Foresters Cottage, Rusland

Foresters Cottage sits in the quiet Rusland valley on the southern edge of the Lake District, and it is one of the strongest dog-friendly cottages in the area. Two things do the work: a garden that is genuinely dog-proof, and Grizedale Forest a couple of hundred metres from the door. Dog owners come back to it year after year, and it holds a 4.9/5 paw rating.

The garden is what people talk about first. It is large, lawned and enclosed on all sides of the cottage, and dogs are welcome to use it, which means an escape-prone terrier or a nervous rescue can be let out to potter without anyone standing guard at a gate. Owners who normally spend a holiday policing boundaries describe being able to sit out with a drink instead. Up to two dogs can stay. Beyond the garden, forest trails start within a few hundred metres, with off-lead woodland walking, a stream and waterfalls close enough for a paddle, and the cottage keeps laminated local walk guides and a detailed information book for working out where to go.

Inside, it is spotless, warm and unusually well equipped, with a log fire, comfortable beds and the kind of thoughtful detail that makes it feel like a much-loved home rather than a let. Bird feeders in view of the living room window are a small pleasure that comes up constantly.

The one real caveat is noise, and it is worth taking seriously if your dog is reactive: the neighbouring property has dogs that bark, and while some visitors barely notice them, others have been woken around half past six in the morning and heard them late at night, with more than one saying it took the edge off an otherwise excellent week. The setting is also properly rural. The approach roads are single track with passing places, there are no shops nearby, and the nearest pub is about a mile away along a bendy road that is not safe to walk. Bring supplies and expect to drive.

Foresters Cottage suits dog owners who want a secure garden, forest walks from the door and a comfortable base in the southern Lakes, and whose dogs are not badly upset by barking next door.