Thanks to Iain Dangerfield at Dogs Invited for this weeks blog entry. He and his family like me, prefer to take their dogs on holiday with them. Their website is a good port of call for finding Dog friendly accommodation.
Dog Friendly Holiday Accommodation in the UK and Europe
About 10 years ago, as owners of 4 dogs, we were faced with the annual problem again……where can we go on holiday and take our dogs with us?
We disliked the expensive and unsettling option of putting the dogs in kennels for a week so we needed to search out hotels or cottages that would allow us to bring our dogs with us to share our holiday. Let’s be honest when you go on holiday to somewhere like the Lake District with its fantastic variety of walks, it seems only natural to take your dogs with you!
10 years ago finding holiday establishments that were dog friendly was very much a hit and miss affair, often brochures didn’t mention whether it was or wasn’t possible to take your dog with you and it also felt slightly uncomfortable at times asking that seemingly ‘dirty’ question….”are you dog friendly”?
The responses we had from holiday property owners ranged vastly including:
- “Of course you can, they’re welcome to sleep in the car”!
- “No problem, the more the merrier, we’ve got dogs and prefer them to people”!
With the hit and miss responses we had from holiday property owners we thought there had to be a better and easier way to do this, so we set up Dogs Invited as a website resource for dog owners that would allow them to quickly and easily search out dog friendly holiday accommodation where both them and their dogs would be welcome.
From humble beginnings, Dogs Invited has grown and grown and over 10 years has become a favourite with thousands of dog owners.
It is true that the level of ‘dog friendliness’ will vary from establishment to establishment and we do stress that owners should always check that their chosen property meets with their requirements. Only allowing a dog to sleep outside in the car is not a dog friendly property, however it is not unreasonable for dogs to have limited access to certain areas of establishments eg dining rooms and not to be allowed on the furniture.
Thankfully over the last 10 years, the number of holiday establishments that welcome dogs has increased significantly and Dogs Invited now has Cottages, Hotels, B&B, Guest Houses and Camp Sites offering this facility.
It’s not just dog owners going away for a week in Cornwall that use Dogs Invited, every year owners of show dogs and trial dogs use the website to source dog friendly accommodation near the show or trial eg Crufts
Some of the holiday property owners who advertise on Dogs Invited have really entered into the spirit of welcoming dogs to their property and supply water and feed bowls and even some freebie treats for your four legged friend.
Now for the somewhat ironic part of this blog. Since we bought our farm we no longer have the time or the ability to go away on holiday ourselves with our dogs and enjoy all the dog friendly properties we have sourced, but hopefully you will continue to enjoy them and Dogs Invited has made finding your ideal dog friendly holiday accommodation that bit easier!!
For your convenience I’ve listed links to some of the more popular areas:
Happy Dog Holidays
My bipeds always feel they have to say how large I am!