Dog Lodging Policy

We welcome ALL well-behaved and friendly dogs that choose to vacation in Door County!

(Scroll to the bottom to see photos of dogs that vacationed at Ephraim Village Cottages.)

We’ve welcomed dogs for over a decade (since 2006), and we do our very best to ensure that our property is people friendly first.  Not everyone loves dogs as much as you do. We must do our best to keep harmony among man and man’s best friend.  There are twelve total cottages on our 3-acres and the potential for 60 people when we have a full house. Guest safety is our top priority at all times.

The following policy is the result of what we have learned since buying this property in 2020 and operating it for six seasons.  We realize that the following may be too strict for your liking and that is okay.  There are other lodging options that are less restrictive.  Our focus is the comfort of our human guests first and this policy puts people first.

By making a reservation at Ephraim Village Cottages, you agree to the following Dog Lodging Policy. 

*Limit 1 Dog in the following cottages:  Cozy Brook North, Cozy Brook South, Fireside North, Fireside South.

1. The dog(s) you register in your cottage are the only dogs allowed in your cottage. Dogs are not allowed to go into cottages that do not have a registered dog(s). If you allow your dog into a cottage that does not have a registered dog staying in it, that cottage will incur a penalty $100 cleaning fee per week.
2. Dogs are not allowed to stay alone in the cottage. If left alone the dog(s) must be in a crate. There are no exceptions to this. Uncrated dogs sit on furniture that isn’t covered which affects the next guests’ stay.  Uncrated dogs get anxious when they hear the walking and talking of strangers outside the cottage.  Anxiety results in excessive barking, chewing of door frames and wooden furniture legs, as well as clawed carpets and rugs. If your dog(s) cannot tolerate a crate, please find boarding for your dog outside of our cottage property. The other choice is to take the dog with you on your Door County adventures.
3. No dogs on the beds. No exceptions. Beds are for our human guests. There are guests that do not have dogs and do not want to sleep on beds that have had dogs sleep on them. In addition, dogs cause a significant amount of damage to our linens, comforters, mattress pads and pillows.  The fee for violating this rule is an added $100, charged to the credit card on file or invoiced to guests who pay with cash/check, for every bed a dog slept in/on. This fee covers the removal and professional laundering of comforter, blanket, sheets, mattress pad, pillow protectors. We will refuse future stays to dogs that sleep on our beds.  
4. Dogs are permitted to sit on the furniture we’ve covered and no other furniture.  Our leather couches are off limits to dogs if we didn’t cover the leather.  Do not use your own cover.  A guests’ cover usually includes dog hair transfers to our furniture and weaves itself into fibers.  This is troublesome to get out, takes entirely too long to clean, and affects the comfort and stay of the next guest.
5. Dogs must be leashed on property at all times. We will call you out on this. Please do not put our other guests in harm’s way or scare other guests that may be afraid of dogs that run loose.
6. All dogs must have an up-to-date rabies vaccine and have documentation to prove it if asked.
7. Pick up all dog poop piles at once. Do not leave poop bags in kitchen trash cans, on the deck or in the lawn.  Take them to the dumpster.
8. We will contact you if you leave your dog unattended and the dog’s barking disturbing other guests. That phone call will require you to return to the cottage to take care of the dog(s) at once.
9. If there is damage(s) caused by a vacationing dog in the cottage after guest leaves, those damages are assessed by Ruann and housekeeping during the cleaning process.  We at once notify the guest if damage is found.  For damages we contact a repair company to make immediate repair, if possible, and then invoice the guest for damages. If there is a delay in repair/replacement, we charge for damages as soon as work is completed.

To date we have had success with this dog lodging policy.  Success for us is ZERO accidents involving humans and dogs on our property.  This does not include pet damages from guests who choose not to adhere to the above dog lodging policy.

When you choose to stay with us, you are staying at a property where you, your family and children are safe, your dog is welcome, and everyone is respected. We are glad you’ve read through all of this and still decided to stay. We have an entire pack of dogs that make Ephraim Village Cottages their vacation destination every year. We hope your dog will also love it here.