What would you consider a 'dog friendly' cottage to be?

[AiNoCorrida]

I'm asking because we booked one and it absolutely wasn't and now they are refusing a refund.

We had to book a cottage very last minute as our renovation project wasn't finished on time. We booked with Sykes cottages, a cottage described as dog friendly which is billed as having a fenced off garden.

We arrived. First thing we see as we walk in is a cushion on the couch in the front room saying 'no dogs on here' and a big sign saying no dogs upstairs (with no doors cordoning off the downstairs). The whole cottage has cream carpets and white sofas. Then we go into the garden and there is a fence on one side (right). The bottom of the garden is completely open to a field (there may have been a few fence posts but no fence). The left of the garden has a solid bush across most of it bar the last 6 foot in the corner which opens onto a public footpath. The bush is one our dog could fit under with not much trying.

The Sykes person we phoned agreed with us and said we could have a refund but the owner has refused and said she stands by the fact that her cottage is dog friendly. I volunteered to pay the night we had to stay there (till we found something else) plus an extra night and the cleaning charge - they have insisted we pay the full 7 nights. I will now do a chargeback on my card but interested to hear what others think.

I wouldn't assume dog friendly = fenced garden or necessarily well designed for dogs.

I would assume dogs are allowed

I'd expect to crate my dog or shut them in a room with tiled floor when unsupervised.
I'd expect to pick up poop and would be ok walking them on a lead.

I do think stair gates to restrict access to rooms with pale carpets and upstairs would be sensible for owners to provide though

I agree with you. Anywhere saying it's dog friendly should have a secure garden and hard floors downstairs as a minimum. I must admit that our dogs have never gone upstairs and are not allowed on the furniture so that wouldn't bother me. But the fencing position is disgraceful.

Dog friendly generally means allowed downstairs- maybe not on furniture, we bring throws for sofas - and quite often not in the bedrooms.

I'd only expect an enclosed garden if one was advertised.

Having cream carpets and saying you're dog friendly is clearly daft, but I guess up to them to clean.

I would expect a secure outdoor space as a minimum.

I would definitely not expect to crate my dog—plenty, mine included, don't ever go in them. I would expect a non-showroom cottage that you could relax in with your dog roaming around. When we booked a circle of cottages as a family, the dog friendly one was by far the least nice. It was clean and fine to stay in, but old looking sofas, dark floors etc

Not sure about the garden. I would want a secure garden, but I suppose you could always keep your dog on a lead so maybe it wouldn't be a given.

I would expect a fenced secure garden, but I’d not expect my dogs to be allowed on furniture

I’ve stayed in one that was lovely but did not have a fenced garden.

I don’t expect to have to crate my dog and would endeavour to keep him off the furniture.

I do think the listing should be clear if it isn't a secure garden though. I would want to know something like that in the case of taking children too.

Dog friendly = dogs are allowed in the property. I wouldn't assume anything else above this, certainly not the decor or access to upstairs, or even a fenced off garden.

I agree.

If described as "fenced off garden" I would assume fully fenced all the way round and secure for all sizes of dog.
For dog-friendly interior I would expect throws on the sofas for dogs to get on. If there was a note saying dogs not to be allowed upstairs / on beds I wouldn't mind but there would need to be a stair gate or at least closing doors to the downstairs rooms.

I think that it should be absolutely clear on the listing what the restrictions are so that you can choose based on that and your dog. I've been stung twice by this, and now only book a cottage where it is absolutely clear that we can have our dogs as they normally live.

i just assume they allow dogs but I would be fine with them not allowing dogs on the sofa or upstairs. Use damp wrung out mitts to clean your dogs’ paws after a walk, brush them and keep them in the kitchen or their basket/crate however you do it. Throws if you must have them on the sofa but it’s not necessary really.

Secure outside space is a must even if it’s tiny. I’m not too bothered about them going on the furniture or into bedrooms but I would not expect to have to crate my dog. We’ve stayed in some great ones. Cream carpet is nuts in a holiday let whether or not they have dogs.

If dogs not allowed upstairs then I’d expect a safety gate, bearing in mind some dogs can jump them.

Ones we’ve been to have had blankets/throws on the sofas, no carpet downstairs, fenced garden. Definitely not white sofas/carpet - that is ridiculous.

yes good point about children and the garden - I didn't think of that

I think you need to pick your points here, OP.

Dogs not allowed on furniture is incidental so i would focus on that.

No fenced off back garden would be the biggest for me. We only book cottages that state fully enclosed garden, as our dog needs to wee in the middle of the night. A garden that wasn't safe wouldn't be suitable for us.

If they don't allow dogs upstairs, that should also be stated, and they should have a gated means so you can enforce it.

You definitely should have a refund, the cottage was obviously not designed for a dog owner. I have not had a dog but have stayed in a couple of cottages which were dog friendly. They even had a dog toilet in the back garden, and a dog bed. It was nice and clean too.

I do hope you enjoyed your stay there regardless, op. Make sure you give a detailed review, highlighting what you, as a dog owner, experienced. Also that you took photos as proof.

Honestly, some people, they think they can get away with anything.

"cottage described as dog friendly which is billed as having a fenced off garden."

If described as fenced off I'd at least expect a fence!

We've had several dog friendly cottages - several with cream sofas. We now take spare duvet covers to protect the sofa from dog barging past and shedding hair and mud everywhere.

Sounds as if the cottage was not as advertised with respect to the secure garden - that would be grounds for me to demand a refund.

Many places we have stayed have said no dogs on furniture or in bedrooms, and I understand that. But the ones we go back to provide throws, towels, bowls, and usually an outdoor hose to clean them up after walks.

Anyone expecting me to crate my dogs would be very disappointed.

I would only assume 'dog friendly' to mean that dogs were allowed, not that it had any set-up that was particularly helpful for dog owners. (Does the booking site define 'dog friendly?)
However, if it was described as having a fenced off garden nd didn't, you should expect a refund under consumer protection legislation. Also, the no dogs upstairs rule is arguably misleading if the whole propertywas described as dog friendly, without that restriction being made clear before you booked.

I would expect a secure garden area. I would not expect dogs to be allowed on sofas or upstairs, or left alone in the property.

I would expect dog friendly to mean that you can have a dog with you. The actual terms vary massively according to each cottage. I would only expect a secure garden if listed and rarely have had one in reality.

We always take an Ikea blue bag full of throws to cover everything with including the beds but I did have a rant at a company we used once that emailed a list of instructions on arrival that included dogs were only allowed in the utility room and nowhere else. If we'd been told that at booking, I'd have told them to get stuffed. As it was, I let them go everywhere.

There needs to be more categories for dog accommodation.
dog tolerant - you can take a dog but don’t expect to allow it on furniture.
dog friendly- free roam of the house, white sofas and all.

i wouldn’t expect a fenced off garden unless it was stated in the blurb

Agreed. I’ve stayed in lots of properties that allow dogs and from memory they’ve all explicitly stated that dogs aren’t allowed upstairs, on furniture or to be left alone at the property.