You’re probably a bit busy, so we’ll cut to the chase…

OK, the bottom line is there’s ‘dog friendly’ and there’s ‘dog friendly’.

You can search for hours online and you’ll find loads that do the first kind: one small, well-behaved dog, perhaps, with a few rules about where it can go and what it can do.

Come on, get real.

We’re dog owners. We like stupid, big, bouncy dogs who love life. We like watching them run off down a track, disappear into the woods, jump in a river and come back looking extremely pleased with themselves.

That’s the fun of it, isn’t it?

At Helsbury, your dogs aren’t an inconvenience that we’ve agreed to tolerate. They’re part of the holiday. All of them.

We don’t put a limit on how many dogs you can bring. There are miles of walks around the estate, woodland, fields, a river, places to explore and space to simply let them be dogs. And yes, we provide the bowls, treats, poo bags, blankets, crates and all the other things that make life with dogs a little easier.

But here’s the thing.

It’s not really just about the dogs.

Helsbury is somewhere the whole family can simply enjoy being on holiday together.

Grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, friends – and all the dogs. Everyone can do their own thing, or do absolutely nothing, without somebody having to organise the next activity, find somewhere to park and load everyone into the car.

You’ve got almost 100 acres on the doorstep.

Tranquil woods. Meadows. A pond. A river. Wildlife. Walks that start from your front door. Plenty of space to disappear for a while.

And if you fancy doing something else, there’s Cornwall out there too: beaches, restaurants, gardens, cycling, moorland, villages and all the other good stuff.

But you don’t have to go anywhere.

That’s one of the things people discover when they stay here.

A walk with the dogs can turn into an afternoon exploring the grounds. The children can go swimming. Someone can disappear off for a bit of peace and quiet. Someone else can make a cup of tea and put their feet up. You can come back to the cottage, light the fire, cook something good and realise you’ve had a brilliant day without actually going anywhere.

And, yes, people are allowed too.

We’ve got beautiful interiors, spacious living areas, slate floors that clean up pretty well, wood fires, comfy beds, ensuite bathrooms and all the things you might reasonably expect from a holiday that you’re paying a bit more for.

Oh, and there’s this swimming pool thing.

Indoor. Heated. Sauna. Gym.

We don’t like to make too much of it.

Well, actually, we do.

Because being properly dog friendly shouldn’t mean that the humans have to compromise.

The dogs get their holiday. You get yours. And, rather usefully, you can all have them in the same place.

So yes, you might look at our prices and suck your teeth. There are cheaper places. There are more expensive places.

What we’re trying to do is make Helsbury the sort of place where, once you’ve arrived, you can stop organising and start enjoying yourselves.

The dogs can run.

The kids can explore.

The grandparents can relax.

You can go to the beach if you want to.

Or you can stay here.

These are the good days.