Willowbrook Cottage, Litton Cheney

Willowbrook Cottage sits in Litton Cheney, a quiet Bride Valley village a few miles inland from the Dorset coast, and it is set up for dogs to a standard most self-catering cottages never reach. The garden is enclosed and there is a field directly behind the house, so a dog can be let out first thing without a lead and without a drive.

The property takes one well behaved dog per booking. Guests travelling with pets consistently describe a welcome pack that includes dog biscuits or treats alongside the cake and milk for the humans, plus a stack of spare dog towels for muddy paws and a large water bowl and mat kept by the door. Hard-wearing floors and a thoroughly clean interior come up in almost every account, which matters after a wet walk.

The owners are a large part of why the cottage rates so well. They keep in touch by message rather than hovering, answer questions quickly, and have fitted the place out with the kind of detail - instruction sheets for every appliance, a well-stocked kitchen - that removes friction from a week away. The neighbours have dogs of their own and are relaxed about a bit of barking, which takes the edge off arriving somewhere new.

Litton Cheney works hard as a base. The White Horse is a two-minute walk and welcomes dogs, there are footpaths from the garden across fields to Puncknowle and down to Litton Lakes, which has an enclosed dog field and a cafe. West Bay, Bridport and Hive Beach are a short drive, with Lyme Regis and Weymouth around half an hour.

The limit of one dog is the main constraint, so larger packs will need to look elsewhere, and the nearby coast is shingle rather than sand. For a couple or a family travelling with a single dog who want secure outdoor space, walks from the door and a pub across the road, Willowbrook Cottage earns its 4.9/5 paw rating.