Bringing your dog to Dartmoor

If you’re a dog owner, you’re always looking for the next great place for walking your four-legged friends, so with its acres of open moorland, forest and endless tracks to follow, Dartmoor is a dream for dog walkers! We’ve got all the info you need to know about bringing your dog to Dartmoor, but here are a few pointers to get you started:

• There’s plenty of dog-friendly accommodation out there — Dartmoor has luxury hotels that welcome dogs, cosy self-catering cottages that’re like home from home, campsites that allow you to reconnect with nature and friendly B&Bs, so whatever your preference, you’ll find somewhere perfect to stay with your pooch!

• Many of our eateries welcome dogs — each establishment will have its own rules, but many of our pubs and eateries across the moor are more than happy to welcome well behaved dogs.

• Find the best walks around — With such a varied landscape, you’ll find all sorts of walks on Dartmoor, from leisurely countryside strolls along flat terrain to challenging rambles up the steepest tors. Whatever you and your dog need, you’re bound to find it.

• Look out for ticks — animals and livestock living on Dartmoor do carry ticks, so when you’re out wandering among the ferns, there’s a chance your dog might pick up a tick. If you find a tick on your dog, remove it as quickly as you can, as some ticks do carry diseases.

• Be responsible with dog poo — When you’re out in the countryside it’s tempting to not pick up after your dog, but if it does do a poo on a path, make sure to bag it and bin it at home.

• Stay aware of livestock — When there’s open fields and a thousand different smells in the air, some dogs can get excitable, but it’s important to keep them under control around livestock. While walkers have amazing access to Dartmoor’s countryside, it is still very much a working landscape; dogs should be kept on leads near livestock. Farmers have a legal right to shoot a dog that’s “worrying” livestock, so staying on the lead is safer for everyone, particularly around lambing season in the spring.

• Stay aware of the wildlife too — A boisterous dog can frighten ground nesting birds, Dartmoor ponies and other animals living in the Dartmoor countryside. With birds, if a dog scares them from their nests, their eggs will go cold and die, so keep a dog under control around other animals.

To find out more about staying Dartmoor with your dog, visit our page on coming to Dartmoor with your dog.