A day of bathing and events awaited dogs and dog owners on Föveny Beach in Balatonfűzfő in the framework of FALKAstrand, organized officially for the first time this year. The temperature of the water was still around 20 degrees on Saturday, but traditional beach weather in mid-September was pretty unlikely. The organizers had come prepared with various programmes, so that going to the beach would not be all about sitting around in the grass – a very pleasant activity in its own right, mind you.
The opening and the subsequent dog beauty contest were followed by a less subjective event: the IQ test on the small podium was equally entertaining for pet-owner pairs and spectators, regardless of whether they ended up participating. The popular shell game was, for example, updated to a dog-friendly version by hiding a dog treat.
After making their dogs sit and watch, owners placed a treat under one of three plastic cups. A stopwatch was started and the pooches jumped to the task right away: some managed to snatch up the rewarding bites in under ten seconds, while others were so excited that even half a minute was not enough – the latter bunch could, of course, also devour their treats after the 30 seconds were up, just like those pups that found the tiny baits on their own and ate them up, tipping the cups over in the process.
Doggies were put to the test in four additional events: it turned out that the breed of a dog (or the breed of the parents in the case of mutts) and the purpose for which it was originally bred sometimes has nothing to do with how a particular dog handles any given situation in real life. A lot more depends on how much quality time owners devote to their pet.
We brought along Tesó (Buddy), the four-legged undercover journalist of We Love Balaton, who, by the way, has spent much of the summer at or near the Balaton. Tesó listed the unrestricted beach access, the colourful crowd and running around the beach with them until their tongues were hanging out as the most memorable moments of the day.
Making friends, frolicking on the beach and taking big plunges were just some of the options for the day. Visitors could also take part in a joint swimming race for pets and owners, watch a dog training demonstration, check out a fair and learn more about physiotherapy. We met several dogs that have lost a limb, but were perhaps more active and joyful than some of their four-legged friends. It was highlighted at many events of the day that with sufficient care and therapy injured dogs can be rehabilitated.
In cooperation with the municipality of Balatonfűzfő, the organizers of FALKAstrand are already planning next year’s event, which unfortunately can only take place before 1 May or after 31 August, as the grassy grounds hosting FALKAstrand are used as a beach during the summer season, and in line with the current rules all kinds of pets are banned from the area in this period.
Currently, there are only a few spots around Lake Balaton where dogs are allowed in the water. For example, at the Belső-tó in Tihany it is the owners that are banned from taking a dip, which makes many think twice about letting their dog swim in such a part of the lake. Alternative places for water-loving pups are to be found in Fonyód, Csopak, Balatonaliga. The Séd patak in Veszprém is also a great option if you want to venture into the water with your pet, but looking up a dog friendly hotel or camping can also save you the trouble of searching for hours for a secluded beach not yet taken over by anglers. A couple of freezing months have yet to pass until next summer, which the FALKAstrand crew are planning to zing up with an ad hoc ice skating gathering. The exact time and date of the event will be available on their Facebook page as soon as the ice on the Balaton becomes thick enough.
