Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

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Dave A Dec 2016 1:07pm, 7 Dec 2016 21,518 posts	0 Dave A We look for secure garden.
paul the builder Dec 2016 1:13pm, 7 Dec 2016 5,882 posts	0 paul the builder BBL - We've often taken a dog on a cottage holiday. I wouldn't expect them to provide anything (bowls, beds etc.). I do expect to be told, somewhere, that it's no dogs on furniture, no dogs on beds (or even in bedrooms). That's fine because those are also our rules - but we probably wouldn't have chosen somewhere anyway that wasn't 'nice' enough inside to make those type of rules pretty reasonable anyway. Yes we sweep/hoover up before we leave - but we do that without a dog too. Depending on the dog, we might look for 'enclosed garden' as something we would need. There are different levels of 'pet-friendliness' too. From No, to One Small Dog, to One Dog, to Yes.
Lowly Shepherd Daisy Dec 2016 1:15pm, 7 Dec 2016 16,676 posts	0 Lowly Shepherd Daisy OK Baroness - I would fully expect the 'house rules' to say 'Not on furniture' (and very definitely not on the beds); having dog bowls already there is nice but we always take our own anyway; and as we don't allow Floss on other people's furniture we don't take our own fleeces but if you don't specify a furniture/bed ban, it might be wise to provide them. I'd say something like 'If your dog is likely to bark or be destructive if left alone please do not leave them on their own in the house.' As people are on holiday with their pet it seems a bit off to leave it alone for hours, but I suppose there will be times (if you go out for a meal perhaps) where it would have to stay home. We always put the hoover round before we leave the Swanage property, and would do so whether we'd paid extra or not to take our dog. I'd like to know that the garden is secure and maybe a note about where the nearest dog-poo bins are might be handy!
BaronessBL Dec 2016 1:23pm, 7 Dec 2016 6,085 posts	0 BaronessBL Thanks both. We are limited by space as to how many dogs we can allow although we're prepared to be flexible. For example if it was just two/three people staying then we might agree they could bring up to 3 dogs depending on size but if it was 6 people then probably only one (or maybe 2 if they were small dogs). The garden is secure but small also. I tend to look for the same as Paul describes above because Wanda is not allowed on furniture at home and does not sleep in the bedroom but lots of people do allow their dogs to do that and expect to have the same on holiday...we also wouldn't leave Wanda alone in a holiday cottage but we know that can be restricting if you want to go to a nice restaurant or something (although I suppose she would sleep in the car for a couple of hours if weather conditions were appropriate to leave her in the car).
FergusG Dec 2016 1:24pm, 7 Dec 2016 850 posts	0 FergusG I've only ever had one of my dogs stay with me in a Holiday Inn for single night stopover, so I'm not that accustomed with what's generally offered for dog-friendly accommodation or indeed holiday lets. Here's my knee-jerk thoughts though... - I'd appreciate bowls and leads, but I really wouldn't expect them and would have packed my own. - I'd naively assume (even though mine aren't allowed on the bed) that it'd be OK to let them up, as the bedding gets laundered before the next guests use it. - I'd expect that I could leave them unattended for as longs as I saw fit, but that I'd be charged for any breakages or soilage! - I'd gladly used supplied throws for dogs on chairs/sofas, if asked to do so, but I'd probably grumble if I had to pack/bring my own. - I'd expect any extra dog-guest charge would cover extra vacuuming (but again, not damage or soiling). -I'd like to know that any garden space was safely enclosed, and that my dog couldn't wander straight onto a road the moment the door was opened.
BaronessBL Dec 2016 1:28pm, 7 Dec 2016 6,086 posts	0 BaronessBL Thanks also LD - my fear is that if we have too many 'rules' some may ignore them anyway although my gut feeling is that it's better to start with stricter rules and discuss any flexibility on a case by case basis than have a free for all. We are also all open plan downstairs so it would be difficult to prevent the dog sleeping on the sofa even if its bed is in the kitchen (although we are looking at getting a child gate to hopefully be able to contain a dog in the kitchen if needed as that's the only bit of the downstairs that has a tiled floor.
FergusG Dec 2016 1:31pm, 7 Dec 2016 851 posts	0 FergusG You've probably seen this on the internet before, I still like it....
BaronessBL Dec 2016 1:33pm, 7 Dec 2016 6,087 posts	0 BaronessBL Thanks Fergus - interesting points everyone makes about enclosed gardens too - we've been caught out like that in the past where we have booked cottages (mostly in the Lake District) where the 'enclosed' garden was only enclosed by a very low, perfectly jumpable, wall or indeed where there has been no garden at all.
Hark the Helegant Angels Sing Dec 2016 2:12pm, 7 Dec 2016 3,964 posts	0 Hark the Helegant Angels Sing We've stayed at quite a few places with Jet. We always take our own bed, bowls, leads etc (who wouldn't?) and expect to find rules saying no dogs on furniture or beds. We take our own blankets/covers etc to protect furniture just in case he jumps up, and so that he can sit on our lap in the evening (no, he isn't allowed in bedrooms - ever). Yes, we always clear up and leave the place as spotless as we can. An enclosed garden is really helpful, as is knowing where to put the bags of dog poo. Most places ask that the dog is not left unattended (I guess some will bark) so we take Jet's travel crate and he sleeps in that in the holiday home, or in the car if we have to go out. Basically we try to leave the place looking as if no pets have been present.
BaronessBL Dec 2016 2:40pm, 7 Dec 2016 6,088 posts	0 BaronessBL Thanks all - maybe we don't need to relax our rules too much after all! You'd all be most welcome to bring your dogs!