Every year around the world, International Dog Day is celebrated on the 26th of August. This year, in celebration, Brits far and wide are being encouraged to treat their dogs to a pawsitively pawesome holiday – one selected by none other than man’s best friend themself.
To help them pick where they want to go, pet behaviourist, Peter Neville and award-winning home swapping platform, Love Home Swap have teamed up to create the world’s first travel guide curated specifically for dogs.
The guide, which takes the form of a five-minute-long film, accounts for the unique way dogs experience the world, including the colours they can and can’t see, and the sounds which are most appealing to them. With the overall aim of helping pet-owners understand whether their dog fancies a coastal, countryside or city break, viewers are taken on a sweeping tour of potential activities and locations, with perfectly calibrated colours and sound to enhance pooches’ viewing pleasure!
The travel guide may be unconventional, but it’s a clever way of getting a better insight into what makes a dog happy! As well as footage involving some favourite doggie things such as balls, trees and lamp posts, the film also gets down to doggy height as it follows other pups trotting through forests and splashing in the sea. Enhanced yellows and blues (dogs’ colour perception is best on this spectrum) and heightened contrasts throughout ensure dogs get the most out of this unique viewing experience. Overlaying the video is a mix of dog-friendly ambient sounds and voiceover, creating an auditory experience that will delight intrepid pups.
The resulting film offers viewers the exciting prospect of getting the family pet involved in deciding what type of home swap holiday they go on. The only big question is this: will the coast, countryside or city prove to be the most popular?!
Speaking about the travel guide, Célia Pronto, Managing Director at Love Home Swap says:
“With pet ownership at an all-time high – the latest figures show 17 million households have a domestic pet1, and 33% of UK homes have a pet dog2 – there’s never been a more fitting time to look into a holiday home swap with fellow dog-lovers. Since 2019, we’ve witnessed a 40% improvement in the percentage of our members who are happy to welcome a dog into their home, which is fantastic news for anyone who wants to enjoy a great-value holiday with their family pet. With so many people having got a pet during the pandemic, we think it’s entirely feasible that this number will continue to rise. Home swapping is simply a really exciting way for your whole household – four-legged friends included – to enjoy a break together.”
Professor Peter Neville, animal behaviourist, who compiled the report and advised on the production of the film, adds:
“Any dog owner will tell you that their pet can understand so much more than others realise – and as part of the family, they feed off the energy in any household. That goes for how we behave and feel when we are on holiday too, whether it’s a lazy and relaxed long weekend or an epic active adventure. It’s a perfect time to strengthen the pet-owner bond and make special memories together while giving your dog the chance to experience new things, whilst feeling safe and secure with you.”
