Dogs ??

[DavidHooley_5040227]

Hi Everyone, Can anybody out there please explain to me why sites charge for dogs. They do not use any of the facilities, I did once upon a time think of taking him in for a shower but decided against it. Any comment welcome

 

[valeryfallon_5041778]

i do agree, but getting your dog out and about the country side is enough. but as for the shower what a good idea, we have a young lab who is always in something he should not be, and then at least you would get your monies worth.

slso as you walk about some sites people look and say watch out for the dog. no he will not bit you and he has paid his dues.

on an other subject awnings are another of my dislikes, paying more for awnings is not on.

but we have no choice, camping and caravaning club do neither and are great sites.

 

[Steve L]

I'm afraid it's the usual problem of the 1% spoiling it for the rest. Those who persist in not cleaning up after "Fido" and those who let their dogs roam free all over the parks. We have two Labradors, one of whom is a young dog 6 stone in weight and not a year old yet. (monster dog) Believe me he can even knock me over (16 stone 6ft tall)so he would not have any trouble with young children or the elderly. Don't get me wrong, he is trained and does do what he is told and we do keep him under control (responsible dog owners), but that is what he would be capable of getting upto if we did nothing. We take our dogs everywhere with us and I will often sit on the back of our estate car to keep the dogs company. Infact most times I'm surounded by people of all ages wanting to give the dogs a stroke and get all sorts of praise about how well behaved they are. Unfortunately not all owners are as devoted as us. We have been to a lot of sites in our time (20years caravanning)and I regularly have to see the site owner to point out that the little piles on the pitch are not ours. To which the owner usually is most embarassed and has to clean them up. So perhaps you can see now why site owners charge for dogs and hopefully one day if all us dog owners could demonstrate 100% commitment to caring for our pets and also the health and safety of other people then maybe dog charges would go down and not up. By the way if anyone is confronted by a 6ft fella waveing sented nappy sacks at dog walkers who have let their pooch drop one and have not cleaned it up,then it is more likely than not going to be me!!

 

[Brian_5041784]

They charge because they can - it really is that simple! I did my own mini-survey and emailed some sites with the question, "what exactly do I receive for the dog fee you are charging?" Only one site responded with anything even remotely sensible and they explained they have to pay to have the contents of the doggy-bin removed because they are not allowed to mix it with regular waste. I have no idea whether this is true (what about babies nappies? they go in regular bins...) but they did attempt to give some justification. I wouldn't mind paying if they provided a securely-fenced exercise area but if I am not being offered any type of service, then the site-owners have no justification for charging. Perhaps Practical Caravan should do an article on dog charges and ask sites to explain how they justify their charges? Personally, we NEVER use sites that charge for dogs now - there are many other competitors who get our custom instead.

 

[Jimbob1]

Hi David,

Quite frankly I believe the charge for dogs is there (siteowners} way of discouraging people taking there dogs on site sorry to be so blunt.We love dogs we think its a liberty charging for a dog but one could also put the charge down to siteowners greed and there are some greedy people in the siteowner world.Jim

 

[FKG_5040363]

IMHO dogs should be under strict control at all times and site owners should inforce the rule.

If my child came was covered in dog faeces I would seriously consider suing the site owner

 

[Zbungle]

You've got a dog and you seem to be a reasonable owner. Why don't you ever pitch next to me? Why do I always get the gormless idiot dog owner who doesn't appear to give a fig about other campers, as long as Fido is happy? Where are you when my neighbour's pooch craps on my pitch with no sign of a nappy sack to clean up? Where are you when the owner goes out for the day and leaves Rover to cry/bark/whine all day long in the awning? What am I to say when the doggy lover washes up the dog's dishes in my washing-up sink? I would love to meet you and this country's other four or five responsible dog lovers next time I am on a campsite, but no doubt I'll find myself next to the normal, usual, irresponsible dog owner and my few days away will be ruined by canine crap, noise and smell. For me,

 

[Matthew_5040954]

This isn't really an answer, but I wonder what would happen if they did stop charging for dogs, soon enough we'd be hearing comments from those who don't have dogs asking why they have to subsidues the dog walking areas and dog waste bins??? they don't just appear from thin air and cost nothing. I'm a dog owner and only started caravaning 2 years ago, before that I'd stay in holiday cottages, they charged even more and didn't provide any facilities, fair enough, our dog stayed on their property, but she never made a mess and we would always leave the cottage as we found it. Truth is no matter what they do or how they charge us for our stay, someone will always complain.

 

[rayc]

Sites charge for dogs because they can. They also charge for awnings - even when they get put up on shingle( why do some charge for an awning in Summer holidays and not in low season?). They also charge for extra cars, children, adults etc. Some charge for staying on a few extra hours on a Sunday afternoon. It's business I guess, maximising profits, but perhaps a site owner may be able to explain better.

 

[VIP2006]

IMHO - I would charge dogs the same as for adults per night and reduce the charge for OAPs down to about

 

[Simon_5041573]

I fully agree with zbungle's comments - a minimum charge of

 

[grimreaper_5041057]

personally i would love most sites to ban dogs from their sites,for most of us,we hear the barking daily and have to watch where we walk and having to check our kids shoes before they come into the house,being on a site where dogs are allowed is like being at home and not on holiday,we`ve paid our money like everyone else,so a relaxing holiday is what i expect

ban all pooches and give us all a break before they give a young child a bite or cover them in sh1te

 

[mikeE]

Once when booking into Lincoln Farm Park and being asked if we had a dog I had to say not but we did have our daughters hamster. Was told this was O.K. - no charge - but the hamster was not use the pool. Not only is it a good site but they have a sense of humour too!

 

[MrAngry_5040674]

Dogs should not be allowed on caravan sites fullstop. They stink, crap all over the place and 90% of owners don't clean up after their dogs. then some unfortunate ****** stands in it, When you go to a hotel you don't see dogs roaming around crapping all over the place and the owner saying "My dogs not like that " your correct your dogs not like that its the owner whos to blame.

Mr Anti dog

 

[Barney2]

Whats with all this IMHO rubbish. Yes, I do know what it stands for.

Just stick to plain old English for gods sake.

 

[Roger_5040982]

The answer is " a stuffed dog on wheels. it can be taken for walks, cuddled, etc., when of the wheels BUT won't bark, crap, run amok, disturb others in any way - perfect.

 

[BillyTeesdale_5039936]

I accept that there may be a case for charging for dogs if additional services are available - dog waste bins, walk areas etc. But when it is just a money making exercise then it's a bit off.

We take pride in our two dogs and always clean up after them. We also take full responsibility for their behaviour something that I wish some site users would apply to their shouting, screaming foulmouthed kids. (and no I am not talking about the kids who are just having a bit of fun) They really p**s me off by not teaching their offspring to respect other peoples peace quiet and property.

And yes it is the 1% who constantly spoil it for the rest of us.

So just take a moment to think of the times your holiday has been blighted by kids.

If the cap fits - wear it!

 

[Andy_5039963]

As in life and caravanning there is good and bad

I clean up after my dogs .

Not all caravanners are clean and tidy look at some toilet blocks and rubbish left .

Some children are noisy inconsiderate but in the main most people just want a nice time .

Caravanning is about being considerate ,tolerant and generally doing our own thing .

I usually go to sites that dont charge like the wonderful Shardaroba and the main club sites .

 

[Pete_5041298]

Hopefully, siteowners charge for dogs to discourage owners from using their sites. I cant remember the amount of times we've had to scrape foul smelling muck off our childrens clothes and shoes after pig headed owners haven't bothered to clean up after their dogs. Those that do invariably hang the poo bags from the nearest tree....nice.

Keep them off campsites I say.