Woodland Cottage, Llangollen

Woodland Cottage is a small, quiet cottage in the hills above Llangollen, in the Dee Valley of North Wales, and the walking is the reason to bring a dog here. There is a wood directly across the road that makes a fifteen-minute off-lead circuit, and longer routes up to the Panorama either on foot from the door or a few minutes away by car. The cottage has its own parking and an enclosed outside space, which guests with big dogs single out - a Labrador can be let out first thing without anyone worrying about an escape route.

Up to two pets are allowed per booking, and they must not be left in the cottage unattended. What the listing does not spell out, and what more than one dog owner has been caught by, is that dogs are also kept off the furniture and out of the upstairs rooms - guests have arrived to find the dog effectively confined to the kitchen, their own furniture covers notwithstanding. It is a reasonable house rule and not unusual in a small cottage, but it is the one thing to check before booking if your dog normally sleeps upstairs beside you.

Inside, the cottage is warm and characterful: a log burner for winter (take your own logs, as the bag supplied runs thin), good central heating, fresh bedding and the sort of small touches that show an owner paying attention. The staircase is quirky and steep enough that guests flag it as unsuitable for anyone with limited mobility, and there is a bath rather than a shower, which not everyone gets on with.

Cleaning is the thing that occasionally slips. Most guests find the cottage clean and comfortable, but there have been arrivals that needed a going-over - dog hair left on the floor from a previous stay, an oven that had not been checked - so it is worth a quick look round when you get in.

Woodland Cottage suits a couple with one or two dogs who want a quiet countryside base with proper walking from the door, and who are happy for the dog to settle downstairs and off the sofa.