non dog pitches

Dipper
Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
First Comment

Does anyone know if the club are introducing non dog pitches on any of its sites, as clearly non dog owners are fed up with dogs barking and some owners not following the rules ?

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Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 24,264
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    Oh, dear. I see you weren’t a dog fan 4 years ago either.

    You’d better ask the club about their plans but I’m not sure how having dogs restricted to certain pitches will stop you hearing them on dog free pitches🤷🏻‍♂️

  • Dipper
    Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
    First Comment

    After reading several site reviews in particular New Forest Centenary site, you will see it’s a problem that needs to be addressed and non dog pitches would be a solution to improve the situation

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 24,264
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    I can’t agree. You haven’t responded to my point about noise carrying to non-dog pitches and I think that factor alone renders your idea futile.

    Have you contacted the club? You really need to.

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 1,041
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    the club was going to do some various pitches with restrictions. Weren’t dog free pitches one of those? Or was it adult only sections? I can’t remember.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 24,264
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    It was adult only on some pitches on 2 or 3 sites.

  • Dipper
    Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
    First Comment

    I suggest you read the site reviews from other members who are disturbed by the nuisance caused by dogs and their owners.

    Obviously the further away the dogs are from non dog members the less they will be heard, unless you have a lion 🦁

    Club sites are large enough to allocate specific areas near dog walks.

    Other organisations have specific areas to accommodate people’s preferences with dogs, implementing the option with Club sites would be welcomed by many members.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    But the same dogs who are causing the 'problem' probably won't be there for other people?

    I always read the reviews on my favourite sites and it's hardly ever mentioned.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    edited October 2025 #9

    @Dipper you posted:

    After reading several site reviews in particular New Forest Centenary site, you will see it’s a problem that needs to be addressed and non dog pitches would be a solution to improve the situation

    I've just looked at the first seventy reviews of the New Forrest site and this problem that needs to be addressed is only mentioned three times?

  • Dipper
    Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
    First Comment

    try looking at the most recent

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 1,041
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    I’ve just read the last few and it is mentioned on a number. It is ONE of the factors that puts us of club sites. For reasons I don’t understand, our visits to CCC club sites have never been AS troubled.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    @Hja It is mentioned three times over this season, and indeed over a year. There are more complaints about airplane noise the noise made by cars going over the cattle grid.

    Choose whatever you see fit.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    @Dipper why should the more recent have more relevance, or hold more weight than the other seventy?

    It is clearly not that much of a problem.

  • Dipper
    Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
    First Comment

    You can clearly see it’s a problem, especially when responsible dog owners raise the same issues.

    It’s not just the site reviews, members are constantly verbally complaining about the situation on the majority of sites around the country !

    The sooner the situation is addressed the better for everyone

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 18,300
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    We sorted it out for us a long time ago…………….CLs. You don’t get as many moaning about dogs, plus for those that do, there is an answer……….CLs that don’t admit dogs.

    Camping holidays have always involved tolerance, you are living in a much closer proximity, in accommodation not designed to shield from all noise, so things that might ordinarily pass unnoticed tend to be magnified. Road noise, loud TV, radio, playing children, unhappy babies and toddlers, pets, noisy people. Ce La vie🤷‍♀️

  • Graydjames
    Graydjames Forum Participant Posts: 471 Participant
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    There's no doubt this can be an issue and not just on caravan sites. I had neighbours who purchased a German Shepherd two years ago. It was a highly strung dog and, once older, it barked at the slightest thing - the wind, rustling leaves, birds and obviously larger threats like cats or another dog walking past. I was many times woken both late at night or early in the morning. This grew to such a problem that I had to sleep with my windows firmly closed -something that was once anathema to me - but even then this did not completely solve the problem. It became a massive issue for me, but when I tried to tacfully mention it, all I got was, "well [name of dog]'s bark is so loud" as if that somehow excused the issue. They moved away around three weeks ago and it was the biggest relief to see neighbours depart that I have ever experienced. I've lived next to dogs before, but never had this problem. On a caravan site - if on the next pitch - a dog like that would be a huge issue. I know it's hard to train dogs to bark at the right time, and I am not anti-dog, in fact I like dogs, but some owners (I stress some) can be so ignorant about the issues that their pets may cause and often just disregard and disrespect others who may be disturbed.

    I think Dipper makes a good point, but I cannot see any changes being made and, anyway, would it really make much difference having dog free areas. The dog lobby within the Caravan Club is strong and I've written here before, albiet many years ago, that I once suggested to a warden at Ayr that the Kennel Club and the Caravan Club should consider a merger! She did not see the joke.
  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 18,300
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    You could ask to move pitch on a site GJ, but obviously not as easy to move house. We once had to move pitch because of a newborn (in a tent, I kid you not😕) screaming all night. All done amicably. It wasn’t a Club Site.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    @Dipper I really can't see how three out of seventy makes it a clear problem.

    If it is to you then the only two things you can do is not use club sites and complain, first to the wardens on site and then to the club.

    Or table a question for the AGM.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 24,264
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    So, @Dipper , have you contacted CAMC yet and asked the question. I keep putting that to you but have not yet had an answer.

  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,514
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    edited October 2025 #20

    I've expressed my opinion before on dogs on campsites. But here goes again with a relevant slant to the original post.

    I do not own a dog, I do not want a dog, but I don't mind them.

    Ideally campsites for me would be dog free, but that is not going to happen.

    It would not be fair on the vast majority of dog owners who take their responsibility for ownership seriously and train their dog/s. I admire them for the time and effort they have put into what is obviously a difficult task. We have all been on a pitch where we find "next door" has two dogs, but we have not realised this for a day or so as we have not heard them.

    If a dog continues to bark, in my ignorance I would imagine it is down to one of two reasons, lack of training on behalf of the owner, or as some might explain the dog is highly strung. In each case why is that dog allowed onto a campsite where it is spoiling the enjoyment of other campers. The owner is at fault, not the dog. That to me is unacceptable and I believe a warden would be justified in asking the owners to leave.

    Colin

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    @eribaMotters I agree, persistent barking may be a sign of something else going on, which is why if anything is affecting your holiday the first point of contact is the wardens. I wonder if the OP did that?

  • Amesford
    Amesford Club Member Posts: 737
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    Funnily enough at our stay at Longleat I contacted a radio ham in the US he remarked "did I just hear a lion?"

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 11,623
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    It's just not on. Last week at Wirral CP site I had to go out and remonstrate with them but would the 2 Tawny Owls who were having a Hooting match give a "Hoot" about me complaining? Nope. i've put it in my review, hope the club do something about it.🤣

    Easy answer, as @Takethedogalong suggests find non dog sites. See https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk

    Filter your choices.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 14,726
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    I think the problem with trying to reserve pitches for various requirements is that it reduces the choice for all. You could stay at the same site on two different occasions and have totally different experiences. If a dog/dogs is really causing an issue probably best to discuss it with the site staff as their intervention is likely to be more successful than an individual member trying to tackle it.

    With regard to reviews I am pretty sure the Regional Managers keep an eye on them and if a particular picture is building up no doubt they will discuss it with site staff. I assume the star rating of these sites are impacted by these reviews, although I suspect that is not always the case.

    David

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 18,300
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    I do agree @DavidKlyne once pitches are allocated any kind of “special status”, be that child free, dog free, etc.. it does tend to reduce the overall choice for the vast majority of Club Site visitors who don’t have any major issues around being amongst all comers. I think there’s a special case for allocating a few pitches for those who need more help in terms of accessibility, but that’s possibly more of an inclusive requirement.

    We have been using Club facilities for over 40 years now, and can only recall having one less than satisfactory pitch up in all that time. You learn to pick your time of booking, you look out for obvious signs where it might be a noisier area, and you ask for help from on-site staff if there is an issue.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 11,623
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    In 35+years of staying on club sites I've only ever encountered 2 "dog" problems. I don't personally blame the dogs, I blame the owners. First one was at least 18 years ago. We were carers for my Dementia afflicted Father-in-Law and had a 3 night respite so headed to Wirral CP. All we wanted was peace and quiet. Didn't venture far and tried to sleep mid afternoon when everyone was out. Barking dog left in an awning all afternoon as owners went out. Warden informed, we moved pitch and owner asked to leave site. Second one during COVID relaxation at Yellowcraig. Just 1 H/S pitch left so we had it and put up an awning. Next door returned with 7 yapping dogs. We had learnt to just go with the flow as it was COVID.

    But you see just 2 incidents from over 1,000 nights on club sites really shows to me at least that's it's not a big problem. Anyway the OP isn't even quoting his/her own experience just going off reviews of a potential stay.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 15,472
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    I can't really think of any major problems in all my years of using club sites, and certainly not to do with dogs barking. Also these very few reviews are a bit like complaining about human guests.

    Yes review noise from the cattle grid, airplane noise, local road noise, the whatever it is next door…these will be there but dogs and campers won't and will change on a frequent basis. Unless for some unfathomable reason a particular site attracts barking dogs with their owners. Loud neighbours I can understand as some sites attracts differing campers, but barking dogs with their owners all congregating on one site?

  • Dipper
    Dipper Club Member Posts: 9
    First Comment

    In the 35 years of being a member we have not encountered any problems with dogs / owners until 2020 when Covid changed the world and now we have encountered a dog pandemic !

    The responsible dog owners spend time training their dogs and understand the site rules, but unfortunately we are now in a different era where this is not the case generally with every thing, people just do want they want and have no respect for others.

    We all enjoy what we do, which is why we are still doing it, but if we don’t stand up for what we know is right, life will change for everyone.

  • clarinetman
    clarinetman Club Member Posts: 289
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    To want to chop up a site into child free, dog free, pensioner free and child welcome areas, dog welcome areas and pensioners only areas is as daft as my reply perhaps another club or commercial sites is your best option hope you are never next to me at 4 am and a pigeon lands on our caravan roof. Good luck with your agenda

  • joanie
    joanie Club Member Posts: 156
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    is the OP writing this with their tongue in cheek, so to speak. 😋

    If dogs are really an annoyance to them, there are other sites that don't allow dogs. As someone else has said ,in all our years of caravanning, we have only come across a couple of barking dogs, oh and that woman with the little dog who she would allow come onto our pitch and that set our dogs off, I did tell her to keep her dog away, sort of.

    I don't know if other's have noticed that since covid people are not so friendly, they still say good morning etc. but not much else, whereas before we woud have conversations with them. One time we said that we were staying on site for the afternoon so this woman asked us to keep an eye on her dog, which we did, while they went out for a few hours. Back then you could have a word with folk that annoyed you without anycome back.

  • tanis8472
    tanis8472 Forum Participant Posts: 2 Participant
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    Likely my dog would kill it. He's a rescue with no history but very reactive to other creatures. I'm not happy about it but that's what he is.