Cottesloe Dog Beach: South Cottesloe and Grant Street Rules

Cottesloe dog beaches at a glance

Sources: the Town of Cottesloe dog beaches page and Designated Areas for Dogs list, read on 7 November 2026. Council contact: (08) 9285 5000. On-site signs always win.

Are dogs allowed on Cottesloe Beach?

Not on the main beach. The Town of Cottesloe's designated areas list ends with a short list of places where dogs are prohibited, and one line covers the whole coast: “a public beach not being a beach listed” as a dog exercise area. Only two beaches are listed, the Southern Dog Beach and the Northern Dog Beach. The famous main beach, the one the Town calls “Cott,” with the Norfolk Island pines and the Indiana building, is neither.

On the ground, the line to remember is the groyne at Beach Street. The Town's designation starts the Southern Dog Beach at the north side of that groyne. North of it is the main swimming beach and dogs are not allowed on the sand. South of it is the dog beach. If you are walking along Marine Parade with your dog on a lead, keep going south to the groyne before you head down to the water.

The Town also installs a shark barrier off the main beach between October and April each year, which tells you how busy that beach is with swimmers in summer. It is a people beach. Your dog's beach is a few minutes' walk south.

South Cottesloe dog beach

The Town of Cottesloe's dog beaches page describes South Cottesloe as “one of Perth's favourite swimming and surfing spots” that “also welcomes four-legged friends,” and places the dog beach “within the small groyne at Beach Street all the way to Mosman Beach.” The formal designation says the same in survey language: the public beach south of the north side of the Beach Street groyne, down to the southern boundary of the Town.

The Town publishes no hours or seasonal limits for South Cottesloe, checked November 2026. That makes it the Cottesloe dog beach to use on a summer day, when Grant Street is closed to dogs from 10am to 4pm.

The Town's South Cottesloe Beach page calls it “often a quieter option south of Cottesloe Beach, where children can play on the playground and dogs can roam,” with reefs along the shoreline that make it a good spot to snorkel, swim, picnic or watch the sunset. Note the playground: the Town's dog exercise areas do not apply to land set apart as a children's playground, or to car parks. Keep your dog on a lead and away from the play area.

The Town's designation also switches the dog exercise area off for “an area being used for sporting or other activities, as permitted by the local government, during the times of such use.” If a permitted event or carnival has taken over part of the beach, treat that part as off limits until it finishes.

Grant Street Beach and its summer daytime ban

The Town's second dog beach is “located at the end of North Cottesloe Beach.” Its designation calls it the Northern Dog Beach and runs it north to the Town's northern boundary. Most people know it as Grant Street Beach, the name the Town uses on its dog beaches page.

The ban comes straight from the Town's dog beaches page: dogs “are not allowed on the beach between October to March from 10am to 4pm.” The Town's older designated areas document, dated 2019, does not mention the time window, so treat the web page and the signs on the beach as the current rule.

The Town also warns that “this area contains rocks and reef, so keep an eye on your dog in the water.” That is the main character of Grant Street for a dog: interesting rock pools and reef to explore, and a reason to keep a careful eye on paws and on a dog that swims out.

A grassy plan B in summer. If you arrive during the 10am to 4pm ban, the Town's Grant Marine Park page lists an “off-lead dog area at the back of the park,” on the corner of Grant Street and Marine Parade. Grant Marine Park is also on the Town's list of dog exercise reserves. The park has a children's playground on the Marine Parade side, which is not part of any dog area, and no public toilets; the Town points to the facilities at North Cottesloe beach as the closest.

North Cottesloe: only the northern end is for dogs

“North Cottesloe dog beach” is a common search, and the honest answer is that only the far end of North Cottesloe is a dog beach. The Town's North Cottesloe Beach page describes the beach as popular for swimming, sunbathing and coastal walks, and known for its surfing, with North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club patrolling on weekends and public holidays from October to April. Around the surf club the beach is not designated for dogs, so it falls under the Town's dog prohibition.

Walk north to the Grant Street end before you unclip, and check the time on a summer day. The signs at the beach access paths show where the dog section begins.

Getting there and parking

• Grant Street Beach. The Town's Grant Marine Park page lists a car park on Grant Street and parking along Marine Parade, described as “free, timed and untimed” when we checked in November 2026. It adds that parking is not permitted on a continuous yellow line. Read the time limit on the sign where you park.
• South Cottesloe. We found no Town page naming a car park for the South Cottesloe dog beach. Use legal street or council parking near Beach Street and Marine Parade, and check the signs, since rules vary by street.
• Lead on from the car. The Town says dogs must be on a lead at all times in public places except in a designated off-lead dog exercise area, and its designation says car parks are not part of the dog areas.
• Public transport. The Town's dog beach pages do not give a public transport route, so we do not suggest one. Plan your own route before you go.

The rules on the day

• Effective control at all times. The Town's dog exercise area page says owners must have their dogs under effective control at all times, an obligation under the Dog Act 1976, and that failing to do so can result in a $200 infringement for the person in control of the dog (checked November 2026).
• Carry a lead, even off-lead. Under section 32 of the Dog Act 1976, a dog in a dog exercise area must be held, tethered, or supervised by a competent person close by who is carrying a lead and can attach it.
• Respect the Grant Street window. No dogs from 10am to 4pm, October to March. Set a phone reminder if you like a late-morning walk.
• Stay off the main beach. Any Cottesloe public beach not designated for dogs is dog prohibited.
• Keep clear of playgrounds and events. The dog areas do not apply to children's playgrounds, car parks, or areas in use for permitted sport or events.
• Pick up every time. Bring your own bags. If you carry on into Mosman Beach, the Town of Mosman Park lists a $250 penalty for failing to collect droppings (checked November 2026).
• Registration and tag. Your dog must be registered with your council and wear its tag. Our Perth dog registration guide covers how it works.

Safety: heat, reef, snakes and surf

Hot sand is the main summer risk. Perth summers bring long runs of mid-30s to 40 degree days, and dry sand on the walk down can burn paw pads. Use the back-of-your-hand test: if you cannot hold your hand on it, it is too hot for paws. The Grant Street daytime ban happens to steer you towards cooler hours, and the same timing is kind to paws at South Cottesloe. Carry fresh water and a bowl, and never leave a dog in a parked car. Heatstroke is an emergency, so get to a vet immediately.

Reef and rocks. Both Cottesloe dog beaches have reef in the water, and the Town specifically flags rocks and reef at Grant Street. Reef can graze paws and pads, and a dog that swims over it can struggle to climb out. Pick a sandy entry point, keep swims short, and check paws afterwards.

Snakes in the dunes. The Town of Cottesloe's snake advice says snakes emerge to bask during spring and summer, and asks people to keep pets away, since dogs may be curious or aggressive towards them. If you see a snake in a park or reserve, the Town asks you to phone its Rangers on 9285 5000. Keep your dog on the open sand, not in the dune scrub.

Surf. The Town describes North Cottesloe as known for its surfing, particularly in summer when swells are more consistent. Keep a dog out of the water on rough days, and never swim out after a dog in big surf; call it, move along the beach and let it come in on a wave.

Ticks are a low risk here. Paralysis ticks are not established in WA, so Perth beaches do not carry the tick risk of the east coast. Ask your vet about prevention if you are taking your dog east.

Know your emergency vet. Perth's 24/7 hospitals include Animal Emergency Service (formerly Perth Vet Emergency) at Cannington and Osborne Park, The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University and WAVES at Success. Save one in your phone before a summer trip.

The long walk south: Cottesloe to Leighton

South Cottesloe is the start of one of the best dog walks on Perth's coast, because three councils' dog areas join end to end. From the Beach Street groyne, the South Cottesloe dog beach runs to the Town boundary. There it meets Mosman Beach, which the Town of Mosman Park describes as a 600 metre stretch and a designated dog exercise area, shown on its map as off the lead at all times. Mosman Beach then meets the northern tip of Leighton, where the City of Fremantle makes the northernmost 209 metres a dog exercise area.

The walk ends at that Leighton line. South of it, Leighton and Port Beach are dog prohibited. Mosman Park is replanting its dunes, so keep your dog off any fenced or revegetated dune area along the way, and remember that each council can set its own rules, so read the signs as you cross each boundary.

Nearby dog beaches

For every beach from Two Rocks to Coogee, including Peasholm in Scarborough, the Trigg dog section and Hillarys, see our full Perth dog beaches guide.

Is Cottesloe right for a newly adopted rescue dog?

South Cottesloe can be a good place to build up to, but usually not in the first few weeks. It is unfenced, it ends at a groyne with a busy dog prohibited swimming beach on the other side, and the reef in the water can unsettle a dog that has never swum. A dog that has just changed homes does not know its name well yet and may bolt if a wave or a bigger dog startles it.

• Read the adoption notes. Some rescues say a dog is not suited to off-lead areas or to mixing with unknown dogs. Follow that advice; the foster carer has watched the dog for weeks.
• Use the long walk on a lead first. The joined-up stretch from South Cottesloe to Leighton is a great on-lead sniff walk for a new dog, with plenty to smell and no pressure to perform.
• Then try a long line. A quiet weekday morning, a long line clipped to a harness, and short recall games with treats. Let the dog meet the water at a sandy spot, away from the reef.
• Check the microchip and tag. Make sure the chip and council registration carry your name and number before the first off-lead run.
• Leave on a high note. Fifteen good minutes beats an hour that ends in a scuffle.

Many of the dogs we list from Perth rescues are adults living in foster homes, so the carer can often tell you before you adopt whether a dog loves the water, comes back when called, or would rather stay on the lead. That is worth asking about if a beach is part of your weekend. Our best dog rescues in Perth guide is a good place to start.

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