My jack russell, Jake T Dogg, is a terrier of simple tastes. He likes running around on empty beaches like a demented dervish, rolling in muck and jumping into rivers to fetch sticks.

But his right to roam is under attack. He’s banned from most beaches, threatened with death if he so much as glances at a sheep, and when it comes to a bed for the night, he’s often been reduced to a blanket on the back seat of the car.

Perhaps not for much longer, though. Hoteliers are beginning to realise that Britain’s 5m dog owners are a market force equivalent to the pink pound - the pooch pound, if you like. In fact, 2008 could prove to be the year of the dog, with establishments queuing up to prove their canine credentials. Here are six of the best.

Bovey Castle, Devon

Basket: take a slice of Jeeves and Wooster, a pinch of Colonel Mustard and a hint of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and you’ve got the recipe for this rather grand country-house hotel. With 400 acres of grounds, recklessly nonchalant rabbits and views of Dartmoor, Bovey Castle is a dog’s delight. Accommodation is outside in kennels or in dog beds in your room, and the hotel provides toys, bowls, towels and à la carte food on request for Fido. The cost for dogs is £15 a night and a double room starts at £225. Book on 01647 445016, www.boveycastle.com.

Walkies: head for the summit of Easdon Tor for panoramic views over Dartmoor. From there it’s all downhill to lunch at the Ring of Bells Inn.

Flodigarry, Isle of Skye

Basket: situated in an awesome spot between the sheer cliffs of Quiraing hill and the deep water of the Sound of Raasay – and its owners are aghast at the thought of leaving the dog at home. “There are so many lovely yomps around the place,” they say, “it would be criminal to banish the wee doggie.” People pay from £70, Rover stays for free – but you’ll need to bring his basket. Dogs’ dinners are available on request. Book on 01470 552203, www.flodigarry.co.uk.

Walkies: you’re spoilt for choice, but a hike to Fingal’s Tomb is guaranteed to put Rover through his paces. Ask the hotel for a packed lunch.

Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere

Basket: Jake T Dogg’s favourite Beatrix Potter tale is Peter Rabbit, although he sees it more as a menu suggestion than a bedtime story. Great news, then, that he’s welcome at the hotel that hosted Renée Zellweger during the filming of the author’s biopic – and even better news that it’s on a hillside overlooking Lake Windermere, and has an E’spa spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant. Bring his basket and the mutt sleeps in your room for £10 a night; you pay £110. Book on 01539 432375, www.holbeckghyll.com.

Walkies: cross the fields behind the hotel and head for the summit of Wansfell Pike, with its wonderful views of Windermere. Then race the dog to the Queen’s Head in Troutbeck.

The Wensleydale Heifer, North Yorkshire

Basket: the nine rooms at the Dales’ first boutique hotel are themed – ladies might like Chocolate, which comes with unlimited supplies of the stuff, while gentlemen may prefer Shooters, with its complimentary malt whisky and vintage firearms. The dog is probably on the wife’s side. He pays £10 a night to sleep in his own basket in your room: from £110 for two. Book on 01969 622322, www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk.

Walkies: by way of Grassgill Lane, Penhill farm and Robin Hood’s Well, with a Dalesman’s lunch at the Fox and Hounds in West Burton.

Malmaison, Edinburgh

Basket: all Malmaisons welcome dogs. And they give them presents: at Edinburgh, it’s a basket, water and food bowls, a box of Scooby snacks and a rubber bone. The poo bags are for you. The hotel is on Leith’s revamped waterfront, overlooking the Firth of Forth, so perfect for hanging out with old sea dogs. The pooch pays £10 a night to sleep in his new basket in your room: from £140 per double. Book on 0131 468 5000, www.malmaison-edinburgh.com.

Walkies: to the summit of Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano rising from Edinburgh’s urban heart.

The White Horse, Brancaster, Norfolk

Basket: there are jaw-dropping views across the wetlands at sunset and great dining, but the best thing here is the early morning, when the mist lies neck-high across the salt marsh. Ground-floor rooms lead straight onto the Norfolk Coastal Path, allowing you to slip out at sunrise as lesser men and dogs lie abed. Rover’s rate is £5 a night (he sleeps at the foot of your bed, so bring his basket) and you pay from £50. Book on 01485 210262, www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk.

Walkies: follow the coast path east across Deepdale and Norton marshes, then the River Burn into Burnham Market for a slap-up feed at the celebrated Hoste Arms. You’ll probably want to get a taxi back.

Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person per night, including breakfast

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