The Best Places to Walk Dogs in Cape Town - Part 1

These are my two dogs. They take their walks very seriously and I am always on the lookout for interesting new places to walk them. The big one on the left is TheMaxx (named after my favourite comic book character); the one on the right is Trousers (I have no idea why we decided to call her that).

Pitiless reviewers of dog friendly spots all over southern Africa.

As a 100% Dog Person, I make it my mission to ensure that these guys have at least one good, off-the-leash walk/run per day. Living in Cape Town makes that pretty easy because there are so many excellent spots here. My dogs are a handful though, and we have had many an altercation with other dog owners, so I prefer the more peaceful places, where I don't have to bump into too many other people.

TheMaxx, 9 weeks old, contemplating his first poop on the beach.

Maxx is a delightful mix of Rottie, Chow and Alsatian. I got him from a TEARS volunteer when he was 8 weeks old. He's a great guy; peaceful and playful. He is really good with other dogs, except for Alsatians, and male dogs that try to rape him.

He does bark at vagrant men though, something I never taught him. I have no idea where he picked this up, but he does it every time. If I see one heading for us, I have to leash him up. TheMaxx's favourite game: chasing Trousers.

Trousers, the greatest mystery the world has never known

Only the Good Lord knows what went into Trousers' gene structure. We are fairly certain that she has some Staffie, some terrier, some jackal and a bit of goat. She is indiscriminately loving of all humans, but can be iffy with other dogs.

Her favourite game is to run, like a bullet, at dogs she sees on the horizon, bark in their ear, and run away. This, as I'm sure you can imagine, can be awkward. BUT if she has a rock or a pinecone between her teeth, she is blind to the presence of other dogs.

We took her from TEARS when she was already fully grown, and she has a history that we will never understand.

This week, I will be sharing my dogs' opinion of Sunset Beach. This spot is about 14 kms out of Cape Town, just off the R27, before you hit the Blowfish restaurant. As the name suggests, it is an ideal spot for watching the sun go down, and it also has that postcard view of Table Mountain. In the winter months it's even better because as you walk your hounds you can watch the whales living it up. The smug bastards.

View to the left

View to the right.

Why do my dogs like this beach? I'll tell you why:

1. Loooooong, uninterrupted stretches of firm sand for running on.
2. Lots of smooth pebbles for chasing.
3. Easy gradient into the water. The dogs can walk out for 20 meters in some places and still feel their feet on the ground.
4. Nice tall dunes - perfect for throwing tennis balls down.
5. Seaweed for chewing.

I like it because the walk is so beautiful. You can mosey on for hours, or just sit in the dunes. Depending on the time of day, day of the week and weather, there can be very few other people on the beach. This is a bonus because I can leave the pooches off their leashes and If someone is around, I can see them coming. I also like it because the dogs really get to stretch their legs. 

One problem I have with this walk is that most of my unpleasant encounters with other dog owners have been on this stretch beach. In none of the other places that we walk have I met such uptight people - that's why I avoid busy times and weekends. I believe that dogs pick up on their owners vibes, and if dogs are meeting each other for the fist time on neutral territory, stiff legged circling and butt-sniffing is to be expected. When owners get anxious and shouty these innocuous greetings can turn into fights.

When other dog owners freak out, their dogs freak out, and then mine do too. Unfortunately on this beach, people freak out. 

Does this look like the face of danger?

I remember once, seeing a perky gal approaching me as I walked my dogs with a friend and her dog. The bouyant lass was wearing a skin tight white top, without a bra, so we could both see her wall-eyed nerples which were obviously the result of an iffy boob op. She had a cute bull terrier on one of those long retractable leashes. Our three were off their leashes and went to say hi to the dog. The gal nearly had a fit, she screamed at us to put our dogs on leashes as they surrounded her and her pooch. Poor thing, it must have been an intimidating sight for her. Fortunately no harm was done, and the bull terrier was reluctant to leave his new friends, but the gal hauled him off with her.

Why I mention this: I never forgot her nips, just wanted to share, and now when I see a dog on a leash, I leash mine up so as not to cause the delicate human who is approaching to have an aneurism.

Drama Dog

I didn't really mean for this post to be a tirade about other dog owners. I get that no one wants their dogs to scuffle. If you have dogs though, and you walk them, I am sure that you long for peaceful walks as much as I do. It's approaching 4pm now, the universal time when mutts start stretching out of their nooks around the garden/house and come find you to remind you that it is Dog 'o Clock. I am powerless to resist.

Don't forget your poo bags.