Dogs are (still!) welcome here, subject to the following rules of etiquette.
You agree to be responsible for any damage caused by your dog(s). Please have all members of your party read the following.
Please no dogs on unprotected furniture. If your dog is used to getting on the furniture, please bring a covering to use.
Please don’t just put dogs out the front door to relieve themselves in the guesthouse parking area or anywhere near the guesthouse or main house; instead, walk them briskly up the driveway and have them use the woods on either side of the road.
Even solid, reliable dogs are susceptible to lapses in judgment when they’re thrust into a strange environment. Normally excellent dogs left alone in a strange place (unfamiliar sights, smells, sounds) can become very bad dogs: distressed, agitated and hyper-vigilant, barking, chewing, scratching at the door and walls. We strongly suggest taking canine family members with you when you go out. (Search the phrase "dogs separation anxiety" to see what the experts say.)
If you can’t take your dog with you, then confining your left-behind dog in a blanket-draped crate in the back of the guesthouse is a kindness. He feels safe and secure, relaxed and off duty. If you don’t travel with one there’s a loaner crate in the bedroon walk-in closet – an open wire affair, not the plastic shell used for airline travel. Bring familiar bedding to ease the dog's apprehension.
We have two dogs these days. Cupid is a spayed Dalmatian-terrier mix; she's 55 pounds, white with black spots, very playful and active (please discourage her from jumping up on you). Ariel is a gentle giant of a Kuvasz at 110 pounds, and has her breed's characteristic wavy white coat, black nose and eyeliner. They are indoors all day except for accompanied off-leash walks at dawn and dusk.
Our dogs are used to meeting new guests - dogs and people both! If the dogs are going to be introduced, a get-acquainted session soon after you arrive - rather than a chance encounter - is a good idea.
There is the possibility that a guest dog, on unfamiliar territory and suddenly meeting our unfamiliar dogs, might become aggressively or defensively territorial. A fight could ensue, or the guest dog might run off and disappear into the woods.
To avoid chance encounters with unknown consequences, we've devised a simple signaling system to coordinate exclusive use of the (dog) space. If you’re out with your dog, we’ll wait to walk ours until your dog is back in; if we’re out with ours, then you'll wait until we’re back inside before bringing yours out. We use a marker visible to both houses to synchronize dog outings - simple and effective.
Let us know when you book if you'd like to synchronize this way, and we'll put instructions in your welcome letter.