Dog Friendly Hotels ,B&B's

[Kristine]

We like to come and visit France from Spain bringing our dog , and usually stay at Campanille hotels ,but we would like alternative accommodation. This year ,October we hope to visit the South West,does any one know of any travel books that list dog friendly hotels, gites,B&B's etc ?[:)]

[Christine Animal]

I answered you the other day about that Kristine :

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/683122/ShowPost.aspx   [:)]

[Quillan]

All the decent travel books and websites that list B&B's and Gites will indicate if they take animals. Don't forget to take your rabies certificate when you you come mind you we have been back and forth so many times now (we live a hour from Spain) and nobody has ever searched the car or asked for any documents for our dog,

We take dogs with well behaved owners so if you want to contact us send me a PM.

[Christine Animal]

Also the Michelin guide usually marks a little sign saying whether dogs are allowed or not, they don't mention about well behaved owners.

 

[Quillan]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]

Also the Michelin guide usually marks a little sign saying whether dogs are allowed or not, they don't mention about well behaved owners.

[/quote]

As my dad would say "Theres no such thing as a bad dog just a bad owner" but then thats another thread.

The lady from Clévacances told us that it's actually illegal to refuse dogs and children (in that order I seem to remember [:D] ) but I am not so sure that it's really true.

[Pko]

Hi Kristine,

we have a B&B in the south-west, in the correze, Limousin. Dogs are very wellcome with us.

Kind regards

[Wendy]

Has the lady from Clevacances ever had to clean up the mess a dog can leave in a room?. Or de-flea a room in time for the next guests? We have refused dogs before and will do so again after what we've been through, not kids though. Sorry but I dont recognise doggy rights at all.

[Coco]

Too dirty, too noisy, too smelly - even the nice ones, to allow in guest bedrooms.  It's the same as having a non-smoking policy; if you're not a dog owner yourself you can smell when a dog's been in a room no matter how well aired it is.  Besides, they frighten my cat[6]

[Christine Animal]

The subject was "dog friendly" hotels, not "unfriendly" ones...   [:P]

[Wendy]

Well, I was replying more to Quillan's post. In my mind animals and people dont mix.

[Christine Animal]

That's what's so nice about France, they do   [:)]

 

[Cerise]

I've got dogs - the two dotty dalis on my avatar - and I'm afraid we don't allow dogs in the B & B rooms.  At the beginning I said yes and offered to provide cages for dogs to sleep in (which is what mine do if we stay at anyone else's house)    However, people did not like that idea and wanted them to sleep in/on beds, furniture etc.  Unfortunately, the people who wanted to bring their dogs on holiday wanted the dogs to be treated like people and I'm afraid that is not on.  My own dogs -and I was a dog breeder for 30 years - have never been allowed in beds or on furniture and I really don't want other people's doing that.  I have refused a room in a French hotel which really ponged of dog and however much I love dogs myself I appreciate that not everyone shares that love.  Sorry for the people who like bringing their dogs on holiday.  I have seriously considered putting a couple of kennels in the garden - but am not convinced that the usage would merit the expense.  What do you think other dog owners?

Maggi

[Quillan]

I do think it's a culture thing in France. I have seen dogs in restraunts, bakers and even a supermarket and we are not talking about dogs for the blind here. I was absolutly shocked when I saw this the first time but now I don't give it another thought really. Having said that as Maggie knows I have a dog and three cats but I wouldn't take my dog in to any of the places I have mentioned. I also clean up after it which is something else the French think amusing. I don't mind small dogs staying and thats my choice just as it is for somebody not to stay because they don't like dogs and cats. I guess where I am going is in the direction that this is France, it's different, we have more freedom of choice here and it's up to individuals to make their own choices. I respect Wen and St Amour's point of view and would not stay with them if I had my dog with me. Likewise I allow small dogs and if Wen and St Amour didn't want to stay at mine because of that it's no great problem. Live and let live as they say.

As to the lady from Clévacances as I said I don't know if it's really true considering that on the forms (it's the same with GDF) there are box's to tick for allowing animals and children so why have the box's? Personally I would rather ban children than dogs as they can do far more damage and make more noise and they even answer back.

[Rob Roy]

Does 'Dog Friendly' automatically imply that dogs are allowed to sleep in the bedrooms, or is it that dogs are welcome to run about the garden and given somewhere comfortable and dry to sleep for the night? If the dog is small (i.e. yorkshire terrier or similar) and has its own bed I would not object to it in the room, but if it is medium to large I wouldn't be keen.

Our dogs (labradors) sleep outside in the barn in the summer. They have their own secure area and their beds, blankets etc and make no fuss about it.  We would be happy for other dogs to stay, and can accommodate them in the old bread oven (not in the oven itself!) which is warm and dry with beds raised off the floor against the draught. Would owners accept this do you think? (Would the dogs for that matter[:)])

[Cassis]

It's a delicate subject as pet owners do regard their animals as part

of the family - therefore refusing the animals is like refusing a

family member.  But we have witnessed the damage that animals can cause

to rooms - in fact, not just bedrooms but also gardens, where they can

cause havoc if left to run unchecked through flowerbeds and veg

patches!  I know it's not the animals, it's the owners' fault, but the

end result is the same. 

We would like to be able to allow animals but

it just doesn't work for us.  We used to offer to make up a bed in the

barn for pets ( the barn is big, dry and secure) but after the

offended reaction we got from some owners we have even stopped offering

that.  We now just say "no animals" and that's that. 

Quillan allows

animals but not children - we do the opposite!  Just proves that what works for one person doesn't work for everyone - I think you have to decide what policy you're comfortable with and live with it.  If it costs you a few nights business but you're less stressed as a result, then that's fine, isn't it?

Phil

[Cassis]

duplicate message deleted - is the forum acting up and running slowly today?

[Christine Animal]

I don't think shutting someone's dog in your bread oven or barn could work.  A dog who is used to that probably wouldn't be travelling with his owners anyway.  The dog, not understanding and not knowing the place, would probably panic being left on his own and whine and scratch at the door all night.

There are always exceptions, but usually people who travel in hotels with their pets have well behaved animals who are used to it and are no trouble.  Years ago when we only had a couple of dogs we used to take them everywhere.  We always obviously asked if they were accepted, they were never allowed on the beds, had their rug on the floor and lay down on it.  They were used to living in a small flat in Paris.

Back in the 1970s my parents-in-law used to sometimes stay in the Châteaux-Hôtels, that was one of their greatest pleasures, good hotels and restaurants.  They also took their dog, a retriever type, everywhere with them.  My father-in-law, who was an art teacher in Paris, even used to take her to the classroom and that was back in the 1960s.  One weekend they went to the Château de Fleurville and invited us, dogs were of course welcome.  We had a lovely room on the ground floor with a huge en suite bathroom where we put our dogs' bed and bowls.  It was all class, the owner included, and we had a wonderful weekend.

It's obviously not the same owners now, but by the sign, it looks as if they still welcome dogs

 http://www.abc-paris.com/hotel/en/hotel.php?id_hot=12002209

 

[Cassis]

Shame all owners aren't as well trained as your good self and your parents-in-law, Christine! 

The fact is, some owners don't give a damn and will let their dogs sleep on the beds, run around in the house and run wild in the garden.  It happens.  We've seen it.  We've had to pay for the damage when it's only been discovered after the guests have left.  We've had someone describe their pet as 'only small and well-behaved' and it turned out to be a crazy boxer!  You can't differentiate a good from a bad owner/pet until they are arrive so we choose not to take the risk - end of story.

Phil

Of course, Quillan probably has some similar tale regarding children .... [:)]

[Kristine]

Wow , that really opened a can of worms. I hoped for answers from people who knew of ,or ran dog friendly places to stay, I really did'nt expect, ( or want,) to hear from people justifying their refusal to allow dogs,because that is of no use to me.I lived in France for four years before coming to Spain,as my huband worked for a large multi national company ,and we lived first near Paris , and then in Pau.We have always travelled with a dog, and generally found the french attitude to dogs to be excellent. However this year we thought we would try the Dordogne area and having seen many english people advertise gites,hotels etc,thought we might try that, but after reading some replies it's put me right off staying with Brits.Here in southern Spain we know many people who rent out villas and we have cer,tainly seen and been told just what british children can do, we also see how badly behaved the little darlings are in the local restaurants.Give me a dog anyday ! No, I don't dislike children, just find most these days are'nt kept in line,I think they would proberbly be better off on a lead and sleeping in the bread oven.!

 

[Benjamin]

The B&B chain of hotels allow pets in the room. The cost is an additioal 2.20€ per night. Hope that helps.

Benjamin

Edit; go to www.hotelbb.com

[Cassis]

I don't think this should put you off staying with Brits as a whole, just because some don't cater for animals.  You'll probably find a lot of French owned B&Bs don't take animals either.  But there are plenty of hotels and B&Bs and gites, owned by both Brits and other nationalities, that do take animals, so I'm sure you'll find somewhere without too much trouble. 

It's quite usual for strings on this forum to go off at a tangent, regardless of the subject!

Phil

[Lotman]

" and been told just what british children can do, we also see how badly behaved the little darlings are in the local restaurants.Give me a dog anyday ! No, I don't dislike children, just find most these days are'nt kept in line,I think they would proberbly be better off on a lead and sleeping in the bread oven.!"

Just been cruising through the forum subject threads and to be honest cannot believe what was written above!!....Are you serious ?...I assume you don't have children and by your tone you would prefer the company of dogs!!....I really think that suggesting that a child should be treated in this manner you suggest is uncalled for even if it's meant as a joke.I really think there is something very odd about people who love their pets more than another human beings.....for the record we don't allow pets much for the same reasons mentioned on other threads..We have livestock and surprise,surprise a bitch westie who we don't want touched by some old mut! French attitude to dogs excellent....hardly, most French owners just let their dogs do what they want usally on other peoples land...I'm talking personal experience here!!....I think you are better off staying with your chums in Southern Spain or put your dog in a kennel the next time you head into France!

 

 

[Christine Animal]

"I think you are better off staying with your chums in Southern Spain or put your dog in a kennel the next time you head into France!"

 

How sad that France and those who live here can now be represented by people like that.  Maybe he should keep off that pink stuff.

Just so that it has not got lost, here Kristine is what you simply asked for at the beginning of the thread, Le Guide des Hôtels qui Aiment les Chiens :

http://www.le-guide-des-hotels-qui-aiment-les-chiens.com/index.html

 

I hope you have a good stay   [8-|]

 

[Cassis]

Er, quite.  Let's keep all this in perspective, shall we?  Each to their own and all that?

[:)]

Phil

[Cerise]

Still no dog owners have said whether kennels at B & B would be welcome.  Shall I take that as a 'no' then?

Maggi