They say that your life is pretty much over when you have children. Suddenly it’s all nappy changes, parenthood classes, and putting safety locks on cupboard doors – even though the most dangerous things inside are a mop and bucket. In short, there’s not much time to do things that you want to do.
That’s what they say, but I never actually found that to be true. Maybe that’s because I was expecting the change and wanted it to happen. Because of this, it didn’t really come as much of a shock.
That is not the case when it comes to Muffles.
The Curious Case Of Muffles
No, not my daughter. She’s sixteen years old and would have killed me by now if I’d named her Muffles. I’m talking about our dog, Muffles.
Muffles is a brindle boxer, weighing around 25 kilograms, with floppy ears and bright eyes – the most lovable little thing in the world – and simultaneously the bane of my existence.
‘Do you wanna go for a coffee?’
‘I’d love to, but I’ve got the dog.’
‘Do you wanna go to the pub?’
‘I’d love to, but the dog’s got the vet.’
‘Do you wanna live your life without worrying about the damn dog?!’
‘I’d love to, but Muffles is sick, and I’m not sure my life is dog-friendly.’
My word, the amount of things I thought you could do with a dog but can’t is just ridiculous. Dogs always need your attention, and even if they don’t, the truth is that a large portion of places in the UK are not dog-friendly.
My Wife Makes A Breakthrough
I thought it was hopeless, and the carefree days my wife and I enjoyed were gone. But then, on a fateful night in May last year, my wife said to me:
‘I’d like to go on a UK beach holiday.’
I remember looking at her with a pained, almost scornful expression.
‘You think we can do that with Muffles?’
Muffles sat with her head in my lap, staring up at me with her big eyes. Her big, mocking eyes…
I remember laughing and dreaming of a world where we could just up and leave. It seemed like a far-out possibility. Or at least, it did until I woke up the next morning and found that my wife had booked the holiday, and we were off in two weeks.
At first, I couldn’t believe it, and I wondered briefly whether she’d decided to off poor Muffles. But then Muffles trotted into the room, and I knew she had done something incredible. She had scanned the UK, found all the best dog-friendly seaside towns to visit, and then decided to book the holiday based on that.
No more worrying about whether we can go to a restaurant. No more trying to hide Muffles in our suitcase when we entered an accommodation – no, don’t worry, we never really did that. Suddenly the world was going to be ours and Muffles’, not one or the other.
The first one worked out so well, we went on more. From our vacations to yours, here’s a quick look at the most successful dog-friendly beaches we’ve visited, as well as their accompanying towns and accommodations.
The Wonderful Land Of Cornwall
Since we were going on a beach holiday, we had to start in Cornwall. This was probably the most lavish of our holidays. We stayed in one of the many large houses to rent in Mevagissey, a place called Penpol. Here, we discovered just how much of a dog-loving county Cornwall is.
hey’re everywhere! In the shops, on the streets, in the pubs and, of course, on the beaches. Muffles had a splendid time playing with all the others, so much so that she actually slept through the night without waking us up, which is a regular pastime of hers.
The Sunny South Downs
South Downs isn’t known for its beaches, but we wanted to go there to try out the infamous hike from Seaford to Eastbourne – England’s sunshine coast!
We stayed in beautiful, dog-friendly accommodation, and during our hike, we came across several gorgeous beaches, all of which were also dog-friendly. If you like your views, this is probably the number one spot to visit. They really do take your breath away.
The City Of Edinburgh
Beaches? In Scotland?! Yep, that’s right. We decided to travel up to this location as my wife has family based in Edinburgh, and they had often raved about the beach of Portobello and how beautiful it was. Well, they weren’t wrong about that. This was one of my personal favourite locations that we visited.
We stayed in the city of Edinburgh – which is just 20 minutes away from Portobello – but we spent most of our time soaking in the rays at the beach. The beach itself was long, sandy, and bustling with life – both two-legged and four-legged. We’re also fairly sure that Muffles made a boyfriend here – a gorgeous chocolate labrador – but she always ignores us when we ask her about it.
The Lovable West Sussex
One of the most dog-friendly counties in all of the UK is West Sussex, and this really showed when we turned up to our accommodation near a beach called West Wittering. We were talking to a local here, and apparently, there are more dog meet-up groups in West and East Sussex than anywhere else in the country.
Not only this, but there were a number of dog-friendly businesses too, so we really had the freedom to go almost anywhere. The owners of these businesses were also considerate enough to offer Muffles a bowl of water and a few treats every time we walked through the door. So no prizes for guessing which was Muffles' favourite holiday!
The County Of Dorset
The most recent dog-friendly beach we went to was in Dorset, staying in one of the big houses to rent near the harbour. Here, we visited a handful of beaches, all of which were very dog-friendly – and very beautiful too! Our favourites included Shell Beach, Weymouth Beach, and Lyme Regis.
The latter, specifically, had some of the best gelato I’ve ever tasted. I had intended to scoop some from my cone for Muffles to cool her down, but I didn’t want to waste a single lick. Well, she had the sea to cool down! She didn’t need gelato.
Overall, our whole holiday was fantastic, and we really felt like a unit wherever we went. Of course, I may have exaggerated a little earlier in the blog. The majority of the UK is dog-friendly, but if you want to go to places that allow your dog anywhere – and are not only friendly to dogs – but actively love them, then there's nowhere better than the ones I've listed!
