Dog Friendly Holiday Cottage

[KILM]

Minor moan!

We have a much loved teenage dog who goes on the sofas and beds at home - very affectionate, cuddly dog who wants to be close to you. Fine. Not everyone's preference which is also fine! She will get down if asked, but will try her hand again because you know, teenager. We're working on it.

I wanted to book a holiday cottage, so spent hours looking for one that didn't say 'dogs not allowed on furniture' in the listing or small print as I'd be spending the whole time telling her to get off and she'd be upset because she wants to be close.

I also wanted one with a proper enclosed garden so I could just let her out the door without going out myself, as it's December.

Lots of cottages saying 'dog friendly' but no enclosed garden. Annoying, but ultimately fine, not for us.

Lots of places saying 'no dogs on furniture' okay, totally understandable! Not for us, keep looking.

Find one where its advertised as dog friendly, looks very homey and not fussy, there's an enclosed patio and separate enclosed garden. Great. Read EVERY bit of small print for it on 3 different sites it's advertised on.

No sign of 'no dogs in the garden' or 'no dogs on the furniture'

Great - I book it. Pay the £40 extra they charge for the dog. Read through the confirmation stuff, nothing about furniture or garden.

2 weeks before we arrive, lovely welcome email with details about entry, bits about the fire, bins etc. Nothing about the dog or garden.

Get here - house rule book.

'Dogs not allowed on furniture or in beds'

'Do not go into the garden'

ARGH. So now to let the dog put I have to get boots and a coat on and walk past the garden, out of the property and to a nearby grass verge as the fussy bugger wont wee on pavement/paving unless absolutely desperate (as I've been teaching her not to, trying to be a responsible dog owner!)

And I'm spending the whole time telling her to get off the sofa and getting the sad eyes.

Please can someone tell me they've also had something like this happen - or are you all much more savvy than me and email the owners to double check this stuff beforehand...

Time for more wine 😆

We stay in a cottage where the owners have a dog and actively encourage dogs on furniture and beds, but I take a large sheet to put on bed, as bedding is usually white and our dog is black. We stayed in a cottage where they said garden was safe and enclosed, but the gate was only a small gate that our dog could easily jump.

We take throws to put over the sofas… Just do the same. They have been unclear from the off.

The garden issue I would very much take up with them. You booked a cottage with a garden because you have a dog - but nobody can use the garden? That’s not what was advertised at all?

Presumably you have dog blankets/bedding. Just put them on the sofa and let doggie get on them. Use the garden! You've paid for it!

My friends have a dog friendly (properly dog friendly) cottage in County Durham so they do exist!

What a pain for you though!

I also take blankets and put them on the sofa. What bugs me is the £10-40+ fee they often charge per dog, presumably for extra cleaning, when it then says no dogs on furniture. If he’s not on the furniture exactly what extra cleaning is needed? It’s not like you can let a cottage to the next guest without hoovering and mopping anyway. I’ve done the blanket thing repeatedly and have never had a bad review as a guest.

I hope you went in to the garden OP.

It’s very disingenuous of them to advertise a property and show pictures of an enclosed garden, say dogs are welcome. Then in the welcome pack state ‘do not go in the garden’.

I would have ignored. Unless they have a spy 24/7 how would they know? Plus it’s what you’ve paid for. Just pick up any dog mess.

We take blankets and put them on sofas & beds and let ddog up 🙃

OP, all you can do is mention this when you do the review, so that other potential guests are properly informed, and maybe it may persuade the owner to be clearer on their listings.

Personally, I'd ignore these "new" rules. It's basic contract law that you need to be fully informed before you enter into a contract and that clauses introduced after the contract is made aren't enforceable, so legally, they don't have a leg to stand on.

I just take a large sheet to put over the bed, and a throw for the sofa.
They won’t know.

I know this is an old thread but I'm currently searching and my latest bugbear is places with enclosed gardens but which aren't directly accessible from the house. I want to be lazy on holiday and send ddogs out for their last wees from the door, not put shoes and leads on and traipse somewhere to get to the 'enclosed garden'