First, be considerate of your fellow beach goers. Many beaches do not allow dogs at all, or allow them only when kept on a leash, so be certain to check the signage before you venture onto the beach. Your fellow beach goers do not want to step in anything left behind by your dog, so try to get your dog to relieve himself before you get onto the beach. If your dog is like our Clancy, he has a "reserve tank" that seems to be specially designed for marking new territory. So keep on eye on your dog as you walk, and if he starts to exhibit the "pee" or "poop" postures, whisk him away from the main walking areas. Also, be sure to carry a few plastic bags with you, just in case of accidents. (We find that the produce bags from our local grocery store work great for poop scooping. Just use the bag as a "glove" that you turn inside out, tie up, and toss into a nearby garbage can.)
Next, be considerate of your dog's health while you are on the beach. Take a water bowl and fresh, cool water to keep your dog from becoming dehydrated. Make certain that you offer your dog frequent drinks of water to keep him cool and hydrated. The new sights and sounds of the beach may distract him, and you may have to draw his attention to the water bowl repeatedly before he drinks. Bringing a cooler with ice with you onto the beach is a good idea, Clancy likes to chew ice that we put into her water bowl.
If you are walking or playing in the surf, your dog may take a slurp of salt water. He won't like the salty taste, so he will probably not drink a large amount of salt water. If your dog does drink a large amount of salt water it can cause him to vomit, making him dehydrated.
Early signs of dehydration and heat stress are difficult to recognize in dogs. Redness of the gums, weakness, and non-stop panting are signs of severe heat stress. If your dog is panting so hard that he cannot stop to take a drink of water, this is a sign of severe heat stress. You will need to cool your dog down by immersing him in or pouring cool or tepid water over him and using a fan, if available. Do not immerse your dog in cold or ice water!
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