More UK campers travel with their dogs than ever before. Walk around any touring park on a summer weekend and you will find them everywhere: spaniels investigating every interesting smell, labradors stretched out in patches of sunshine, and terriers absolutely convinced there is something very important under the next caravan. For campsite owners, this is a genuine opportunity. A clear, welcoming dog policy can set you apart from the sites that still display "No Dogs" signs and leave perfectly good bookings on the table. But there is a bit more to running a dog-friendly campsite than simply saying yes.

Decide What Kind of Dog-Friendly Site You Want to Be

Not all dog-friendly campsites are the same, and that is fine. Before you update your listing or put up any signage, think carefully about what level of dog-welcoming works for your site and your other guests.

Some sites accept dogs with no restrictions beyond a lead rule. Others designate specific pitches for dog owners, keeping part of the site dog-free for families or guests with allergies. Some cap the number of dogs per pitch at one or two. A few sites lean all the way into it, actively marketing themselves as destinations for dog enthusiasts, with walking route guides, water stations around the site and dog waste bins at every corner.

The right approach depends on your site's layout, the guests you already attract and the experience you want to offer. But you do need to make a clear decision, write it down, and make sure every booking channel reflects it consistently. A policy that says "dogs welcome" but gives no further detail creates confusion and complaints.

Write a Clear Dog Policy

Once you know your approach, put the rules in writing. A good dog policy covers all the things that cause friction when they are left vague:

Display this policy during the booking process, include it in the booking confirmation and mention it again in any pre-arrival communications. If a guest causes a problem and later claims they did not know the rules, you can point to three separate places where they were clearly stated.

Sort the Practicalities on Site

A site that genuinely welcomes dogs looks noticeably different from one that merely tolerates them. The practical details matter more than you might think.

Dog waste bins

Position them at the entrance, near any dog-walking access point, and close to grassy areas where dogs tend to roam. Empty them regularly. Nothing puts dog owners off a site more quickly than overflowing, unusable waste bins. If guests cannot find anywhere to dispose of bags, the problem ends up somewhere worse.

Fresh water

A tap or outdoor bowl near the dog walking route is a small addition that guests notice and appreciate. It does not need to be elaborate. A simple standpipe with a hook for a collapsible bowl works perfectly well.

Walking access

If your site is near footpaths, bridleways or open countryside, include this information in your listing and in what you hand over on arrival. Many dog owners choose their campsite largely based on what walking is available nearby. A hand-drawn map or a link to a local walking route can be the difference between a booking and a search for somewhere else.

Secure perimeter

Check your site boundary for gaps a determined dog could push through. A dog escaping the site is distressing for the owner, disruptive for everyone else and a potential liability issue for you. A robust fence line is worth the maintenance effort, especially if you are near a road or farmland.

Designate Pitches Specifically for Dog Owners

If you want to keep dog owners and non-dog guests separate, pitch management tools make this easy to set up and run without manual effort. You can create a pitch type for dog-friendly pitches, and when a guest books and indicates they are bringing a dog, they are automatically offered one of those pitches. No juggling the diary to figure out who goes where.

This approach has practical advantages beyond just organisation. Dog owners naturally end up near each other, which reduces friction with guests who have allergies or noise concerns. You can position dog-friendly pitches close to your perimeter or nearest to the walking access point, which is exactly where dog owners want to be anyway. And it means you can genuinely market part of your site as dog-free to guests who specifically want that.

On a smaller site, or a CL or CS site with only a handful of pitches, this level of separation may not be practical. In that case, simply being clear in your listing that dogs are welcome (or not) is enough.

Communicate Your Dog Policy at Every Stage

Dog owners are used to having their requests turned away. When they find a site that is genuinely welcoming, they tend to come back. But only if the actual experience delivers on what the listing promised.

Make sure your policy is consistent across your website, any platforms you list on, and the messages guests receive from you. Automated guest messages let you include dog-specific information at the right moments, without having to remember to do it for each booking individually. A message a few days before arrival that says something like "Arriving with your dog? Here is what you need to know" covers the lead rules, waste facilities and walking routes, and heads off the guest who arrives saying they were not aware of the site rules.

This kind of proactive communication makes a good impression. It shows that you have thought about your guests' needs rather than just ticking a box on a listing form.

Should You Charge for Dogs?

This is a live debate among UK campsite owners. Some charge a nightly fee per dog, typically between £1 and £3. Others include it in the pitch price. A few charge nothing and simply state that dogs are welcome.

There is no definitive right answer. A few things worth weighing up:

Whatever you decide, be consistent and transparent. Guests who feel surprised or caught out by a charge do not leave good reviews.

Market Your Dog-Friendly Site Effectively

Dog-friendly accommodation is actively searched for. Guests use terms like "dog-friendly campsite" alongside a location, and platforms like Pitchup and Campsites.co.uk both have dog-friendly filters that increase your visibility to exactly the guests you want. Make sure your listings on those platforms clearly reflect your policy, including any restrictions on breeds, sizes or numbers.

On your own website, a short section dedicated to your dog policy, nearby walks and on-site facilities can help you rank for local searches. Photographs that feature dogs with permission from owners tend to perform well on social media, because dog owners share them enthusiastically. A photo of a happy spaniel at your site reaches every other dog owner in that person's network.

Encouraging guests to mention their dogs in reviews is also worth doing. A review that says "we brought both dogs and they were made so welcome" carries more weight with other dog-owning guests than any amount of self-promotion. You could include a line in your post-stay message asking guests to share their experience if they enjoyed the site.

The Simple Version

Running a genuinely dog-friendly campsite is not complicated. It comes down to a clear policy, sensible on-site facilities, consistent communication and a booking setup that lets dog owners find and book the right pitch without confusion.

Get those basics right and dog-owning guests tend to become some of your most loyal. They return year after year to sites that made them feel welcome, and they recommend those sites to friends. That kind of word-of-mouth is worth far more than any paid listing.

If you want to see how CampSuite handles dog-friendly pitch setup, automated guest messages and online bookings, start a free trial today. CL and CS sites pay nothing, and it takes about fifteen minutes to get set up.