St Anne's Cottage, Torquay

St Anne's Cottage is one of the more genuinely dog-ready places to come out of the Torquay listings, and the reason is simple: it is a whole house with its own enclosed garden. For an owner, a secure outdoor space you can let the dog into without a lead changes the whole rhythm of a stay, and guests who have travelled with a dog single it out as the feature that made them feel instantly at home.

The house sits in Babbacombe, a short stroll from the Downs and the cliff-top greens, with cafes and a well-regarded local inn only a couple of hundred yards away - the kind of setup that makes it easy to build a day around the dog rather than around the car. As an entire house rather than a room in a shared building, your dog stays with you throughout, and there is off-street parking out back, a real bonus when you are loading and unloading with a dog in tow.

Inside, owners describe it as homely, roomy and well-equipped, with separate living and dining space that gives a dog room to settle. The one thing to weigh is the staircase: it is an older-style house with steep stairs, so it is better suited to dogs (and people) who move well between floors. No formal pet fee or dog limit is published on the booking listing, so it is worth confirming those details with the property directly when you book.

St Anne's Cottage is best suited to couples or families with a dog that will make the most of a secure garden and doorstep walks, and that is steady on stairs. Owners of dogs who struggle with steps may want to weigh the older layout before booking.