Most hotel websites tell you why their house in particular is perfect for a holiday with your dog. We'd like to go the other way and say honestly when you won't be happy with us. That sounds odd at first for a hotel website, but there's a good reason: a dog holiday that doesn't fit isn't nice for anyone - not for you, not for your dog, not for the other guests and in the end not for us either.
We're a small, quiet house on Lake Brennsee with around two dozen rooms, an adults-only atmosphere, our own kitchen and direct access to the lake. That's exactly what makes us particularly suitable for many dog owners. But the same qualities that make us the right address for some make us the wrong one for others. Here are the cases where we openly advise you to think it over carefully.
For very anxious or reactive dogs: why a small house is both an advantage and a disadvantage
A small house is a blessing for many unsure dogs: little bustle, short distances, no endless corridors, no crowding at the lift. If your dog is sensitive to stimuli, that's often just right. But there's a flip side, and we should name it.
Precisely because the house is small, encounters can't always be avoided with plenty of space. In the breakfast room, on the lakeside terrace, on the narrow jetty to the water, you come closer to each other than in a sprawling resort. For a dog that can't tolerate other dogs or strangers and lunges on the lead as soon as someone comes too close, that can become exhausting - for the dog and for the guests around it.
If your dog is strongly reactive - barking, growling or snapping almost uncontrollably at other dogs or strangers - we're probably not the right house. Not because we don't want it, but because we want to spare it and you the constant tension. A larger hotel with extensive grounds or a secluded holiday apartment without close encounters gives such a dog more room to breathe. With a dog that's merely a little shy and needs time to settle in, it's a different matter - we manage that well, just let us know beforehand.
High summer and heat: honest about the limits at the lake
A lake in summer sounds like the perfect solution for the dog. Usually it is. But we don't want to pretend that high summer is the ideal time to travel for every dog.
In the hottest weeks of the year it can get very warm at the water even in Carinthia. For a young, fit dog that's no problem - into the water early in the morning, resting in the shade at midday, the second round in the evening. For an old dog, one with heart or breathing problems, or a short-nosed breed that copes badly with heat anyway, great heat is a real strain. The lake cools briefly, but it doesn't take the humidity out of the air.
If your dog is sensitive to heat, we honestly recommend the milder times: early summer, late summer, early autumn. Then the water is still, or already, pleasant, the days aren't oppressive, and the paths in the Nock Mountains can be walked even at midday. If you absolutely want to come in high summer and have a heat-sensitive dog, you should know that the day then has to be planned strictly around the cool hours. That's doable, but it isn't carefree.
More than one dog, large dogs: what works, what doesn't
Here it gets specific, and we ask you to talk to us before booking instead of hoping it'll work out.
One dog is of course welcome with us, even a large one, provided it's sociable in the house, house-trained and can lie down quietly in one place. With two dogs it depends on the dogs, the room and how busy we are - that can't be answered with a blanket yes. In our modest-sized rooms, two large dogs plus two people simply have less space, and seating two dogs quietly in the restaurant doesn't work in every constellation.
So tell us honestly when you enquire how many dogs you're bringing and how big they are. Then we'll tell you honestly in return whether it works. Sometimes the answer is: gladly, but please take the larger room. Sometimes it's: two of you with two large dogs will be a squeeze with us, you'll be more comfortable elsewhere. Both are fair answers - and far better than discovering on site that it doesn't work out.
If you're looking for a full dog programme - that isn't us
There are hotels that have specialised entirely in dogs: fenced dog meadow, agility course, dog shower, in-house dog school, supervised walks, perhaps even dog-sitting while you go to the spa. That's a concept of its own, and quite a nice one - but it isn't ours.
With us the dog is welcome because it's part of life: in the restaurant next to you, at the lake, on the paths from the front door. What we don't offer is an organised activity programme for the dog. There's no agility course, no dog school, no care service you hand your dog over to for a few hours. If that's exactly what you're looking for - structure, training, action for the dog - you'll be happier at a specialised dog hotel than with us.
Our guests tend to look for the opposite: peace, nature, a dog that's simply there without it becoming a programme. If that sounds like your idea of a holiday, we're a good match. If, on the other hand, your dog needs its daily task and workout and you want infrastructure for that, we're honestly the wrong house.
When another hotel in the region is a better fit
We're not the only house in Feld am See and around Lake Brennsee that takes dogs, and that's a good thing. If one of the points above applies to you, it's worth looking at alternatives in the region.
If you're travelling with children and a dog, you're often better off at a family-oriented hotel than with us - we're deliberately adults-only and geared towards quiet adult couples. If you need a lot of space for several or very large dogs, a spacious holiday apartment with its own outdoor area is often the more relaxed choice. And anyone who wants the full dog programme mentioned above will find specialised hotels in Carinthia designed exactly for that. On request we'll gladly tell you what to look out for in an alternative - we'd rather you had a good holiday than necessarily a holiday with us.
Who we're exactly right for
So that this article doesn't only name what divides: there's one clear case where we're a very good fit. You're travelling as a couple or alone, with a dog that's basically sociable and relaxed in everyday life. You're not looking for hustle and bustle but for peace by the water. You'd like your dog to join you in the restaurant in the evening instead of waiting alone in the room, and to be able to go into the lake without you first having to find the one permitted spot. And you appreciate short walks that begin right at the house, rather than preceding every round with a car journey.
If that applies to you, the small size, the adults-only atmosphere and the direct lake access aren't limitations but precisely the reasons why you'll feel at home with us. Incidentally, what "truly dog-friendly" means as opposed to "merely tolerated" is described in detail in our article Dog-friendly doesn't always mean dog-friendly - and all the walks, swimming spots and conditions are gathered on our overview page Holidays with your dog on Lake Brennsee.
When in doubt, what we'd most like to tell you right at the start applies: drop us a quick line about which dog you're coming with, how old it is, how it reacts to others and what you expect from the holiday. We'll answer honestly, even if the answer is sometimes that another hotel is a better fit. If it fits, we look forward to seeing you both.