Altona Dog Beach. Bounded by Altona Coastal Park, Altona Road and Altona Workers Club. Check tidal conditions, best at low tide.
Location
More Information
For additional information please visit the Hobsons Bay City Council website.
Note: While Doggo aims to provide the most up-to-date information, councils and/or park authorities may change their regulations regarding dog exercise areas at any time. We suggest checking with the relevant park management for the latest information.
44 Comments
Altona Dog Beach is absolutelty fantastic for you and your dog. Before you know it you have spent hours there. Bring your dog old or young, fantastic place for my puppy to socialize and play in the water, and no one will get annoyed by her playfulness. Highly recommended
The Altona Dog Beach has been a fabulous outlet for myself and 2 rescue dogs for nearly six years. This Summer however has changed all that. The Kite Borders have moved in and are giving private lessons on the public beach. My dog chases the Kites (border collie kelpie) and it has made it impossible for me to use the beach while the kite borders are there, which is every day this Summer.
The Altona Foreshore on the Geelong side has been overrun with them, all of them in breach of laws governing their proximity to beach and speeds traveled, however a blind eye is turned to it.
The Dog Beach is at risk of becoming another playground for “persons” with their go fast toys, destroying which was once a tranquil and peaceful area, interfering with bird life and tearing past dogs and people at dangerously high speeds. Why can’t we have a little space with no contraptions clogging them up.
Please sign our petition to stop the Kite Borders ruining this sanctuary:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-altona-dog-beach.html
I noticed you’ve said your dogs are rescue dogs… who do they rescue?
she rescued the dogs from the pound… thats what a rescue dog is…
A rescue dog, more properly known as a search and rescue (SAR) dog, is a dog trained to find people who are lost or trapped under debris. Rescue dogs and their handlers can be found working all over the world, in a wide range of environments from collapsed buildings to avalanche sites.
That’s what a rescue dog is….
You don’t rescue dogs from pounds…. the dogs have passed a behaviour test and are put up for adoption to go to a home….. if one person doesn’t adopt the dog then someone else will….. the ones that are going to be put to sleep are actually put to sleep…. you can’t rescue those ones…. they are not suitable to go to homes with families…. So what did she rescue the dog from? Weird
Way to miss a point Joanne.
Ummmm Joanne, just because you haven’t heard the term used to describe DOGS RESCUED FROM A SHELTER/POUND, being referred to as “Rescue Dogs” doesn’t make it wrong, nor does it entitle you to get on your high horse regarding the correct use of the term. The post is about the beach, regardless of whether the dog rescues someone, was recused from something or just loves being a dog. It’s an allocated area for dogs to enjoy the beach off the lead. That’s the point…..
“destroying which was once a tranquil and peaceful area, interfering with bird life”.
That’s probebly what they said before people with dogs took over that part of the beach.
If anything is interfering with the wildlife, it would be the dogs on the beach.
It sounds like you cant crontrol your dogs while off their lead, which would suggest you shouldn’t take you dogs to the beach. Isn’t that what the rule is, if you cant control your dog they shouldn’t be off their lead.
I come from a place called Somers on the Mornington Peninsula, right by the water we lived. It was a beautiful beach that I used walk along most days. That was until they made it a dog beach. Since that time I have been bitten twice and now dont step foot down there.
Just because it’s a designated place you can take your dog doesn’t meen it’s exclusively yours.
I’m sure there were alot of people that enjoyed that beach before dogs were alowed to run around leash free.
I am a dog owner.
Dogs are a very good judge of character, that’s probably why you’ve sustained a couple of bites.
There are so few dog beaches and plenty, PLENTY, of beaches where people can go if they don’t want to be bothered by dogs.
I say don’t let the kite boarders ruin your dogs fun, it’s stupid to kite board at a dog beach.
I pity your dog!
Keep some thing for our four leged friends we humans have
Taken over everything they need somewhere where they
Can run around and have fun
Tracey Fregon says it all. The kiteboarders have no respect for other people or animals in their vicinity. They have the whole bay to play in. Why do they need to sail/skim/surf between children, dogs and their owners. If a ‘school’ gets set up there, that will mean we will have even less experienced kiteboarders slaloming their way past our beloved, and licensed pets.
I must disagree with this statement at it is a blanket statement that DOES NOT cover all people who enjoy the water sport of kite boarding. This statement is no different to saying that dog owners are irresponsible because I saw a story about a dog attack.
Do not paint all people with the same brush because there may be one or some who are inconsiderate. I for one support making our beaches accesible to all. Rather than getting angry, perhaps you could positively put forward your concerns.
I agree with all the comments and have personally had a couple of run ins with kite surfers on land and in the water. At the beach while my dog was retreving her ball a kite surfer past extremely close to her then moments later the same guy cut between myself and my dog (the gap between us was only about 3meters). Then at the off lead park opposite the Kooringal Golf Course I had a guy abuse me telling to to keep my dogs under control and to keep them away from him and his EXSPENSIVE kite. They were only sniffing around because the kite was on the ground and no long terrifying to them when the guy hit one of my dogs over the nose. He was extremely rude and aggorgant acting like he owned the park and the dogs didn’t have a right to run around, play and get their exercise.
Tracy, I have started a facebook site to support this horrible take over! I also signed your petition. If you want to get petitions in shops and such I am willing to help.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/170885263014227/?profile_pic_upload=1&success=1#!/groups/170885263014227/
Hi Tracey
As a long time user of the beaches, there are a couple of things to consider:
1. As a dog owner, you are responsible for your dogs behavior. If your dog causes damage to 3rd party property, you are still responsible for it. There are no exclusions for this, be it kites, or someone kicking around a footy ball that your dog happens to chase. The difference here is this equipment is expensive, maybe $1000+ so its likely the owner is trying to prevent damage if your dog bites it. Someone in the council would easily argue that kids have been flying kites on the beaches for many years and it’s the owner’s responsibility to control their dog. I believe it would be extremely difficult to get a ban on flying kites which children have been doing for many years. Water use is a different topic which I’ll cover later.
2. Having a dog beach does not exclude other beach users from using that beach. A dog beach is exactly that, a beach where dogs are allowed, not a beach where other users are not allowed. There are a number of beach users who may have been using that beach long before you started walking your dog there. Again, some residents have lived in this area for more than 10 years and are just as entitled to use the area as anyone else, for whatever purposes they want (fishing, canoeing, flying kites etc)
3. Any actions (private lessons) would need to be sanctioned by the council. If the person is question is teaching any form of lesson (aerobics, fitness, kiting), chances are they have prior approval from the council. If they don’t, they are not allowed to be there and you can have them removed. If they are, you’re going to have a problem.
4. The actions of one kite person should not tarnish everyone. You would do well to remember that dog owners are just as guilty. I’m pretty sure you would have seen dog owners who haven’t cleaned up after their dogs at the beach and I’m sure you wouldn’t want dogs banned because of the actions of one or two selfish (or arrogant) individuals. Ive actually seen a dog urinate on a persons back sitting on the beach before. Any water users (I would believe these kites would be classes as a type of boat in the same way a windsurfer may) are subject to bay water laws which restrict how close they come to people in the water. If this person came within 3 meters it’s clear that they are not adhering to water laws and I would call the water police to deal with this. It’s the same as the jetski’s menace we have to listen to in summer. Jetski’s can come to shore but they have to be riding slowly. The likelihood of getting a petition through is low but the water police (coast guard?) have to respond to complaints about behavior and that would give you the upper hand. The next time you see it, report it, police come down and deal with it, person gets fined, bad behavior unlikely to continue or the person won’t come back again.
1. My dog isn’t interested in eating kites.
2. Then why am I excluded from the beach while the kiteboarders are there?
3. As I understand there is no license to conduct lessons on the dog beach.
4. Leave it as it is and I guarantee you that within 5 years there will be hundreds of kiteboarders on the “public beach” excluding, children, people, many other members of the public. Hell lets just have jets skies, kite boarders, why not have a car race on the sand.
I’m not saying you’re excluded, I’m just saying they are not excluded. I’m also not proposing leaving it as is. In fact, the exact opposite. I’m saying if you see someone behaving like an idiot close to shore, report it to the right authorities and end it now. If there are people having in a responsible fashion, leave them alone.
If someone hoons in the street, do you take up a petition to have hoons banned or call the cops to deal with them? A petition could take months, a call to the cops deals with it immediately and ensures they won’t be back doing the same thing again. Find out who is the correct person to lodge a complaint to (same people who deal with jet ski’s) and report any such behaviour to them immediately. The cops will come down and deal with it and the offender hopefully won’t come back.
Tracey doesn’t get it..
Well, what a stupid idea
I nearly got hit by one about 4 weeks ago
I was chatting to a fantastic older italian man about why they were tjere and then the jerk came straight for us with not a care in the world
Come on guys, you have one beach leave the dogs have theirs
Bugger off tad bagers
Well, what a stupid idea
I nearly got hit by one about 4 weeks ago
I was chatting to a fantastic older italian man about why they were tjere and then the jerk came straight for us with not a care in the world
Come on guys, you have one beach leave the dogs have theirs
Bugger off tea bagers
it’s a shame the kite surfers are taking over – however, this is life….
I’ll tell you what I can’t stand about dog beaches and off lead parks etc… is that people believe that just because their dog is allowed to be off the lead, the dog can do whatever it likes, such as run up to other dogs and run up to people and jump on kids etc… The law states that while the dog is off the lead it must be “under effective control” however people just don’t make any effort to understand the true meaning of “under effective control”. It means you need to be able to ensure your dog does not worry another animal or person in any way, whether it be running up to them, barking at them, chasing their dogs or jumping up on people….. And, if you are unable to effectively control your dog in this manner – then either put the dog on a lead or get away from the area. These places are places where dogs are allowed to be, NOT where people are not allowed to be. Understand the laws and know your obligations in these situations. The people have the rights, not the dogs.
I understand what your saying, but lets be realistic if you go to one of these places you should be prepared that a dog will run up to your dog, as most people take their dogs to these places to socialize with other dogs!
Though they still should have their dogs under control but I don’t think that means not socializing with the other dogs, most people assume if the other person has taken their dog to an off leash dog park then it would be fine socializing/playing with other dogs.
I agree with being able to stop them jumping up on kids though and being able to call the dog away.
Was considering taking my dog here next weekend, but after seeing all the stuff about the kite boarders, I think not. My dog would be freaked out by them.
Went to the down to the beach today with a friend who has a american staffy, along with her baby. The weather was a bit of a downer but that didn’t stop my friends dog having a blast playing in the water and chasing crabs. Not local to the area but so worth the trip; we’re going to try another park in the other direction tomorrow, 2 thumbs up for Burns Reserve (Altona Dog Beach)!!
i think i will take my dog down there to try it out, with or without the kite boarders
Went down to the beach for the first time today and it was great. I saw no kiteboarders, so I don’t know what all the fuss is about. It’s a lovely beach and has a surrounding well maintained grassy area that my dog loved. Defintely recommended!
This is absolutely absurd. If you are on the dog beach be prepared to see dogs running, jumping, barking and playing. Do you think we all go there, let our dogs off their leashes and make them sit next to us the whole time? If a kite surfer wants to surf on a designated dog beach he has to accept responsibility for a dog chasing his kite. It’s like if I took my dog to an oval where a football game was being played and cracked it because the football game was ruining my dogs chance to run on the oval. Where is the common sense? Kite surf where dogs aren’t allowed to be. I don’t take my dog to st Kilda beach. People are idiots.
I think all dogs should wear little license plates front and rear before being admitted entry to a dog beach so that they can be identified after destroying a kite.
That is just a silly thing to say!
That is like saying children should have licence plates on them, so we can identify them!
Maybe your kite board should be licenced and registred (with your suggestion of plates) like the dogs, so that the people being harased can identify your kite.
Problem is to many people. Replace 3/4 of population with dogs.
Oh come on, its seriously not that bad.
Its a great beach and I think most of the people and dogs there are all good value.
The kite surfers are not there too often, due to the changing winds and most of the time they stick to the furtherest end, away from most of the dogs. I have found the majority of them to be quite respectful. There are always going to be those few, but that is the same with everything.
HOWEVER, I do have an issue with people’s preciousness when it comes to dogs! Dogs will be dogs, just like kids will be kids and adults will be adults. You can never expect your child, dog, or spouse to be under your full control. Dogs will misbehave, even those who seem to be perfect 99% of the time. All dogs are different in personality and social skills and will react differently in different situations. I think the general rule should be that owners do their best to ensure good behaviour, and correct the bad. People also need to realise that this is sometimes harder with some dogs than others.
Dogs natuarally participate in rough play, chase things and get cheeky. Nine times out of ten, most dogs sort things out amonst each other and its all forgotten.
One of my gripes are with people who bring dogs on lead, to off lead areas and the dog is clearly quite aggressive or “has issues” and they expect every one to leave them alone. Or better still they bring an anxious dogs to the park who runs away from all the dogs and naturally all the dogs want to chase them. OR the owners who have cranky, snarling dogs, who are off lead, and shout at warn you to call your dogs away from theirs!!! (who are just coming up for a friendly hello, like with all other dogs) What the?? These owners are always the ones who become very hostile/ angry or anxious with everyone else and fail to see it is actually their dog with the problem and a trait they need to fix within their dog. You cant just erradicate dog instincts. People need to look at themselve and their own dogs behaviour, rather than blaming everyone and everything else. Same as with people who bring children to off lead dog areas. Never assume or expect that dogs will not jump up or give your kids a big lick. Some dogs are well socialised with children and others aren’t. Some dogs cannot distinguish that they are little people, rather than another animal they need to dominate. You are the one at fault for bringing them into that environment and need to be aware of how a dog might respond. Like someone said above, there are few off lead areas for dogs, so if you dont like it, then dont be there. You need to work on prevention rather than reaction.
I think it is fair enough to assume that dogs off lead will not be aggressive and you can feel assured that one wont attack you. I have been to many parks and beaches over the years and never felt threatened by a dog off lead. Their owners on the other hand are a different story.
Dogs will get into fisty cuffs sometimes, even some of the ones you wouldnt expect, this happens and most of the time, no one is hurt. The key is to remain calm, intervene early and move along. The best thing is to read the body language of the dogs before hand and try and intervene if necessary before something happens.
Dogs are wonderful creatures and full of life and good times. Give them some freedom to just be and acknowledge they all have their good and bad points.
You need to toughen up Melbourne, Dogs are rarely the problem, its usually their owners and people who have a limited understanding about dogs.
hear hear,, WELL SAID NADJA. I agree totally with you.
Cheers to this! Couldn’t have said it any better myself Nadja!!
How great is this dog beach? took our 3 down there and they had a ball…
Personally, I don’t think you can teach your dogs the difference bwteeen baby and dog toys because to him, toys are toys and they look the same. I would just keep the baby toys in one area and the dog toys in another. It may settle a little confusion. Sooner or later the dog will catch on: my toys are over here and the baby is over there playing with hers . Any time you see him trying to play with the baby’s toys, correct him. Hope i helped atleast a little. Also, you may want to let the dog/baby play at the same time but in different areas. This way the dog won’t take the baby’s toys and vise versa.
Yay Altona Dog Beach!
I usually walk my dog through the cemetery and being a Labrador she loves jumping in all the lakes.I took my dog to Altona dog beach for the first time with my 8 yr old daughter. I was pleased to see that all the dog owners were responsible and the people that weren’t to sure about their dogs kept them on the lead. We all had a fantastic time interacting with all the dogs – we will definitely come back again!
Hi all, can you let me if there are issues with snakes here? I have two very adventurous and inquisitive Labradors …….
my wife and l have wanted too take our dog to altona dog beach even if we have too keep him on a leash but after seeing all the comments and arguements of who has rights and who doesnt l dont think l would bother takeing our dog too enjoy the water which he would adore its a shame that there are so many peple who just want control of the beach adn who should or shouldnt use it…. why cant people just ggrow up and share it its there for everyone whether you have dogs or not get over it
I’m confused. Dogs have been prohibited from Altona Beach between morning and 9.30pm right? all these comments about how much fun the dogs are having.. when did people take their dogs?/ I hate that i cant take my doggie even for a short little run.. due to this ban
There is a section next to the Altona workers club that is leash free at all times. It’s great
Years ago the dog beach was up there other end of Altkna Apex park. Horses use to use it as well. The sewage pipes are down that end and the beach use to get smelly. Then people hot upset because the horse and dog owners use to move down a bit to get out of the smell. So the coucil kicked the horses and dogs out of there and made the boat ramp end dog friendly but not for horses so much. Not sure how it looks there now but if kite surfers have moved in and setting up schools etc the dog friendly beach will not last.
Today I took my little man to Burns Reserve Beach for the first time WOW! how amazing , he had a ball Met some lovely owners and dogs . We will certainly be back
Well I’ll be taking my 11 week old golden retriever there late this afternoon for the 1st time. Hope he enjoys it!