Why do services stations/hotels etc etc promote themselves to be dog friendly when they aren't!!!!  ARGH so frustrating!

Stopped at a "dog friendly" service station with lovely big signs on the door saying Dogs Welcome!, passed through the doors, walked 20 yards and an employee ran at me like I was carrying a bomb or something telling me that I couldn't come in with my dogs!!! 

When I queried this she said that dogs were allowed only to the bowl of water - when I looked round this bowl was just inside the front door!!!  They might have well put this outside!!!

On the same trip stopped overnight at a dog friendly hotel (got put in a crappy room btw!) and was told that dogs were not even allowed in reception!  Just allowed in the room and god forbid you should want to eat breakfast with a dog at your feet!!

Sorry to rant and rave but why can't people just be honest instead of jumping on the "dog friendly" band wagon!!!

Sarah x

The hotels in the Netherlands are just the opposite I stay usually at a Campanile in south east Amsterdamm & you can take your dog into the bar the restauant etc no one says anything. LOL a couple of years ago I was very taken with a De Hollandse Smouhond that left it's owner & came & sat at my feet & used them as a headrest-I wonder if he was trying to tell his owner something as they were in the smoking bit & I was at the other end in the non smoking LOL he won the CACIB, CAC & BOB the next day !

Sorry you have had it bad, but i must say as we live quite far from shows we often stay overnight rather than turn up on the day looking like death. We've stayed in Holiday inns and we own a giant breed and its not like you can hide one under the table :D and we have been made exceptionally welcome.

We always use the Holiday Inn for shows too.  We have never encountered any problems either.  They say one dog, but we have never been stopped with two :)

I've never asked Sandra :D i call before hand and say "do you accept dogs"?

It would be fun one day to turn up with about 10 dogs and say "Well your receptionist never said how many"!! :D :D :D :D

I book online, it shows what hotels accept dogs, but nowhere is there anything about only taking one :D

I've seen quite a few small dogs sitting on their owners laps in restaurants in France :)

Daisy

I think in general over the water they are pretty animal friendly! We have just moved back from Belgium and it was nothing unusual to see a dog in a supermarket (usually toy breeds sat in the trolley seat!) and as for hotels etc they are 9times out of 10 very welcome although they do make a small charge for the dog/s to stay (in Belgium anyway)
never had to stay anywhere with a dog yet in the U.K but I'm sure I will find out in time :-)
em

Have to say, that although it's nice that places are dog-friendly, it can be a double-edged sword :D I'd love to be able to take mine to hotels, but they are so territorial that they would bark at the slightest noise in the corridor :) Because of this, I won't take them. I'm considerate :D :D I'm also a very light sleeper and it would annoy me intensely if someone had a dog in a hotel room that barked more than once or twice. Similarly in shops that allow dogs, I have seen dogs pee up things and generally make a nuisance of themselves. As usual, the minority spoil it for the majority (a bit like badly behaved children :) ) :(

Daisy