Ty'r Winllan, Newport Pembrokeshire

Ty'r Winllan is about as well set up for dogs as a holiday house gets. The owners are clearly dog people themselves, and it shows in the detail: an outdoor warm shower for sandy paws, tiled floors that are easy to keep clean, throws for the sofas, towels, bowls, poo bags and a welcome pack with treats for the dog as well as for you. Guests who come back year after year are common here, and the dog kit is one of the reasons they give.

Up to two pets can stay. The back courtyard is fully enclosed and secure, so dogs can potter outside without a lead, and repeat visitors with terriers, spaniels and pairs of dogs all describe it as a safe space. It is paved rather than grassed, though, and a watering can is left out for clearing up.

The location does a lot of the work. The house sits between Newport's high street and the Parrog, so the shops, the butcher and the dog-friendly pubs are a couple of minutes away on foot, and the coast path and estuary are about ten minutes' walk. Newport Sands, a big dog-friendly beach with a cafe that welcomes dogs, is a short drive or a longer walk away, and Carningli rises behind the town for a proper hike. The house earns a 4.9/5 paw rating from guests travelling with dogs.

A few things are worth knowing. The courtyard is small, shaded for much of the day and overlooked by neighbours, so it is somewhere to let the dog out rather than to sunbathe. The gated driveway is tight for larger vehicles, and the bathroom and cloakroom are both upstairs. Some guests have found the house rules for pets stricter than they expected, so read them before you book. Out of season, Newport's cafes cut their hours and dog-friendly dinner options thin out early in the week.

For anyone who wants a spotless, well-stocked base in a walkable seaside town, with owners who have properly thought about what a dog needs, Ty'r Winllan is hard to beat.