28 Feb 2012
Dogs on Holiday
Taking your dog on holiday with you can make a holiday very special event. Dogs also get bored with the same walks, the same smells and the same lamp posts! Dogs are pack animals and they just want to be with you and the rest of the pack, where they know their place and feel comfortable. New walks, new places and new people to meet is just as interesting for your dog as it is for you. They share the fun and enjoyment, are revitalised and like youself are also happy to get back home when the holiday finishes.
No dogs from 1st May to 30th September
But taking a dog, or dogs, away can also be stressful with lots of people, busy walks and crowded beaches. For a nervous dog this may not be the best time to be in an unfamiliar place. Another problem is that the beaches are often closed to dogs during the summer months, so at the time when they could enjoy the beach they aren’t allowed on there!
One way around this is to plan your trip during the dog friendly months of spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors, footpaths are quiet and beaches are empty and open to dogs. Renting a holiday cottage or apartment is also cheaper outside the summer months.
At the western end of the Isle of Wight we are lucky because there are beaches, like Brook Beach, where dogs are allowed all year. But there are are others; Compton, Freshwater Bay, Totland and Colwell which have restricted access.
So booking you dog friendly holiday out of season can provide it’s own rewards. For more information see the Dogs on Holiday section of the Studio Apartment Self Catering website