We are known as a nation of animal lovers, though it is only fairly recently that the idea of taking our dogs on holiday with us has really taken off.  The increase in numbers of people booking dog friendly holiday cottages has increased, as has the number of enquiries about pet friendly holiday cottages online.

Part of the reason for this is that the owners of holiday cottages in the UK have twigged that one way they can compete with foreign holiday bookings is to offer a pet-friendly service.  Dog owners in particular are often unwilling to take their dogs abroad if their dog does not travel well.  Being able to take their dogs on holiday with them within the UK is something that many dog owners welcome and are willing to pay for.

Dog friendly holiday cottages in places of natural beauty such as the Lake District, the Highlands, or the Norfolk Broads, or along any of the British coastline, are the perfect place to book a stay to enjoy the countryside with your pooch. 

Often, the alternative to taking your dog on holiday is to book them into a boarding kennel, or to ask a neighbour to call in to feed your dog while you’re away.  Some boarding kennels offer an excellent service, where they allow you to visit with your dog as many times as you need, and allow the dog to stay for increasing durations so that they are used to the idea of staying there (and that you will return), in much the same way as children are introduced to nursery or school.  But even so, many dogs find boarding kennels a distressing experience, particularly if they are kept in close quarters with other, unfamiliar dogs.

Asking a neighbour to feed your dog might be convenient for you and your neighbour but it is far from satisfactory for your dog, who may feel afraid, lonely and bored without you there as its family.  Dogs left on their own can cause a nuisance to your other neighbours through barking and howling, and often the RSPCA is called by concerned members of the public who have noticed that a dog seems to have been left alone.

Taking your dog on holiday is a great way to spend time together as a whole family, and you are sure to find some really lovely parts of the UK to explore.  But do your research before you book to make sure that there are plenty of places nearby to visit where your dog will be welcome too – there’s little point in booking a dog friendly holiday cottage if your dog ends up having to spend most of its time tethered outside the places you want to visit.  

Whilst the recession is causing many people to buy second-hand products, from cars to TVs, it is not actually a major reason for buying preloved dogs.  Dogs that have been given to animal charities such as the RSPCA or that have ended up in a rescue centre through abuse, neglect or abandonment, are more in need of a good, stable home than many other dogs.

It is a sad fact that job losses and resulting house-moves have meant that many people have become unable to afford to care for their dogs, and the RSPCA has seen an increase in the need for dog rehoming.  Many people may be wary of rehoming a dog or puppy from an animal charity or rescue centre, because they may believe that the dog has been neglected or abused and may well find it hard to adjust to their new home – or that the dog may even be aggressive. 

But whilst it is sadly true that many dogs are abused and neglected and subsequently rescued by the RSPCA, only dogs that are suitable for rehoming are made available for adoption.   They are checked for signs of ill health by a vet, and are monitored closely by trained staff to see what sort of temperament the dog has.  Different people want different characteristics in a pet dog, so there is always a wide range of temperaments and personalities amongst the dogs put up for rehoming, but all are suitable for adoption by the right home.

If you adopt a dog or puppy from the RSPCA, it will have been vaccinated and neutered, and you will be questioned about your living arrangements so that the charity can be sure that the dog or puppy is going to a good home.

It takes about two weeks for a dog to settle into its new home, so if the staff have assured you that you have a vivacious and active dog but you find that you have a clingy, quiet dog at home, just give it a little time to come out of its shell and feel safe and secure enough to show its real temperament – trust that the RSPCA staff will have monitored the dog’s temperament over a period of time and in different environments and know what it’s like.

If at all possible, when adopting a dog take time off work and make sure that you have enough time to dedicate attention to your dog whilst it settles in to your new home (of course, it will need time, care and attention beyond the settling-in period, too).  Set boundaries and choose key words for instructing your dog that the whole family will use to minimise confusion for the dog. 

Make sure that each member of the family knows what responsibilities they will have for caring for the dog – will there be one main carer or will everyone share in the care?  Whoever is going to care for the dog needs to be prepared to do so for the rest of its life: so if you’re choosing a dog to be a companion for your child, remember that your child might have left to go to university before your dog has left for the big kennel in the sky…