours.
Bayswater Riverside Gardens in Bayswater (Milne and King William Streets) offers everything you need in an exercise area for your dog. This popular park for pooches features river frontage with picturesque views and a small beach for swimmers. With gazebos, barbeque facilities and playground; the riverside gardens are also a great family picnic spot.
Jorgensen Park in Kalamunda (Spring Road), is set on an old golf course so you get a great combination of open space for off-leash running with an abundance of trees and lots of different walking tracks to follow. This scenic park also offers a playground and barbeque facilities.
Peasholm Beach in Scarborough (West Coast Highway) is a long stretch of soft white sand, which is also a great swimming beach for dogs and people alike. In the summer months you can take advantage of the dog washing service so your pup gets in your car clean, dry and smelling fresh. This is definitely a worthwhile beach to visit if you are happy to endure quite a long walk over the dunes, which can be tiring on hot summer days. It is also a good idea to look at the alternative carparks further South as parking spots can be hard to find on busy days.
Vera View Beach is relatively short beach walk in North Cottesloe (Marine Parade) – though dog access is restricted during the warmer months (October to end of March) to before 10am and after 4pm. While the beach itself isn't the best around, it's in a great location and only a short walk up to the café strip. My favourite is Beaches café with a shady grassed area outside to sit on with your fury friend while you wait for your coffee.
One of my favourite off-leash lakes is
Gwelup Lake in Gwelup (Huntriss and North Beach Roads). It offers a few different walking trails, depending on how energetic you feel with a nice section through shrubbery and a boardwalk section with lookout. It also includes a large open area for throwing a ball.
Another popular spot for families with dogs is
Jackadder Lake in Woodlands (Birchwood and Rosewood Avenues) with a relatively short circuit. There is also a huge playground under shade sails there that the kids will love and with plenty of shade it's a great spot for picnics.
There are so many other great dog spots that I haven't been to and I invite you to tell me about your favourites in the comments section below. It's fun to explore Perth with your dog so pick an afternoon and go somewhere new, they will love you for it.
