Madsen Retreat

Madsen Retreat is a pet-friendly guest house in Penguin on Tasmania's north west coast, and it publishes one of the clearer pet policies you will find in a guest house: dogs only, one per room, a flat $25 per stay, and a written list of conditions that tells you exactly what sort of dog fits before you arrive. Reviewers rate the rooms as comfortable, roomy and clean with friendly hosts and a good outlook, and it holds a 4.5 across its reviews.

Dogs at the Madsen Retreat

Only dogs are permitted, no other pets. The general rule is one dog per room, and sources vary between a preference for small-to-medium dogs and a small-dogs-only reading, so state your dog's size when you book and get it confirmed. The $25 charge is per stay, not per night. Dogs must be fully house-trained and socialised, which makes sense in a guest house with shared spaces, and they cannot be left unattended in the room.

The house rules

Dogs are not to be on the furniture unless the protective throws, provided on request, are used. If your dog is a committed couch occupant, ask for the throws when you book rather than on the day. Because it is a guest house rather than a self-contained cottage, the not-left-alone condition is the one to plan around: sort out what you will do with the dog when you eat out before you book, not on the day.

Max: the not-left-unattended rule is the one to plan around here. If you want dinners out without the dog, confirm arrangements before you book.

Getting there and out with the dog

Penguin sits on the Bass Highway between Ulverstone and Burnie, an easy base for the north west coast. The town's foreshore makes a pleasant on-lead walk past the big penguin statue, and Central Coast Council designates Watcombe Beach, east of Lions Park along the coastal pathway, as the year-round off-leash beach, with a community dog toy library at the entrance. The main beach from east of Johnsons Beach Road to Lions Park stays on lead, and signage around the dunes matters: little penguins and shorebirds nest along this coast.

Close by with the dogs

Penguin Dog Park is the fully fenced option with agility equipment when you want a secure run, High On Penguin and Penguin Beachfront Apartments are the alternative stays in town, and more options sit on the Tasmania stays page.

Good for owners of settled, house-trained dogs who are happy keeping them close in a tidy guest house a short walk from an off-leash beach.