What makes a great dog friendly destination?

a not-entirely-agreed-upon definitive guide

What makes a great dog friendly destination? As you can imagine, it’s a question that we get asked a lot. It’s a question that we ask ourselves a lot too. And the answer’s not as easy as you might think – we asked Instagram too and the contrasting opinions were almost funny … dogs allowed on beds or dogs should not be allowed on beds definitely divides the dog owning community.

What we’ve realised is that, much like humans, what makes a great destination for one, doesn’t quite suit another. Throw into the mix that there are often multiple wants and needs to cater for – for big, small and furry travellers – there’s no concise or definitive list that we can produce in order to tick off each requirement and say that yes, this is the ultimate dog friendly destination that every single dog and their accompanying humans will wholeheartedly adore.

When we write up each destination, we try to offer as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision as to whether a property is for you and your four-legged friend or not, keeping in mind that some people want to stay somewhere lovely and are overjoyed that they can simply take their canine companion with them, whereas others book holidays with their four-legged friend at the heart of them … and want the works!

We asked for feedback from our audience of discerning dog owners and the same things came up time and time again, although sometimes contradictory with half saying it was important and the remainder disagreeing … good job we feature lots of different types of places, right? So, this is as close as we could get to semi-accurate list of what makes a great dog friendly destination – in no particular order.

1. Bowls, towels & blankets (and a bed for pampered pooches)

We don’t really want to pack plates and bedding for ourselves unless going camping, so in an ideal world, we wouldn’t have to for our four-legged friends either. If we know that a holiday cottage or hotel has two bowls, a towel and a blanket per dog waiting for us, we can tick that task off our list and free up much-needed boot space for for our best furry friend to travel in comfort. A dog bed is also a lovely touch for those who like to curl up comfortably.

2. Treats & a toy

Dog treats and a toy always go down … well … a treat. They’re a really simple way to make four-legged guests feel special, and also to reassure their humans that dogs really are welcomed. Plus, having something to distract our pets for a few minutes while we frantically unpack or get our bearings is so appreciated.

4. Dogs allowed a little bit of freedom within the property

While some dog owners choose destinations based on their dogs having complete freedom to explore a cottage or hotel and to sit on sofas and sleep on their parents’ beds, having some rules doesn’t put them off. If you’re a property owner and prefer that dogs stay out of bedrooms, that’s fine. If you’re a hotel manager and want to keep one restaurant a dog-free zone, also fine. As long as our dogs can be with us for the majority of our stay and don’t need to be unnecessary contained to a single room or left out of family adventures, we’ll have happy hounds.

6. Local ID tags

We have a couple of properties who offer local ID tags for dogs to use during their stay. It’s not something that many dog owners have mentioned to us as being on their list of requirements but we think it’s such a thoughtful touch and something we’d love more places to consider investing in.

8. Muddy paws wash & dog friendly toiletries

A few of our properties have a muddy paws washer along with grooming products to keep pets spick and span during their stay. This is so helpful, especially for pooches that are partial to a roll in the sea, sand or mud … or occasionally all three. While not an expected feature, it certainly shows that canine guests are cared about, and it also helps pet parents to feel less anxious when heading home from day trips with slightly less than sparkling dogs.