What makes the perfect dog-friendly holiday home?

Hi,

We're in the process of buying a holiday home in Cornwall and are hoping to make it as attractive as possible to fellow dog owners/walkers. We'd really value your opinions/experiences on what makes the perfect dog-friendly accommodation.

E.g. What do you look for when choosing a holiday home for yourself and dogs? What facilities would you expect to find in a 'dog-friendly' cottage? Are there any special touches that you have appreciated in the past? Anything we should avoid like the plague?

We have two collie crosses ourselves and will also have grandkids coming to stay on a regular basis so have chosen somewhere that has good potential to be pet and child friendly (it has an enclosed garden, walks from the back door and a utility room with stable door into the dining room/kitchen area).

We will be really interested to also hear about your experiences, thoughts and recommendations on how we can make it the perfect haven for dog owners

Many thanks!

a very secure garden and good access to walks without needing to drive, which it sounds like this place has!

You could maybe look at providing a lead/some bowls/poo bags as these are things that i'm sure people have at one point forgotten when going on holiday!

First thing that sprang to my mind was secure perimeter fencing or walling - so that they cannot rush out to the street or into the road if you open the door without thinking.

Obvious one - no white carpets lol!

Real wood flooring (not laminate!) and no carpets either.

Agree with secure garden and access to good walks without having to drive.

Provide a few crates - they are bulky to pack when your car is full of holiday stuff already

One that does not stipulate 'no dogs upstairs'
I felt rather cheated this year, we booked a cottage in Staithes, on the particulars page it described the attic bedroom as having a window that 'dogs loved to watch the world go by from' yet when we arrive we were faced with the 'no dogs upstairs' rule, work that one out!

I understand cottage owners not wanting dogs on the beds or furniture, but as long as the rooms are given a good vacuum before guests leave then I don't know why so many object to them sleeping on the bedroom floor?

Absolutely the number one priority is secure, new, strong, well maintained fencing. Can you imagine the agony if a loved family pet escaped the first or second day of a holiday.

You don't know the area
You don't know any neighbours
Your dog doesn't know all the smells that usually guide him home
There might be dog thieves operating in the area

It doesn't bare thinking about, and no matter how good you think the fences are now (if it was me) I would budget for having someone go round and repair all the weak spots even if it's relatively new there will be places a dog could get through believe me (We have two big dogs and one of them when younger was an escape artist, I just could not believe the size of gap she could get through )

And if you still need convincing that this is the No.1 priority think about what a client who rents your place might do in the way of legal action if the fence is (To use the modern jargon) 'Not fit for purpose'

I know we have not yet reached the American sue anybody for anything mentality but IMO we are not far off it, it wouldn't be nice for you would it

You took the very words out of my mouth Azz - that is my number one want - no carpets!! I don't mind laminate, but stone, slate, tiles or hardwood flooring are all great.

Second choice would be a vacuum cleaner, preferably a Dyson. The cottage we stayed in last January in Devon had no vacuum, carpets and no stiff brush. I did my best to clean up all the undercoat fluff but it was impossible just with a very soft hand brush and dustpan.

Third choice would be access to good walks.

Fourth choice a washing machine and tumble dryer. My boys are extremely large and will their heavy coats can get extremely muddy or sandy, so I bring lots of old towels to rub them down with and protect the floors.

A separate deep freeze is very important to us as my boys are raw fed.

Hope this helps!

Sensible stipulations about the number and size of dogs allowed to stay. So many places seem to only allow one dog or two small dogs, and many dog owners have more than one dog that can't be classed as "small".

As above, expecially re number/size of dogs, cleaning, washing maching, secure garden/yard, also:

Good local information re: local vets, dog friendly places to visit, kennels, beach info (if appropriate), pet shops (for those forgotton items) - either web print outs, business cards, leaflets etc

Maybe a stash of old/dog towels?

Local road map to find all the dog friendly places!