It's a Dog's Life...!

Dog friendly Norfolk Holidays

I'm Sue Allen and I want to welcome you to Norfolk, the best and most dog friendly county in the UK....in my humble opinion!

I might be biaised but I holiday with my dogs all over the UK and every time I do, I realise just why Norfolk is so special. So why is that?

Lots of open spaces, easy walking, very quiet, dog friendly sandy beaches with very few restrictions.

Mostly arable, so very little in the way of livestock - no fields of sheep to get through and worry about!

Dog friendly pubs and cafes are the norm rather than the exception and there are plenty to choose from!

Friendly locals, many of whom have dogs of their own and will happily stop and chat.

You can come and stay with us with one or two dogs or bring the whole pack and you will find that all the properties are PROPERLY dog welcoming!

So, here's what you might need to know for your pawsome dog friendly holiday here!

Each property is different but you can expect to find some or all of the following. If you would like to find out exactly what is supplied at each property, either look at the website page or email me, sue@eastrustoncottages.co.uk.  

  • Home made dog biscuits or treats (mostly from Nero's Kitchen)
  • Temporary holiday collars and/or tags at some cottages
  • Dog bed(s)
  • Spare bowls
  • Throws for the furniture
  • Enclosed outside area (a description on each property page - always happy to provide more detail)
  • Outside hose for washing down muddy dogs if needed (warm showers in several of the properties!)
  • Dog towels.
  • Poo bags
  • Dog toys
  • Dog first aid kits 
  • and more...!

    We can also supply these items if you tick the box on the booking form

  • Dog crates  Large (30" x 48"), medium (38" x 24") or small (terrier size)
  • Dog buggy for old or disabled dogs and puppies - various sizes available
  • Fold up dog ramp for the car
  • Sofa steps (soft steps to help your dog join you on the sofa)

In many of the houses you are more than welcome to leave your dogs when you go out - IF you can be sure they will not be stressed and will settle. In the houses where this is not possible we can highly recommend Shannon of Shannons Pet Care who may be able to come and sit with your dogs while you head out for a while.  You can reach her on 07901 070103 or email her - info@shannonspetcare.co.uk.  She is well sited for our Happisburgh and East Ruston Cottages and can cover Sea Palling too. 

Nikki at Pooches and Pals is another local and highly recommended and fully qualified/insured sitter.   She can walk and sit for many of our local cottages.

Also you could try The Fairy Dog Lover, another local and qualified dog sitter and walker based in North Walsham so close to our East Ruston, Trunch, Bacton and Walcott properties.  Gemma can be contacted via her website here

Ellen Glazebrook runs Cali's Club and covers Winterton and Scratby areas. 

We have also added Harriet Goslett who can be contacted on 07790 317095.   All About The Dog is her Facebook page.

 

Stalham is the one I use for my own dogs Broadland House Vets
North Walsham (also with an out of hours service)  Westover Vets and Toll Barn Vets.

Each house should have details of the vet numbers etc but if you want to be sure please do email me, sue@eastrustoncottages.co.uk, before your stay and I will send you all the details.

You can order via our website from the Raw Dog Food Company, based in Norfolk, just outside of Norwich. They deliver to our area and it will be free of charge for all ERC guests with a £10 minimum order value specially for them too!  They have several click and collect options too and a comprehensive, well chosen range of great dog foods, treats and supplements.  Order here on our website.  And a free consultation service too!

Or you can pick up smaller supplies locally at these places.

Kisi, in Wroxham - minces and chunks, bones etc - a very good range. Worth a visit also for their lovely range of collars, leads and harnesses, treats and toys.

Sams Pets in North Walsham town centre - raw mince frozen packs.  Easiest for our Trunch properties and East Ruston, Bacton and Happisburgh too. 

Martham Pet Supplies in Martham village centre, not far from Winterton and easy to get to from Happisburgh, Hickling and East Ruston. 

Many of the properties have a large enough freezer to store supplies and where they don't, it may be possible that the owners' freezer can be used. Please do just ask me for details - sue@eastrustoncottages.co.uk.

There are also very good local butchers in Stalham High Street (Cawdrons), Sea Palling road (Causeway Butchers) and the wonderful Tavern Tasty outside North Walsham for mince, bones, offal etc.

We have over 90 miles of accessible coastline here in Norfolk.  Dogs are allowed on most of the local sandy beaches all year round but there are restrictions on a few of them, 1 May - 1 October. This NNDC Dogs On Beaches leaflet explains which ones and how far the restricted area extends.  It only affects small areas of beach in 8 locations and we reckon that totals about 2 miles at the most, giving you over 88 miles of beaches still very dog welcoming! 

The Explore Norfolk website has a huge amount of useful information too.  There is a very comprehensive list of places to visit with your dog here on the Barking Bugle website.  And do please check in on our Facebook group where owners and guests alike, ask and answer all sorts of questions about our cottages, beaches and the area generally!  Lots of personal recommendations which are so useful!

NONE!!  We want you to come and relax not worry about rules!

At all of the properties we do ask nicely that you clean up after your dogs - both inside and out - a simple request that is all about respect and we know that just about all of our guests are only too happy to do this.

If you do want your dogs to curl up with you on furniture like they do at home then all we ask is you use throws; these are provided in most of the houses.

Each property has its own requests about dogs upstairs/in the bedrooms - please do respect these and if you want to check in advance by all means do email me sue@eastrustoncottages.co.uk.

Leaving your dog(s) alone in the properties - we would prefer this is only done if you are confident that your dog will settle if left alone in a strange place or they are happy in crates. If you know they can be destructive or reactive when they are left alone, or they suffer from separation anxiety, please do not leave them unsupervised for any period. It's just not fair on your dog (or on us if they cause damage)

There is room in most of the properties for dog crates if you use them AND we can offer dog sitting from our local contact and Sue or the owners may also be able to dog sit for you.  Do ask us. 

In the unlikely event of your dog(s) causing any damage, this will be taken from your damage deposit (see conditions). But more than anything we will be upset that your dog got so stressed on what should be a lovely, fun and relaxing holiday for them too.

End of doggy rules!!
We are confident that our guests are responsible dog owners and considerate human beings and will look after our properties. This has certainly been our experience and we see no reason to provide a long list of rules.

dog friendly awards

Winner of Self Catering Cottages

If you would like to use a secure dog field during your stay, we have a few options:

Martham Paw Ground  Norfolk Dog Field of the year, 2023!  And our guests can all book with an exclusive 10% discount.  Make sure you book well in advance as this is a these are 2 very popular fields.  Close to our Winterton, Hickling and Catfield cottages and easily under 25 minutes from all the others. 

K9 Unleashed Dog Field - which can be found in South Walsham, under 30 minutes from many of our cottages.

Home - Winterton Hound Ground is within walking distance of our Winterton properties and a short drive from the Scratby properties too!

Walcott Dog Park located on the beautiful North Norfolk Coast in Walcott, this dog park is the perfect destination for dog owners seeking a safe and enjoyable space for their pets. With our bookable private hire option, you can have exclusive access to our secure dog exercise area. A 15 drive from our Trunch properties and easy walk/short drive distance from our Happisburgh, Bacton and Walcott properties.  About 15 minutes from Sea Palling and Hickling too. 

CHARGES FOR DOGS

NONE!

There are no charges for dogs in any of the properties and there never will be. We don't charge for grandparents or for children (though it's sometimes tempting....!!) so why would we charge for other members of your family?