Dog Friendly Services: Here are the best places in the UK to make a stop with your dog while driving this summer

So the car leasing experts at the UK’s largest automotive platform, Auto Trader, have dug into the data to reveal which of the country’s motorway service stations are the best for travellers with a dog in tow.

The researchers assigned a ‘dog-friendly’ score to over 100 service stations, depending on whether their main foyer allows dogs inside, how much green space they have for furry friends to get some exercise, and how many votes Auto Trader’s community gave each of the services when asked about their favourite service stations when driving with dogs.

With a long dog walking path, a pond, a dog-friendly concourse, and the most votes from Auto Trader’s users, Gloucester Services is the top dog when it comes to dog-friendly places to take a driving break. With more votes from Auto Trader’s community than any other service station in the UK, drivers commented on how amazing the farm shop is for picking up some fresh produce on your travels.

Gloucester Services is followed by Tebay Services on the M6, which scores highly thanks to votes from Auto Trader’s users, its outdoor dining terrace with a duck pond and its dog walking area. Annandale Water on the A74, and Donington Park on the M1 tied in third place. 

Annandale Water and Donington Park both have large fields for dogs (and their owners) to stretch their legs and were both voted as one of the best dog-friendly service stations in the UK by Auto Trader’s readers.

In fact, one of Auto Trader’s users said Annandale is the best in the UK they’ve come across, with dog water bowls around the complex, dogs welcome inside, and a large area for dogs to exercise with a magnificent view across the lake to the nearby hills.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, said: “One of the best parts of travelling around the UK versus going abroad is being able to take our pets with us. But particularly if you’re travelling alone, it can be daunting taking a long drive with a pet that you can’t leave in the car unattended. There are some fantastic service stations around the UK that offer ample space for our four-legged friends to stretch their legs, and some that even offer extra doggy amenities like water bowls! While some of the smaller services around the UK don’t have the capacity to allow dogs that aren’t service animals inside, for most of the larger ones you can always bring your dog with you so you can at least use the facilities - just remember they usually cannot go inside the shops or restaurants with you.”

Here are the findings in full, along with a few tips for travelling with pups.

What are the UK’s Five Most Dog-Friendly Motorway Services?

1. Gloucester (M5)
2. Tebay (M6)
3. Annandale Water (A74)
4. Donington Park (M1)
5. Hopwood Park (M42)

What other services are dog friendly?

For drivers looking to give their hounds a stretch of their legs, and who want to bring them into the main foyer, the following services all welcome our four-legged friends and have large grass areas or fields nearby. They were given ‘honourable mentions’ by the researchers:

• M1: Woodall, Woolley Edge & Skelton Lake
• M18: Doncaster North
• M25: Cobham
• M3: Winchester
• M4: Reading & Sarn Park
• M40: Beaconsfield, Cherwell Valley & Warwick
• M42: Tamworth
• M5: Strensham & Tiverton
• M54: Telford
• M6: Killington Lake (southbound) & Stafford (northbound)
• M74: Bothwell & Hamilton
• M90: Kinross

How to prepare a dog for car travel

Whichever route you’re travelling on this summer, getting your pet comfortable with car travel requires a good amount of preparation and planning. Auto Trader collaborated with Adam Spivey, Director and Master Trainer at Southend Dog Training, to share his advice on getting your pup ready for car journeys, who advised the following:

Make sure your dog is calm

Adam explains “The car can represent excitement to a dog which can get them worked up, leading to barking, whining and other stressful behaviours. That is usually because, in the dog's brain, the destination always results in something fun. So, to counteract this, I would teach the dog that it is calm behaviour that actually leads to the fun they are excited about. I will make sure the dog is sitting by my side when I open the car door, I’ll ensure they are waiting to be invited into the car and then I would put them into an impact crate, as that is the safest way for a dog to travel.”

Give them plenty of exercise before a journey

Whilst a crate-trained dog will already be familiar with a car crate, it’s important that your dog can work off their pent-up energy prior to a car journey so that they are more likely to relax and rest in the car crate.

Take regular breaks on a long ride

Adam explains “For puppies, you must take as many breaks as necessary to help with their bladder control; for example, eight-week-old puppies can only hold their bladders for up to an hour. But if you are travelling with an older dog then it is more down to common sense and aligning it with how often you take breaks, but I would recommend every couple of hours so you can both stretch your legs.”

How to solve car sickness in dogs

Adam recommends the following to help remedy motion sickness:

• Allow plenty of time between feeding the dog and beginning your car journey
• Speak to your vet as they might be able to give your dog medication to help prevent motion sickness during a car ride
• Gradually build up the journey distance - start with small trips and get your dog used to the car’s movements and motions before increasing the length

The importance of restraining your dog

For your dog’s safety, your safety and the safety of others, keeping your dog suitably restrained in your car is of utmost importance. Adam explains “A crash-tested impact crate is the safest way for any dog to travel - it is something you see the police use with their dogs. However, if you can’t do that for any reason then, at the very least, you must use a very secure seatbelt attachment for your dog.” In fact, previous research conducted by Auto Trader in their Canine Car Report, found that over a third of British drivers who own dogs aren’t away of the Highway Code’s legal requirement that says you must restrain pets in the car, putting these individuals at risk of a £5,000 fine. Rule 57 of the Highway Code requires dogs to be suitable restrained while in the car, so as to avoid any possible distractions, and accidents.