Offshore, Newquay

Offshore is a roomy four-bedroom house on the edge of Crantock, a few minutes from Newquay, and the thing that makes it work for dogs is the garden: fully enclosed, big enough for a game, and with a barbecue and an outdoor hot shower that doubles nicely as a way to rinse the sand off a wet dog before anyone goes back indoors. It is let as a whole house, so there are no corridors or shared spaces to negotiate.

Up to two dogs can stay per booking. Guests travelling with dogs come back to Offshore repeatedly, and the secure garden is the reason most of them give, several mentioning that they knew the dogs could not get out while the sliding doors to the lounge stood open. Crantock village itself is small but useful, with two pubs, a tea room and a well-stocked shop, and the coastal walking from the door is the real draw. The beach is a good twenty minutes away on foot and more like half an hour back up the hill, so it is a proper walk rather than a doorstep dash.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. The steps from the house down into the garden are steep and have no handrail, which dog owners have flagged as awkward for small or elderly dogs. And the welcome for dogs reads more cautiously in practice than the listing suggests: guests report a pet supplement added on top of the booking, and welcome-pack wording warning of a further charge if dog hair is left on the carpets. Feedback also includes complaints about long grass in the garden making it harder to clear up after the dogs, and a lounge that smelt of a previous guest's dog.

Set against that, the run of repeat bookings and the 4.4/5 paw rating tell their own story. Offshore suits a family or group with a steady, sure-footed dog who want space, a proper kitchen and a secure garden, and who do not mind a walk or a short drive to reach the sand.