Dogs at Airbnbs

[whatdoyourdoggoswant]

We have recently changed our settings to welcome dogs at our airbnb. What would you expect if you took your dog to an airbnb? Bowls I guess? What about a basket?

We are pretty rural and we have outbuildings so would a warm water hose to wash them down after a walk be useful?

All suggestions welcome. We don’t have dogs so a bit clueless.

Throws in the furniture that can be easily washed.

Definitely bowls and probably drying towels or mit (we usually take our own though). A large flat cushion bed rather than a basket as dogs come in all sizes. We usually take our dog's bed because he is large but the last airbnb had a large flat cushion which he liked. Also please make it very clear in the main instructions where the dogs can and can't go. We booked (then cancelled) one in October and it didn't say anywhere until the confirmation email that dogs couldn't go in the bedrooms or upstairs at all. We only pick ones that allow dogs anywhere. On that note covers/throws for sofas and not white bedding 🤦‍♀️🤣. We're going to be taking a quilt cover to put over white ones in future. He rarely gets on the bed but I can guarantee he will on holiday! We probably wouldn't use a warm water hose but I'm sure plenty would.

We have bowls, towels, wash mits, doggy first aid kit, we also leave a tennis ball and a few cheap treats, and a roll of poo bags in the welcome pack.

We also leave instructions so guests know how to uncouple the shower head if they need to use it after muddy walkies.

i expect to take everything for my dog, but the time it rolled in cow pats I was grateful for the bucket, sponge and doggy shampoo. A bag of treats and maybe poo bags is a nice touch. I’m not sure I’d do a bed unless you have somewhere to put it when no dog is there.

Outdoor dog shower would be fab! Other than that, we bring our own bowls, beds, throws for the sofas etc. A drip mat to put the water bowl on would be helpful as would hooks for leads, a decent door mat and no carpet, downstairs at least.

Information on local Dog walks and Dog friendly cafes might be useful too.

I would agree that most important is having dog rules available at the time of booking so people can be clear. State explicitly if dogs can’t be left alone in the property (fairly standard), can’t go in beds/ furniture and if there are places they can’t go eg upstairs. If they can’t go upstairs make sure there is a baby gate or door to prevent this or how can it be enforced?

I take all my dogs stuff including food and water bowls. I also take throws for the sofa. He doesn’t go on beds but sofas are hard to police. You can say no dogs on furniture but it will likely be transgressed. Having your own throws is a good idea. Maybe a supply of poo bags and some dog treats too.

Oh yes info on local walks is really helpful too.
And making sure the garden is really secure if you are stating that it is.

If dogs aren't to be allowed in certain areas, then please make it clear in the booking information and put stairgates or other blocking devices on the doorways.

I wouldn't bother with beds though because a lot of dogs prefer their own. Washable covers on everything and a huge bag of poo bags somewhere conspicuous (I am still scarred by the time my son came to visit me and had forgotten to bring the dog's collar, lead and poo bags - he was a new dog owner at the time!)

Out of interest, why are you changing the listing to allow dogs now?

-I agree with making it clear in the listing if dogs are/aren't allowed up stairs or in bedrooms. I'd personally discount a property which didn't allow my dog in the bedroom.
-I'd like to see pics of the garden and to know if its secure. For those with larger dogs, it would be good to know the fencing height- because some dogs can climb.
-I'd also like a map to know if the secure garden is directly from say the back door, or do I have to go outside at night to take the dog to the secure part of the garden? I'd personally want to be able to open the door and let the dog out at night as I do at home.
-I'd normally take my dogs bed, bowls, poo bags etc so personally wouldn't be expecting those, but others might
-A hair wrap vacuum or one that copes with dog hair
-Dog towels would be good
-Yes to the hot outside tap. Our dog fits in our utility sink so gets washed in there though at home.

I take everything for my dog but handy things are: throw for sofa, bowls, shampoo, poo bags and a couple of dog treats. A dog bed and warm hose would be fab but not expected l.

Your priority must be the non dog owners who follow on who will not wish to sleep under bed coverlets that dogs have been on, nor sit on sofas that smell of dog, nor negotiate poo in the garden. The rules you set must have this is mind - though how you might enforce these rules is beyond me.

A secure garden is the first thing we look at, we appreciate bowls, treats, poo bags, blankets and towels, but do take our own. My dog doesn’t sleep on dog beds, prefers hard flooring. A stair gate is advisable if you don’t want dogs upstairs, which is understandable and also we like it for safety. We take a large sheet to put on bed if downstairs, just in case our dog goes mad and jumps on bed, we try to close doors, but don’t always remember. If you have anyone that comes to the property ie window cleaner, gardener make sure they know you take dogs, we had a window cleaner come once and left the gate open when he left.

Interesting - thanks. The garden isn’t secure but the house is set in about 5 acres. I think that’s pretty clear from the photos and they haven’t asked about the garden but I’ll add this to the listing fortune bookings.

As a dog owner, I don’t enjoy taking my dog with us to airbnbs because they usually smell of dog. My top tip would be think about robust cleaning/ design that prevents this.

I know you say your garden isn't secure, so that's fine, but for those places that say it IS dogproof - please check with all sizes of dog. We stayed in one that was supposedly 'dog proof' but it had big gaps under the fence and sheep in the field beyond. It definitely was NOT terrier-proof and my girl could only go in the garden on the lead which annoyed me because we'd deliberately chosen a 'dog proof garden' place.

mainly to see if we can drive more bookings. It’s busy for a fair bit of the year but we do have for quiet times

Thank you for your suggestions.

Thank you - this seems to be a common suggestion, we’ll get a load of them!

Could you make a small part of it secure? I do look for a secure garden because it’s helpful to be able to let them out for a wee without supervision but large grounds would also be attractive.

I guess dog owners are a big market because we can’t so easily stay in hotels or go abroad. I use a lot of holiday cottages to stay in with my dog and I do go out of season as well because I can’t do long walks with him when it’s hot.

I look for
a location that is dog friendly so I guess rural or coast will be more likely a market for dog owners than city.
secure garden
ideally good dog friendly walks from the door or nearby
Nothing with all white carpets/ furniture or that looks too precious. Not dirty or shabby either but relaxed and homely.
Dog rules on the listing that we can manage (I would never leave him on his own or have him on a bed but that would be a deal breaker for some others). I feel guilty about sofas but realistically I can’t always keep him off them as he is allowed on the sofa at home and I can’t retrain him for a holiday. Throws are a compromise and I do clean up thoroughly when we leave too.
Positive reviews from people with dogs

A dog bed would not be much use to me and he has his own slow feeder food bowl. Water bowl useful. Outdoor shower would be a luxury. Very nice to have. Dog treats are hit and miss as they may not be ones he likes/ can have but it’s nice to show willing.
Poo bags are always something that can get forgotten so good to have. A hook near the door to hang the lead is a lovely idea.

Secure garden is the only thing I look for really…if not in it’s entirety then part of garden ideally off the door/patio.

A stair-gate if dogs are not allowed upstairs. Also, spare bedding for the living room if, like me, an owner has to sleep there to stop the dog from scratching at the doors. It is not unusual for dogs to feel anxious in a different home and want to be beside their owners the whole time, regardless of what they do in their own house.

You don't need to do anything extra. We don't provide anything other than fleece throws to put on the sofas in case people want their dogs to sit on the sofa. As a dog owner I always expect to take dog bed, towels and bowls with me.

We get a lot of dog owners at our place and none of them have ever commented on the fact that we don't have dog bowls etc and we get excellent reviews.

Don't underestimate the amount of extra time it can take to clean after a hairy dog has visited.

We have spare washable covers for our sofas so we can clean them easily but I'd have got them anyway, even if dogs weren't allowed, in case people drop food or spill wine.

Many places will leave a jar of dog treats and a couple of bowls, though it's not really necessary. I think many of the other things are for your benefit as much as the dog owners. A big mattress-style cushion dog bed thing is a clear signal that the dogs don't really belong on the sofas, for example, and is easy to remove when you have guests coming without their dogs. Similarly, dog towels are handy - but also for you, as less likely to be mud everywhere.

Also, pretty much every place will say 'no dogs on the furniture' but they know dogs are going to be on the furniture really, so they tend to have leather or pleather sofas rather than fabric ones, so they're easier to clean. I think the rules (e.g. no dogs upstairs) are mainly in place so that if extra cleaning is needed or anything is damaged in areas where dogs are not meant to be, the dog owners are clearly liable.

I don't know if this is allowed but can you link your air bnb or send me the link? I am looking for somewhere next year and want to bring my bulldog.

We didn't have a dog last time we stayed in a dog friendly Airbnb but we do now. We liked finding the following and thought how useful they would be - poo bags and local treats in the welcome pack, a sofa that was easy to clean (even though we are a no dogs on the sofa family), spare towels and blankets for a dog, info on good dog walks, they had spare bowls and a bed too but I'd take my own. There was also a quiet space to put a dog bed, in some places it's not obvious.