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Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, lets dogs and their owners enjoy sun, sand and sea together. It's also great place to meet other dogs.

Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, lets dogs and their owners enjoy sun, sand and sea together. It's also great place to meet other dogs. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, lets dogs and their owners enjoy sun, sand and sea together. It's also great place to meet other dogs.

Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, lets dogs and their owners enjoy sun, sand and sea together. It's also great place to meet other dogs. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Dogs at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, are treated as guests, not pests. Here, a little white dog snoozes in the shade of an umbrella.

Dogs at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, are treated as guests, not pests. Here, a little white dog snoozes in the shade of an umbrella. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Desi, a miniature poodle, relaxes on his chair at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy.

Desi, a miniature poodle, relaxes on his chair at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

The seaside resort of Jesolo, Italy, is packed with hotels and restaurants and 9 miles of beach. One of them, Bau Bau Beach, caters to dogs and their owners.

The seaside resort of Jesolo, Italy, is packed with hotels and restaurants and 9 miles of beach. One of them, Bau Bau Beach, caters to dogs and their owners. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

After a day at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, dogs take a shower.

After a day at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, dogs take a shower. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Bau Bau Beach patrons take their Weimaraners for a stroll in the sea. The beach in Jesolo, Italy, requires that dogs be leashed.

Bau Bau Beach patrons take their Weimaraners for a stroll in the sea. The beach in Jesolo, Italy, requires that dogs be leashed. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

At Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, greyhounds, poodles and mixed breeds all get along.

At Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, greyhounds, poodles and mixed breeds all get along. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, caters to canines and their owners. Beach entry price is variable. Here, a white dog's owner has sprung for the premium front row of chairs.

Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy, caters to canines and their owners. Beach entry price is variable. Here, a white dog's owner has sprung for the premium front row of chairs. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Desi, a miniature poodle,fetches a stick at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy.

Desi, a miniature poodle,fetches a stick at Bau Bau Beach in Jesolo, Italy. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes)

Desi is not welcome at a lot of Italian beaches. And despite poodle propaganda, he’s no water dog. Standoffish after being forced into a brief swim in the Ligurian Sea, my pet was downright surly at Lake Garda. Beach vacations were problematic.

But the 9-mile-long seaside resort of Jesolo contains a full-amenity beach — with showers, restrooms, rows of umbrellas and chairs and nearby snack bars — that caters to pet owners and their canine companions.

At Bau Bau Beach, dogs and their owners can swim together in the warm Adriatic Sea, where the average temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 12 degrees warmer than Lake Garda, 6 degrees warmer than the Ligurian Sea and a lot more comfortable for small dogs prone to hypothermia.

People and their dogs can sun together, each in his or her provided chair at Bau Bau Beach; one of them can read a book. They can have a beer or a nice bowl of water. They can play fetch until exhaustion sets in, then shower off the sand. They can mingle with like-minded individuals in a place where sniffing is not only tolerated but encouraged.

Who’s a good boy? Almost all of the dogs on days I visited the beach were well-behaved and friendly, though a few seemed a bit territorial around their chairs and umbrellas. But leashes are required on land, and there were no aggressive incidents at all. According to the rules, prolonged barking or “excessively lively behavior” can result in expulsion.

Desi loved it. He didn’t swim with me. But he did chase sticks tossed into the surf for hours, even when they were tossed far enough out to force him to dog-paddle.

montgomery.nancy@stripes.com Twitter:@montgomerynance

DIRECTIONS: Address: Via Vittorio Veneto, Lido di Jesolo, Venice 30016, Italy. From Vicenza, the trip is about 90 minutes on the A4 and E70.TIMES: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. dailyCOSTS: High-season prices (June 1 to Aug. 31) start at 12 euros ($14) and top out at 32 euros, depending on day of the week, whether it’s a holiday, row proximity to the sea, and whether you use umbrellas and lounges.FOOD: Hotel restaurants and snack bars line the beach.INFORMATION: Website: baubaubeachjesolo.it, phone: (+39) 348-5517714 Tip: Bring documentation for up-to-date vaccines, a leash and a muzzle (which does not have to be on the dog).

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