Magnolia, Stoborough

Magnolia sits in a quiet corner of Stoborough, just across the river from Wareham and right at the gateway to the Isle of Purbeck. For anyone bringing a dog to this stretch of the Dorset coast it is an unusually practical base: the river path into Wareham is a walk rather than a drive, and the heathland and nature reserves of Purbeck start almost at the door.

The layout is what makes it work with a dog. It is a whole house let rather than a room in someone else's building, so there are no shared corridors to negotiate, and the garden is enclosed - a point guests travelling with dogs raise again and again. There is a gated driveway and a car port, which several people describe as feeling secure, and a field close by for the first walk of the morning. Inside there is a full kitchen, comfortable beds and bikes available to borrow.

Guests travelling with dogs describe a straightforward, communicative host who stays in touch before and during a stay, and dogs are simply part of the booking rather than something to negotiate.

Two caveats are worth knowing. Because the house takes dogs regularly, guests occasionally find pet hair left on the sofa from earlier stays - not a problem for most dog owners, but worth flagging if anyone in your party has an allergy. And while the great majority of reviews are warm, a small number raise the opposite complaint: damp in the shower room, tired furniture and a general need for a deeper clean, and report that raising it with the owner did not go well.

Magnolia earns a 4.6/5 paw rating. It suits dog owners who want a self-contained Purbeck base with an enclosed garden and walking straight from the door, and who would rather have space and a gated drive than hotel polish.