Dogs at Salisbury Beach: April 1 to September 15 and the leash rule

DCR runs Salisbury Beach State Reservation on State Reservation Road in Salisbury, and its park page states the dog rule in two places. Under restrictions, it says no dogs or other pets, with the exception of service animals, are allowed on the beach from April 1 to September 15. In the overview, it says dogs must be leashed at all times when they are allowed on Salisbury Beach. The page lists the reservation's hours as sunrise to sunset.

DCR's guide to dogs in its parks fills in the details. In on-leash areas the leash may be no longer than ten feet, every dog must wear a collar with current license and rabies tags, and one person may bring no more than four dogs without a special permit. Dogs are kept out of DCR buildings, restrooms included, off DCR playgrounds and out of cabins and yurts. Salisbury's April 1 start matches the date DCR uses statewide for coastal beaches designated as priority nesting habitat for shorebirds.

The reservation is more than a beach. DCR lists 484 campsites for tents, trailers and RVs, two boat ramps on the Merrimack River, fishing, horseback riding, a boardwalk, a playground, a pavilion and an accessible nature center. The park page does not say whether dogs may stay at the campground, so call the reservation at (978) 462-4481 before you book a site with a dog. In any season, DCR's statewide guide keeps dogs off its playgrounds and out of its buildings.

Fishing and boating are listed activities, so watch for hooks, line and bait on the sand, and keep a scavenging dog's leash short. Horseback riding is listed too, which means a dog may meet a horse on the beach; DCR's etiquette asks that a dog, even a friendly one, not approach other dogs or people unless invited, and that it stay under effective control. In winter the beach is open and exposed, and the AVMA's cold-weather advice on paws and short coats applies on a windy January walk.

Salt water dries out a coat, and sand packs into feathering and between the toes. A bath and brush at Dogtown, 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, is a warm wash, a full blow-dry and a brush-out at $55, $65, $75, $85 or $95 by size, and nail clipping is $16. Since grooming needs no evaluation, the first bath can go straight into the Dogtown app or the online booking page.

Salisbury is outside the Pup Van towns of Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, so ask us about pick-up, and plan the bath for a day you are already near Cape Ann. Daycare at $42 a day and overnight stays at $78 a night begin with a free weekday evaluation between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current license.