What you Need to Know before Booking Dog Friendly Holiday Accommodation in 2023

The changing landscape of the holiday accommodation sector comes with opportunities for many, especially us dog owners. More and more holiday accommodation are throwing their doors open to the wonderful world of dog-friendly, a trend that's set to rise. Doggy owners like us don't want to be apart from our furry friends and would much rather have them on holiday with us.

As all dog friendly holiday accommodation is different and have their own dog-friendly policies, we can't take the risk of assuming anything. Our key checks are worth considering before you book your next dog-friendly accommodation: 

1. If your booking is through an online agent site and not direct with the owner/accommodation, contact the owner directly and double-check before you book, that they are in fact dog-friendly. All accommodation types are very often misrepresented on many booking sites as being dog/pet-friendly, which we have personally found to our cost.

When we arrived at a B&B in the north of Scotland and was told that dogs were not welcome, even though it stated on the booking site the accommodation accepted dogs. In addition to the initial pain, we booked on a non-refund basis to get a less expensive rate. We had no alternative but to find other accommodation. An expensive lesson!

2. If you have more than one dog, check to make sure the accommodation allows multiple dogs per room/accommodation and check the cost per dog or cost per stay per dog. Not all accommodation owners charge for bringing your dog with you, so search around as this could present a good saving if there's no charge.

3. Check if there are any other hidden costs or penalties that could be applied, such as a refundable damage deposit that may be required to be paid in advance or if you are required to purchase any additional insurance in advance of booking. 

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4. You could lighten your travel luggage if you check in advance if the accommodation supplies such extras as dog bowls, bedding, towels, doggy towels and covers etc. Many dog-friendly accommodation owners will supply some or all of these extras. Check the 'Doggy Info' section on each of the accommodation pages on Dog Friendly Scotland for all your doggy information.  

5. There are some very flexible Hotel, B&B and Guest House accommodation options that allow you to take your canine family member into the dining room at mealtimes. There will no doubt be behaviour rules, just check what these are. Some really well established dog-friendly accommodations have their own doggy meal menus to offer, a plus if you want pooch to eat at the same time as you. 

6. Taking your dog away with you on holiday means a complete break from your dog's normal environment. Preparation is key. Your time will be well spent when you've researched in advance of travel, things like, are there - good dog walks nearby, is there dog-friendly beaches and parks, or cafes, pubs, restaurants and attractions that can be enjoyed by all the family..... 

7. When on holiday, we like to eat out, go for a coffee or to the pub for a drink. However, if you're taking your dog away on holiday with you for the first time and they are not used to being in cafes, bars, or restaurants it's a good idea to introduce them to this culture as early as possible before you go on holiday, to ensure they are comfortable with this concept, especially as they may be in close proximity to other dogs.

Furthermore......

Booking accommodation, whether it be a hotel, a b&b or a holiday home can be quite tricky and often involves searching and filtering over many sites to find what you're looking for. However, we hope to change all that for you. Dog Friendly Scotland is a dedicated dog-friendly website with a growing range of properties of all types and descriptions, that are verified with no booking fees.

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If you're a dog owner and have a favourite dog-friendly hotel - holiday home - cafe - pub - restaurant, we would love to hear from you. Tell us the name and why you like them so much and we can share the details with visitors to our website. Just let us know in the comments box below.

Have a wonderful holiday...........

P.S. - If you have any of your own handy tips, please tell us in the comments and we will add them to the blog and this can help others.

First published - 01/06/2020. Updated - 10/05/2021; 22/06/2023.

NOTE - Information contained in this article was accurate at the time of publishing and should be used for guidance only. Whilst we make every effort to keep our information up to date, public information is constantly changing and therefore, no responsibility will be accepted if this information becomes out of date or which warrants this information to be inaccurate.