Dog Friendly Dublin

Things to do

Parks and Walks

Luckily Dublin has beaches that your dog will love. Portmarnack and Malahide beaches are good but there are some restrictions in the summer months. You can check out the info you need on the following website: ListofBeaches in Dublin

If you want to avoid the sand on the North side there is a nice walk way alone the sea wall where many people walk their dogs. For me it was an 'on lead walk' as there was lots of people running which my dog thinks is great fun...the runners however, do not. 

Pubs

I tried a few places but as yet have not been successful in finding a bar that lets me in with the dog!

Places to Eat

Not guaranteed but a possibility... Read my review on Clontarf Castle and see the lovely comment the manager made. 
There seems to be lots of places that let dogs sit on the terrace but that's not really practical for most of the year!

Doggy Day Care

http://www.positivedogtrainingdublin.com/ I can not recommend this place highly enough. It was a fantastic find. My dog sitter let me down at the last minute and so I called them at 7am in the morning and they took the dog for me. It was really cleaned and friendly and there were people in with the dogs doing activities with them. She was put in a holding pen while the dog trainer/psychologist assessed her (This is normally done pre going into the first session so try and plan ahead) before she was put in with the other dogs and she came out really ready for a sleep. I put her there the second day and she loved it. They said they might give her some time out if she gets too tired but there was no way they would have been able to pull her away from the game of doggy football she was paying when I picked her up. Wonderful! I didn't use it but you can get the Luas from just outside into the centre of Dublin. 

Accommodation

B & B 

Ferryview B&B - Great Location and it is nice for walking the dog on the street opposite. However, read my tripadvisor review and judge for yourself! Ferryview Trip Advisor Review I went here because it was close to my family but I don't think I would stay again. 

Brookville in Blackrock is a great option. http://www.brookvilleguesthouse.com/index.php We stayed here at the last minute as we had to make an unexpected stop in Dublin for a funeral. There were great and they provided a lovely bed and blanket for the dog. This is very handy for the doggy day care if you want to make a day of it and leave the dog to have some fun.

Jealous looking out the window

As usual I'm sitting at my office window and looking longingly and with a huge amount of jealously at the dog walkers. Their dogs are walking a few steps away from them having a sniff and a look around. 

We had a particularly difficult walk today. I let her off the lead and she was away. I stood in the street calling her back to me to no avail. I had recently been given the advice that I should go and get her and bring her by the scruff of her neck (it doesn't hurt) back to the spot I was. Once there I should get her to sit and give her a treat like she did it all on her own. 

Mmmmmm this may work if your dog doesn't run away every time you get close to her thinking you are playing a game. 

So today was a particularly long walk as I had to retrieve my retriever and then doubled back a number of times. The final straw came for both me and her when I called her and she didn't come back. We were a little later on our route than normal due to the recall difficulties and she was lured by the barking of the dog. She stepped onto their territory and got a very frosty reception with double the trouble and suddenly she couldn't come back to me quick enough. 

Back on the lead she walked along very nicely but I long for the day I can let her off the lead without a quickening of the heart rate and looking a complete idiot in the street calling a dog that takes no heed at all.