You’ve probably noticed it on every listing, a number out of 100 sitting there quietly, telling you something that no other holiday rental site bothers to measure: how genuinely pet-friendly a place actually is.
That’s the BowWow Score, and it exists because “pets welcome” on its own tells you almost nothing useful about what your dog’s holiday is actually going to look like.
Why We Built It
Every holiday cottage site lets you tick a “pet-friendly” filter, and you tick it, you get results, and then you spend the next forty minutes reading reviews, squinting at photos, and trying to work out whether the garden is actually fenced or just looks fenced from one carefully chosen camera angle.
“Pets welcome” could mean a converted barn with a fully enclosed acre, a dog shower by the back door, treats on arrival, and a pub walk from the front gate. Or it could mean one small dog allowed in the kitchen, a £75 cleaning surcharge, and a passive-aggressive note asking you to keep it off the furniture. Both tick the same box on every other site, which is the problem the BowWow Score was built to solve.
We score every property on the specific details that dog owners (and cat owners, and anyone travelling with a pet) actually care about. Not the view, not the thread count, not whether the hot tub jets are functioning. The stuff that determines whether your holiday involves proper relaxation or seven days of constant low-level stress about what the dog’s doing while you’re in the shower.
What Goes Into the Score
The BowWow Score weighs several factors, and some carry more weight than others because, honestly, some matter more. A fenced garden is more important than a dog treat basket. Both are nice, but one keeps your dog alive.
Garden and Outdoor Space (Heaviest Weight)
This is the single most asked-about feature among dog owners booking holiday cottages, and it’s easy to understand why. Is the garden fenced? Properly fenced, not “mostly hedged with one gap near the bins”? Can your dog go out at 6am without you getting dressed and fumbling for boots? Is the space big enough for a quick runaround, or is it a patio with ideas above its station?
Properties with fully enclosed, secure gardens score highest here. No garden at all doesn’t disqualify a property, because plenty of great apartments and beach houses have no outdoor space, but it does reduce the overall score. Fair’s fair.
Number of Dogs Allowed
A property that welcomes three or four dogs scores higher than one that caps it at one small, well-behaved dog. Not because more dogs equals better (anyone who’s walked four dogs simultaneously in the rain might disagree with that equation), but because a generous pet policy signals a genuinely dog-friendly mindset. If a place can handle three Labradors tracking mud through the hallway, they’ve clearly thought about what that involves and decided they’re fine with it.
Pet Fees and Deposits
Lower pet fees score higher, and no fee at all scores highest. This isn’t about being cheap. A £25-per-stay dog supplement is reasonable enough, and most people expect something. But £50 per dog per night for a week starts to feel like the dog needs its own booking confirmation and possibly a passport. We weight this factor because value matters, and because some of the highest-scoring properties on every other measure still charge fees that feel punitive rather than proportionate.
Practical Amenities
Dog bowls, beds, towels, poo bags, dog washing facilities, secure garden gates, information about local walks and vets. Each of these adds points, and none individually makes or breaks a score, but a property that provides all of them is clearly run by someone who understands what living with a dog on holiday actually looks like.
A dog washing station or outdoor hose is worth more points than you might think. If you’ve ever tried to get a sandy, seaweed-draped Labrador through a white-tiled bathroom at the end of a beach day, you’ll understand exactly why.
Location for Dog Activities
Proximity to dog-friendly beaches, walking routes, and pubs all contribute to the score. A cottage that opens onto a footpath scores higher than one that requires a 20-minute drive to reach the nearest walk, and a location near year-round dog-friendly beaches scores higher than one where the nearest sand comes with seasonal restrictions and a sign that reads “no dogs April to September” in letters large enough to see from the car park.
Nobody wants to drive across Cornwall on a Tuesday morning only to discover the beach banned dogs three weeks ago. The score accounts for that kind of thing so you don’t have to.
Restrictions and Rules
Breed restrictions, rooms where dogs aren’t allowed, mandatory crate requirements, “dogs must not be left unattended” policies: all of these reduce the score. Not because they’re unreasonable (some genuinely aren’t), but because from a pet owner’s perspective, fewer restrictions equals a more relaxed holiday. A property with no breed restrictions and dogs welcome in all rooms will outscore one with a laminated list of rules stuck to the kitchen wall, and that weighting is deliberate.
What the Score Doesn’t Measure
The BowWow Score doesn’t rate the property as a holiday let. It doesn’t care about the kitchen appliances, the WiFi speed, the mattress quality, or whether the hot tub actually works this week. Those things matter, obviously, but other review sites cover them well enough already. We’re measuring one thing only: how well this property accommodates your pet.
A converted barn with a basic kitchen but a brilliant garden, three dogs welcome, and walks from the door could outscore a luxury lodge with a hot tub and sea views but only one small dog allowed and a £200 pet deposit. That’s intentional, and it’s the whole point of having a separate pet-specific score rather than just bundling it into a general review rating.
How Scores Compare
Here’s a rough guide to what the numbers mean when you’re scanning listings:
70-100: Properly dog-friendly. Fenced garden, multiple dogs welcome, decent amenities, good walking access, reasonable fees. These are the places where your dog has a holiday too, not just your family. You can relax here.
40-69: Pet-friendly with some limitations. Maybe only one dog, or no garden, or higher fees than you’d like. Still a perfectly good stay for many situations, but check the details that matter to your particular dog and your particular tolerance for compromise.
Under 40: Pets accepted but not prioritised. The basics are there, but this property wasn’t set up with dogs in mind. Fine for a well-trained, low-maintenance dog who’s happy to lie on their bed and not bother anyone. Potentially stressful for a young, energetic one who needs space and outdoor time and finds staying still for more than twenty minutes a personal challenge.
Can Properties Improve Their Score?
Yes, and we actively encourage it. The score reflects the property as listed, so if an owner adds a dog shower, raises their pet limit, drops breed restrictions, or installs better fencing, the score updates accordingly. We want properties to compete on pet-friendliness because that competition directly benefits the people (and the dogs, and the occasional cat) booking them.
If you’re a property owner reading this and wondering why your score isn’t higher, have a look at the factors above. The quickest wins are usually these: secure the garden properly, accept more than one dog, and provide the basics like bowls, towels, and poo bags. Your guests will notice the difference, and so will the score.
Browse by BowWow Score
You can filter properties by minimum BowWow Score on bowwowswelcome.com, and setting it to 70+ is the quickest way to find places that go beyond the basics. Drop it lower if you’re flexible and just need somewhere that accepts your dog without drama or a lengthy list of conditions.
We’ve also got guides for specific regions if you already know where you’re heading. Dog-friendly holidays in Cornwall, pet-friendly cottages in the Lake District, and dog walks in the Cotswolds all reference BowWow Scores for properties in those areas, so you can compare without opening twenty tabs.
And if your travelling companion is more of the purring, windowsill-occupying variety? The BowWow Score covers cat-friendly features too: secure windows, indoor space, proximity to busy roads. Different criteria, same principle. We’re measuring how welcome your pet actually is, not just whether they’re technically allowed through the door.
Common Questions
Is the BowWow Score the same as a review rating?
No, and it’s worth understanding the difference. Review ratings tell you what guests thought about their stay overall. The BowWow Score measures the property’s pet-friendliness based on its listed features, policies, and amenities. A property could have five-star reviews and a low BowWow Score if it only accepts one small dog and charges £75 for the privilege, because those reviews are rating the humans’ experience, not the dog’s.
Do property owners pay for a higher score?
No. The score is based entirely on the property’s actual features and policies. There’s no paid boost, no “premium placement” that inflates the number. What you see is what the property genuinely offers, and the only way to change the score is to change the offering.
How often is the score updated?
Whenever the listing information changes. If an owner updates their pet policy, adds amenities, or changes their fee structure, the score recalculates automatically. It’s always based on current information rather than a snapshot from whenever the property was first listed.
Does the score guarantee a good experience?
It tells you what the property offers on paper, which is a much better starting point than “pets welcome” and a crossed fingers emoji. It can’t guarantee that the “fenced garden” doesn’t have a wobbly panel that your spaniel will discover within five minutes, or that the “dog-friendly pub nearby” has changed management since the listing was written. But it narrows your search to properties that have at least thought about what pet owners need, and that alone saves a lot of scrolling and a lot of disappointment.