Lead rules decide what your days actually look like
'Dogs welcome' hides a wide range of regimes, and the lead rules are where they show. Ask whether dogs must be on a lead at all times everywhere on site, because that single policy shapes everything from morning coffee outside the tent to whether your dog can ever stretch his legs properly without a drive. Ask how long a tether or line you may use at your own pitch, since many sites allow a long line staked at the pitch even when leads are mandatory elsewhere, and that difference is the difference between a dog who lounges with you and one who paces at three metres all week. Ask about exceptions: an enclosed dog field, an exercise area, early-morning off-lead times on a site meadow. A reactive or elderly dog may be better served by strict rules that keep loose dogs away, while a young, energetic dog needs at least one legal place to run.
Dog showers and the mud question
Ask plainly what exists for washing a dog, because after the second rainy walk this becomes the campsite question that matters most. Some sites have a proper dog shower with warm water near the facilities block; others offer a cold outdoor tap and a drain; many offer nothing, which means you are rinsing a muddy spaniel in a washing-up bowl outside your tent in the dark. Ask where dogs may be rinsed, whether the shower is coin or token operated, and whether towels and wet dogs are welcome in the laundry or drying room. While you are at it, ask where the dog waste bins are — a site that has thought about bins along walking routes has usually thought about dogs generally, and one that has not will have opinions about waste but no infrastructure for it.
Walking straight from the pitch
The joy of camping with a dog is the walk that starts at your door, so verify it exists. Ask whether footpaths leave the site directly or whether the first stretch is along a road, and whether that road has a pavement or verge. Ask about livestock: fields around rural sites often hold sheep or cattle, which changes whether a dog can be off lead, on a long line, or must be walked elsewhere entirely at lambing time or when cows have calves. Ask where the last-thing-at-night toilet walk happens — a lit path, a designated dog area near the pitches — because fumbling across a dark field at midnight is nobody's holiday. Finally, ask about the nearest alternative: a beach, forest or common within a short drive for the days when the site walks have been exhausted.
The smaller rules that catch people out
Round off with the restrictions that generate campsite friction. Ask how many dogs are allowed per pitch and whether any breeds or sizes are excluded. Ask whether dogs may be left unattended in a tent, awning or van — most sites say no, and a dog barking in an empty awning while you shower is the classic complaint — and what the quiet hours mean in practice for a dog who reacts to neighbouring pitches arriving late. Ask about dog charges per night, so the budget holds no surprises, and about the nearest vet, which a dog-friendly site will answer without blinking. Arrive with your dog's collar details current for the trip. KinsLe Verified QR ID Pet Profiles put a unique QR on that collar linked to his profile, so if he slips his tether chasing a campsite rabbit, the finder scans the code and reaches you directly instead of relying on a tag read at arm's length.