Welcoming, friendly or just tolerant?

In our experience brands are waking up to the fact that excluding dogs is bad for business. It's certainly a lot easier to take pup with you now than even just a few years ago. However we find that the interpretation of dog friendly varies quite a bit between different businesses and brands. In our view, for a food business to count as 'dog friendly' they have to allow dogs to sit inside. To help guide you we use three broad categories:

1. Dog Welcoming - a business that positively embraces dogs, permitting them indoors with largely unrestricted access/seating and doing that little extra to make them and their owners welcome - such as dog bowls, biscuits, doggy menus, or permitting them at the ordering counter so someone on their own can still order with their pup
2. Dog Friendly - Dogs are permitted inside and some facilities like dog bowls and biscuits may be available, but dogs may be restricted to certain areas and not at the counter
3. Dog Tolerant - Dogs are not permitted inside, but there may be outdoor facilities, such as dog bowls, covered seating areas etc

Dog Friendly Brands
The lists below reflect our experience (or where the brand has specifically advertised themselves as dog friendly). It's always best to check before travelling, especially where brands are operated by franchisees who may apply different rules. Some on the list here might surprise you, and certainly when we talk to other dog owners many are unware they can take pup to these businesses.

Cafe's, Bars and Restaurants

• Bills - A chameleon café/bar offer, that have now launched their own doggy menu - dog welcoming for sure!
• British Garden Centre Cafes - dog friendly with designated seating areas
• ​Café Nero - Pretty much all dog welcoming unless the café is very small
• Coffee #1 - Dog friendly, with designated areas for dogs, water bowls and biscuits available
• Dobbies Garden Centre Cafes - dog friendly with designated seating areas and water bowls
• Ember Inns - dog welcoming, with water bowls and treats and largely unrestricted seating (we had our Xmas day dinner at an Ember Inn last year)
• Gaucho - upmarket Argentinian steak-houses, surprisingly dog friendly between midday and 6pm in all restaurants
• Starbucks - the majority of sites are dog welcoming, but some franchisees operate different rules. Don't be surprised if you get offered a free 'puppuccino'
• The Cornish Bakery - founded by a dog lover frustrated at not having somewhere to take their dog, very dog welcoming with unrestricted seating and plenty of fuss from the staff
• The Lounges - the names vary by town (Fondo Lounge, Portivo, Fosso etc), but all are dog welcoming with unrestricted seating (we call them Fido Lounges for short!). A chameleon café/bar offer from breakfast through to evening meals
• Vintage Inns - dog friendly with dogs allowed in the bar areas only

(and in the dog-house)

• Costa Coffee - the only big chain coffee shop not to allow dogs in. Dog tolerant in outside seating areas only
• Blue Diamond Garden Centres - Totally inconsistent with their policies, varying from dog friendly seating areas and unofficial blind eye approaches to having only outdoor seating options - check before you visit
• Wetherspoons - dogs not even allowed in outdoor areas

Shops & Retail

• Apple Store - get your new 'dog & bone' with your dog
• Barbour - have their own range of doggy coats, leads and toys
• British Garden Centres
• Blue Diamond Garden Centres (but mostly not in the café)
• Cath Kidson
• Currys PC World (might vary by store)
• Decathlon - unsure if this is a national policy or local, but our local branch has no issues with Bi-Bi browsing
• Dobbies Garden Centres - dog friendly with the exception of the food retail areas
• Fat Face
• Halfords
• Hobbycraft
• Homebase - standard policy but they advise to check with your store before travelling
• John Lewis - dogs permitted except for restaurant areas
• Lush - if your pup can stand the smell, go for it!
• McArthur Glen Designer Outlets - as a rule, the outdoor outlets are dog welcoming, with most stores permitting dogs and water fountains available. Indoor malls (eg York) are not dog friendly
• Mountain Warehouse - all you need for doggy adventures outdoors
• SCS - let you pup pick out your new sofa
• Seasalt Cornwall - even have some doggy accessories alongside the ladies' clothes
• Waterstones - browse for a book with your pup!
• White Stuff
• Wilko - majority of stores are dog friendly, with clear signage outside and dog bowls by the entrance

Hotels
Most dog friendly hotel chains charge a small fee to let your pup stay with you. It's also worth checking where you dog can go in the hotel, especially if you're thinking about using the bar areas or dining for dinner and breakfast. Best to check with your chosen venue before booking as policies may vary by site.

• Days Inn - budget option, but with decent size rooms that give space for pup to sleep and often ground floor rooms
  
• Double Tree by Hilton - normally very dog friendly with access to bar areas and breakfast options
  
• Holiday Inn Express - offer a large number of dog friendly hotels
• Hotel du Vin
• Ibis - allowed in rooms but more limited in public areas
• Malmaison - for a more boutique option
• Novotel
• Ramada - quite dog friendly, normally with an option to dine in the lounge area for breakfast
• Travelodge 

A Word of Caution
We do our best to make sure the information provided is accurate, but it does reflect our experience at the time of visiting so we always recommend you check the up to date information with specific venues before travelling.