Maple Leaf Cottage

Maple Leaf Cottage is a self-contained guesthouse at 52L Old Dubbo Road, in a quieter pocket of Dubbo, and it is one of the few cottage stays in town set up properly for dogs: the hosts supply pet baskets and bowls, there is a garden to use, and dogs are allowed inside the house rather than shut out on a veranda.

Dogs at the cottage

Pets are accepted by prior arrangement, so flag the dog when you book rather than turning up with one. The listings ask that dogs stay off the furniture and that you clean up after them, and a pet fee may apply, with the amount confirmed by the host at booking. The supplied baskets and bowls save a chunk of the packing. One thing to check before you commit: ask the host directly whether the garden is fully enclosed for your dog, because the listings do not guarantee it.

The place itself

It is an air-conditioned cottage with a private patio, a garden and a fully equipped kitchen, plus dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and free Wi-Fi. That combination works for a night or a fortnight, and the extra space of a whole cottage makes travelling with a dog far simpler than a motel room where everything happens three metres from the bed. Free private parking is on site, so the car and the dog crate stay within sight of the door.

The location is about a fifteen-minute drive from Taronga Western Plains Zoo and the city centre, so plan on driving for everything. For exercise, the Tracker Riley Cycleway is the scenic on-lead riverside walk, and the South Dubbo Park fenced dog park covers off-lead time.

Worth knowing

If Maple Leaf is full, other Dubbo options carry dogs too: the NRMA Dubbo Holiday Park has pet-friendly sites and select cabins, and Outback Cellar and Country Cottage is a rural stay on the town's edge. For breakfast, You Cafe is one of the central stops. More detail is on the Dubbo destination page and in the NSW stays index.