Dog Friendly Cosy Coastal Cottage with Sea Views, Portland

Set on Portland's High Street a few minutes from Chesil Beach, this three-storey cottage makes its dog welcome obvious from the doorstep. The welcome basket comes with a jar of treats and a natural meat chew for the dog alongside the cookies, local filter coffee and milk for everyone else, and the owners send a detailed guide before you travel covering parking and what is within walking distance.

The one thing to settle before booking is that dogs are kept to the ground floor. They are not allowed upstairs or on the furniture, and up to two are permitted per booking. Guests travelling with dogs have flagged that this is not always obvious on the booking listings, so it is worth planning around if your dog normally sleeps in the bedroom. Downstairs there is a comfortable living space and a small outdoor seating area at the back.

Portland itself suits a dog well. Chesil Beach is a short walk, the coast path runs the length of the island, and the stroll down to the marina and the local coffee house is easy on four legs. A Co-op around the corner covers the basics. On-street parking is not guaranteed and gets tight on busy weekends, though there are car parks within about five minutes on foot.

Two things temper the picture, neither of them the property's doing. A neighbouring dog is a persistent barker and has come up more than once, which may unsettle a reactive dog, and the loft bedroom gets warm in summer. For a couple or a family with one or two dogs happy to settle downstairs, this is a thoughtfully kitted-out base for the Jurassic Coast, and it earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.