https://alwaysdogfriendly.co.uk/

Always Dog Friendly, Reading (2026)

05/09/2026

🐶❤️ It’s okay to have a difficult dog ❤️🐾

We’ve had a really tough week with Errol. Moving house has completely disrupted his routine, everything is new and different, Olive’s hormones are sending his brain into overdrive, and even training — something we work SO hard at — has been a struggle because right now, apparently nothing on this earth is more interesting than Olive 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

And when you have a dog who already feels everything to the max, sometimes it all just gets a bit... much.

We’ve never made any secret of the fact that Errol isn’t an easy dog. We absolutely adore him, but over the years we’ve struggled with A LOT. He’s incredibly emotional, easily overwhelmed, ridiculously sensitive - and occasionally an absolute fu***ng nightmare 😂 And we're not ashamed to admit that.

Social media can make dog ownership look pretty straightforward 🐶 You train them, they learn, they get better — and eventually you have this perfectly behaved dog who takes everything in their stride 🐕 But real life isn’t always like that.

Sometimes you can put SO much work into your dog and they still struggle 😪 Progress goes backwards, training goes completely t**s up, life changes, emotions take over and their little brains just cannot brain 🤯

And sometimes you struggle too.

You can love your dog more than anything in the world and still find them really fu***ng difficult. You can be frustrated with them. You can feel embarrassed by them (something I actually said out loud at training this week). You can watch someone else’s seemingly perfect dog and wonder why yours can’t just do that. You can have moments where you desperately wish it was all a bit easier 😭

Errol has come a long way, and one difficult week doesn’t erase any of that progress 🙏🏻 So right now, we’re reminding ourselves that he’s dealing with a LOT of change, meeting him where he is, adjusting our expectations and accepting that this week just hasn't been his week.

Because your dog doesn’t have to be easy to be a good dog. And you don’t have to find every moment easy to be a good dog owner ❤️🐾

28/08/2026

🐕🩳 Dog-walking essentials aren't just for the dogs... 🌲🐾

When you spend as much time walking dogs as we do, you quickly learn that what you wear needs to be practical 😅 Because between leads, keys, phones, treats, poo bags and everything else that somehow comes with two dogs... the last thing I want is another bag to carry! 🐶🐕

I've been trying out some of the 2-in-1 shorts from recently 🩳 and it's the little details that have impressed me most. Hidden pockets, built-in shorts, plenty of room for all the dog-walking essentials, and clothing that I can actually climb, crouch and move around in without having to think about what I'm wearing 🙌🏻🏃‍♀️

What I particularly like about The Halara Circle is the thinking behind it 👏🏼 Halara has been asking real women what they actually want from their clothes, listening to that feedback and using it to make practical improvements – which is how features like the built-in shorts and pockets came about 💪🏼 And if there's one thing I've learnt from walking two dogs, it's that more pockets are always welcome! 😂🐕

What feature could you NOT live without in your dog-walking clothes? 👇🏻

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21/08/2026

🐶🎰 Skegness is kinda chic, actually... 😂🐾

Yes, I know it gets a bad rap, but hear me out... maybe the Great British seaside deserves a little more credit 🇬🇧🌊

Skegness is an unapologetically old-school British seaside town — complete with noisy arcades, a mini golf course that has seen better days, over-priced ice creams on the pier and swooping seagulls that'll nick your over-priced ice cream if you're not careful. But that's kind of the charm! 🍦

So back in June, we decided to embrace Skegness in all its slightly chaotic seaside glory — and honestly, we had a blast 🇬🇧 We walked the dogs along the beach during a torrential downpour, spent an unreasonable amount of money trying to win them a 2p arcade prize, explored the seafront and fully embraced everything Skeg Vegas had to offer 😂🎰🌊

Our base for the weekend was The Layby Lincs where we stayed in the brilliantly quirky Gee Gee — a converted horse box tucked away in the Lincolnshire countryside 🐴🌿 Think vintage interiors, a private wood-fired hot tub and, most importantly when travelling with Adventures with our Aussie Shepherds, a secure garden where they could potter around off-lead without us having to test whether their recall had also taken a holiday 🙈🐶

It was exactly our kind of little getaway: dog-friendly, slightly unconventional and a whole lot of fun ❤️🐾

So maybe Skegness isn't the Amalfi Coast... But honestly? Kinda chic to choose Skeg Vegas instead 😂🎰

A huge thank you to the lovely Alex and Louise at The Layby Lincs for kindly hosting us 🐴💛 As always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

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15/08/2026

🐶🏰 Exploring Northumberland with your dog? Save this spot! 📌🐾

If Bamburgh is on your Northumberland list (and it bloody should be!), don't just come for the castle... Directly below it you'll find Bamburgh Beach: a huge stretch of powdery white sand backed by wispy dunes. It's a pretty epic spot! 🐕🌊

And, if you are exploring Bamburgh with a four-legged friend, you don't have to choose between exploring the beach and visiting the castle 🏰🐾 Bamburgh Castle is actually more dog-friendly than you might think: well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the castle grounds, Victorian Stables and Tack Room Takeaway. They just can't go inside the State Rooms, Clock Tower Café or Armstrong & Aviation Museum (unless they're assistance dogs) 🐕‍🦺

So, if you're planning to explore Bamburgh with your pup, here are the deets you need 👇🏼

• 📍 Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland, NE69
• 🐾 Dogs welcome on the beach all year round, with no seasonal restrictions
• 🅿️ Bamburgh Village Car Park, Links Road, NE69 7DF — directly opposite the castle
• 💷 Parking costs £7–£10.50 depending on length of stay, with charges between 8am–6pm. Visiting in the evening? Parking is free after 6pm!
• 🏰 Alternatively, Bamburgh Castle has its own car park for £6 all day, with access to the beach and village
• 🚽 Public toilets at Church Street and Bamburgh Links Car Park — the Links toilets are seasonal
• ☕ Plenty of dog-friendly cafés, pubs and places to grab food and drink in Bamburgh village

🌊 Dogs + miles of sand + those views from the dunes... what more could you want? 🥹🐾

📌 Save this one for your next dog-friendly Northumberland adventure!

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10/08/2026

🐶🌊 Looking for a dog-friendly beach near Bude? Save this one! 📌🐾

After a flying one-night visit to Cornwall this weekend, we ended a busy Saturday with one of Olive's favourite activities: running around on the beach 🥹🌊

We headed to Black Rock Beach, at the southern end of Widemouth Bay, around 7.30pm — and honestly, summer beach evenings might just be our new favourite thing 🌅🐾 The daytime crowds had disappeared, the temperature had dropped and there was loads of space for Olive to run around and live her best beach life 🐕

If you're planning beach trips with your dog this summer, always check the restrictions 🚫 Lots of UK beaches have seasonal dog bans, but that doesn't necessarily mean dogs are banned all day — some restrictions lift in the early morning or evening! 🐶🌅

Black Rock is even better — dogs are welcome all year round 👏🏼 Neighbouring Widemouth Beach has seasonal restrictions though, so make sure you're heading to the right stretch of sand.

Given the choice between battling the summer crowds or having an evening like this... I know which one we're choosing 😂🙋🏼‍♀️

Here are the deets you need for this gem of a beach:

• 📍 Black Rock Beach, Widemouth Bay, near Bude (EX23 0AG)
• 🐶 Dogs welcome all year round
• 🅿️ Car park immediately above the beach
• ☕ Beach café by the car park
• 🚽 Toilets available at the café
• 🥾 Sloping path/steps with some pebbles/uneven ground
• 🌅 West-facing — perfect for an evening beach trip!

We were camping just down the road at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park for the night — two humans, one small tent and one very spoilt dog 😂⛺ — while Errol stayed home because Olive is still in season 🙃

A practically empty beach, a happy dog and that sunset... not a bad way to end the day 🥰🐾

🐾 Know a great beach where the summer dog restrictions lift in the evening? Drop it in the comments — let's share the best spots for sunset zoomies! 🌅👇🏼

06/08/2026

🐾🐕 Paws before floors 🚗🚿

We spend so much time planning adventures with our dogs ... we've also become quite good at planning for the clean-up afterwards! 😂

Whether it's a wet woodland walk, a sandy day on the beach day or a stopover in a muddy campsite, having a quick way to rinse dirty paws (and boots 🥾) before climbing back into the car, the campervan or an Airbnb, has made life so much easier (and probably saved our security deposit on more than one occasion) 🙌🏻

The Muddy Daddy is one of those bits of gear that you don't necessarily think you need... until you do 🐾 and it's not just dirty paws it can help rinse off: we love it for hosing down our paddleboard and kayaks after a day on the river too! 🛶

What's one bit of dog gear you wouldn't travel without? Let me know in the comments 👇🏻🐶

AD | Previously by 🚿 As always, all words and opinions are my own!

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18/07/2026

🤤🍿 If dog ASMR is your thing, you're going to LOVE this... Pupcorn, anyone? 🐶🍿

Is it really a family movie night if the dogs don't get snacks too? 😂🍿 We don't think so... which is why were very excited to try these Himalayan Milk Pupcorn treats from , which arrived as part of the pups' monthly subscription box 📦🐾

Made from Himalayan yak milk, they start off as hard cheese chews before going in the microwave to puff up into these light, crunchy treats. Safe to say they were a BIG hit... just look at those faces and Errol's drool 🐶🤤

One of the things we really like about Years is that it's not just about fresh meals – there are loads of treats and extras to discover too, which makes every delivery feel a little bit special 🙌🏼

If you've been thinking about giving Years a try, sign up for a trial using our code 𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 for:

• 🎁 A FREE Plaque Guard worth £19.95 with your 7-day trial
• 💸 15% off your first box after your trial

🍿🐕 Does your dog have their own movie night treats, or do they spend the whole film trying to convince you to share yours? 😂👇

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09/07/2026

🐶💚 How do you tell if a place is really "dog-friendly", or just dog-tolerant? 🤔🐾

When we book "dog-friendly" accommodation, we don't just look for somewhere that allows dogs... we look for somewhere that's been designed with dogs in mind 🐶 Somewhere where we don't spend the whole time worrying about muddy paws, protecting the furniture, or whether they're safe in the garden. And that's exactly what we found at Luxury Self Catering Cottages l Dog Friendly!

We recently spent a weekend in The Stables, one of Rowley Farm's luxury self-catering cottages in the Worcestershire countryside. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that dogs weren't just accepted here... they're genuinely welcomed 🙏🏻🥹

There was a jar of dog treats waiting for , bowls and poo bags, throws provided so they could sit on the sofa, and an enclosed garden with high fencing, so they could safely potter about while we enjoyed our morning coffee & evening BBQ ☕🌿

One of my favourite touches was the Muddy Paws Wash Room 🚿 After 3hrs exploring nearby Wyre Forest, despite the middle of a 32°C heatwave, Errol still sniffed out the only muddy puddle that hadn't dried up 🤦🏼‍♀️ Being able to give him a proper wash before heading into the cottage made a big difference!

It's those thoughtful little details that stood out to us. You don't book somewhere for a dog wash or a jar of treats... but because the place makes travelling with dogs that little bit easier! 🐶

Here's what you need to know before booking a stay at Rowley Farm:

• 🏡 Accomodation options: choose from 3 luxury cottages & a handcrafted shepherd's hut, all accepting dogs
• 📍 Holt Heath, Worcestershire (WR6)
• 🌳 Close to Wyre Forest & plenty of dog-friendly days out
• 🔗 Book direct for the latest availability & best prices

It's the little things that make you remember a place long after you've left. And Rowley Farm definitely got those little things right 💚

Have you stayed somewhere that genuinely goes above & beyond for dogs? 🐾 We'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments 👇🏼

AD | We were kindly invited to Rowley Farm on a 🙏🏻 thank you! As always though, all words and opinions my own 🫶🏼

05/07/2026

📍🐶 Tracking pawsitive progress... one adventure at a time! 🌲💚

When they're with us, 's recall has always been pretty good - so GPS trackers weren't something I thought we'd need... Then Errol decided to prove me wrong by running away from his dog walker, twice 🤦🏼‍♀️

A few months and a whole load of training later, his doggy daycare ASBO has been lifted and he’s back with his pals - though now with a XS GPS tracker fixed to his collar for extra peace of mind 😇

It's not just the live tracking we've found helpful - there are loads of extra features that we love 🐾 Replaying their adventures, seeing where they’ve been with the dog walker and comparing their Top Trumps-style stats has become part of our routine. It's a bit like Strava... but for dogs! 🐶

Here's what you need to know about these little trackers:

• 📍 Live GPS tracking with no distance limit, so you can see exactly where your dog is through the app, with Superlive mode updating the location every second
• 🗺️ Journey history records every adventure with animated route maps, distance travelled and top speed
• 🔔 Beep, vibration and light functions help locate your dog nearby - and can also be incorporated into recall training by associating them with rewards
• 📱 You can create safe zones, receive escape alerts if your dog leaves them, share access with family members, and switch map styles
• 💦 IP68 waterproof (thank goodness!) weighs just 27g, and has a battery life of up to 10 days, depending on your settings and usage.

We're still putting the work into Errol's recall because no GPS tracker replaces training 💪🏼 and it is much better now... But he's still Errol at the end of the day. So the Weenect XS gives us that extra bit of peace of mind if he ever decides to disappear into the undergrowth again.

Until then, I'm quite happy comparing their Top Trump stats... although I still can't work out how a dog whose nickname is "Sluggy" manages to clock a top speed of 9mph 🤷🏼‍♀️🐶

🙏🏻 The trackers were kindly to us by - but as always, all words, opinions and route maps ar

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