🐾 Veterinary Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. All medical content is reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mitchell, BVSc MRCVS. Always consult your registered veterinary surgeon if your pet shows signs of illness.
🔄Last Updated: 12 March 2026•Originally published: 30 October 2020
Do you fancy a completely FREE staycation this year in a luxurious holiday home, with your trusted mutt right by your side?
Better yet… would you fancy getting paid for it?
Yes, you heard us right… paid to go on holiday with your dog.
And we’re not just playing a merry old game of ‘imagine that’ either… as this could actually happen to you, this year… should you and your pup fit the bill.
That’s because Lakeview Manor, a seriously stunning private estate in Devon, is now offering dog owners the chance to test out it’s newly furnished lodge, situated on the shores of the Manor’s idyllic lake setting.
The plan is to build 18 more holiday homes just like it across the site, but first, they need to be certain that their current pet-friendly model will be a hit with owners and pup’s alike, meaning a vacancy has opened up for an enthusiastic candidate and their canine to be a live-in lodge tester!
I mean… is there a dreamier job out there than a holiday tester? (No, of course there isn’t, that was a rhetorical question.)
Just saying it sounds ridiculous, but believe it or not, Lakeview Manor is genuinely offering to pay you handsomely for cuddling up with your pooch, going on walks and assessing the pet-friendly facilities of the new lodge.
But hey… what’s the catch right? There’s always a catch.
But as far as we can see, the only catches here are the one’s your pup could be potentially making in a lengthy fetch session down Devon’s heavenly coastline!
The only real snag? There’s only one spot available, and so you’re going to have to prove that you and your prized pooch are up to the ultimutt job to bag the CV spot of a lifetime!
Lakeview Manor’s Dog-Friendly Home Tester: The Details
In a nutshell, Lakeview is looking for a mature and hard-working pup to experience their luxury lodge in a free two-week stay, for the respectable fee of £300! And of course, the lucky pooch will need an even luckier owner alongside them to chaperone their visit, and hey, without you there, the lodge’s top of the range hot tub is just going to waste isn’t it?
There are tasks yourself and your pup are required to fulfil while enjoying your remote break, but thankfully, none of them are too strenuous.
They include:
- Find the best spot in the lodge for a pet and belly scratch
- Complete one walk using the dog-friendly trails in Lakeview Manor’s grounds
- Find the best place for fetching sticks at Lakeview Manor
- Complete one walk in the local area, choose from Lyme Regis, Blackdown Hills or another East Devon location of your choosing
- Visit a dog-friendly pub or restaurant nearby
Applying For The Role: Are You Pup To The Job?
Much like with any job interview, Lakeview Manor has listed their most important skills criteria to help canine candidates get a feel for what the role entails.
So if your pooch matches up with their key skills charter, you’ve got a superb chance of landing the gig of a lifetime.
Lakeview has stated they are after a diligent dog, that can offer these pawsome traits as part of their holiday home reviewing technique:
- Solid sniffing skills
- A genuine interest in long countryside walks
- Ability to wag their tail crazily at the mention of ‘walkies’
- Natural in front of the camera
- Determined to have the best time on holiday
- A consummate cuddler: Able to chill easily after a fun day outdoors
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