Canberra Retreat Bed and Breakfast

Canberra Retreat Bed and Breakfast is a private, self-contained B&B at 7 Barada Crescent in Aranda, a leafy suburb about ten minutes from Canberra's centre. It is one of the few stays around Belconnen that takes dogs inside rather than yard-only, and it backs straight onto bush walking trails, which makes it a genuinely practical base for a dog trip to the capital.

Dogs at the Canberra Retreat

Well-behaved dogs are welcome inside, with the indoor area limited to the lounge room floor and foyer, furniture off limits. The fully enclosed backyard gives sun and shade and is secure enough to leave a dog in for short stretches if you duck out for dinner. A one-off $50 pet fee covers the whole stay, not per night. There is no published size limit, so confirm your dog, the fee and the yard fencing when you book, especially if you have a keen jumper.

The place

The B&B is set in a quiet residential garden with a north-facing deck, leadlight windows and a kitchenette, sleeping up to five guests with private access. Because it is self-contained, you are not negotiating shared hallways with other people's pets. Secure under-cover parking is on site. It suits one or two calm dogs that settle indoors; a dog that needs to sprint the moment it wakes will find the lounge-and-foyer arrangement tight until you get outside.

Getting there and out the back door

Aranda sits at the base of the Brindabella-facing hills in Belconnen, reached off Caswell Drive from the city. A path beside the house leads directly onto bush walking trails, so morning walks start without a car trip. For an off-leash run, Lake Ginninderra Dog Park is a short drive away, and the Mount Painter Nature Reserve tracks at nearby Cook add a hillier option. For coffee, Divine Cafe and Bar at Macquarie is close by. If the B&B is booked out, Abode Belconnen is the pet-friendly apartment fallback.

Pepsi: allowed on the lounge room floor, which I interpret generously.

Book ahead, flag the dog, and take the trail from the back gate for your first walk. More bases are in other pet friendly stays in ACT and the Aranda guide.