There are pubs that allow dogs, and then there are pubs that genuinely welcome dogs.
You know the difference.
At the first, you spend ten minutes wondering whether you’re actually allowed through the door while your dog sniffs a suspicious-looking sign by the entrance. At the second, there’s already a water bowl down, someone behind the bar has produced a treat and your dog is receiving noticeably better customer service than you are.
Those are the pubs we’re interested in.
We’ve picked out some brilliant dog-friendly pubs from across England, Wales and Scotland, using recommendations, pub awards, specialist dog-friendly guides and information from the pubs themselves.
So, whether you’re planning a weekend away, looking for somewhere to finish a long walk or simply believe a Sunday roast is better with a dog asleep underneath the table, here are a few worth knowing about.
The Cock Crow Inn gets one important thing right from the start: dogs aren’tconfined to a tiny corner somewhere near the bins. They’re welcome throughout the pub.
Water bowls and treats are available, and the pub actively encourages people to bring their dogs along whether they’re stopping for food or just having a drink.
There’s also a beer garden for those rare north-east afternoons when sitting outside doesn’t require three layers and an emergency coat.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: Mill Lane, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 2EY
If your ideal day involves a walk through the Yorkshire Dales followed by a pub, you’re already starting from a fairly strong position.
The Fox & Hounds in West Witton was Rover’s Yorkshire pick in its search for the UK’s best dog-friendly pubs. Its testers praised the food, beer and staff, but importantly for this particular list, they also highlighted how well dogs were welcomed, including water and treats.
West Witton sits in Wensleydale, so you’ve also got some seriously good walking country nearby. Which conveniently gives you a perfectly legitimate reason to order pudding.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: West Witton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
Here’s one with some serious dog-friendly credentials. 
The Milbourne Arms in Carlisle is a finalist in the Best Pub for Dogs category at the 2026 Great British Pub Awards.
That’s a considerably higher standard than somebody sticking a bowl of water outside and adding “dog friendly” to Google.
It’s a handy one to remember if you’re exploring Cumbria or travelling towards the Lakes and want somewhere that doesn’t treat the dog as an inconvenient additional guest.
Why it’s on the list:
Find it: Milbourne Street, Carlisle, Cumbria
The Jam Garden was Rover’s East Midlands regional pick when its Public House Officer travelled around the country investigating dog-friendly pubs. Yes, apparently inspecting pubs with your dog can be an actual job. Where was that option at careers day?
It ranked among Rover’s standout dog-friendly pubs nationally, and voted the best dog-friendly pub in the East Midlands!
It’s a good city-style option for anyone who wants somewhere relaxed rather than a country pub at the end of a six-mile hike. Sometimes the dog hasn’t earned a six-mile hike. Sometimes neither have you.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: Loughborough, Leicestershire
Another pub currently competing for the title of Best Pub for Dogs at the 2026 Great British Pub Awards is The Red Lion at Long Compton. 
Long Compton sits on the edge of the Cotswolds, surrounded by exactly the sort of countryside that makes you feel you should own walking boots, even if they’re currently pristine in the back of a cupboard.
It’s a particularly good option if you’re combining a countryside walk with lunch or a drink, and its place on the national dog-friendly shortlist makes it one to put on the map.
Why it’s on the list:
Find it: Long Compton, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire
The Ferry Boat Inn was Rover’s pick for the East of England in its nationwide hunt for Britain’s best dog-friendly pub.
Its location near the River Crouch makes this a particularly good combination of dog walk and pub stop, which is arguably one of Britain’s more successful inventions.
You can explore the surrounding countryside before settling in for food or a drink. Your dog can then spend the entire meal staring at you as though they haven’t eaten since 2019.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: North Fambridge, Essex
We couldn’t really write this guide without including the pub Rover named the Best Dog-Friendly Pub in the UK.
The Foresters Arms near Fordingbridge came out on top after Rover’s Public House Officer visited 110 establishments around the country. The judging looked
beyond whether dogs were simply allowed inside and considered the actual experience offered to them.
And this place takes things rather seriously.
There are treats, water, dog beds, blankets, poo bags and a secure garden. There’s even a dog-safe menu.
Essentially, your dog may now have expectations.
Being on the edge of the New Forest doesn’t hurt either. Go for a long walk, muddy everyone’s legs, then retreat to the pub. A near-perfect day.
And perhaps the best thing about The Foresters Arms is that being dog friendly doesn’t feel like a special feature that’s been bolted on. This is a proper New Forest pub. Of course dogs are welcome. What sort of pub doesn’t allow dogs?
Take a look through their social pages and you’ll quickly get the idea. Four-legged customers seem to be very much part of pub life here, happily accompanying their humans for good food, good wine and a post-walk rest.
Frankly, we’re not entirely sure who’s accompanying whom.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: Frogham, Fordingbridge, Hampshire
If your dog’s idea of a good day involves a long coastal walk followed by strategically positioning themselves underneath a pub table, The Green Dragon is a strong contender.
This family-run village pub near Dartmouth is right on the South West Coast Path, and dogs are welcome throughout the pub and garden. There are fresh water bowls, treats and plenty of shady spots outside for recovering from all that exhausting sniffing.
The pub serves proper food alongside local ales, wines and spirits, and its spacious beer garden makes it a particularly good stop in warmer weather. Muddy paws aren’t considered a problem either. When you’re this close to the coast path, they’d probably be fighting a losing battle.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: Church Road, Stoke Fleming, near Dartmouth, Devon
If you’re looking for the sort of pub where a long dog walk can be followed by genuinely very good food, The Felin Fach Griffin deserves a spot on the list.
Sitting between the Black Mountains and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, it’s a proper Welsh country inn with roaring fires, squashy sofas and plenty of excellent walking country nearby. Dogs are very much welcome too, making it an ideal place to collapse after a few muddy miles.
The food isn’t an afterthought either. The Felin Fach Griffin has been named Dining Pub of the Year for Wales six times, so this is one of those occasions where agreeing to take the dog for a walk can work out suspiciously well for everyone involved.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: Felin Fach, Brecon, LD3 0UB
If you’re heading further north, put Tafarn Y Plu on your list too.
Visit Wales recommends this award-winning village pub as a dog-friendly stop, with dogs welcome in the public bar and beer garden. It’s also just a couple of hundred yards from the Wales Coast Path on the Llŷn Peninsula.
That means you can arrive looking windswept and muddy and claim it was all part of the plan.
Find it: Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, North Wales
Rover’s search for Scotland’s best dog-friendly pub ended at The Tinsmith in Dundee.
Dogs can expect water and treats, with dog ice cream and additional treats available to buy. Rover’s visiting dog was even offered a ball by the staff.
A ball.
At this point, we’re not entirely convinced humans are the target market.
It’s a lively city pub rather than a quiet countryside inn, so Rover recommends avoiding later on Saturday evenings if your dog isn’t keen on busy environments.
Why dogs will like it:
Find it: 11-13 Old Hawkhill, Dundee, DD1 5EU
For the full Scottish scenery experience, the Falls of Dochart Inn in Perthshire is hard to beat.
It’s right beside the famous Falls of Dochart in Killin, so you’ve got spectacular surroundings and plenty of walking opportunities before you head inside.
Rover found water bowls and treats available and gave particular praise to the friendly welcome dogs received.
The pub also has its own smokehouse, although explaining to your dog why the smoked salmon isn’t theirs may become your problem.
Find it: Gray Street, Killin, Perthshire, FK21 8SL
There’s a fairly big gap between “dogs permitted” and genuinely dog friendly.
If you’re travelling any distance specifically to visit somewhere with your dog, look for things such as:
It’s also worth checking the pub’s latest dog policy before making a special journey. Rules can change and some pubs allow dogs in the bar but not the restaurant, or have restrictions at particularly busy times.
And, of course, dog-friendly works both ways. Keep your dog under control, don’t let them wander around other tables and accept that the Labrador three tables away may not appreciate your dog’s extremely enthusiastic attempt at friendship.
This is by no means every brilliant dog-friendly pub in Britain. We’d need a considerably bigger article for that. And possibly several months travelling around the country conducting “research”.
So we’re building the list.
If you’ve got a local where the dog gets greeted before you do, a country pub that’s perfect after a muddy walk, or somewhere that goes completely overboard with dog treats, we’d love to hear about it.
And while you’re there, take a photo.
Dogs asleep under pub tables. Dogs sitting hopefully beside Sunday roasts. Dogs looking extraordinarily pleased with themselves in beer gardens. They’re exactly the sort of ordinary little moments that end up becoming favourite photos.
If you’ve got one sitting on your phone, you can turn it into a pawfect metal print with Print Your Memory, available in different shapes and sizes to suit your home and, presumably, your dog’s preferred level of prominence.
Because if they’ve found the pub, completed the walk and posed for the photo, they’ve earned their place on the wall.
