Dog-Friendly Christmas Breaks: Where To Go, What To Pack & How To Spoil Your Pup

As much as we love Christmas, it’s a time of year that isn’t just tinsel and fairy lights. It can get a little stressful at times too. Between the present-wrapping, the three-hour-long food shop and your home having to hold half the family, the whole thing can sometimes feel more frantic than festive, and our dogs can pick up on every bit of it. All the extra noise and the disrupted routine can leave even the calmest pup a little frazzled by Boxing Day.

It's why more people are choosing dog-friendly Christmas breaks to escape on, something just for the immediate family, and that includes members with four legs too. There's no need to scramble for a dog-sitter and no guilt about dog kennels, just you and your dog, tucked away in a cosy cottage until New Year.

If this sounds tempting, this guide walks through some of the best places to go, what to pack and how to make the whole trip feel special for your dog too.

Spending Christmas away with your dog means nobody has to be left behind or split up over the festive season, and there's something lovely about waking up on Christmas morning in a cottage that's all yours, opening presents together, then pulling on boots for a frosty walk before sitting down to a festive feast instead of rushing between relatives' houses.

You get to spend the day however suits you and your dog best, whether that's dozing by a log burner with a film on, or heading out to explore a stretch of trail. And most dog-friendly places have thought of the practical side too, with enclosed gardens for late-night toilet breaks and floors that don't mind a bit of mud tracked through after a walk.

A survey by Canine Cottages found that 77% of UK dog owners agree having a dog around makes Christmas feel more special. Keeping your dog with you instead of boarding them in kennels means their routine stays intact, their separation anxiety stays lower, and your bank balance doesn't take the usual seasonal hit from boarding costs.

Budget-wise, a mid-range cottage for a December weekend can come in under £500, while a full week in a luxury place with a private hot tub, a spacious farmhouse kitchen and room for eight or more usually lands somewhere between £900 and £1,700 depending on where in the country you're headed.

There's plenty of choice across the UK for a dog-friendly Christmas break, from Cornwall's coastline to the honey-stone villages of Gloucestershire and the wilder scenery of its national parks. Here are some of the best regions to consider this winter.

Cornwall & Devon

Winter strips away the crowds and leaves the coastal paths quiet enough that you can hear the waves for once. North Cornwall is particularly good for this, and the harbour hamlet of Mousehole makes a low-key base if you'd like your Christmas walks calm instead of crowded. Over the border in Devon, the beaches and woodland trails are just as lovely once the summer visitors have gone home.

The Cotswolds

Picturesque villages and walking trails make this one of the most popular regions for a festive escape, and Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water look like something off a Christmas card once the frost sets in. Dog-friendly pubs serving Christmas dinners are easy to find here, and properties across Gloucestershire range from contemporary barn conversions to classic stone cottages with the fire already lit.

The Lake District

Few places in the UK welcome dogs as warmly as the Lake District, and its snowy scenery makes for some of the cosiest evenings you'll find anywhere this time of year. The lakeside loop at Tarn Hows (around 3.5 miles) makes a fantastic winter circuit, and dog-friendly cottages here are popular for good reason with plenty coming with views straight over the water.

South Downs National Park

Local artisan shopping and peaceful trails make the South Downs a strong pick for dog-friendly Christmas markets, and nearby Arundel has its own dog-friendly shops and cafés if you fancy building in a bit of shopping.

The Peak District

Derbyshire's breathtaking valleys and frost-dusted moorland make the Peak District one of the best regions for a good winter walk, and market towns like Bakewell keep their festive charm well into December. Castleton and Edale both make good bases for longer walks, and Dovedale's stepping stones are a lovely (if chilly) spot for a photo with your dog. There are also plenty of villages here that have a dog-friendly pub for when you’re ready for some turkey.

Scotland (Aberdeenshire & Cairngorms)

Aberdeenshire has an abundance of walks along sandy beaches, while the Cairngorms National Park brings beautiful winter scenery with far fewer visitors than you'd expect. Luxury dog-friendly cottages with hot tubs in Northern Scotland start from around £900 a week, though prices can change throughout the season, so it pays to check current listings before you book.

Other Gems

• Northumberland. The coastline stays open to dogs for most of the year, with only a couple of short seasonal restrictions on parts of Newbiggin and Blyth beaches that lift by October, so December walks here feel wonderfully empty.
• Norfolk. Wide-open, dog-friendly beaches all year round, with plenty of space to let the lead out and stretch your legs.
• Yorkshire. Rolling valleys and centuries-old market towns give winter walks here a real sense of scale.
• Wales. Coastal paths and forest trails that dog owners swear by, especially once the summer crowds have gone.
• New Forest. Traditional pubs here are known for dog treats and roaring fireplaces which is exactly what you deserve after a long walk.
• Isle of Wight. A great pick for a shorter break, with a coastline that rewards a slower pace.

Cottages are what most people picture when they think about a dog-friendly Christmas break, but they're not the only option on the table. Lodges and holiday parks are just as easy to find, and properties are scattered right across England, Wales and Scotland, so there's no shortage of places to base yourselves wherever in the country you fancy.

The Different Types of Stay

Cottages tend to be older, sometimes centuries old, with low ceilings, exposed beams and an open fire that keeps the whole place warm on a cold December night, plus a garden out the back for your dog to tear around in between courses of Christmas dinner.

Forest lodges are a little different, typically set among the trees with more space around each property so you're not overlooking your neighbours, and they often come with a deck or a hot tub built right in. Converted barns are a popular choice as well, once a working farm building but now a cosy space with thick stone or timber walls and huge open rooms for cooking, eating and opening presents.

Coastal apartments are the smallest and simplest of the bunch, closer to a promenade or seafront and easier to manage over a few days than a full week away. You'll lose the garden, but you'll gain a beach on your doorstep, and a lot less mud tracked through the hallway than you'd get from a soggy field.

Some properties will take three dogs or more if you ask in advance, so multi-dog households don't have to miss out either.

What to Look For

A few features are worth building your shortlist around, since they'll be what makes a dog-friendly Christmas break easy and effortless:

• An enclosed garden, so late-night toilet breaks don't mean fumbling for a lead in the dark
• Somewhere for wet coats and muddy paws, like a boot room or tiled hallway, so you're not scrubbing paw prints out of someone else's carpet
• A wood burner or open fire, plus open-plan living so your dog can be right in the thick of it on Christmas morning
• Multiple bedrooms and a kitchen big enough for a full Christmas dinner, if you're travelling as a bigger group
• A hot tub, if that's your idea of the perfect Christmas Day, for the humans at least, though don't be shocked if your dog tries to climb in too
• Clear pet policies, so you know how many dogs are allowed, any breed or size restrictions, extra cleaning charges, and which rooms your dog can go in

The best dog-friendly properties will always list the extras, like beds, bowls and towels, upfront, so you know exactly what's waiting for your pup before you book.

Dog-friendly Christmas breaks get snapped up fast, so getting your booking in early really pays off, especially for the stretch between 21st December and 2nd January, when the luxury properties and the cottages with hot tubs tend to get booked out before the end of autumn.

There's a few things worth deciding on before you book:

• Going away for the full Christmas week, a pre-Christmas weekend in early December, or a Twixmas escape squeezed in between Christmas and New Year
• How many nights you'll need, since most places ask for a minimum stay of three to seven nights over the Christmas period
• The cancellation policy, especially if bad weather could get in the way of the trip
• Which local pubs, shops and inns are open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, since plenty shut their doors completely over the festive period

Self-catering in a dog-friendly cottage usually works out cheaper than paying for a hotel and kennels separately, and it means you're the one in charge of the food budget, for the humans and the dogs both. A week in a mid-luxury cottage typically comes in around £1,000 to £1,500, and once you weigh that against a hotel room plus kennel fees for the days you're away, it starts to look like the better deal.

Plan your days out ahead of time too, since winter light trails, Christmas markets and coastal walks can all run shorter hours over the festive period, and some shut completely on the 25th and 26th. 

Plenty of UK cities and towns run Christmas markets that welcome dogs on a lead, but always check the event's own website before you set off, just in case the rules have changed for this year. And if a Christmas market is a must on your dog-friendly Christmas break, take a look at our guide to the best dog-friendly Christmas markets for a bit of inspiration on where to head.

There's something to be said for spending most of a Christmas break doing absolutely nothing, and a dog-friendly cottage with a fire going is basically built for that. But wanting to get out and do things with your day isn't a betrayal of the holiday, it's just as much a part of it. And a festive market, a good walk, or a pub lunch with your dog snoring under the table are some of the best things you can do.

Festive markets

Most UK towns and cities put on some kind of Christmas market between late November and Christmas Day itself with mulled wine stalls and stallholders selling everything from handmade decorations to hot food. And plenty of them welcome dogs on a lead too. PDSA recommends heading along at less busy times and keeping an eye on crowd levels, noise and any fireworks before you set off, since a packed market with narrow walkways and loud stalls isn't every dog's idea of a good time.

Winter walks

A cold winter walk means no worrying about your dog overheating on hot pavements or flaking out in the shade halfway round like they might in August, just frosty grass crunching underfoot and your breath showing in the air. Just be sure to stick to routes you know well rather than anything steep or icy, and keep in mind that daylight disappears fast in December, so a morning or early afternoon walk beats trying to squeeze one in once it's already dark.

A dog-friendly pub roast

A good spot for a Christmas or Boxing Day roast is a must on your dog-friendly Christmas break. Just be sure to book ahead and make sure you find somewhere that allows dogs. These places will also likely have water bowls out, a few festive treats behind the bar and tiled floors for muddy paws.

Indoor downtime

For the days you'd rather stay in, stock up on Christmas dog toys and some long-lasting chews so your dog's happy to settle while the humans get stuck into board games or work through the festive film list.

Packing the right things for your dog makes the whole trip easier, especially since most shops shut completely on the 25th and 26th, so there's no popping out last minute for anything you've forgotten.

Essentials

These are the non-negotiables, the things that cause real problems if they get left behind by accident. A dog-friendly cottage a hundred miles from your local vet isn't the place to discover you've left the tablets on the kitchen counter, so running through the basics before you leave saves you a stressful dash to a strange vet's surgery on Christmas Eve.

• Lead, harness and ID tags
• Poo bags
• Food and water bowls
• Enough of your dog's usual food to last the whole holiday
• Any medications, with clear dosing notes written down if someone else might need to give them
• Vet contact details for both home and wherever you're staying

Comfort items

Christmas away is still a big change for your dog with all the new smells, a different bed and sometimes even different rules about where they're allowed to sit. So, having a few familiar comforts goes a long way toward helping them settle in. Think about how you'll keep them occupied too, during the bits of the day that don't really involve them, like when everyone's sat around the table for hours over Christmas dinner.

• A dog bed or blanket that smells like home
• Their favourite dog toys
• Dog towels for drying off muddy paws after December walks
• A lick mat, slow feeder or treat dispenser to keep them settled and their brain busy while everyone's at the table or engrossed in a film

Cold-weather gear

December brings its own list of things to think about on top of the usual packing, especially once it's dark by mid-afternoon and pavements start icing over. A dog built for warmer weather, or an older dog whose joints feel every change in temperature, needs a bit more assistance too so build these extras into your kit if you can

• Reflective collars and harnesses for dark evenings
• A winter coat, especially for short-haired or older dogs who feel the cold more
• Paw balm to protect against salted pavements and frozen ground

Festive extras

Once the practical stuff's sorted, there's no reason your dog should miss out on the fun part of Christmas too. Having them unwrap their own present on Christmas morning or getting dressed up for the family photo makes the day feel like Christmas for them just as much as it does for you.

• A dog Christmas present
• A Christmas dog outfit or bandana for the family photos
• Dog-safe Christmas treats

Whether you are searching for the perfect addition to a dog-friendly cottage on Christmas morning or celebrating at home with your loved ones, WOOOF’s Christmas collection has everything to create a heart-warming holiday for your dog.

• Christmas presents: set up a small present pile just for your pooch with gifts from our dog Christmas presents collection
• Festive collars: make your dog look the part for Christmas Day walks and pub lunches with Christmas dog collars
• Toys & treats: keep dogs busy and content during long dinners with Christmas dog toys and dog Christmas treats
• Advent calendars: count down to your dog-friendly Christmas break with advent calendars for dogs
• Decorations & outfits: dress your cottage, lodge, or home in dog-friendly Christmas decor with dog Christmas decorations and dog Christmas outfits

Christmas away with your dog takes a lot of the stress out of the season because you're not trying to line up a dog-sitter or feeling guilty about kennels, you're instead spending the season somewhere different with your dog right there for it all.

Dog-friendly Christmas breaks can look like almost anything, a cottage with a fire going or a lodge out in the woods, and wherever you land, sort the planning out early and the rest of the trip looks after itself.

And however you end up spending it, here at WOOOF we've got everything you need to make the day feel just as special for your dog as it is for you, from their own stocking full of Christmas presents to a smart new harness for the frosty walks. Because wherever you're spending Christmas this year, your dog should get to be part of it too.

The Best Christmas Gifts for Dogs

Christmas-Inspired Recipes for Dogs

Dog-Safe Foods: What Christmas Leftovers Can Your Dog Eat?