About 900 of the 1,690 Dorset stays we list accept dogs, and every one of those answers comes from the booking site’s own property page. The harder part is the beach. Dorset Council and BCP Council ban dogs from the main town beaches from 1 May to 30 September, so a cottage near the wrong stretch of sand can mean a drive every morning in summer.
How many dogs you can bring
Most dog-friendly cottages in Dorset set a limit. Around 380 take one dog, about 420 take two, and only about 70 take three or more. Use the dog-friendly filter on all Dorset cottages to narrow the list, then check the limit on the booking site before you fall for a house.
A few owners accept dogs without stating a number, and some limit size rather than count. Ask about either before you pay, along with any charge per dog.
Where the dog-friendly stays are
West Dorset has the most, with about 330 dog-friendly stays around Lyme Regis, Charmouth, West Bay and Bridport. The Weymouth, Portland and Lulworth stretch has about 200, and Purbeck, Poole and Bournemouth about 185.
Inland Dorset has fewer stays but a higher share of them take dogs: about two in three, against fewer than half around Weymouth and Purbeck. Dorchester, Cerne Abbas and the villages around Blandford and Sherborne suit dog owners who would rather walk inland than on a beach.
Beaches that take dogs all year
These beaches are open to dogs in every month, according to the council or land manager each beach page cites:
- Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis: off the lead all year, beside the Cobb.
- Charmouth East Beach: off the lead all year, on the Bridport side of the River Char.
- Eype and Chesil Beach: welcome all year, with dogs kept under control near nesting birds on Chesil.
- Bowleaze Cove near Weymouth and Church Ope Cove on Portland.
- Durdle Door and Kimmeridge Bay: welcome all year, off the lead.
- Ringstead Bay: the National Trust asks for a short lead because of ground-nesting birds and farm animals.
- Hengistbury Head, east of Bournemouth: allowed all year, off the lead.
Beaches closed to dogs in summer
From 1 May to 30 September dogs are not allowed on Lyme Regis Front Beach, Charmouth West Beach, Seatown, the East and West beaches at West Bay, Swanage Central Beach or Bournemouth Beach. The same dates apply to Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Alum Chine and Southbourne.
Weymouth splits its beach. The central stretch is closed to dogs over the same dates, but the dog exercise area at the Pavilion end of Weymouth Beach is open all year. In Swanage, Monkey Beach takes dogs all year while Swanage Beach itself does not in summer.
Which base suits a dog
- For a summer week with daily beach walks, Lyme Regis puts Monmouth Beach on one side of the Cobb, and Charmouth has East Beach on the other side of the river.
- For the Jurassic Coast, West Lulworth puts Durdle Door a mile along the coast.
- For a town base, Weymouth keeps its dog exercise area open all summer.
- For walking country, choose an inland village and drive to Chesil or Eype for the sea.
For areas and towns beyond the dog rules, see where to stay in Dorset.
Before you book
Council dog orders are reviewed, so check the signs at the beach and the council page linked from each beach guide before you go. Then confirm the dog limit, any charge and whether dogs may be left alone in the cottage on the booking site, which handles the booking and payment. Our links may earn a commission when you book.
