Our previous dog, Gypsy, was a very nervous collie - to the point where, if she heard any kind of bang when we were out, she would just freeze and refuse to walk... and she would refuse to walk down that road/in those woods/in that park, for weeks after. My dog before that, Elsa, was just as scared, but more likely to bolt.
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Bonfire "week" (it seems to last forever, doesn't it?) was a miserable, miserable time for both them and us. We were so so lucky that Rosie was never bothered and that Roxy hasn't seemed too upset by the ones we've heard so far. The height of the season will be the real test though as our area is awful for them - not just families enjoying them responsibly in their gardens either!
Having had first-hand experience, we're hesitant to respond to requests for owners wanting to escape fireworks. We know there are better options out there than us - let's be honest, the ideal would be a small private island! We also know that those private islands are the first to be booked, and probably beyond most people's budget!
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So, is Rehoboth Terrace a good place for your particular dogs during firework season? We'll try to describe what it's like so you can make an informed decision. What we do know is that Gyps lived for 2 years after we bought the house and we used to come for both Bonfire Week and New Year's Eve - it was a far happier place for her to be, and now that we rent out that week, we've had a lot of positive feedback and repeat bookings.
In a nutshell, we can offer:
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Fantastic beaches to wear your dogs out during the day - minimal chance of daytime fireworks.
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A sparsely populated area.
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An end terrace with thick stone walls and few neighbouring properties.
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Relaxed doggie rules - no problem if your dogs need to be on the sofa with you, or upstairs in the bedroom. Just bring your own throws/bedding.
Daytime Bangs
The easiest one! We found this the single most distressing thing to deal with, living in a built-up area of Sheffield. You take your dog out early, in the hopes they will be tired when it all starts. It's midday, the sun is shining, your dog is happy, you're starting to relax... Some idiot lets off a firework!
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Anglesey is sparsely populated. Go down to the beach, and even if someone did let one off, you probably wouldn't hear it over the sound of the waves. There are fantastic walks to do during the day that mean come nightfall, your dogs are going to be tired. Tired dogs are a bit less worried about what might be going on outside. Even if they're still worried - at least they had a fab day!
Our Area
Our house is on the edge of the villages of Llanfaelog and Rhosneigr - so we're not in the middle of nowhere. We're a terrace, so we do have neighbours. As you can see from the photo, we don't have that many houses round us, however.
We can't guarantee that none of our nearest neighbours will have a bonfire party, but if you live in a city, it's not likely there will be as many happening as there will be at home. Anglesey also has a few organised displays - smart people will save their money and go to those!
We are close to RAF Valley, however, which could be an issue if you have noise sensitive dogs - further info on that linked from our homepage. Planes don't fly at weekends.
Our House
We're an end terrace with fields behind us and only direct neighbours on one side. Our house has been extended sideways, which means that our lounge is attached to our neighbours, but our sitting/dining room isn't. You can shut the door and play music in there as loud as you like to drown out noise and not worry about disturbing anyone.
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The lounge is part of the original house, so has thick stone walls which help insulate from noise outside - but please don't have really loud music if next door is occupied!
Our Doggie Rules
We have relaxed doggie rules. As long as you bring throws for our sofas, we have no problem with your dogs getting up and having a snuggle.
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Likewise, if your dogs need the reassurance of sleeping in the bedroom with you - we allow that too. Just bring your own sheets and duvet cover for the bed.
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This photo isn't really firework-related. It was summer, Rosie wasn't scared - just exhausted from crazy beach antics!
We hope this is what your dogs will be doing come nightfall!
In Conclusion
We hope we've given you enough information here. We're always happy to answer questions. Our feeling is that if you live in a built-up area of a city, you will have a happier time on Anglesey; if you are lucky enough to live on a quiet country lane, maybe not... although we do still have those fantastic beaches!
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If you landed directly onto this page and haven't seen the rest of our site, do visit our home page. We have loads of info about the house, area, RAF Valley, dogs, Ts&Cs etc. Plus current prices and availability, enquiry form and online booking form.