Everyone knows that a well-exercised dog is a far better choice than a hound with pent-up energy. This energy will make one insane in short order. While it is easy and very common in Cohasset to put the hound on a leash and do some sort of walk that involves a loop around all or part of Little Harbor. But sometimes the dog just needs to come off the leash and run, and run, and run. So maybe the scenic curves of Beach Street don’t lend themselves to this sort of off-the-leash exercise.
So what is a dog owner to do? Almost everywhere requires a dog to be on a leash. Well, I have my shortlist of places that are not as heavily trafficked where I can run my puppy to her heart’s content. And yes, I probably break the leash rules when nobody is looking. With that said, I don’t break the rules about cleaning up after my dog!
The by far and away most popular choice of where to run your dog is at Sandy Beach. The Sandy Beach Association has clear rules about leashes and cleaning up after your dog. Please follow them. I have found that early in the morning Sandy Beach can be a great place to run my dog. And often she finds a friend for a good tussle. This often leaves me with the much desired tired puppy. But here you need to be respectful of other people, their dogs, and little children. And please do not forget to clean up after your hound! Do note that dogs are not permitted at Sandy Beach from May 1 to October 1 from 8 AM to 8 PM.
The second most popular place to run your dog was Whitney Woods. This can leave lead you into Wampatuck State Park so if your up for getting out and expending energy, this is the place to go. But again you need to be aware of other people, their dogs, and little children. Keep your leash handy, and some treats so your dog will come when called.
The Whitney train spur is also a great place to run your dog. There is a litany of short loops off the trails where you are less likely to come across another party, and this makes for a nice dog run. Again, keep your leash handy, but know at the early hours, you may not need it. At midday on weekend, you won’t be able to get your puppy off the leash, it will be too crowded. This trail is made possible by the Trustees of The Reservations.
Lastly, the ever-popular Wheelwright Woods on North Main Street in Cohasset is a great place to run your dog. Again a place to be aware of the current coyote issue, not to the point where you need to avoid the park altogether. Recently the scouts of Troop 28 clearly marked the trails so walking has been made easier. This property abuts two other large tracks of land in town. One is Holly Hill Farm (my favorite place for fresh organic produce) and the other is a piece of land owned by the Scout Troop 28. As you make your way through the maze of trails here you will find you can go for a long walk or a short one. And since this is in the middle of town, it is easy to walk to and from you home.
Lastly, an oldie but a good one for our family. This is the Great Brewster Woods behind town hall. This is a nice loop and generally is not that crowded so the puppy can come off the leash. But do note, recently we have had some issues with the coyote population. Just keep your hound within sight and don’t go out at dusk. I love this loop and my hound does too. Thanks and credit for this fine trail have to go to The Cohasset Conservation Trust.
I could go on with this list for a good bit since I have left off Wampatuck State Park, and this clearly deserves mention in this post.
In the coming weeks, I will pen this same article for places to run your dog in Scituate and Hingham.