The terms defined here explain what 'dog friendly' actually means in practice, and address some of the most common sources of confusion for guests and accommodation providers. They clarify how key terms are used within the Dog Friendly Standard, including how dogs are permitted, how policies must be applied, and what guests can reasonably expect when travelling with a dog. They define the terms we use, and the boundaries we enforce.
This reference content is explanatory and non-normative. It supports the consistent interpretation and application of the standard, but does not introduce requirements, guidance, or assessment criteria, and does not amend, extend, or override the dog friendly standard itself.
Dog friendly means that dogs are permitted to stay overnight in guest rooms, are subject to clear and consistently applied rules, are provided with basic in-room amenities like a real food and water bowl, and are allowed to accompany guests into at least one indoor shared guest area (lounge, bar, restaurant or cafe) where legally permitted.
Dog Friendly describes the formal and operational position of an accommodation provider in relation to the acceptance of dogs as guests, as defined within the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). The term refers specifically to whether dogs are permitted under clearly stated, publicly available, and non-discretionary conditions forming part of the provider’s normal terms of accommodation, and does not imply any particular level of comfort, amenities, services, or suitability beyond that permission.
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A family dog means an ordinary household companion dog travelling with its owner. It reflects the kind of dog most commonly kept by families and is used as a practical benchmark to prevent hotels from excluding normal family dogs through arbitrary size, breed, or pedigree rules that most owners would reasonably question.
Family Dog refers to a domesticated dog kept as a household companion and accompanying its owner in an ordinary, non-specialist capacity, as used within the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). The term is intended to capture the kind of dog most commonly kept by families, such as a Labrador retriever, and is used as a cultural and practical benchmark representing a normal, medium-to-large companion dog, without reference to breed, pedigree, training status, or arbitrary size thresholds.
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A shared indoor guest area is any indoor space in a hotel that guests use in common, rather than a private bedroom. This includes places like reception areas, lounges, bars, dining rooms, corridors, and communal seating areas.
Shared Indoor Guest Area refers to any enclosed interior space within an accommodation that is intended for use by multiple guests and is not part of an individual private room, as used within the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). Such areas include, but are not limited to, reception spaces, lounges, dining rooms, bars, cafes, restaurants, corridors, and communal seating areas, regardless of whether access is time-limited, supervised, or subject to conditions.
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A published policy means the hotel’s dog rules are clearly written down and publicly available before you book. It must reflect how the hotel operates, not informal assurances, marketing language, or what staff might say on the day.
Published Policy refers to a formally stated rule or set of conditions relating to the acceptance of dogs that is made publicly available by an accommodation provider, as used within the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). A published policy is one that can be accessed by prospective guests in advance of booking, is expressed in clear and unambiguous terms, and represents the provider’s normal and intended operating position, rather than informal practice, marketing language, or ad-hoc communication.
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Non-discretionary means the rules apply to everyone, every time. A hotel cannot decide case by case whether dogs are allowed, make exceptions on request, or rely on individual staff judgement instead of a published policy.
Non-Discretionary describes a condition, rule, or policy that is applied consistently and without individual judgment, exception, or ad-hoc decision-making by staff or management, as used within the Dog-Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). A non-discretionary condition is one that is clearly stated in advance, publicly available, and applied uniformly to all guests to whom it is relevant, rather than being subject to informal approval, personal preference, or situational negotiation.
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Size and weight restrictions are rules that limit which dogs are allowed based on how big or heavy they are. These restrictions are often expressed as specific weight limits, size categories such as “small dogs only,” or similar wording, and in practice determine whether normal family dogs are excluded before any other factors are considered.
Size and Weight Restrictions refer to any stated limits placed by an accommodation provider on the physical size or weight of dogs permitted to stay, as used within the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01). The term encompasses restrictions expressed by numerical thresholds, descriptive categories, or equivalent formulations, regardless of how they are presented, and is concerned with the existence and form of such limits rather than their justification, appropriateness, or practical effect.
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Certification means a hotel has been checked against the dog friendly standard and passed. It shows the hotel met the standard when it was assessed, but is not a quality rating, a ranking, or a promise about future performance.
Certification refers to the formal recognition that an accommodation has been assessed against the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01) and found to meet its stated criteria at a specific point in time. The term denotes the status granted as a result of that assessment, indicating alignment with the standard as published, and should be understood as an attestation of conformance rather than a measure of relative quality, or a guarantee of continued compliance or future performance.
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A pass / fail assessment means a hotel either meets the dog friendly standard or it does not. There are no partial passes, scores, or grades at this stage, a hotel either qualifies for dog friendly certification or it does not.
Pass / Fail Assessment refers to an assessment model in which an accommodation is evaluated against the Dog Friendly Standard (RDFS-01) and determined to either meet or not meet the standard’s stated criteria, without gradation, scoring, ranking, or partial outcomes. The term denotes a binary determination of conformance based on the standard as published at the time of assessment, and is intended to distinguish formal certification decisions from reviews, ratings, or judgments.
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