Dog-friendly holidays: Ballachulish Hotel, Scottish Highlands

I've just returned from the freezing and extremely beautiful West Highlands, staying on the banks of Loch Linnhe (about two hours drive north west of Glasgow, or half an hour from Fort William). What struck me - aside from the good food, cheerful residents and positively cinematographic beauty of the place - was how very dog-friendly the hotel I stayed in was, and what a lot of scope for wonderful walks there was.

The Ballachulish Hotel is a pleasantly crumbly place on the banks of the Loch, which does package deals for short breaks that work out decent value due to the good meals included. In their brochure they state that dogs and other pets are welcome by arrangement, and well-behaved pooches can come into the communal (though obviously not eating) areas. We found ourselves sharing afternoon tea time by the fire with a very curious and bouncie Westie (how appropriate!), two curious black Labradors and a bouncy - and huge! - one year old Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Crossing the road to spend a few peaceful moments watching the mist change colour as the sun rose above the hills, I reflected that it was the perfect place for an active dog. Just in that one stretch of ground there was a pebbled shore, a grassy bank, a brook, some muddier patches and of course the water of the Loch - a veritable symphony of sights, smells and textures. As if to prove my point, the Labs came bounding over to investigate our ankles and generally explore.

We encountered another Lab and a Collie on walks in nearby Inchree and Callop (which I'll forever think of as Narnia, thanks to the photo we took, above), so clearly the locals have the right idea. Another hotel we stopped at for lunch in Arisaig while exploring the area by car had a couple of resident pooches of its own, Harris and Lewis; I don't think I've ever met such a docile, friendly and good-natured pair of dogs (except maybe Hubble).

Despite being a cat owner, it seems work comes with you wherever you go - even on honeymoon. As more people choose to stay at home to save travelling costs, I suspect Scotland will become a mecca for dog owners as they find the freedom to enjoy a holiday with their best four-legged friends.

Moving house with a dog: hints and tips

Moving house is on my mind right now. Partly because I moved yesterday and partly because there isn't just my partner and myself to consider anymore. We're moving our cat, too. Now, we're lucky because we have friends and family who will give our cat a temporary home and he's a supremely confident and independent little fellow who will happily live anywhere as long as his toys and food come with him and enough of his routine is maintained.

Not every pet is that easygoing, however. All need some preparation before the move and a gentle transition after, but some will need particularly special attention to stop them from being unnecessarily unsettled and frightened.

In this economic climate, more people will be renting than ever; since renters tend to move house more often, I thought it might be useful to mention some of Dogs Trust's advice for moving with a dog. If you have any ideas or hints that have worked for you, please do comment!

Things to do before the move:

• If you think your dog will be distressed or anxious during the upheaval of packing, confine them to a quiet room where they can rest and be safe and where you do not have to worry about them.

• Leave packing his toys, bedding and other equipment to the last moment so that he is comforted by the presence of his familiar things. Do not wash his bedding until a couple of weeks after the move, so that he will have something familiar smelling in the new house.

• Make arrangements for your dog to stay with a friend or relative that he feels comfortable with during the move, as he may be upset by strange people coming into his house to do the removal. He will also be safer; if he stays with you in the house he may be able to escape as doors are likely to be left open. You will also be able to concentrate on the stressful business of moving house without the added worry of looking after your dog. If you do not have any friends or family that can look after him then consider booking him into a boarding kennel for the night.

• Speak to your Vet about obtaining a DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) plug-in device to use before, during and after moving.

• Have a tag made with your name, new phone number (and mobile phone number if possible) and your new address so that it is ready to put onto his collar for the day of the move. If he escapes during the move or immediately after, this will increase his chances of getting back to you.

• If you are planning to move a long distance away and your dog suffers from travel sickness or severe anxiety in the car, talk to your Vet about medication to make the journey less stressful for him.

Things to remember during the move:

• If your dog is staying with you during the move then confine him to one secure room, so that escape and injury cannot occur to him whilst people are going in and out of the house. Leave him in a quiet area with his familiar unwashed bed and possessions.

• Put his new tag on.

• Make sure that he is safely secured in the car or vehicle that he is to be transported in to the new house with a dog guard, travel crate or car harness on the back seat. If it is a long journey, make sure that he gets regular toilet and water breaks.

In the new home:

• Check any boundary fencing to make sure that it is secure, of sufficient height and ‘hole-free’ before letting your dog run free in the garden. If your dog is able to escape then take him out on a lead until you are able to do the necessary improvements.

• Try to unpack the essentials before introducing your dog to the new house so that he can see familiar items within the unfamiliar house. If possible place furniture and items in similar places to those in the old house.

• Use the DAP in your new home, particularly in the room that your dog spends most of his time in.

• If your dog is microchipped, then contact Petlog to get his records changed to your new address as soon as possible.

• Be patient with your dog in the new home and make allowances for ‘accidents’ on the carpet if they should happen. Don’t make a fuss, punish your dog or draw his attention to them as this may make the problem worse. Quietly pick up their mess and clean the area with a biological solution, or special cleaner from the vets or pet shop to properly remove the smell. Once your dog has settled in they should stop. Always praise him when he goes to toilet in the correct place (i.e. outside!) so that he knows where to go.

• Make sure that you stick to your usual routines, as this will help him to settle - feed and walk him at the usual times. Don’t give him more or less attention than he is used to having from you; this may cause him to become anxious or over dependent on you and lead to behaviour problems.

You can download an easily-printable version of this advice in PDF format here, so that it's easy to tick off and refer to as you plan. Now I'm off to unpack a few more boxes... well, after work, anyway!

[Image: Foxtongue's Flickr, under Creative Commons Attribution License]

A 'Welcome' donation to Dogs Trust of £100,000

Last week a major milestone was reached as Dogs Trust confirmed that the charity has received £100,000 in donations through a partnership with Welcome Cottages. Welcome Cottages partnered with Dogs Trust five years ago to donate 10 percent of every cottage rental to the charity.

The valuable funds raised will be used to provide care in the 17 rehoming centres nationwide and help Dogs Trust to support its education and outreach projects.

Welcome Cottages will continue to donate 10 per cent of every cottage rental booked through direct booking line and www.dogstrust-cottages.co.uk.

A large proportion of the money raised will be used to build and equip a brand new vet suite at the Darlington rehoming centre, Hill House Farm. The centre, which provides care for over 120 dogs, will use the new suite to carry out small operations including dental work, neutering and microchipping.

Clarissa Baldwin OBE, Chief Executive of the Dogs Trust said:

“Being able to offer Dogs Trust loyal supporters the opportunity to book pet friendly holidays whilst donating to the charity is an ideal partnership. Money raised is used for spreading the word about responsible dog ownership, developing new rehoming centre facilities and investing in long-term education programmes in schools and clubs across the UK.”

Lets With Pets Results: 75% of dogs BANNED

The results are in from our Lets With Pets Survey, which many of you filled out and commented on. The report revealed that a whopping 75% - three quarters - of dogs are banned from private rental properties.

With the threat of recession forcing increasing numbers of Brits to downsize or rent property, and the credit crunch affecting pet owners, there is a very real risk that thousands of pets could be abandoned or handed over for rehoming to charities such as Dogs Trust.

We are accustomed to receiving many dogs from owners reluctantly handed them over as a result of being unable to find pet-friendly rental properties. Several of our Rehoming Centres have already reported increases in calls about help with vet bills or rehoming due to financial woes.

In response, Dogs Trust has launched Lets With Pets, a campaign that will see us working with the lettings industry to demonstrate how pet inclusive tenancy agreements can benefit both landlord and tenant.

Over 1,400 responded to the survey throughout June. The results were alarming:

* 78% of pet owners experienced difficulties finding privately rented accommodation that allowed pets

* 54% did not find anywhere that allowed pets

* 14% kept their pet without landlord’s knowledge or consent

* 11.4% rented an unsuitable property in order to keep their pet

* 8.5% rehomed their pet to friends, family or a rescue centre

* 8.2% bought property, did not move or are still looking

* 0.4% had their pet euthanised

* 47% of landlords gave tenants no reason why pets were banned

* The UK’s least pet-friendly landlords live in the West Midlands – 83% of pet owners had difficulty finding accommodation

* Northern Ireland has the most pet-friendly landlords – but 66% of owners still have problems finding rented accommodation

* Things are no better for other pets – 65% of cats are banned and 10% of private landlords even ban fish!

Dogs Trust Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin explains:

“Pet owners who need to rent privately are being forced to live in unsuitable properties, or rent with their pets without consent from their landlord. Even though a dog is for life, in some extreme cases owners are having to give up their beloved pets or else face becoming homeless.

‘We are consulting with the Association of Residential Lettings Agencies (ARLA), other professional housing bodies and letting agents to develop Lets with Pets, a UK-wide campaign encouraging landlords to accept pet-owning tenants and help owners find the elusive pet-accepting landlord.”

Five Top Tips for Finding Pet-Friendly Accomodation

1. Write a ‘C.V.’ for your pet, so that your landlord can objectively consider if your dog may be suitable as a tenant. Consider including the following points:

* Your dog’s breed, size, age and activity level.
* If your dog is a purebred, include the breed’s positive breed traits.
* Try to highlight your dog’s history of good behaviour and house training.
* If your dog has attended and completed training classes.
* If your dog is neutered.

2. Get a pet reference from your previous landlord or letting agent and offer to pay a larger deposit to cover any damage.

3. Supply the details of your vet and provide proof of up to date vaccinations, worming and flea treatments

4. Tell your landlord how long your dog will be left alone in the property on a regular basis. It will help if you are able to state whether you will take your dog to work, arrange for day care or be at home with your dog most of the time

5. Stress that dogs are very effective as a burglar deterrent!


If you have any stories about successful or unsuccessful pet rental or have more tips to add (as a landlord or tenant), please add your comments below.