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?

I have 2 dogs but they don't ever come on holiday with me. If they did, I wouldn't expect them to be allowed on furniture. Definitely not in bedrooms.

You know you can message property owners and check out rules before booking on many platforms @NoWordForFluffy

No, I'm not doing that. The impetus is on them to put it on their listing if they're that arsed.

Agree. That takes a long time on hundreds of listings and isnt my job to smooth over their sloppy and disingenuous advert.

Well, yes, if it isn't clear on the listing then fair enough.

You clearly stay in some grotty places OP.

Not at all - If you thought too much about what has happened in any hotel or holiday let bed, you’d never sleep in it!

Wow, just wow!

I am with this opinion too.

You don't know how hygienic the previous occupants are, if they've had dogs or not, peed the bed, had their period all over it, if they're the type to never wash, if they've peed themselves on the sofa, got drunk and crapped themselves or thrown up on it etc.

A clean space is a clean space no matter what happened on it beforehand.

My dog once had diarrhea on the old wooden floors of a gorgous, every expensive house I'd rented. Absolutely 100% my fault that it happened.

Place was far from grotty. I cleaned it. It's gone. If someone sits on that floor they're at no more risk than if a child/elderly person/drunk or ill person had had diarrhea on it. Accidents happen, and sometimes incidents happen too.

I agree about misleading adverts. I have actually asked about outdoor space (due to dog) and been told yes, absolutely fine, dog friendly etc etc. Failed to mention that the space was shared, therefore I had to walk the dog each morning, could not just let her out for a pee. No huge deal of course but inconvenient and yes, misleading and unclear.

@Daisymay1000

she sounds sensible I think you mean. I spend a lot of money on my clothes, I don’t wanna get dog hair, slobber, or traces of shit from their arsehole on my clothes

While we are at it can we have a moan about places that say "secure garden" - but it is only secure for a labrador and up sized dogs?!

I guess people who have medium to latge breeds just wouldnt think of it. But it is annoying. If they say it is dog proof and secure it should be for all sized breeds.

Wouldn't you mitigate the risks by not staying in a dog-friendly place in the first place, if your clothes are so important?

'Traces of shit' from a human arsehole are not going to cause less of an issue than from a dog's either. There's a disease you can catch from a human rectum, that can be caught through clothes. No such risk with dogs.

Staying in a dog free place would be logical but would reduce the opportunity to rant about dog’s bums. And that brings some mumsnet posters such joy.

You do realise that they change the sheets between each stay?

@Noodge

you can toxoplasmosis from dog shit.

'You can toxoplasmosis'
Yes. But only through ingestion. Not just by sitting where a dog has sat. Unlike with humans.

@Noodge

what if it’s on your trousers and you then touch your trousers and then put your hands in your mouth, bite your nails, eat a crisps or whatever? Or touch your eyes.

Tbh I’m another who while trying to keep the dog off the sofa would also chuck a throw on it especially at nighttime and/or it was an open plan space.

That would count as ingestion yes. I am not sure the point you're trying to make.

You can catch serious diseases from human feces too, if that's what you're getting at?

No sorry but that is just disrespectful to allow your dog on sofas and beds in a dog friendly holiday let.
Dog friendly means you can stay there with your dog, not allow your dog to treat it like home. Not all dogs are clean, small and don’t moult. Some dogs are big, smelly, hairy and dirty. Would you really want to go and stay in a holiday cottage which stunk of other people’s dogs? With sofas and bedding that had numerous dogs on?
The costs to the owners to maintain a holiday home if everyone let there dogs all over the furniture would get to the point that dogs wouldn’t be welcome at all. I would certainly e a very unhappy user of said holiday home if I got there and it was smelly and obviously used by lots of dogs.
Dog friendly means I know that the dog is welcome. It means I can take my dog on holiday, but I have enough respect for the home to take dog beds and throws and keep dogs off the furniture. It usually means there is an outside space which is secure for dogs.

Surely what is needed is a website where you can filter dog-friendly cottages by what actually matters for example sofas, upstairs, enclosed garden, size and number of dogs, whether they can be left alone etc. Saying your pet friendly raises so many questions.

Thanks. I am.

But the Airbnb site does says that the usual rules are not on furniture/bedrooms or left alone in the property. If you want anything different then surely you ask the owner.

I struggle with the opposite. I have a few small dogs. I can find plenty of pet friendly places where they’re genuinely welcomed but then I just think….there is no way a cottage can welcome without restrictions multiple dogs and there not be a dog smell.

I love my dogs, they’re allowed and wanted everywhere, but I also like a clean smelling house. To keep my house not smelling of dog, I know how much work it is (we buy new duvets and pillows monthly, we have the sofas professionally cleaner and the carpets professionally cleaned every 2-4 weeks, we air the house out fully every day, etc). I also have a large house. I visualise how bad some of the cottages with unlimited dogs and no rules must smell and I just can’t bring myself to book.

To be frank. Because we have to spend a lot of time vacuuming dog hair off sofas that some sodding guest has allowed their dog to sit on. And if you've 'never had any complaints ' as a pp said. Well no, we don't follow up on guests and complain about their behaviour. Most guests are great. Some are shit. That's just what it's like running holiday lets. It is appallingly rude to let your dog sit on furniture and beds when you have been asked not to. I can't believe how entitled so many posters on this thread are.