AIBU to find pet-friendly cottages impractical if dogs cannot use furniture?

[Butterflyfluff]

I’ve been looking at ‘pet friendly’ holiday cottages in the UK to take our dog and pretty much all of them say dogs are not allowed on furniture or in bedrooms.

I don’t think I know anyone who’s dogs don’t jump on the sofa so how are you supposed to mange this - take loads of covers or just stay at home?

Yes, I have stayed in one like that. The only doors in the place were to the bedrooms and bathroom. It was totally open plan. Dogs not allowed upstairs, but no way to shut them downstairs.

Well good luck with that! Its really hard to find a "No dogs allowed" cottage these days and - as you can see from this thread - if dogs are allowed they are all over everything.

We had this recently. Only after booking (when you can't cancel without penalty on this particular booking platform) were we told by email 'small dogs only'. Bit late (ours is medium, bordering on large).

Then when we got there, we got another email telling us that dogs weren't allowed on the sofa or in the bedroom. Had they been upfront about this, we wouldn't have booked.

Anyway, we'd taken loads of throws, so let him on the sofa anyway, and made sure we cleaned thoroughly before we left. We got our full security deposit back so the owner was clearly fine with how we left it.

It's fine for the owners to have rules about dogs, but these need to be communicated before booking.

That's what our accommodation was like as I mentioned in my last post.

This is why it’s such a minefield!

‘Dog friendly’ seems to mean anything from ‘sleep in your bed’ to ‘sleep in your car’ and you only seem to find out upon arrival, which isn’t helpful.

As a PP said, the reason they don't mention it in the listing is they know they're reducing the number of potential customers.

I can’t imagine not having my dogs sit on the sofa with me or next to me at night ,
they have their throws and I have leather so I can clean it every day , wipe it over etc
but I wasn’t allowed my dog on the sofa at home growing up

Ain’t that the truth!

I also found it interesting about the post saying the poor dogs were all having to be traipsed about this summer because they couldn’t be left in holiday accommodation - there’s no way round this when you arrive - the rules need to be clearer on booking and landlords need to stop hiding them in order to boost bookings.

Take lots of throws and hoover up well, including under sofa cushions when we leave.

But why can you 'not imagine' it?

Dogs do not need to "use furniture". They should have their own safe spaces/comfy beds. Why do they have to 'sit on the sofa'? They don't need to sit on the sofa.

They're dogs. Lovely, gorgeous dogs, but dogs. Not humans.

I think we've lost sight of what heathy, sensible dog ownership actually is.

You surely can't think anybody would rent out a holiday property and be OK about random dogs being left in it without their owners there to supervise?

I had this down to a fine art when I had my much loved, furniture-dwelling, on-bed pooch. Scrutinise the photos of the place you’re going to - then take as many throws (actual throws, or (in my case) cheap charity shop curtains/sheets) you need to generously cover all the living space furniture. Soon as you arrive - put all the pointless cushions / bed runners in a spare room/cupboard. Sofa “throws” on. Then strip the bed and put your own sheets and (vacuum packed) duvet in place. And never rent somewhere where the owner lives next door! Worked for me for years. Only takes a few minutes at each end of the stay (and if they - or future guests - are that fussed about pets on covered furniture, then pet free options are always available.

I totally get the practicality of this but the point is, it is not mentioned when you try and book - it needs to be more clear what ‘dog friendly’ really means.

I do agree rules need to be clearer on booking and it's completely fair to be frustrated about rules that you're only advised about last minute.

Sadly dog owners have become so entitled in recent years that businesses have realised they can only make money if they allow dogs. Even if they don't really want to allow dogs. So businesses (ie clothes shops or bookshops or holiday lets) are having to allow dogs because otherwise the mad dog owners will get mortally offended and they won't get the business.

Though I will add, said dog was never left alone in the holiday homes. I do think that would be a bit much.

Humans don't need to sit on a sofa either.

I wanted my dog on the sofa with me, and she wanted to be with her human. Many an hour spent just feeling her breathe and stroking her head and ears.
Nothing unhealthy about that at all.

Which makes the property owners even rnore entitled than the dog owners, and so the spiral descends.

I don’t know what changed, or when, but at some point people suddenly lost their minds with dogs. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s we always had dogs and they were never allowed on the sofa, they had their own bed. Or even allowed upstairs and NEVER on the bed. I followed the same rules when I’ve had my own dogs.

Dog hair is rank and extremely hard to get off soft furnishings.

Having said that, I have stopped using Airbnb because of bossy rules not made clear beforehand. This summer 12 of us hired a 5 bed house with a gorgeous patio and outside sofa, BBQ, fairy lights etc. when we got there there were loads of bossy laminated signs everywhere including one to say no using the patio after 9pm. In summer! We rebelled of course but fun sponge airbnbs are insanely common now. I’d have looked elsewhere if I knew they were so anal about the patio

But there are plenty that aren't open plan as well. If your dog isn't able to stay off sofas then simply book one that isnt open plan 😂

I wont be mortally offended if I cannot take my dog to a holiday let. I just wouldnt book that holiday let. It's nothing to be offended about, some people simply dont want dogs in their holiday let which is their perogative.

Likewise shops, I'd rather not have the dog in tow when I go in tbh. I never deliberately "take the dog shopping". But if I am in the area and I happen to have the dog with me that's another opportunity for a customer to come in and buy something. It's unlikely that they will make another special trip out to your shop without the dog when they passed it earlier already. I think it is this that businesses have realised. Maximising opportunities for customers to buy things.

Another one who makes sure she takes throws etc with her! I keep her off for the most part, but to avoid the stress of having to watch her like a hawk I make sure blankets/throws are available.

I've no strong feelings either way about dogs on furniture. I go to a pub often where the landlord has said he prefers dogs on the seats to some of his customers as they're less likely to fall asleep and pee themselves on it.
Humans are not always the most hygienic of creatures ourselves.

Eta 'lapdogs' have been à thing for centuries. My grandparents' dog had her own chair in the 70s. I don't think dogs being allowed to sit on seats is a new phenomenon.

You sound delightful 🙄

Quite! Lapdogs have exisied for about 4,000 years. The Maltese I think?

For a very long time it was only the wealthy who had them, though. Everyone else would have only know working dogs.

Royalty and such like could afford to feed another mouth that wasn't a worker. They really took off in the 1800s - European royals, including Marie Antoinette and Queen Victoria, popularised small companion breeds but also wealthier middle classes in the industrial revolution could start affording these luxuries.

Even further back in the 1600s actually - Small toy spaniels were kept by British monarchs King Charles I and King Charles II, who famously loved having them everywhere.

It is true that MORE people in more classes started having companion breeds, but not true that companion breeds behaving exactly like this in the home is a new phenomenon.

My main priorities for a holiday let are that it has enough beds / bedrooms and that it's dog friendly (with no restrictions listed) with an enclosed garden.

Once I've found something meeting that combination of requirements, whether it's open plan or not isn't being considered.

Owners do need to make all of their rules clear on their listing though. If dogs are only allowed in limited rooms or not on the furniture, or they have to be of a certain size only, stick it on the listing. If people aren't allowed to use the garden after a certain time of night, stick it on the listing.

I have no problem with property owners having whatever rules they fancy. What I do have a problem with is if they don't tell you those rules until you're in situ, as you've not been able to make an informed decision as to whether to stay there.