To want holiday accommodation that’s not dog friendly

[Pikachuspal]

Almost every place I look at is advertised as dog friendly! My kids are allergic to animal hair, as in react to hair on someone’s clothes. What’s the point in forking out for a holiday for it to be potentially ruined by hair and manky dog smell?

I agree you should be able to go somewhere that doesn't allow pets, but I am surprised you are having trouble somewhere. I never have any problem finding accommodation which is pet-free. The vast majority of places I look at are pet-free.

I did get caught out once when I rented a place which didn't advertise whether it was suitable for pets, and I didn't think to check. Since then, if it isn't specified, I always ask.

I agree OP and I think there need to be filters on search websites for places which are categorically not dog-friendly. There are places that say that they are, but what you don't want is to get to somewhere and find that they do take dogs, they just don't make a big thing about it. Perhaps less of an issue for self-catering (if you are not allergic) but I wouldn't want to go to a B&B that took other peoples' pets, for example. And some don't take dogs because they have their own dogs, and I'd be unhappy about going there too.

Clear categories would make life easier for both those with and without dogs. But I think some don't want to say they don't accept dogs because they get abuse.

It’s interesting that the people who think the dog friendly market is huge all appear to be non dog owners. Meanwhile those of us who actively seek canine friendly accommodation and cafes can’t find them.

I've just done a search on a holiday site for cottages in Northumbria for a week in June. 238 cottages returned, turn on the pet filter and that reduces to 80. That's roughly in line with my experience that two thirds of places do not allow dogs

We're not into self-catering but I was looking at B&Bs the other day and I had to go into each one separately in the area I was looking for to see if they were dog-friendly. So it depends on the website.

Also depends what you require of the holiday home. By the time you filter all day the 4 beds, want a washer, dishwasher, all bedrooms on the same floor or whatever else it really narrows it down for everyone anyway. Not all say 98 non pets would be suitable just like not all say 10 pets would be suitable for any given dog owner.

@Blossomtoes

It’s interesting that the people who think the dog friendly market is huge all appear to be non dog owners. Meanwhile those of us who actively seek canine friendly accommodation and cafes can’t find them.

Yes it's an interesting difference in perception. Maybe it depends on the area and whether it's urban or rural.

I just googled 'holiday cottages no dogs allowed' and immediately got a load of listings which said 'no pets allowed '. Of course I have no idea where you want to go or when so it may be that you're looking in peak season and everything you like is already booked but there's certainly no shortage of 'no pets' properties. In fact I usually look for properties that don't allow dogs as although I don't mind dogs and I'm not allergic to them, I object to sharing furniture with them. Dogs should be on the floor IMO - don't get me started on the people who have them sitting up on the seat at the table in pubs 🙄

I’m a dog owner but I get it OP. Before we had a dog I always chose the non dog friendly places as I didn’t want any odours. To be fair, I haven’t really noticed smells as most dog friendly places don’t have carpet so tend to be cleaner imo. Could you take a couple of cheap IKEA blankets to throw over sofas?

Well book some then, there’s loads. Complete non-problem.

@bigbluebus I’m with you on that .

One of my favourite places to go allows dogs and it can be annoying as DH is allergic. He usually has to take an antihistamine the first day or so but after that it seems to go. They don’t allow dogs in the bedrooms so that helps. If it mattered that much I’m sure we could find a pet free cottage but I just love this particular one so we’re willing to put up with it.

Most decent sites will allow you to search for accommodation that doesn’t accept pets.

There are plenty of holiday cottages and apartments that don't allow dogs. What you're actually saying is that you've found some holiday cottages that you happen to like the look of, but they aren't actually suitable for you.

This. You are being a touch melodramatic OP and no one on here is minimising allergies.

it increasingly feels the needs of dogs to be taken everywhere trump the rights of people with allergies to not be Ill

You seem confused. You don't actually have any rights to dictate what model private businesses use. Some businesses allow dogs because there is a demand for that.

There used to be a "Pets Welcome" book, that was listings of dog-friendly accommodation etc--dunno if it still exists, but the fact that pet owners had to go out of their way to find such listings suggests they weren't/aren't the norm.

IME to take a dog in accommodation, you typically have to pay an extra deposit and clean up thoroughly after. If someone is so allergic to pet hair that contact could kill them, I'm surprised they can leave the house--given that there are potentially dogs round every corner.

YHA doesn't allow dogs at all in most of its hostels, and it looks like the rest only when booked for exclusive use. Or go camping/ book a camper van. Ultimately, going on holiday to serviced accommodation isn't something you're legally required to do or even have an automatic right to.

Agree it's annoying. And you can't usually filter for "no dogs" when you're searching so you have to travel through every listing.

*trawl

www.crabtreeandcrabtree.com/properties/?sleeps=4&features=Dog%20%20pet%20free

47 there in Scotland & north of England from the first website I tried. I’m sure they’re probably not in the part of Scotland you want though.

@Clymene

Holiday cottages.co.uk allows you to tick a 'does not allow pets' filter

Oh, that’s useful to know. So many sites only let you search for “all” or “dog friendly “.

Sykes you can filter to no pets. I have just done it for the Lake District for 4 people. 1100 ish properties in total, 500 that are pet free.

So plenty of choices either way but fruststing when the place you fall in love with isn’t suitable for your party in whatever way.

There are LOADS that aren't. Have look on holidaycottages.co.uk and don't tick the pet friendly option, you will have a much better choice than me looking for somewhere to go with a dog.

The whataboutery on mn is ludicrous.

OP, some accommodation allows pets, if your dc are so allergic a single hair is this huge threat how do you leave the house? Animals are everywhere, pet owners will have hairs on them.

Just book a non pet friendly place, they are the majority and 'what about allergies' is irrelevant. Would you ban accommodation with stairs because not everyone can use them? What about TVs because not everyone watches them? Baths because not everyone can use one? No? Almost like people can book the most suitable place for themselves

@Blossomtoes

It’s interesting that the people who think the dog friendly market is huge all appear to be non dog owners. Meanwhile those of us who actively seek canine friendly accommodation and cafes can’t find them.

Completely agree @Blossomtoes!!

We like to bring our small, non shedding dog away with us and find our search incredibly restricted by her-

@Pikachuspal Have you got other specific requirements that also limit you?
Because your experience is so completely different to mine-dogs are not welcome in the majority of holiday lets that I have looked at

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’m with you, I have severe animal allergies.

Some websites don’t even let you filter dogs out. Others bring dog friendly up after a page or so, even if you have filtered them. From my experience more places allow dogs than don’t.

This. Its an issue in particular with AirBnB. I've run into the same when trying to book non-smoking accommodation in certain countries . There's a filter for smoking allowed but not the reverse- extremely annoying.

Almost every place I look at is advertised as dog friendly!

But l agree that holidaying in the U.K. is set up in favour of dog owners. There’s no regard for invisible allergies. All pubs/cafes allow dogs on.

It always facinates me that people can't differentiate between something they notice because they feel strongly about it and a univeral experience.

I can't think of a single pub or cafe near me that allows dogs. In every area of the UK I've stayed, dog friendly accomodation is the minority by a large margin. Of course if you are looking for cottages somewhere rural a lot will allow dogs, but it's not hard to work out why that is the exception, rather than the rule.