Narrow Boat Holidays with Your dog

With more people wanting to explore the UK and its many beautiful regions while on holiday with their dogs, there's been a rise in the number of places around the country where pets are welcome with open arms. If you've always wanted to spend some quality time on a canal boat, heading to the Norfolk Broads has a lot to offer with the added bonus that you would be able to take your four-legged friend with you on your adventure!

Choosing to spend your holidays on a narrow boat may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're up for some exploring along the waterways with a canine pal in tow, it could be the perfect holiday for two legged and four-legged friends to enjoy. There's lots to discover on walks and when cruising the broads and as a bonus, most places welcome dogs which includes pubs, cafés and some of the restaurants found dotted around the region.

Getting your dog prepped for their canal journey

When you make your booking, it's important you let the company know you will be bringing your pooch with you to enjoy the trip so they can get things ready for your arrival. The great thing about renting from a company that welcomes dogs aboard their narrow boats is they will supply you with the all-important doggie life-jacket. It's important for your pet to remain safe the whole time they are on the boat because you never know if they might slip and fall over the side. Wearing a life-jacket ensures they'll stay afloat until they can be safely retrieved out of the water back onto the boat or dry land.

Knowing your dog is safe wearing their life-jacket means you can relax and enjoy your journey as you navigate the lovely rivers and all the shallow lakes found in the beautiful Norfolk Broads. The amount of interesting walks available make it a sheer delight for dogs to explore both on and off their leads. There'll be new tow paths to tread and sniff every single day which for a dog is sheer heaven. Another huge plus point is that because narrow boats trundle along so slowly – averaging 4 miles per hour, it's easy to keep pace with the boat while you're walking along with your dog on a tow path!

A Relaxing Time

Being able to jump off the boat when you feel like it and moor up in some of the most beautiful areas of the Broads is a huge draw for dog lovers, but then just being able to sit back after and exhausting fun day is brilliant too. Your dog will be worn out by all the exciting things they've discovered and more than happy to sit quietly beside you as you all watch the world go slowly and quietly by.

Opting to spend part of your holiday on a narrow boat

You have the option to spend part of your holiday on a narrow boat with your dog and part of it in pet-friendly accommodation which breaks up the holiday nicely. It's a great way of exploring the region on a boat first before settling down in one place to kick back and take it all in.

Things you need to take with you for your pet

You would need to pack all the things your dog would need while they are away on holiday with you and it's a good idea to double up on certain things like the following:

• Doggy bed and blankets
• Food bowls
• Water bowls
• Leads
• Collars

The reason why it's good idea to take two of all of the above is that you never know if anything will break or be lost and the last thing you want to do is have to wash your dog's bed when you are on holiday. It's much easier to take 2 (or more) beds with you so that you can just swap them over should you need to. All you have to do is put the dirty one in a bin liner ready to be washed when you get home.

It's also a good idea to over-estimate how much dog food your pet will get through while you are away because running out of their usual food could lead to all sorts of issues which includes them getting a tummy upset if you can't find their regular food and have to feed them something else while you are away.

Conclusion

Renting a narrow boat for a holiday so you can take your dog along is a wonderful way of spending some quality time with them. Every day, they will have a different tow path to explore and there's a heap of great walks you can all enjoy as you cruise these lovely waters. The Norfolk Broads is a spectacular region of the country where you'll find many pet-friendly areas and establishments which makes spending time with a four-legged friend even more enjoyable when you're on holiday!