Holiday with dog.

JIL

I have recently got a puppy. All going well so far. I have some holiday from work in peak holiday time and would like to go away for a few days.
The dog will be seven months old by then. I have been looking at caravans, or self catering holiday let's.
Any advice? What do others do?
I'm also a bit concerned as I am advised the dog should not be out walking for a total of more than five minutes per month of its life. So is it worth taking it? No sooner will we be out than it will be time to come in again.
I wasn't thinking of a beach holiday just a relaxing get away from it all few days, me and husband and dog.

jrtfan

We look for holiday cottages to rent, which accept dogs. I prefer cottages over caravans for several reasons, not least of which is that usually they'll have access to a private garden (or area of a garden) where it's easy to keep an eye on the dog while it's doing its business, and it's right outside the door (as opposed to caravan parks I've stayed on, which have had a separate doggy-walking area located well away from any accommodation). There's generally less chance of disturbing the neighbours when staying in a cottage if the dog should happen to start barking. My own puppy is just turning 9 months old now and is in full-on adolescent mode, so it's overwhelmingly excitable around people and wants to chew anything it can make off with. That's another reason I would opt for a cottage over a caravan, less to stimulate the puppy.

With regard to walks - instead of heading out for a dedicated non-stop walk, maybe you could try taking along a packed lunch and turning the walk into a bit of slow-amble sightseeing? Or stop for lunch/coffee at a nice pub, the puppy can be having a rest while you eat. We often like to take a slow walk along a beach and stop to look for shells, or just people-watch for a while. The dog's getting a rest while we're doing this, and we're getting to be out for a decent length of time. Sometimes we'll take turns carrying the pup for a little way too. I think as long as you include plenty of regular rest stops and keep within a reasonable distance from where you're staying, you won't do any harm.

I hope you will manage to find somewhere nice to stay and that all of you will have a lovely holiday!

owlet

We rent cottages too. There are lots that are dog friendly. We have just come back from Suffolk & had a lovely house there. Same in Torquay in April.

We go for gentle walks too & break it up with coffee stops. Pup (6 months) comes on my lap and has a sleep while we are having coffee. In the holiday resorts there are a surprising number of cafes that will allow dogs inside but we prefer to sit out anyway.
We also drive to places & walk around, even if it's just a mile away so that pup doesn't over do it.

Try googling dog friendly holiday accommodation. We used Suffolk Secrets for our last holiday & they have loads of dog friendly houses.

bouicca21

I vote for a cottage too. The one time we took dog to a caravan was a bit of disaster as he got too excited and if our exit from the caravan coincided with someone walking past he barked at them. Even worse the person most often barked at had Down's syndrome and was clearly frightened. Fortunately we were only there for a weekend break.

Apart from walks you need to think about what you would do with the dog if you want to visit a no dog attraction - stately home, wild life park, etc.

You are likely to be asked what sort of dog you have and may find it difficult if the dog is a large breed. I always found this amusing as the most vicious and destructive dog I knew was a little Yorkie.

JIL

Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to reply. If I am honest I also need a bit of help persuading the husband that a holiday with the dog is doable. So the advice offered can be put to good use in that area as well. The dog is only a small breed and is quite well behaved, the puppy classes have helped loads.
I will definitely look to see what's available, no point being off work and staying at home.
Thanks again, all very much appreciated.

catkins

I have been on many holidays with dogs over the years. They are different from holidays without a dog but very enjoyable. Mine normally include lots of walking but, as you say, you have to limit the amount of walking a puppy does. If you do slow ambling walks I do think you could go slightly over the time plus, as your dog is small, maybe you could carry it some of the time?


I must be honest, I have walked all my dogs as puppies for longer than the supposed limit. Years ago there was never any advice that puppies should only be walked for a set time. Even with my present dog I did sometimes go over the time because, as you say, otherwise you get to the end of the road and it is time to go home again!


As I say, holidays with dogs are far different to ones without. I would never leave my dog alone in a strange place so we only ever go to places that allow dogs - so no museums, art galleries, castles, stately homes etc (normally my favourite places to visit). It also means finding dog friendly places to eat unless you are going to eat at the holiday home every meal. Have lost count of how many times me and OH have sat outside in the rain or snow eating.


I have stayed in cottages, hotels, B&B's, caravans and tents. No problems in any except my present dog is a very good guard dog and camping wasn't great because he wanted to bark at every single noise and everyone who went past the tent!

sleepymans

Get rid of the problem (the dog)

krlyr

catkins wrote: »

I must be honest, I have walked all my dogs as puppies for longer than the supposed limit. Years ago there was never any advice that puppies should only be walked for a set time. Even with my present dog I did sometimes go over the time because, as you say, otherwise you get to the end of the road and it is time to go home again!

And years ago, we never vaccinated babies, didn't have a cure for the many treatable diseases we have now, used to drill into people's skulls to relieve headaches..and so on. Recommendations come with us learning how to prevent issues. Studies have showed excessive exercise can damage growing joints, hence the time limitation on walks for puppies. It's not something that will 100% prevent joint issues, and nor is it something you need to stick by to the very second - but it's worth avoiding 2 hour long walks for a 6 month old pup, for example, for the sake of it's joint health as an adult.


OP, I've just come back from a holiday with the dogs, and it wasn't all about walks For younger, fitter dogs, there was plenty of opportunity for walks (we were in a holiday barn on 60 acres free for us to use), but my two are fairly senior now so we had some more sedate strolls this year.

There were dog-friendly beaches within a half-hour drive (we didn't bother this year - but last year we went to a beach with parking right on the seafront so the dogs could have a chill in the car - despite being a very hot 24 degrees (I burnt, badly!), with sheets over the car, the tailgate guard open, and a blast of air-con now and then, it was plenty cool enough for the dogs to stay put, so if you go prepared you can still enjoy a daytrip with pup without having to spend all day walking.

Also, kennels or dogsitters may be an option. I looked up quite a few options, as my dogs are a bit "special" (both dog-reactive and also both guarding breeds - and a hint of separation issues with one of them) so I didn't leave them last year, but this year we found a nearby kennels which we used a couple of the days to have some dog-free chillout time (last year's beach visit was a stress, for example - being a dog-friendly beach, there were lots of other dogs we had to keep avoiding. So this year we went without the dogs and it was much more relaxing!).

Other options included pet sitters you dropped the dog off to, or sitters who'd pop in or even stay in at the holiday home all day if needed. We would actually have been fine leaving them unattended where we stayed, but I was a little worried Kiki might stress and damage stuff - but in your case, you might find they're happy for you to leave the dog, e.g. crated, for a short while.

Also, some places are hugely more pet-friendly than others, some let you take the dog anywhere. If you're worried about it being too much walking, you could always look at a pet stroller or similar - I know they often get laughed at as gimmicky, but it does give you the chance to take dog out all day without overdoing the exercise.

elsien

I go on holiday to get away from the dog!
I like to go round historic houses and sites which I couldn't do the the pooch, obviously leaving in the car isn't an option and I find it too much of a tie to have to return to base after a couple of hours.
Plus I wouldn't trust the lovely Gitdog unattended in a new place, couldn't possibly take him into even the dog friendliest of cafes, and he's an !!!!!! on walks in unfamiliar places.
So it's dogsitters or kennels all the way for us, to stand even half a chance of enjoying the holiday.
People with more sensible dogs may find it a lot easier.

jrtfan

If you do find a cottage you like the look of, the travel company usually sends you the owner's telephone number so that you can confirm with them your time of arrival in advance (or at least, that's what always used to happen anyway!). Some cottage owners are happy to keep an eye on their guests' dog(s) if they want to go somewhere without the dog, so it might be worth your while asking the question before you arrive - that is, should you find a stately home/castle etc you'd really fancy visiting while you're away, of course!

We'll be taking our pup away for a week in October, back to a cottage we've stayed in many times before. It's on Anglesey, very dog-friendly, the owners are lovely, and there are wild places to explore virtually right on the doorstep. They'll be fully booked now for the summer but if you think it sounds like the sort of place you and your OH might like to hear more about for future holidays, feel free to PM me and I will give you some links to more information about it.

JIL

Thanks all for the replies.
I would be able to leave my dog with my parents, if I wanted to. She is very used to them and they love having her. I just wanted to try to take her with us and wondered how others managed. I really hadn't thought of some things mentioned in the posts so they are all helpful.
Thanks again.