Travelling with a dog in the Raahe region

Dog friendly accommodations

The Trade House of Lang has specifically reserved a pet friendly room, with comfy bed ready for the furry fellow. Pets are also welcome in the guesthouse of Katariinan Kamari. The Wanhakulma Guesthouse has also taken travelers with pets into account and they have reserved some nice one-person and two-person rooms for just such visitors. A large yard area provides further guarantees of a comfortable time spent together. Dogs are also more than welcome to Hotel Raahen Hovi – and there just might be a surprise waiting for the furry ones when they arrive.

Restaurants and points of interest

Customers with a bit more fur on them are welcome to the yard area of Trade House of Lang. Refreshing water is also available for thirsty pets if needed.

Our four legged friends are warmly welcomed to the Packhouse Museum and Crown Granary Museum. 

If the energy starts to wane from traveling, the owner can take a refreshing nap at Tirsanurkka while the furry companion can enjoy some quality time on the lap.

Shopping and pets

Number one souvenir for a dog owner of their visit is, without a doubt, a Raahe-dog. These “ship dogs” made out of porcelain are modeled after Staffordshire hounds brought over from England by sailors. They are made exclusively by Taitopaja workshop in Raahe. You can pay a visit to the workshop during business hours or shop online. You can find your Raahe-dog also from the shops of Trade House of Lang or Packhouse Museum. 

To the dog park 

If your best friend has extra energy, it's a good idea to let them burn it off at a dog park. You can find dog parks at the following addresses:

Hakotaurintie, 92100 Raahe
Verstastie, 86400 Vihanti
Häröntie, 92400 Siikajoki

The parks have separate areas for large and small dogs with entrance lobbies, lighting, benches, and a trash bin.

Please also remember the dog park rules:

• Always keep the gates closed
• Do not leave your dog unattended in the enclosure
• Keep the park clean and pick up after your dog
• The dog owner is responsible for their dog and its behavior
• Make sure your dog gets along with other dogs
• Do not bring aggressive, sick, or female dogs in heat to the park
• Ensure your dog’s vaccinations and parasite treatments are up to date
• Respect other park users in a friendly and fair spirit

Dog swimming spots

Near the center of Raahe, dogs have their own sandy beach at Pirttiniemi 20.

In Siikajoki, at Varessäikkä, the beach on the Oulu side is a designated swimming spot for dogs (Varessäikäntie 162, Siikajoki).

Dog friends can also enjoy a swim in Ruukki at the Hietamaa dog swimming area, located behind the Hietamaa swimming pit (Hietamaantie, Ruukki, Siikajoki).

Hiking with Dogs

Dogs are welcome on the hiking trails in the Raahen region. Dogs should be kept on a leash. In Raahe, the Hummastinvaara trails offer various lengths of jogging paths, and there are shorter scenic routes near the shores. 

During winter, specific skiing times for dogs are allocated in the Raahen ski lodge terrain. In winters with good ice conditions, you can walk, ski, or use a kick sled to reach the islands across the ice.

When Veterinary Care is Needed

Centralized veterinary appointment booking for Raahe, Siikajoki, and Pyhäjoki is available on weekdays from 8:00 to 9:00 AM. For appointments and urgent cases, call +358 8 241 430. The clinic in Raahe is located at Merikatu 18.

The Siikajoki clinic can be reached at +358 44 439 4756. The Siikajoki clinic is located at Kauppatie 3.

There is also a private veterinary clinic, Triovet, in Pattijoki at Puistotie 2.

And the Tale of Ship Dogs...

Raahe was Finland's largest sailing ship city in the 1860s, and a significant portion of the men in Raahe were seafarers sailing the world's oceans. Pretty porcelain dogs were crafted in Staffordshire, England, drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) favorite dog breed, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Staffordshire dogs accompanied sailors as souvenirs on their journeys around the world. In Raahe, sailors' wives took a liking to these dogs and placed them in windows, creating a unique signaling system: the dogs' positions communicated to the village whether the head of the household was home or had once again taken a job aboard a ship. When the dogs gazed out of the window, it meant the master was away; when he returned from the high seas, the dogs were turned to face inside the house.

The original Staffordshire dogs brought by the sailors are part of the artifacts on which Raahen Museum was founded in 1862. District physician C.R. Ehrström, who worked in Raahe during the 1850s-70s, was deeply concerned about the fate of the items brought by sailors from around the world when the sailors' time had passed. This concern gave rise to Finland's oldest local museum, Raahen Museum. The museum's collections, at Pakkahuoneen Museum and in the shipowner's interior museum, Soveliuksen talo, showcase five original Staffordshire dogs. Still today people in Raahe honor their maritime history by adorning their homes with these ship dogs. Raahe dogs have also found homes worldwide as souvenirs and gifts.

Sources of the story: Raahen Taitopaja and Raahe Tourism Guides.