Jane's Place, Broadwoodwidger

Jane's Place is an old cottage on the Devon side of the Devon and Cornwall border, with beams, a log burner and a country kitchen, set in gardens big enough to feel like grounds. For a dog it is a generous piece of ground: lawns running down to a landscaped fish pond, with the owners' fields and woodland to walk in beyond.

The one thing to settle before booking is that none of it is enclosed. The gardens are open plan, with no secure fenced area anywhere, and it is the single complaint that comes up from guests who arrived with a dog expecting otherwise. If your dog has solid recall, the space is a genuine luxury; if not, plan on a long line for the week. There is also a sizeable pond in the middle of it all, which is worth a thought with a water-happy dog or a young one.

The owners live on the property with a dog of their own, which is worth knowing if yours is reactive to other dogs, and guests describe them as relaxed hosts - around if you need them, otherwise leaving you to your holiday. Inside, the cottage is old and thick-walled, so it stays cool when the weather turns hot; guests travelling in high summer mention that their dogs coped far better here than they expected. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one upstairs with a bath and one downstairs with a shower, make it workable for two couples sharing.

The practical grumble is connectivity: the WiFi is weak, the mobile signal is patchy indoors and the television is not a smart set, so plan on a properly offline week. As a peaceful base within reach of west Devon and the north Cornwall coast, with plenty of space for a dog that can be trusted with it, it earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.