Small Slice of Paradise....

Cayte Turley in Bonita Beach, Florida

I LOVE THIS BEACH and so does my Dog. Thank you Lee County. There are not enough in the State. I have not had any Problems at all. The People are all nice and friendly and understand that Dogs will be Dogs...those of you who rated the Beach low are blaming that on Stupid Humans who don't know about Doggie Manners.. I have not run into one but I will gladly give Dog Training Tips. I Thank God for such a Beautiful Place where my dog can play, socialize and get exercise that she cannot in a small Condo. It has made her a Healthy Happy Well Adjusted Dog and I cannot praise Lee County enough. There is Wash Station/Water Norh of the Entrance and Poopie Pick Up Bags .. Grab it on your way in. Bring a Plastic Bowl and a Jug. Low Tide has more Room. My only Complaint is I wish the Park was Bigger. It is a ...."Small Slice of Paradise!!

SO GLAD our owners took us!!!

Jackie and Remy in North Augusta, SC

We are small dogs and luckily our owners have trained us to be with other dogs. (Remy - "I'm a little afraid of the big dogs, but I just run in the other direction") It was such a fun time. Running around with all the other dogs and meeting new humans. We want to go back again soon!!! **Note from humans: it was our first experience here and it seemed like everyone was friendly and happy. We did not have any problems with other dogs. Maybe it depends on who is there and when you go but we would definitely recommend it and can't wait to go back!!!

Small Menaces-Great Beach

Paige Cane in Charleston SC

No bad dogs just bad, impolite owners. This dog beach is one of the best in the US but the small dogs are an issue my Staffordshire Terrier /Boxer gets attached and often bitten by a little dog almost every time we go here because the owners don't take the time to train the poor dog because the dog is small enough to pick up! My dog is a sweet dog and puts her head down and never reacts however, if she did defend herself guess who would get all of the blame...not the small dog. Do your dogs a favor and teach them more than just where the dog-food bowl is.

One of the reasons we moved BACK!

VC in Cape

Great Dog Beach! No fences, No Leashes Fantastic place for dogs and great place for people . I think I is nicer than the "human" beaches! There would be no problem if everyone watched their own pets. Just like kids- you have to keep an eye on your small dog if there are bigger ones around!

Remember

Marianna in Naples

As you walk into the park...it reminds people... if you are not comfortable with your dog being off leash or with other off leash dogs...then this park is not for you. This is an off leash dog park...as stated as you walk into the park. It's rare to find a place like this...and so great to let dogs be dogs. :)

A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog!

Marianna in Naples

I just recently moved from New England to Naples...we've always lived along the beach and it was so great to go to the beach again with my Weimaraners...they had a blast... there were other dogs there that loved to play...they romped in the water and loved it... what a great time...and they are soooo tired now... perfection!

us navy

nathan in naples

If you go here you will be pleasantly surprised ir is a ton of fun for you and your dog. Dont pay attention to retards about there small dogs, if you choose to own a smaller breed you must watch them closer than large breeds. All dogs are good the owners are the problem not the dog.

AWESOME DOG PARK

MONSTER DOG in Estero

You should not blame other dogs for the actions of your own. Chances are your dog has not been socialized with others and this can be dangerous. I have been to this dog park and it is marvelously brilliant.

Great but watch out for

Hapa in Cape in Cape Coral

the woman fishing off the beach. With the current, our dog almost got caught in her line. She had an attitude as if we were bothering her. This is a dog beach! I wanted to go off on her but was unsure of the rules. I looked it up after coming home and found that fishing is not allowed in the doggie play areas. So in other words- go to one of the other hundreds of fishing beaches. Other than this, it is a great beach. Our dog had a great time tromping through the water and swimming until he was very ready to go home and sleepy bye. 90% of the people I met were super nice - as were their pets. I did see and notice a few who seemed to regard it as their beach. However, I would definitely go back.

Dog Fights?

Jim in St. Louis

I'm curious to know more about the dog fights, bites, "regulars" incidents? I hate hearing this, bec I'm always worried for my little french bulldog. And if people are starting fights and being threatining this needs to be addressed and as a retired police officer I have no problem flashing the badge and getting dirty. Maybe being a larger male most people don't "threaten me", but it needs to be a "Public Park" and people need to be allowed free access. I'm not sure if alcohol is allowed but that's never a good idea at a dog park. I myself am not a regular, but if my wife were to come back from the park with a story similar to the ones I've read, it won't go over well for the "regulars". Please email me, jameselmore@hotmail.com Thank you, and I am sorry to hear of the terrible instances.

Good Park, Keep an eye out

Jim in St. Louis

This park is a nice concept. Couple issues: 1) I was barefoot, cut my foot on something in the sand/mud and got a nasty infection. Not sure what it's from, but it took a few weeks to heal. 2) Like others have said, IMO you always need to have an eye out on your dogs, because not everyone cares about their dogs as much as those who review dog parks. I have a pitbull who can take care of her self, but my French Bulldog costs more then a mortgage, and can easily be bullied. 3) The tide schedule hampers how much time you can spend at this park, and then everyone goes at low tide and it can get crowded very quickly. 4) From where you park, to where the beach is, is a good hike, and you'll need to bring: shade umbrella, water, cooler, and everything else you would bring to the beach. On top of that manage your dogs on a leash. Because it's next to a fast moving road. All in all my dogs love the beach, if only they would understand that drinking salt water made them sick we'd go more. It's just a long haul with all the gear I need for my dogs. BRING PLEANTY OF WATER, it's hot. Oh yea, once again there are some GREAT people here. 1st time I went to this park I just stopped by, no water or gear, and a few people offered my dogs water and ice cubes. So in the midst of bad reviews, this park does have it's great points.

A Pleasant Surprise

Jackie and John and Brittany in Arcadia, Fl

We are constantly looking for places that are dog friendly. It is so hard to find a beach that is. We stumbled upon this beach, and were very impressed. Brittany (Boo) enjoyed it, although a little timid on her first trip, but we for sure will come back. Nice job LEE COUNTY....

GREAT PARK BUT BEWARE!!

Ana in Manchester NH

I gave this 4 bones for 2 reasons. first it is a WONDERFUL PARK!!! great dogs and great people. my dogs had a fantastic time! one reason I gave it only 4 stars is that there is no fresh water... not an issue for me since i always carry gallons with me for the dogs but given that the water is salt fresh water would be a nice ammenity. the other reason was that there were some careless owners but that's not the park's fault. that's the people's fault. UNFORTUNATELY I wasn't aware of the effects of even a TINY amount of salt water on my dog's GI system as they had never been to a beach during hte summer only winter months up north in NH so they hadn't ever gone IN the water. I did not let my dogs drink the salt water and did bring plenty of fresh water but just the salt on the sand in the beach area and the small amounts of water they ingested when fetching a ball that HAPPENED to land near the water or in the water caused severe diarrhea and vomiting in both of my dogs. was almost ready to visit a vet when it finally stopped. I did go to a local vet and was horrified that they offered me NO advice. I explained that I wasn't from around there and they said they gave no free advice... that I would need to book the dogs an appointment if I wanted to talk to any of them. needless to say... I went online and got all the info I needed. GREAT Park but if you aren't aware of how your dogs do with the salty water... be extra careful!!

Great Park - Great People

Tracy in Parkland

This was our first experience and our two labs had a great time - there were a lot of dogs, most were very well behaved and the owners were quick to control dogs. The people were very kind and allowed our dogs to share water as we did not bring enough. The drawbacks are: as high tide comes in, the sand bar loses a lot of space so it gets a little crowded and you have to basically wade in at high tide so bring you water shoes. We will defintely come back but with more water and some beach chairs so we can stay longer!

Great park, irresponsible owners

Jeanne in Fort Myers

I love the idea of this park. Most of the time, I have a great time. I have a Great Pyrenees (now ( months old). Pyrs notoriously like to roam so I always keep him on lead. Yes, I get a work out, but he usually has fun. The last few times, owners have allowed dogs to go the bathroom and not pick up there waste. My personal stuff has been peed on 4 different times. I dont blame anyone except irresonsible owners for this. However, today when I entered the park my big 9 month old was attacked by 4 bull dog type dogs. The owner was several yards away, smoking and drinking, my big baby was terrified. She came up yelling at me for having my dog on a leash (go figure). The thing is I went to a desserted part of the beach away from her and she and her sister, brought there dog right over to my area. People like this ruin it, I have met faulous people from all over the country at this park and some terrific four leggged friends too. Maybe the rules need to be enforced just a little bit more. If my Pyr was older and not a gentle giant it would have been a sad aending for little aggessive dogs.

First Time Trip

Ashley in Lake Placid, Florida

This was my first time ever taking my dog to a dog beach. It is a beautiful place and nicely secluded. However, I did not like how small the beach was. It seemed very cramed even though there where only maybe 10 owners with their dogs and family members. The sand was really mushy feeling while in the water and there was a stingray in the inlet. It will not be my first choice in the future.

use common sense

melissa in miami

both the both the good and bad reviews have some truth to them. i took my two dogs over memorial day weekend and it was crowded. it was a ton of fun however you have to use caution because there are huge dogs with inattentive owners. i had an issue with a dog going after my little shitzu twice. i made sure to stay clear of that dog and keep my little guy close to me at all times. this is not a bad place to take your pet but it can be dangerous as a lot of big dog fights break out, so use common sense and stay away from the trouble makers. i will take my dogs there again hopefully on a less packed weekend. One bone off for safety issues (mixes big and small dog breeds) and another bone off for no rinse station for the big sandy mess your dog will become. other then that 3 bones for fun, sun, and sand!

Ok, not the best.

Angie & Ruby (Doodle) in Naples

I have taken my dog to many dog beaches in Florida and while I am appreciative of a place to take my dog, it is not the best dog beach. The beach is basically a sandbar island and it depends on the tide on how big the actual space is. It can get very crowded, which is not something I really enjoy, personally. Also, there is no fresh water to give your dog to drink or a bathing station to rinse you or your dog. That is why I only gave it three bones. So far, I love the beaches over on east coast and down in the keys the best. I think I will venture a little father north next time and check those out.

DON'T BE LAZY!

CUPKATE in CAPE CORAL

PEOPLE PLEASE PICK-UP YOUR DOG POO! THEY PROVIDE FREE POOP BAGS. THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE UNBURIED POOP EVERYWHERE. OTHER THAN THAT IT'S AN EXCELLENT DOG BEACH :)

Different Experience

Jim in New Hope

Our Boston Terrier planted her feet in the sand when she took one look at the all of the big dogs running without leashes on the beach and in the water. We were just as aprehensive. It is a shame there is not a separate section for small dogs as they do in other dog parks. There were big dogs gallore, Dobermans, Shepherds, Labs, Collies, etc. Smaller dogs will be intimidated and ours wouldn't step foot and we ended up leaving and going to the regular beach up the road in Ft. Myers, just as nice but more relaxing, she doesn't mind her leash and she can sleep under the umbrella. If you have a big dog that is socialized, they should be fine here, but small dogs may be intimidated.

dog attack

LIsa DeVries in Naples

We have been to this dog park several times in the past and had a great time. Today was a different story - we have a Pomeranian who is very well socialized and has 2 big dogs at home in Maryland. Ted was busy playing fetch in the surf with his ball today, when a big dog ran over and bit down on him, pinning him under the surf. My husband had to punch the dog in the head several times in order to get him to release. The owner ran over and apologized, saying his dog wanted to ball. I can say with absolute certainty his dog wasn't trying to get the ball - he looked at Ted as if he was prey just before he went after him. This attack was not caused by our dog - he was totally oblivious to anything other than his own ball. Tonight he's at the ER animal hospital on oxygen, pain meds and monitoring due to bite wounds and crushing. Hopefully he will recover, but all dog owners should beware!

a

James in Indianapolis

After reading the reviews, I won't take my dog to this beach. I appreciate the efforts of everyone who took the time to send in a review. Dog fights are not a good thing. Maybe I need to take a stun gun in case. I guess it depends of what other dogs are there when your dog is there. An owner should be held accountable if their dog hurts another or a human.

Beware of the regulars

D in St. Louis

This is a nice little dog park. The regulars that congregate there every evening are not nice. They are too busy drinking and talking to eachother to monitor their dogs. I brought 2 large dogs and they were repeatedly attacked by the small dogs that were owned by these regulars. My one dog was bitten underneath her eye and had to get stitches. This cost me around $500. These regulars do not care, they are inebriated, and unwilling to keep their dogs away. I asked the one owner to keep his dog away and I was threatened by the owner and told to leave. The owner yelled obscenities and began walking towards me as if he was going to hurt me. One of the other regulars stopped him. This is not a safe environment to take your dog, small, medium, or large. Be careful. Sanibel, Jensen Beach, Ft. Myers, are all wonderful places and the dog owners are respectful and diligent.

Don't take your little dogs here.

Tobi in Naples

When we took our 22 dog to "the beach" a huge dog was allowed to maul it until I literally attacked the big dog. It's owner could not have cared less about his dog jumping mine or me jumping on his dog. About one month later a small dog was killed at this park by a big dog and NOTHING was done about it. In my opinion it is NOT a safe place for ANY dog.