The Dog Blog

We love having dogs to stay at The Forge and make every effort to make them feel as welcome as our human guests with dog bowls, cosy rugs to lie on and loads of space to run around. Having a well-loved dog ourselves, the lovely Bru (short for Bruichladdich… his Scottish master is rather fond of a wee nip of Scotch!) we understand that dogs are as much a part of the family as everyone else and holidays are just not the same without them! Which is why we encourage you to bring your four-legged friends with you. Plus, we have found that there can be some unexpected benefit, such as:

Making new friends (furry and otherwise!)

Dogs can be a great ice-breaker on our glamping site. While you are giving your pooch a nice leg stretch on the hill fort, chances are there will be another glamper doing the same thing. Inevitably the dogs will start haring around after each other while you exchange comments on the breath-taking views over to Snowdonia. Last year we had people who hit off so well, they were all hanging out around the same campfire by the end of the weekend, dogs, grown-ups and kids all running around in one great big melee! We’ve even have repeat bookings from dogs who want to come back and see our lovely Bru – it seems he is quite a canine magnet!

It gets you out and about

Tempting as it can be to lounge around in our gorgeously comfy hammocks all day by the campfire, having your dog with you gives you the perfect opportunity to get out and explore. We have some fantastic walks that you do straight from The Forge without having to get back in the car. And if you are looking for a guide, our four-legged Sherpa, Bru is a very willing guide who knows all the local routes like the back of his paw!

It helps you de-stress

There are so many reasons why having dogs is good for your health, from improving your heart health and reducing allergies, to providing meaning and purpose and helping you keep active. Although getting the dog walked in your busy everyday lives may always seem like just another hassle, while you are staying at The Forge it’s nice to spend some real quality time with your dog, switching off your phone for a few hours and just enjoying a cuddle and some good old-fashioned stroking. You will feel your blood pressure dropping and the stress ebbing away!

We can dog sit while you go adventuring

If you are concerned that bringing your dog to The Forge will limit your ability to take advantage of the fantastic adventure activities we have in the area, have no fear! We are very happy to look after your dogs if we are around so you don’t have to worry about leaving them in the car all day while you go surfing, zip-wiring or white-water rafting.

You may end up with an extended family…

It was as we were introducing some guests to The Forge with a gorgeous Springer Spaniel that we got chatting about wanting to have puppies with Bru. Fast forward a few months and we are now waiting with bated breath to meet our mini-Brus who are due any day. We will keep you posted…