The Ruff Guide

One of the first times we really went away with Kobe (outside of a quick one-night stay during my sister’s lockdown wedding!) was a trip to Filey in October. Back when my sister got married, I was absolutely stressed about leaving Kobe alone in a strange place. I’d never crate trained him, he was still young, and I just didn’t know how he’d react. I remember doing everything I possibly could to prevent any chaos, like I took him for a long walk before leaving, made sure he had belly full of food, scatter of toys and chews… and I’d already made peace with the fact that if he chewed a chair leg or the sofa, I’d just have to pay for it. 😅

Thankfully, he surprised me. No damage. No fuss. That tiny success was the confidence boost I needed to think, yes… we can do this.

So, I wanted somewhere quiet, dog-friendly, and relaxed for our first proper trip. I ended up finding a lovely apartment at The Bay Filey Holiday Village. They have loads of options — little houses, apartments, lodges — and there’s a pub and a pool on-site. The pub was dog-friendly (win!) but honestly the biggest selling point was how close it is to the huge, gorgeous Filey beach. You just wander down and suddenly it’s sea, sky, and miles of sand. Perfect.

Kobe absolutely loved it. We spent our mornings walking along the beach, where Kobe could chase his ball and sniffing absolutely everything. We wandered up to the Beach Cafe and shared a sausage sandwich (he was thrilled with this new tradition, obviously). We also did a little drive to Scarborough’s South Beach, and visited Filey Bird Garden & Animal Park, where Kobe was convinced the goats were his potential new best friends.

It all just felt easy. He settled, he had fun, and I realised how much joy there is in taking him somewhere new — as long as he gets a few sausages along the way. 🥰

It was our first real weekend away together… and it was such a success. Filey will always feel special for that reason. If you’re looking for somewhere chilled, dog-friendly, and perfect for beach dogs? Filey is such a lovely pick.

Kobe-approved ✅
Sausage-stop-friendly ✅
Beach for days ✅