In the first of her new monthly column, dog-friendly travel author Lottie Gross says we need to be respectful when we’re travelling with our dogs.
Going on holiday with your dog is always a little bit of a risk. Not because it’s dangerous. Not because it’s impossible. But because you never really know what you’re walking into.
We’ve all had the experience of arriving at our holiday cottage or hotel only to find that their version of dog-friendly doesn’t entirely add up. Unrealistic rules around where dogs can and cannot go or where they can and cannot relieve themselves in the garden can turn a relaxing holiday into a constant battle with your beloved pet because they don’t understand these new boundaries that aren’t usually in place at home.
It was in a hotel in Sherborne in 2019 where I had my first tricky experience: upon check-in, I was handed a list of ‘doggy rules’ that included no dogs on the furniture even when I am not in the room with him (not entirely sure how I was supposed to enforce that one from afar) and a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards barking (dogs are animals, it’s in their nature, so zero tolerance simply cannot work). And it was in London where I checked into a hotel that enforced a no-dogs rule in the dining areas at breakfast, but also refused to let me leave the dog in the room. Their solution to this predicament was room service, for which I’d have to pay a £20 tray charge – frankly, ludicrous.
This is why I started writing dog-friendly travel guides. I’ve been a travel writer and author working for guidebook publishers, national newspapers and international magazines since 2013, but in 2019 when I started travelling with my first dog Milo, I realised there was a dearth of reliable guides out there for people like me. In 2022, my first book – Dog-Friendly Weekends: 50 Breaks in Britain for You and Your Dog – was published and now, four years later, I’m the author of five travel guides on the UK, Europe, the Cotswolds and Scotland.
I’ve been travelling almost constantly for the last four years with my second dog, Arty, a Manchester Terrier who’s a sensitive soul with a little fear reactivity and a healthy suspicion of strangers, and together we’ve experienced everything from cottages so dog-friendly he’s allowed to sleep on the bed to hotels that have better offerings for pets than for humans. But in all of our travels, I’ve learned two very important lessons. The first is that ‘dog-friendly’ means different things to different people, because we and our dogs all have different needs, and those who make the rules have different preferences and expectations.
The second is that travelling with my dog is a privilege, not a right, and we as dog owners need to respect those rules so we can keep doing what we love. I am not against all the restrictions placed on dogs in public places – I think having dog-free dining areas is important for those who are allergic or fearful of dogs, and I understand that many accommodation owners can’t afford to be replacing bedding every other week when muddy paws make a mess on the sheets.
This is why my books – and this very website – exist: so fellow dog lovers can understand those rules before they book, so we never need to arrive and discover it’s a ‘no dogs on the sofa’ kind of cottage, or a glamping hut with a field of sheep on the other side of a three-foot fence. When we’re armed with all the details, we can make the best decisions about where to book – and there are plenty of places across the UK and Europe that offer varying levels of dog-friendly to suit all of us. So the question is, where’s next? I’m off to Ireland!
What’s news in the dog travel world?
Down Hall Hotel & Spa, on the Essex and Hertfordshire border, is hosting Doggy Yoga Retreats for the second year running. Think downward dog but with extra face licks – running 10th–11th July and 14th–15th August 2026 from £225 per person (based on two sharing). Up in Yorkshire, the dog lovers of Catgill Farm have upgraded one of their glamping pods to include a dog bunk, complete with Ivy & Duke dog bed and treat station. They also have a dedicated dog walking field for morning trots.
In other news, Tavo, the company that creates in-car pet safety crates and carriers, launched a new boot-based crate for larger dogs in Goodwoof earlier this year. The Everett is suitable for dogs up to 45kg (100lbs) and will cost around £800, but as I know all too well myself after a car crash in February, pet safety in the car is priceless.
Just back from… Lincolnshire, Devon & Cornwall
Arty and I just spent five nights in Lincolnshire on a film shoot for a tourism campaign coming out by early 2027 (more on that later down the line), where we stayed at SnugHollow – perhaps the most dog-friendly woodland cabin I’ve found so far. Dogs allowed on beds, enclosed gardens and access to an enclosed field with 6ft stock fencing made it a supremely relaxing stay.
We also spent some time on the south coast in Newquay, Falmouth and Torquay to research a new dog-friendly guide to the UK coast. Splash out on suite number eight at the Cary Arms & Spa in Devon if you want a fully enclosed deck (there’s a special menu for dogs here, too) overlooking the gorgeous Babbacombe Bay, or book into slightly more affordable Budock Vean Hotel near Falmouth for tidal river swims at the bottom of its gorgeous tropical gardens. There are more sea views (and pro padel courts) at SeaSpace Newquay, too, which was a glorious base for some walking on the South West Coast Path.
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