Samantha Motion: Restricting dogs on beaches gives everyone more freedom

Dogs on the beach have been a source of passionate debate. Photo / Getty Images

Summer's here and lots of us will be taking a break at the beach over the next few weeks.

Usually quiet stretches of sand will be packed with sandcastle builders, sunbathers, surfers, surf-casters, skiers, strollers and multitudes more.

Attempting to navigate all that will be people walking dogs.

The Bay of Plenty is a great place to live or holiday with a pooch. It's blessed with kilometres of ocean and lake shorelines, the vast majority dog-friendly.

But as the region's population grows, so does the tension between different beach users. This most recently hit the headlines in Tauranga last week, where calls for defined off- and on-leash hours sparked a lot of passionate debate from all sides of the argument.

Here's my hot take: Defined off-leash hours give dog owners more freedom, not less.

I used to love taking my pooch to the beach. I would leash her in crowded areas or when near children, leashed dogs and people who were obviously vulnerable.

But for other adults, I didn't worry so much. Off-leash dogs were common at the beach, I reasoned, so why would someone scared of dogs come down? There were on-leash or dog-free areas they could visit.

Plus, my dog's a snob - she might go check a person out but she won't get too close. She wants you to chase her, not the other way around.

As the population grew and the beach got busier, however, I saw more nervousness and hostility - on the sand and on local Facebook groups, where the subject of dogs on beaches was often debated.

Becoming more aware of how frightening some people found even friendly or far-off dog encounters, I regretted my earlier attitude. I knew she was friendly but strangers didn't.

The beach began feeling like a much less welcoming place for me and my four-legged buddy, however. She spent much more time on the lead than off as we tried to be more considerate.

Eventually, we just stopped going. What was the point if neither of us could really enjoy it?

On a dog holiday to Waiheke Island, I saw things could be different.

From December to February, most beaches on the island are dog-friendly from 5pm to 10am - the nicest hours to be on the beach if you ask me.

It was occasionally inconvenient but the window was generally big enough to work around tides and other activities.

Best of all, the beach felt so welcoming. There were lots of dogs around and people who didn't want to encounter them seemed to know to stay away. I still had to be aware of course, but I enjoyed the lack of dirty looks.

I have to imagine that, for people scared of dogs and parents with little kiddies and the like, the daytime hours were also a less anxious experience without dogs.

There were more restrictions but the net result for me was more freedom and better-quality beach experiences.

This is not an issue with an answer that will please everyone.

Defined off-leash hours for the busy season are, however, a fair compromise.