10 reasons the cottage is even better with a dog

When you want to get away and unwind, you might not be keen to invite a bunch of friends to the cottage. The added pressure of entertaining and trying to keep everyone happy can make you wish you simply stayed in the city. Head to the cottage alone and the solitude can turn lonely real quick. Dogs are quiet, low-maintenance company that give you someone to talk to when you're alone for long stretches of time, but don’t expect much more than a simple bowl of food and a nap on the dock.

In our fast-paced world, the cottage is one of the few places we unplug and slow down. But when you're used to always being "on," slowing down isn't always easy and some of us will simply find other ways to be productive. If you need to learn how to waste a day away, just take a cue from your dog, who's probably content to spend hours searching for minnows along the shoreline.

Okay, so not all dogs can eat what we do — and there are some items they should strictly avoid — but you don’t have to worry about scraping the ends of burger buns, that half a hot dog, or the single egg into the garbage when your beloved mutt is around. And having leftovers in the fridge is a lot less appealing at the cottage, when you have to pack up at the end of the weekend to go home. Most dogs will help you take care of that.

Feeling anxious about the grass, pine needles and puddles of water covering the floor after coming in from a hike or swim? A dog won’t help clean the mess, in fact they’ll likely make things worse and, depending on the breed, add a bunch of hair to the mix. But when you’re used to dealing with a dog’s mess, you learn to let go of that bit of hair collecting in the corner, and that’s exactly the attitude you should have at the cottage.

Although we're constantly told to be more present, we're all guilty of thinking too much, which causes us to move through the world without noticing what's going on around us. A dog is always present and always curious, which means they won't miss the butterfly that landed on the wildflower along the shoreline or the squirrel that just scurried up the tree — and neither will you.

There's no question that the memories you make with your kids at the cottage — teaching them to swim, search for wildlife, and make a fire — are ones you'll never forgot, and never want to. But no matter how special those moments are, there's nothing wrong with wanting a little time to yourself here and there, and having the kids play fetch with the dog or even take it for a hike around the lake is the perfect way to do that.

Dogs make perfect hiking companions, and if you have a high-energy pup you'll be much more likely to explore the trails surrounding the cottage. Sure, the views from the dock are stunning, but if you never leave your chair, you may never discover that perfect lookout rock or picnic spot.

It can be tough to text and repeatedly throw a ball into the lake or across the yard — and that’s a good thing. Setting down your phone isn't easy, but once you do, you’ll really start to see what the fun is all about.

Not all cottages are created equal, and if yours isn’t equipped with a central heating system, it can get pretty chilly at night in those early spring or late fall evenings. A dog is just another source of body heat to keep you warm — and a soft and cuddly one at that!

If you’re a dog owner, or even simply a dog lover, we probably don’t need to tell you that having your dog around can boost your overall well being, but there are multiple studies to prove it. One study, in fact, showed that when people took care of dogs for just three months, they had significant drops in blood pressure and reactivity to stress, which is exactly what we’re all after when we head to the cottage.