We make a point of talking to dog owners at the enquiry stage, asking about their dog(s) and gauging their attitude. We set rules which owners expect - no dogs in bedrooms or on the furniture, under strict control in our own grounds, and not to be left on their own.
We decided not to make an additional charge for dogs, and state that "as dog owners ourselves, we believe that responsible owners will make extra effort etc etc". Although it always requires a bit more work checking for hairs, we do find most owners have gone the extra to clean up; they usually miss the hairs stuck to the back of the lounge curtains where the dog has stood looking out of the door! We also have the security bond in our back pocket just in case.
We also provide a few extras such as a bed - the semi-rigid sort they use in kennels - a bucket, sponge and a bottle of "Woof 'n Go", a water bowl by the outside tap and a Bonio or two as part of the welcome pack. Nothing that involves significant extra costs, but helps the owners to feel just that little bit more indebted and responsible.
I suspect that dog owners are the same as any other guests - most are great, some aren't. I also suspect that people treat hotels and self-catering rather differently, possibly in the belief that hotels have endless staff sitting around waiting to answer their every whim, because that's what they're paying for.
