Going on holiday with your dog for the first time is a big milestone. You’ve overcome those first few life changing weeks or months, and you’ve decided to venture away from home for an overnight stay. Although many hotels are pet friendly, sometimes it is more relaxing to have a private rental where you know your barking puppy won’t disturb anyone. Thats why a dog friendly Airbnb can be the best option. Airbnb is a website where people can post their properties for short or long term lets, and has a huge range of unique properties you could stay in all over the world.
Taking your dog on holiday is very exciting! I get so much joy from watching my dog have new experiences that get the tail wagging. I got my Springador Honey in 2022 when I was 24 years old, and as a child-free couple we love taking our dog on adventures at the weekend. This is one of my favourite things about having a dog, which I’ve written more about here – Seven ways getting a dog in your 20’s will enhance your life.
In my year and a half of trips to different dog friendly Airbnb properties with my dog who is now 1.5 years old, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks along the way to make the experience as smooth as possible. Whether you are travelling with your puppy for work or pleasure, I hope you find my learnings helpful.
How to choose the right dog friendly Airbnb – What should you look out for?
The first step of this process is finding the right dog friendly Airbnb for your trip. Here are some key things to consider and look out for, as you make that decision.
- When conducting your search and using the filters, include how many dogs you plan to bring. This will automatically reduce the list to just pet friendly properties. On Airbnb this is super easy, it’s in the same place where you state how many humans are coming. Unfortunately on other sites like booking.com including a pet as a guest in the search isn’t an option – There is nothing worse than finding a property that looks perfect and getting your hopes up, then reading the fine print to find ‘no dogs allowed.’
- Make sure the property has access to a garden or green space for toilet trips. Having a property with a private enclosed garden is the best case scenario, but even a flat with a green space outside the front door where you can let your dog do their business works well. Travelling can be unsettling for your dog, so they may need the toilet more often and at unusual times compared to their routine at home. It’s not great when you have to stand in the street in your PJ’s at midnight waiting for your dog to do their business – I’ve been there. This is why an easily accessible space is top of the wishlist now.
- Determine whether there is space for a dog crate. This is absolutely vital for us when we go away. Although she no longer sleeps in the crate at home, when travelling we always bring her crate. I will explain why in more detail when we get onto the ‘what to pack’ section. When looking at the images of a property, make sure you think about where you can put your puppy’s crate. The cosy little shepherds hut you found might seem like a dreamy idea, but being confined in that small space with a crazy puppy, and no way to separate or contain them could end up being stressful.
- Car parking at the property will make your arrival a breeze, if you are travelling by car. When we go away with your dog, often the dog has more luggage than we do. I will get onto everything we choose to pack for our dog in the next section, but wanted to mention that having a car parking space at the property is something important to look out for. When you’re unloading everything out of the car you will be grateful not to have a long walk!
- Are there any dog-specific rules and fees? As each dog friendly Airbnb is owned and managed by someone different, there will be differences in any house rules. One potential rule might be about not leaving your dog alone in the property, or if you do they must be in a crate. It’s important to consider what kind of trip it is, and if you plan to leave the dog alone. Other rules to watch out for would be for dogs not being allowed on furniture and in the bed – which can be hard if your dog is used to these things at home! However in my opinion it’s not worth risking getting charged any compensation if it’s obvious you have broken the property rules. Fees for bringing a pet are very common – expect to pay a £10 – £30 additional charge to bring a pet along to cover for a deeper clean when you vacate the property. If you are staying on a farm, there might be rules about keeping your dog on a lead and not disturbing the other animals.
What should you pack for your dog for their trip away?
It’s very important to set yourself and your puppy up for success when it comes to staying in a dog friendly Airbnb, and a big part of this is packing the right gear. We’ve had great experiences in some properties where they have left a bed, towel, and treats for the dog – but this isn’t always the case. Here are my recommendations for everything you should bring.
- A dog crate. Here are the reasons I would never go away without the crate for my dog: Firstly, for your puppy their crate is their home away from home. It’s their private space to relax and settle, and where they feel safe. Whenever we go to stay in new places, our dog is so excited and won’t settle down at all – but putting her in her crate is her queue to settle down, and means everyone can relax. Another important reason to bring their crate, is in the case where you need to leave them alone you know they aren’t damaging the property – even if you are only leaving them in a different room. Many properties may stipulate in the T&C’s that dogs can’t be left completely alone in the property at all, some caveat they can only be left alone in a crate.
- Poo bags. This should go without saying but don’t leave dog mess anywhere in the property, including the garden! Make sure you supervise all their toilet trips and clear up after them. The last thing the property owner or cleaner wants to be doing is cleaning up someone else’s dog’s poo.
- Food & treats. Make sure you measure out your dog’s usual food before going away for the appropriate amount of days. The last thing you want is to run out of their dinner and have to buy emergency dog food – sudden changes in your dog’s diet can cause an upset stomach, which would definitely ruin the holiday. Pack plenty of treats to reward your dog when they are being well behaved – treats are essential for us when we go out to pubs and cafes to keep our dog under control.
- A new toy and long lasting chews. Our dog LOVES toys, she is obsessed with them. Whenever we go on holiday we make sure to get her a new toy and not give it to her until we are at the property. This is a great way to keep her entertained and get her energy out when we arrive somewhere. Long lasting chews are another great way to get your dog to settle down if they are over excited in the new place, our favourite are Yak chews.
- Lead/harness options. This is a personal preference, but I like to have a few lead and harness options to be prepared for any situation. For example, if you arrive at the Airbnb and discover the ‘enclosed garden’ has a fence your dog could easily jump over or squeeze through, it would be nice to have a long line or extendable lead so they can still do some exploring without being able to escape.
- Blankets to go on furniture: Provided there are no explicit ‘no dogs on the furniture’ rule, we like to take a couple of our own blankets to be extra respectful of the host’s property. This saves any accidental damage from your dog’s nails on any leather or fabric sofas for example. It also avoids muddy footprints on the bedding. Again, this is a good example of setting yourself up for success, to minimise stress.
What should you do when you arrive at the dog friendly Airbnb?
Okay so you’ve found the right Airbnb, and you’ve packed all the essentials. What do you do when you arrive at the property? Our best experience when we arrived at a dog friendly cabin on Airbnb was when the host was there to greet us, played with our 20 week old puppy, gave us a tour of the property. It made us feel so relaxed that it truly was dog friendly, and not just ‘dogs tolerated.’
- Letting your dog explore the property. When you arrive somewhere new, it’s likely your dog is going to become very excited and go into overdrive sniffing everything. This is completely normal, and it’s good to give them a chance to do this. Sniffing allows them to become familiar with the space and will help them relax into it.
- Make sure they know where to toilet. It’s probably a good idea within the first 30 minutes of arriving at the property to show your dog where they are going to be going to the toilet. This means they know which door to cry at to get your attention when the situation arises and can help avoid accidents.
- Setting the space up for your dog. Whether you have taken a crate for your dog or their bed, get it set up early on. This will help your dog to feel at home and put them at ease, and their bed or blankets will smell like home. Make sure they know where their food and water is. Another good idea is to remove any ‘high risk’ items from the environment. Here’s an example of what I mean by this – does your dog chew the door mats at home? Probably best to put the ones in the Airbnb out of reach. Is there a delicate looking glass vase on a coffee table? It’s probably best to put this where a wagging tail won’t knock it over. You get the gist. This is very dependent on each dog.
The most important thing to remember is to have patience with your dog. New environments can be very overstimulating and exciting for them which can make their behaviour worse than at home. It’s a learning experience for them as well as you, so try not to get too frustrated if there are toilet accidents, or it takes 2 hours longer for them to settle than usual after a walk.
I hope this post helps you to minimise the stress of an Airbnb stay, and maximise the fun memories made on your trip with your dog. We’ve had very successful trips where everything goes to plan, and unsuccessful trips where the dog whined all night and wouldn’t settle. Each trip has been a learning experience! The more you take them away, the more familiar they will become with the experience.
