The Bolthole, Crantock

The Bolthole is a compact, modern cottage right in the centre of Crantock, laid out on a single level with a small private garden and off-road parking, which in a village this tight is worth a great deal. Crantock beach, where dogs are welcome all year, is a five to ten minute walk, and the shop and two pubs are two minutes the other way.

The property's booking listing sets a £40 pet charge and allows up to two pets per booking. That is the shape most stays take here: couples with a pair of dogs, over and over. The single-level layout is the detail dog owners keep coming back to - no stairs to block off, no gates to bring, and a small enclosed outside space to let dogs into rather than walking them every time. One family arrived with a toddler and two boxers and found the lack of stairs did as much for the child as the dogs.

Cleanliness is the other thing guests raise, and unusually it is raised in the property's favour: arrivals expecting the usual traces of a dog-friendly let have commented on finding none. The welcome varies but tends to be generous, with a cream tea or scones waiting, and the local manager answers questions quickly both before and during a stay.

Crantock itself does most of the work. The beach is soft sand with good surf, the coast path runs from the village, and the pubs and shop are a couple of minutes on foot, so the car can stay on the drive all week.

Two honest caveats. The road past the cottage carries the beach traffic and gets busy in season, which matters if your dog is reactive to cars or you like to step straight out with a lead. And while the cottage is well kept, guests have flagged maintenance catching up with it - a bathroom tap needing repair, a want of a non-slip shower mat and a bathroom blind, and directions to the property that could be clearer. It suits a couple with one or two dogs who want to park once and walk everywhere for a week.