Dog-friendly Places and the Power of the Pooch Pound
The Pooch Pound is the spending power of those households, including money spent on meals, accommodation, transport and local services. Businesses can attract some of that spending by welcoming dogs responsibly.
If you’re planning a walk followed by lunch, a café that accepts your dog makes the day easier. The same applies to a hotels and shops near walking routes. Guardians also share recommendations with friends, particularly when staff are helpful.
When walking in the countryside, follow the Countryside Code to protect wildlife, and learn how to turn an overturned sheep upright. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms, cliffs and poisonous plants and trees.
Also read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel). If dogs roll in poo or have salty fur, learn how to give dogs baths.
Wetherspoons don’t even accept dogs in outside gardens (aside from assistance dogs). One blind woman was even turned away, as she did not have ‘ID for her guide dog’. Its website also states that it does not train staff in first aid, preferring to leave this ‘to the experts’. So if you have a cardiac arrest and the ambulance is delayed, good luck.
How clear rules make dog-friendly visits work
- Businesses can ask that guardians keep dogs close, clear up after poop and ensure dogs are humanely trained.
- Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s food safety guidance for dog-friendly businesses says dogs must stay out of areas where food is prepared.
- Staff should also keep dogs off furniture and separate pet bowls from equipment used for customers.
Local guides. welcome signs & dog-friendly routes
- A useful local guide brings cafés, accommodation, parks and facilities together, to plan several stops.
- Bury St Edmunds (England’s most dog-friendly town) uses window stickers to identify participating businesses and provide guidance.
- Ask whether the welcome covers indoor seating, outdoor tables or both.
- Carmel-by-the-Sea (California) is the world’s most dog-friendly town. It has a Fountain of Woof (that spurts out fresh filtered water to thirsty dogs) an, police patrols to check dogs are not left in cars, an annual calendar to raise money for dog shelters, and shops and restaurants with water bowls and biscuits (the hotel used to be owned by Doris Day).
Assistance dogs must be admitted. If not, complain on Open Doors app.
Plan dog-friendly stops on car journeys
- A suitable break can make a long drive easier for both you and your dog. Before leaving, check your route for walking areas and facilities.
- Avoid meals or gulping water for 2 hours before and after runs (or long car journeys) to reduce risk of bloat.
- Driving with Dogs is one resource for finding walks near motorway exits.
- Tebay Services in Cumbria provides dog-walking routes on northbound and southbound sides of the M6. Its visitor information describes short routes (on leads) with views across the Howgill Fells.
- Consider what happens whilst you buy food or use the toilets. Travelling with another adult can help, but solo travellers need stops they can manage without leaving dogs alone in cars.
Plan for hot, warm and cold days
- Read how to keep pets safe in warmer weather and snow.
- Carry drinking water and allow for delays.
- In warm weather, choose cooler walking times and avoid hot pavements.
- Never leave dogs in parked cars, even with windows open or air condition running. Temperatures can become dangerous, and equipment can fail. In cold weather, a parked car can also be dangerous. Take dogs with you or arrange safe care elsewhere.
