How dog-friendly is Britain?

As man’s best friend, most of people want to be able to enjoy a day with their dog and family. But are there enough places in Britain that welcome your beloved pet with open arms? Just how dog friendly is Britain? Dog food retailer and grain free dog food specialists, Feedem, explore the stats behind how dog-friendly Britain really is.

The great outdoors

Most of our beloved canines love having the freedom to run in green space — but which UK city best caters to our canine companions? Research carried out by Esri UK has found that Scottish cities are the go-to destinations for doggy day trips, as they have a greater proportion of green space.

With masses of green space available across the whole of the UK, it’s the Scottish cities that lead the way. Edinburgh has a huge 49.2% of green space, while Glasgow has 32%. In terms of English cities, Bristol (29%) and Birmingham (24.6%) have the most. It’s bad news if you’re planning a visit to Liverpool with your pooch though, as just 16.4% of the city is green space.

Whether it is a beautiful coastline, city centre or green space, it’s clear that Britain’s dogs are well catered for.

Doggy shops

If you are shopping with your doggy best friend, you could be limited to pet shops and independent stores. Dogs are largely excluded from the British high street.

However, what you may find surprising is the number of premium retailers who welcome pooches to their stores. For example, the Bond Street branch of Fenwick’s department store will welcome any breed of dog no matter their size, as long as they are kept on a leash. Likewise, iconic London store Harrods welcomes dogs but only on the fourth floor (Pet Kingdom), providing you can present up-to-date vaccination cards. However, you won’t be able to browse the rest of the store with your dog, but you can leave them in the pet crèche!

Doggy pubs

After all that running around, you won’t be the only one wanting a little pit stop. The British love a pub — and, as the figures show, so do our pooches! According to data from Google Trends, search interest in ‘dog friendly pubs’ has grown steadily since 2012. Now, an average of 9,900 people search for ‘dog friendly pubs’ each month — compared to just 1,900 who search for ‘romantic restaurants’.

Thankfully, here are 5,000 dog-friendly pubs listed on Doggie Pubs, so you can enjoy a chilled beverage in the company of your canine friend – although this number is likely to be much higher in reality as the list is curated. An increasing number of businesses are becoming dog friendly to cater to a wider audience.

A 2016 Kennel Club survey found that after introducing a dog-friendly policy, 71% of businesses gained new customers. 50% of guests visited for longer too, as their dog wasn’t at home or tied up outside. Not only does the move help to introduce more customers to your business, it has also been found to increase customer and staff interactions by up to two thirds.

Doggy colleagues

Do you hate leaving your doggy behind when you leave for work every day? Some employers even allow their employees to bring their dogs to work. Could you imagine having your canine best friend as your work colleague? June 24^th is national Bring Your Dog to Work Day, with many businesses across the country getting involved. However, Britain’s workplaces aren’t just dog-friendly on this day — 8% of UK employees are allowed to take their dogs to work all year round.

When it comes to Britain, whether it’s work, rest or play, clearly we are a very dog-friendly nation. As our love of four-legged friends continues to grow, so will the number of facilities where our dogs are welcome.