Taking Dogs to a beach?

Took my dogs to Wakra Beach this am reasoning correctly that it would not be very crowded. Stopped about half a mile from the water and walked down to the sea and back, no problem. Police car pulled up about 20 meters in front of me and opened the window. Driver leaned over and said "here Lassie" to my alsatian. No problem there.

Have been warned off beach area near airport and at Lusail by someone driving a Natural Reserves car in the past but haven't seen anyone since then.

The problem here is non Muslims, it is a generalised fear among people in this area and India and elsewhere of dogs, who could carry rabies. This is almost an inborn reaction and hard to see what to do about it.

I took my dogs out past my Qatari neighbour's house some years ago, he was standing with his infant son at his gate; pointing to the dogs he spoke to the boy in Arabic and bent down, picked up a stone and showed the two year old how to throw it at the animals.

Obviously keep away from crowded areas where you may cause offence, keep the dog on a lead and you will have few problems. We all find our own spots where we can walk a dog safely, near the Khalifa stadium, between the Khalifa Tennis complex and the civil defence and the beach between Ras Abu Fontas power station and the new Airport are good as there are usually few people to object.

In the latter oplace Qataris used to exercise their salukis by getting them to follow their Cruisers and my dogs could join in (the saluki's anyway the others were more sensible again no offence was taken.

TRY SOME OF THESE PLACES

El Baz: I do not think that you are right at all....you can swim and play with a dog all day long. Dogs are very clean when taken care of by nice people. If they are abandoned and let to live a terrible existance like you see here in Qatar, then, of course they will be dusty and dirty,,,,and then it just takes a good bath.

You won't get any hassle in Zikreet, well worth a visit. Search QL for more details and pictures.

Don't be confrontational. I've been accosted by people driving by "scrubland" that obviously didn't belong to anybody, wasn't being used by anybody and he had no intention of actually getting out of his vehicle and walking around (except to yell at me) until he saw the dog.

Just say "sorry" get the dog on a leash and leave. You won't win any argument here. And better, he won't be there tomorrow if you decide to go again. Pick your battles. I have been aggressively chased by teenagers on motorbikes and quad bikes. My dog can outrun them. My story will be if the police show up is that they were harrassing me (white middleaged female) and my dog was being protective. (He only wants to run with them, but they don't know that). I'll take my chances if the police show up. Then again, I have some Qatari friends who might be willing to help me out.

You will not win in a "written" rules situation because there are none. Go when there are few or no other people. Know your animal (mine chases cars or people who are running - including joggers - again, he just wants to run with them, but they don't know that and he's not attractive for that reason in the west). I do not inflict my dog on other people either here or in North America.

Please pick up after your dog - I know there's a lot of human faeces around but you can pick up after your own dog.

yeah, this is a muslim country as you know, but for taking the dog to the beach this has nothing to do with the islamic culture but its an ethic issue as there's no harm if you were just walking on the beach as long as you will not let it in the water while ppl swimming, you can imagaine yourself talking a shower with your dog but you'll never force ppl to swim beside a dog

Am I Right?