Isle of wight by Sharon Grant

Our 8 year old dog Teapot is treated as one of the family. She comes on all our holidays. Every year we go to the Isle of Wight for 2 weeks during the Summer and stay at Thorness Bay. It is a lovely site with its own dog friendly beach and it is only a 10 minute walk from the camping area. We find lots of pubs on the island are dog friendly as are lots of shops-in fact lots of the shops have treats behind the counters for dogs. This year there was a dog show in Ventnor , we found out about it while in a charity shop and we entered her into 4 categories,senior dog, waggiest tail, beautiful bitch(where she came 3rd) and beautiful eyes(she came 1st!). She was up against tough competition and it was a fabulous afternoon in a lovely part of the island.We were so proud of her and took her to a pet shop the next day for her to spend the vouchers she won. Every day on holiday we took her to the beach for a swim. We also loved visiting the charity shops in Cowes as they all love dogs. Teapot loves her holidays and we recommend the island to everyone. The campsite at Thorness Bay is dog friendly and there are lots of campers there with dogs. She is not allowed in the complex but there is a patio area attached to the dining area and we eat there with her.

There are so many places on the island that are great to visit for both families and dogs, The Needles-we took Teapot on the boat trip around the needles., Godshill Model Village, they are even allowed in the chocolate shop there! The islanders accept that dogs are part of the family and this is a part of its charm. There are some beaches where dogs aren’t allowed but we find there is generally a part of the beach where dogs are allowed which is great. The isle of Wight and Thorness Bay are like a home from home for us all.
The ferry has 2 dog friendly levels, and you can take your pet on the top deck so they get the best views too!
There are some lovely well thought out walks around the island for dog lovers too. I have enjoyed many an early morning with Teapot discovering the islands beauty.And the views....oh my! Some views are implanted in my brain waiting for my return.
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