Walks on the beach with their canine companion is something that many dog walkers look forward to, especially with the arrival of warmer weather.
While the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions mean if you live more than a stone's throw from the coast beaches are off limits, from Friday seasonal bans come into force at many locations meaning even locals with dogs are forbidden.
Here, we look at where you can take your four-legged friend and stay on the right side of the rules.
North Tyneside
From Friday dogs have been banned from Whitley Bay south beach, Cullercoats Bay, King Edward's Bay and the southern end of Tynemouth Long Sands.
As it stands, these restrictions won't be lifted until September 30.
Signs warn off dog walkers while the council says that anybody who flouts them would be "breaking the law" - and could face prosecution.
The measures are typically needed because, normally, the beaches would be full of families and sun-seekers.
However, hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for these restrictions to be ignored while lockdown is in effect
They argue keeping the order in place is "shortsighted" and that in the current climate of once-a-day exercise and social distancing, the closures make little sense.
They have been backed up by Conservative leader Judith Wallace, who wrote to Mayor Norma Redfearn calling for the restrictions to be pushed back until June.
But the ban is part of current legislation so changing it would be a "complex" process.
Phil Scott, North Tyneside Council head of Environment, Housing and Leisure, said:“After full and careful consideration, taking into the account the views of all beach users, the council has made the decision not to remove the seasonal dog ban during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“The existing legislation provides areas of beach for both dog walkers and other users to enjoy. Removing the ban would require changes to an existing Public Space Protection Order, which would be a very lengthy and complex process, involving a public consultation.
“We would risk losing our prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, which are hard-earned symbols of excellence for our beautiful beaches and the borough.
“We were also concerned that making changes now would create confusion for the public at a time when clarity about the rules has never been more important.
“Open spaces and parks across the borough continue to be accessible for local dog walkers and other users.
“We have contacted the petitioners to let them know our reasons for making this decision.”
Dogs can still be walked on the section of Whitley Bay beach north of Panama Gardens and at the northern end of Tynemouth Longsands, towards Cullercoats.
South Tyneside
In South Tyneside dogs are banned from Sandhaven beach until the end of September.
A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said there is still plenty of places for dog walkers, with pooches still allowed on the neighbouring Littlehaven Beach and Marsden Beach throughout the year.
“While we accept there are less people visiting our beaches due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have no current plans to relax the Public Space Protection Orders that prohibit dogs on Sandhaven at certain times over the summer," they said.
“The restrictions also support Government advice for people to exercise close to home as well as efforts to limit the number of people visiting the coast.
“The summer dog ban at Sandhaven is well established and acknowledged by the vast majority of local dog owners.
“There are still plenty of adequate areas and open spaces where owners can exercise their dogs safely and responsibly.
“However, we would advise owners to keep their dogs on leads at this time to help adhere to social distancing rules and reduce the risk of injuries to dogs and subsequent visits to the vet.”
Northumberland
Two of Northumberland's beaches are off-limits for canines as a seasonal ban kicked in from Friday.
Until September 30 dogs are banned from the beach at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
This covers the section of beach extending from the breakwater at Church Point to the access from the promenade beside Sidney Crescent.
Dogs are also barred from Blyth South Beach from the access at Beachway to the southern end of the Links Road car park.
Sunderland
The summer dog ban was set to start on Roker and Seaburn beaches from Friday, but to help with social distancing this has been pushed back.
A spokesman for Sunderland Council said: "To assist with social distancing, there are no dog restrictions on the city’s beaches for the month of May."
Durham
Dogs can be walked on any of Durham County Council's beaches after a bid to implement a summer dog ban in Seaham was knocked back in April.
The request came after ongoing issues of dog fouling on beaches in the area, with summer bans on the Slope beach and Seaham Hall beach were debated by the town council.
But angry dog walkers launched an online petition against the proposals, with business owners also expressing concerns it could have a negative impact on their trade.
Durham County Council decided not to go ahead with any restrictions meaning that dog walkers have the run of the area's beaches such as Seaham Hall, Dalton Burn and Featherbed Rocks.
At the time the authority said: “After careful consideration, the county council has chosen not to pursue this at the current time.”
