Pawsitive Pet Care with Gwen

18/08/2024

Today endeth the last dog sit with Teddy and Wellington after around a pretty solid 6 1/2 weeks of dog, cat & kitten sitting.
Thanks to the following pups, cats, kittens & their pawrents for a far from dull few weeks:
Sassy Saffron Spaniel and Rosie Black Labrador
Willow and Oak the Chocolate Labradors
Brody the Whippet
Lenny the Retriever
Clifford the calico tabby kitty (such a sweetheart)
Elsa, Marmalade and her yet to be named kittens
Rowan the German Shepherd
Penny and Dolly Chow Chow
Teddy and Wellington Cockerpoos & their chicken sisters.

And a welcome to new pupster customers - the pack of 6 Shiba Inus

I can’t lie - I’m POOPED- but in a REALLY satisfying way.
Now for an actual WHOLE WEEK OFF before I’m back with Elsa, Marmalade & her kittens in the last week of school hols:

16/08/2024

So, it’s around a year ago I started properly setting myself up as a dog-walker and pet-sitter; practical dull stuff like insurance and so on.
A year later, I have a lovely, growing band of hooman and 4 pawed (2 clawed in 1 case) customers.
I’m hugely grateful to Averil, Sarah Elizabeth Carr, and Lisa Kelly who were my earliest customers. That show of faith you all had (and still have) in me helped build and grow my post-teaching broken and battered self.
Since then, I’ve not been short of pet related work, with pet sitting in particular growing and growing.
I’ve had a lovely time pet sitting some fabulous, funny, affectionate, clever, ball obsessed 😊, energetic, chilled, fluffy, cute, bonkers, and adorable: dogs, cats and chickens.
Thank you so much for trusting me to look after them.

16/08/2024

This morning is a first visit to a pack of 6 Shiba Inus- some of whom have won Best in Show at Crufts.
Met them prior to booking. They look like foxes, but behaviour reminds me of terriers.

15/08/2024

I have come to the conclusion that the inspiration for Paddington Bear’s Hard Stare was a Chow Chow. Miss Penny Chow Chow provides the (undisputable, frankly) evidence*:
*I was eating some toast

15/08/2024

4 days, 3 nights with mum and daughter Chow Chows - Penny and Dolly. I can’t say I’ve seen much of the breed trait of ‘aloofness’ with these two. They’ve been a super-chilled, fluffy and funny delight to look after:

13/08/2024

I met a new customer recently, who (sensibly) asked me which breads I’ve worked with. So here’s a list, kind of in order from the start of my pooch sitting journey:
Frug (Frenchie/Pug cross) - Woody. Missed off initially as he’s basically family, but he IS a key reason I decided to become a pet sitter and dog-Walker - my ‘muse’ if you will. I love the absolute bones of this dog, even when he’s in ‘psycho-puppy’ mode. 😊
Beagle - Milo
German Shepherd - Rowan
Black Labrador - Rosie
Cocker Spaniel - Saffron
Chocolate Labradors - Willow and Oak
Tibetan Terrier - Tilly
Whippet - Brody
Golden Retriever - Lenny

Current pooch sit:
Chow Chows - Penny & Dolly

Next pooch sit:
Little‘n’large Cockerpoos - Teddy and Wellington (plus chicken siblings)

Upcoming pooch welfare visits:
Shiba Inus (6!!)

I’ve also looked after various cats, but most exciting one upcoming is a Maine C**n who is also a TikTok legend.

Currently feeling both lucky….and tired. 😊

12/08/2024

On to another dog-sit today - a new bread for me to get to know - Chow Chows - mum and daughter duo.
So far, after dramatic barking upon my arrival - they’ve been really chilled. Just as well in this weather…

09/08/2024

Yesterday I dropped the key back to Mr Lenny Retriever’s pawrents….on the condition (I asked politely I promise) I got to see Mr Lenny Retriever. 😊
His pawrents were very obliging and Mr Lenny gave me the most fabulous greeting and pup hugs. Honestly, such an absolutely ADORABLE pupster.

03/08/2024

The best of my 11 days with Mr Lenny Retriever:
74.5 miles walked over that time.

03/08/2024

Last day with Mr Lenny Retriever, as family are back this afternoon.
I find I’m a mix of:
“Oh it will be nice to be home to be back in my little house & sleep in my own bed.”
And
“Buuuuuut I don’t want to leave this dog as he is ADORABLE.”
Thank you Shannon Sheedy for letting me look after your brilliant, lovely, floofy Lenny.

01/08/2024

With Spotted Tamworth – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

01/08/2024

Only a couple more days with Mr Lenny the Retriever to go. At the start I did think “Oh heck, this pooch is KNACKERING, how will I last 11 days????”
But LOOK AT HIM. Such a lovely pup to spend time with.

30/07/2024

It’s happened. Mr Lenny Retriever has adorned me with ‘the paw of possession’.
Before that, after my 2nd shower of the day, Mr Lenny decided I was not clean enough, so decided to clean me a bit more.

29/07/2024

I’m enjoying scatter feeding Mr Lenny Retriever of an evening as not walking him in the hot afternoon/evenings. Lenny sniffs the grass INTENSELY to check he’s not missed a piece. Not a blade of grass un-sniffed.
Thanks to Sarah Elizabeth Carr for teaching me this with Sir Milo the Beagle.

28/07/2024

Hope all my dog nieces and nephews are ok in this weather.
Today, I did 1 long walk in the morning with Mr Lenny as saw temperatures would be 23°+ this afternoon and evening.
Will do the same the rest of the week while temperatures are 23°+ in the afternoons as I will absolutely not risk a dog in my care over-heating.
I also brought a small fan from home to keep him cool as best I can.

28/07/2024

Getting along well with Mr Golden Retriever. He gave me big slobbery kisses (licks) after these were taken.

24/07/2024

Another pup to take care of for a week and a bit. Mr Lenny the Golden Retriever:

23/07/2024

I’ve had couple of days break at home to get some adulting tasks done, then off to my new pet-sitting pup tomorrow: Lenny, the extremely handsome, young Golden Retriever.
I think I’m going to be KNACKERED, but I’ll have a blast too.

20/07/2024

Had a seriously lovely and amusing time (despite his daily pooping in inappropriate places on our walks) with Mr Brody the Whippet. I’m now going to try and be selective with the pictures I use because I have LOADS:

15/07/2024

Currently dog sitting a new pup customer (walked him a couple of times before-hand) and honestly when they do ‘the paw of possession’ on you - I melt. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it:

15/07/2024

Am delighted to report Mr Brody the Whippet is a good sofa (and bed) snuggler:

13/07/2024

Looking forward to pooch-sitting this handsome devil soon - question is - what’s he like at sofa snuggles?
A very high bar has been set by:
Willow the Chocolate Lab’
Milo the Beagle
and
A very sassy, incredibly cute & funny spaniel …

13/07/2024

It was great to walk this lovely lady again today, as we’d not seen each other in a while. We walked at a good pace so we had time for some ball throwing & fetching in the garden afterwards.

05/07/2024

There’s something absolutely LOVELY about a pooch you are dog sitting getting all snuggled on your lap, or near you on the sofa, or indeed totally enveloping you in their dog-ness (👀 Willow the chocolate lab) and them nodding off on you for a snoozle. Sometimes…ok often….they snore. 🐾😍🐕🐶🦮

28/06/2024

27/06/2024

I’m very much enjoying getting to know this gentleman pooch. Mr. Brody the Whippet.
Currently doing ad hoc walks and welfare visits (pop in, check he’s ok, fresh water, a few treats and some fusses).
Noticeable skill-sets thus far:
1. Has the eyes of a trained eagle when it comes to birds and squirrels.
2. Can 💩 in the MOST awkward & inappropriate places
3. Loves playing ‘Statues’.
Level: Ninja
Evidence: below
4. Likes a trip to the local, but I’ve yet to figure out his usual tipple
5. If made to wait what he believes is a frankly excessive and cruel amount of time for a treat, he can throw a look of disdain that any decent cat would be proud of. See below:
6. Can swoop in for cheeky kisses (very gentle, gentlemanly licks) at unexpected moments.
Loveability score: 14/10
Love of bacon based treats:
16/10

24/06/2024

Lovely bit of Woody-care yesterday. He was quite keen to play when let out for a wee and a 💩, I was quite keen for him to not over-heat in the hot weather yesterday. Flat nosed pups struggle more in the heat than other types of pooches.
In return I got lots of cuteness and a ‘Woody-facial’ (his ‘love language’ is licking) 😊🐾.

23/06/2024

Just a girl ‘n’ her tennis ball, living the dream 🐾🐾
The sit pose is ‘THROW THE GODDAMN BALL, GWEN’ in German Shepherd.

21/06/2024

Super proud of this pup this week. She LOVES her hoomans very much and gets anxious when they are gone. The first time I pup-sat her, she was still quite a worry-wart in their absence.
This week, bar ONE howl of missing her hoomans, she was SO MUCH calmer. *
*small pieces of Baker’s Sizzlers (bacon) seemed to have a soothing effect. 😊🐾

16/06/2024