Dog-Friendly Holiday Homes, is it a lot of hard work?

So you're letting your holiday cottage, and you are met with the question - "Do I allow dogs?". Let us answer that question with a statistic from QualityTourism.com that "72% of dog owners would take more holidays in the UK if there was a better attitude to dogs". Interesting, isn't it! Furthermore, "77% of dog owners earn over £40k per year" meaning they are more likely to be able to take multiple holidays each year.

Now first things first, remember that most dogs wont be the size of our boy pictured above! Secondly, in our experience most well behaved dogs are not difficult to clean up after. In fact, in some cases they are easier than the aftermath of having young children staying! But you do need to set ground rules, let your guests know what is expected of them if they want to bring their dog with them on holiday.

Do's & Don'ts - remember that your guests are ultimately looking for a relaxing break. Rules are fine as they set parameters, but make sure they are fair.

Do remind guests that whilst dogs are welcome downstairs in the living areas of the property, they are not under any circumstances allowed upstairs in the bedrooms. This is key as the last thing you want is someone's pooch sleeping on your crisp clean bed linen.
Don't allow dogs on sofa's
Do provide guests with suggestions on where they can take their dogs for walks and days out. Providing guests with places to visit and dog friendly places to eat will ultimately make their stay more enjoyable, less stressful and potentially encourage them to rebook if they have a fun stay.
Don't allow dogs to be left on their own in the holiday cottage. These dogs are being brought with their owners, away from their familiar surroundings. It's simply not fair to then leave them alone in the property, even if "its just for an hour or two over dinner". In addition, this is the time when a dog would be most likely to create a mess when it's distressed at being left on its own in a strange surrounding.
Do consider providing some old throws/towels from a charity shop specifically for your doggie guests. Your owners will appreciate the gesture, the dog will be more comfortable and nothing of value is likely to be used in substitute.
Don't forget, the dogs are guests too! So why not provide a Doggie Hamper for your canine guests? We not only cater for humans, but we also look after their furry friends too. Nothing else shows that you are willing to go the extra mile for guest, by looking after "man's best friend" as well as their owner.
Do ensure that you make it clear that its the owners responsibility to do a sweep of the garden to pick up any "landmines".

Cleaning up after your furry guests - There is no getting away from the fact that if your run a dog-friendly property, the cleans do need to be stepped up. But this shouldn't cause you any undue stress, as very quickly the property is brought back to its initial cleanliness with a little extra elbow grease.

Most Holiday Agents will recommend that you charge a little extra per dog to cover for the clean. For properties that we clean we charge a small additional fee when a dog has stayed, as it will take slightly longer to prepare the house for your next guests. We may be a little biased, but in our opinion every holiday home should allow dogs providing they have the space for them both inside and out.

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