Attract loyal bookings from dog owners
Find everything you need to present your locations on DogMap here:
1 A step-by-step guide to DogMap benefits
2 Useful dog-friendly travel facts
3 Hotel-relevant questions regarding assistance dogs
1 How you benefit
Slide deck: free and partner offers
2 Dog travel statistics to know
- Dogs are considered family by many, influencing travel planning.
- Approx. 72% of US dog owners travel with their dogs.2
- Over 40% take their dog on trips 2-4 times per year.3
- For 70% of dog travelers, accommodation is the biggest concern.4
- 77% would pay more for a dog-friendly hotel.7
- 2/3 would always bring their pet, if possible.7
- Dogs travel with 37% of families: up 19% within 10 years.1
- Bookings boosted by dog-friendly surroundings.6
- It’s 20% cheaper to bring the dog than to leave it at home.7
- Largest dog-travel market: US, fastest growing: APAC.5
- Nearly all major hotel brands offer a dog-friendly stay.
- Dog owners: A large, fast-growing, high-spending segment.
Pitfalls of dog owner marketing
Nearly half of your non-dog guests do NOT like to book a “dog hotel”.
It is a good and lucrative idea to accommodate dogs — just do not feature it in your general marketing! Focus your marketing on outlets that dog owners use to research dog-friendly accommodation — like DogMap.info.
Most owners agree that dogs require additional room maintenance. However, if pet policies are not clear at the time of booking, it creates discontent later on.
Start your own Impact Fund and use part of the pet fee to fuel PR and goodwill.
Your Impact Fund for the Assistance Dog Foundation comes without administrative burden. Your locations directly benefit from the global register and digital ID it funds.
3 Questions about assistance dogs answered
Is your team unsure about how to interact with assistance dog teams?
We’d be happy to send you some informational materials.
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What is an assistance dog?
An assistance dog is carefully selected and trained to assist a person with impairment by mitigating their disabilities. The best-known assistance dog is the guide dog, but assistance dog help with many more disabilities. Click here to learn more.
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Are assistance dogs pets?
Assistance dogs are considered medical aides, and their humans need to have them with them at all times. Just like you would not charge extra for a wheelchair, it is also not fair to charge a pet fee for the assistance dog.
An increasing number of laws confirm that an assistance dog teams should not be disadvantaged because of the need for the dog to be present. -
We do not allow dogs. Do I need to admit an assistance dog?
Yes, assistance dogs are not considered pet dogs, but are medical aids. Prohibiting the dog from entering would exclude the person requiring the assistance. As a general rule, assistance dogs should be admitted everywhere people in street clothing have access.
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Should I admit them in the restaurant and breakfast room?
Yes. Assistance dogs are very well trained to behave appropriately in public places, including restaurants. Since they are medical aids, assisting their human, they are exempt from hygiene rules that apply to regular pet dogs.
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I suspect an “assistance dog” to be fake. What are my options?
Unfortunately, there is a growing number of people who try to pass their pet dog as an assistance dog, either to avoid the pet fee or to gain special access rights.
At the same time, 80 % of the impairments that assistance dogs are trained for are invisible, and legitimate assistance dog come in all breeds and sizes.
While you do want to protect yourself and legitimate assistance dog teams from fake teams, clear certifications or IDs for legitimate assistance dog teams are still rare, and not every qualified team will be able to present one.Right now, the only option is to evaluate the documentation presented and decide generously. If the dog is not behaving calmly and safely, you still always have the right to remove access.
DogMap supports the Assistance Dog Foundation. The Foundation was founded to provide ISO-aligned assistance dog teams certification and a global register.
A list of valid and fake IDs is also under development.If you would like to support legitimate assistance dog teams, yet at the same time protect yourself from abuse to imitators, consider supporting the Assistance Dog Foundation with us — through your own ImpactFund, and by supporting us as a SuperPartner or SuperPlus partner.
