Ever since we took on WalkingWomen in the summer of 2021 we have been asked about dogs joining holidays. We are dog lovers – especially Sara with her own family pooch!
We thought about opening up our UK holidays so dogs could always go but then discovered not all guides or other guests would be so delighted. Then there was the livestock in many areas to consider and wildlife that is easily scared away by dogs. Our solution was to focus on doggy holidays where our dogs firmly come first. We also love dogs being able to run free rather than be on leads pulling to be let off! Who likes to be restricted!
We found our perfect guide, and doggy beach holidays were born. This year is the first but not the last. We have winter and autumn doggy beach holidays in 2023 already up on the website.
Here’s a waggy tail by Brenda, our doggy guide – to give you a taste of what a doggy beach holiday is all about …
“ It was my first time, guiding a walking holiday for women and their dogs. I was feeling a bit apprehensive, would the dogs get on? would the women get on? I needn’t have worried because having dogs is a fantastic ice-breaker and everyone got on very well.
We arrived in LLanwit Major in Glamorgan – our first welsh beach holiday. Straight for a walk to a nearby field where we could let the dogs have a run together, the best way to do the first meetings and to let them work off steam after long car journeys.
To suit the walking abilities of both dogs and women, we split the days with a morning and afternoon walk with a break in between, either at the hotel or in a café.
Day One:
A lovely walk across fields to the coast.
Coffee break at the beach café: Very handy having dog minders:
A short walk up the valley to the town and our hotel for our lunch break and a rest before driving to Ogmore by Sea to catch the beach at low tide.
Day Two:
A drive back to Ogmore to run the dogs with a longer walk down to the beach along the river Ogmore.
Coffee and a rest at the lovely warm café at SouthernDown then lunch at Nash Point followed by a cliff top walk to the lighthouse and towards St Donats.
Lessons:
- Don’t play Carpet Bowls with dogs around!
- Don’t enter the local pub quiz unless you are prepared to come last!
- Don’t make a swift exit and forget to pay for the meal!
Day Three:
It’s going to rain, no it’s not, Met office says yes, BBC says no…Shall we walk round the historic old town? Shall we do a cliff walk?
Waterproofs on:
Off to the coast
St Donats – It did rain
Departure day:
Just a few of us went for a short walk to exercise the dogs before the long journey home. “
More information on our next doggie break can be found here
