In early morning, canines of every make and model can be seen romping happily on the sugar-soft sand that graces a beach set just below the ninth hole at world renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links. Carmel Beach is one of few beaches in this part of the state where it’s legal for your dog to run free, and DogTrekkers come from all over the country to take advantage of the privilege.  The mile-long strand is within walking distance of the romantic village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of the most architecturally unique and dog-friendly towns in America. Photo: "Hope The Beach Dog" - Phil King (CC)

DogTrekkers craving the beach are in luck when it comes to visiting Monterey Bay. Leashed canines are allowed on four state beaches here, all of them gorgeous. Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove is accessible from the Coastal Recreation Trail that wraps much of the peninsula. Carmel River Beach, while often windy, is a picture-perfect crescent of blue. Garrapata State Beach is the haunt of artists who often set up easels here, while Monterey State Beach is frequented by families and visitors staying in adjacent hotels. At this beach, leashed dogs are allowed from Wharf No. 2 to Seaside State Beach, which is open to humans only.

This broad, sandy beach at the base of a bluff south of Santa Cruz stretches for about a mile and features wide-open views, picnic areas, campground, interpretive center, fishing pier and, curiously, the hull of a concrete freighter built in 1910 for use in World War I but never launched. In 1929, the ship was towed to its present location and used for two seasons as an amusement center with heated swimming pool, café, dance floor and concessions. The venture failed, the ship was stripped and has sat there, stirring imaginations, ever since. Dogs are allowed on the beach but must be leashed.

This scenic slice of San Mateo coastline three miles south of Pescadero is composed of two accessible dents of waterfront — Bean Hollow and Pebble Beaches—connected by a mile-long nature trail along the coast. The Bean Hollow area includes two sheltered, sandy coves separated by a rocky point, while the Pebble Beach area encompasses tide pools and a shoreline composed of colorful, watertossed pebbles. Swimming is dangerous here, but leashed dogs are welcome and the scenery is hard to beat. Photo:Dave Kendrick

This dog-friendly coastal community in San Mateo County is part resort, part classic California surf town. Visitors with dogs can access the ocean at several points, including Blufftop Beach at the end of Poplar Street; Surfer’s Beach at Highway 1 and Coronado; and Montara State Beach eight miles north of town. Dog walking doesn’t get more scenic than along the Coastside Trail, which stretches five miles from Pillar Point Harbor to Poplar Avenue. The newly inaugurated Cowell-Purisima Trail adds more options for scenic strolls along three miles of coastline south of town.

The City by the Bay has numerous options for waterfront fun with your dog, chief among them Crissy Field and Fort Funston, both part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service. Crissy Field, a former military air installation, affords romping canines  and their humans splendid views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands and the city skyline. Fort Funston, a former military outpost on the city’s southwest side, is a spacious area of dunes, trails and shoreline where dogs on leash or under strict voice control share the territory with hang gliders, equestrians, birdwatchers, hikers and families. Some call this the best off-leash area in the state. We call it doggie heaven! In both areas, well behaved dogs are allowed on the beach except where signed as restricted. The park service is reviewing its dog management plan and considering a substantial reduction in acreage open to canines, so enjoy this rare urban freedom while you can.

If you’re a dog, you can thank your lucky stars for the opportunity to live in or visit Marin County, where dog-friendly open space abounds. In the beach department, leash-optional Muir Beach, Rodeo Beach, Bolinas Beach and Dillon Beach are tail-wagger faves. But for sheer scope of views, sense of remoteness and tingle of history (Sir Francis Drake slept here), Point Reyes National Seashore takes top bone. Dogs are required to be leashed on two-mile-long Limantour Beach and on more remote Kehoe Beach, which requires a half-mile hike-in over a series of sand dunes.

There are many places to chase waves with your pooch along the gorgeous Mendocino coastline. Most enforce a six-foot leash policy, but at Noyo Beach near Fort Bragg, it’s legal to unclip Fido from his noose and watch him romp free. For an experience you won’t forget, rent a canoe especially designed for dogs from Catch A Canoe adjacent to the dog-passionate Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino. You’ll paddle on the Big River Estuary, part of Big River State Park, which also boasts a dog-friendly beach. Photo:Dave Kendrick

A wealth of beaches where canines are allowed to run free within the wave slope make the Humboldt shore one of the most dog-friendly coastal areas in California. A favorite with locals  is Clam Beach in McKinleyville, the perfect end point for a hike along the five-mile  Hammond Coastal Trail, voted in a recent newspaper poll as best place to hike in Humboldt County. North of Arcata,  Highway 101 hugs the continent’s edge all the way to Trinidad, where dog-friendly Moonstone Beach offers gorgeous vistas of rugged headlands and rocky coves. Photo: Alsye and Remi (CC)

Since its founding in 2003, NorCal Aussie Rescue has found loving, forever homes for over 1,000 purebred Australian Shepherds of all ages. The rescue's hillside sanctuary in Grass Valley offers a haven for as many as 30 dogs at a time. As for the reasons these very popular dogs end up in rescue? 

"Everyone seems to think Aussies are adorable and smart," says founder Kim Kuenlen, "but not everyone is up for the task of caring for a smart and energetic Aussie! That's partially why there are so many abandoned Aussies in shelters. Additionally, people often find that their Aussie is intolerant of their young children, or guards their children from others. And last, people are still losing their homes and jobs and need to give up their pets."

Kim adds, "Thanks to the generous support from donors, we will take any Aussie at any age, as long as it's adoptable. We take extremely good care of our dogs and make sure they go into their new homes with a clean bill of health, including clean teeth!"

Currently looking for a home is 12-month-old Milo, who came into rescue from a Bay Area shelter and, says Kim, is "goofy, sweet and wants to play with other playful dogs."

Photo Credits:

"Hope The Beach Dog" - Phil King
"Kayla Scores on Carmel Beach","Seacliff Sign", "Pups at Bean Hollow","Attentive Dune Dog","Dog at Noyo Beach" - Dave Kendrick, DogTrekker
"Humboldt Shore" - Alyse & Remi (CC)
"Milo" - NorCal Aussie Rescue