Always Greyhounds House and Hound Sitting

03/08/2023

A few pictures from my walk with Arlo this afternoon - he knows all of the local walks a lot better than I do though I always have Google maps on my phone to refer to in case he decides to take me on a 10 mile walk! 😄

01/08/2023

A few pictures from my morning walk with Arlo.  On a new sit it can take a little time to get to know the area and all of the walking routes but today we were very fortunate to meet a lovely man who lives nearby who kindly showed us a slightly different route. It all helps! 🙂

31/07/2023

Good morning from Arlo! 🙂

It’s raining here this morning, so we are staying in the dry until it stops!

30/07/2023

Good morning from this handsome fellow Arlo! 🙂

I am sitting him for the next week in the Buckinghamshire area and he is doing very well so far.

16/07/2023

A nice morning walk for me and Frosty today and on the way home we found a huge bee not looking too well on the pavement. Thankfully I had my bee rescue solution in my bag and after a few drops of this the bee seemed a lot better, so I put him on a nearby buddleia. I cannot recommend these bee rescue solutions enough and there are quite a few companies online who sell these kits now.

15/07/2023

After a day of non-stop rain yesterday, it was nice to get out for a sunny and breezy walk this morning 🙂

13/07/2023

A lovely walk with Frosty this morning – a few pictures 🙂

11/07/2023

11/07/2023

A few pictures from my morning walk with young Frosty who likes to choose his own route where possible - thank goodness for Google Maps on my phone! 🙂

10/07/2023

A few photos of Frosty today in his back garden 😍

09/07/2023

I will be looking after this beautiful galgo again all this week at his house in Hertfordshire. Frosty was found as a stray in Spain very thin and with mange but look at him now living the good life! 😍

13/06/2023

This is my last day with this beauty and I have really enjoyed looking after her 💗

11/06/2023

An early 8 am walk this morning for Bambi before it got too warm 😛

09/06/2023

A lovely walk with Bambi this morning though not too long as it was quite warm but thankfully with a bit of a breeze as well 🙂

08/06/2023

I’ve just started a lovely new house and hound sit for this gorgeous greyhound girlie who in fact used to be one of my greyhound home boarding guests so it is absolutely wonderful to see her again - in her own home for a change! 🧡🙂🧡

31/05/2023

Due to a cancellation I now have availability between 14th August and 3rd September - please contact me if interested.

12/04/2023

Another windy but sunny day in the paddock this morning for myself and these two lovely dogs. Their owner does not wish the dogs to be walked away from their property whilst they are away but fortunately they have their very own paddock for walkies; however, as it is not currently securely fenced the dogs are kept on their harnesses and leads even in the paddock. All of this is entirely sensible, particularly in the case of dogs who can be reactive with other dogs when they are out on a walk.

10/04/2023

It's raining here on my house and hound sit today so a few pictures of this handsome boy from yesterday when it was nice and sunny! :) Their owner has elected to only have pictures taken outside displayed on social media which is of course absolutely fine and it is up to each owner to decide what they feel comfortable with in that respect.

09/04/2023

Yesterday I arranged a 'treasure hunt' for these two lovelies in their paddock, as requested by their owner. So I scattered some biscuits and treats in the paddock before taking them out there to sniff them out! The picture is of them very keen to be let into the paddock as I'm sure they knew the treats were there - they both seemed to enjoy it a lot! 😀

09/04/2023

A great article explaining the preparation that is needed prior to a house and pet sit, particularly for a new client. It can take several months to complete the paperwork and any other preparation that may be required, with many questions needing to be answered and potential scenarios needing to be thought about ahead of time so that all runs smoothly as possible during the sit.

What did I do with my animals while I was away?

Ideally I would have had a professional dog trainer come to stay that I know and trust. This is costly but well worth the cost to me. The original trainer that I hired had to cancel so I needed an alternative.

I hired a young local woman to come and stay day and night with the animals.

Before hiring her she came to meet us and the animals. Once hired we did several "dress rehearsal" days while I was still home to practice.

I wrote clear and specific instructions including times and amounts for all food and medication and yes, even Kongs.
Kongs were prepped in advance of course.

You may think it's too much but the preventable horror stories I hear due to poor communication keeps me up at night.

We made a written agreement for the care and work to make sure we were all clear and understood the care involved.

We also had several emergency plans. Plan B, C, and D were covered including who would take over if she became sick or had to leave. Yes, this happens. Plan for it.
She had emergency contacts and we had an emergency backup plan because you never know.

I contacted my vet in advance to let her know when I was gone and gave her the sitter's information as well.

Gates and other management tools were put in place in advance.

Before leaving the animals knew this person and liked her.

💚Ideally get a dog sitter or 2 before you need one!
💚Book sitters well in advance!
💚Give clear and accurate information.
💚Pay them for the work!
💚Plan for them to arrive early/leave late in case of delays.
💚Have a backup plan or 2.
💚Make sure to have enough food and medication on hand.
💚Give adequate time to train the person and for the animals to feel comfortable.
💚Be clear about what you are hiring someone to do. Stay overnight, stop in multiple times a day, stay day/night? Will they walk dogs?

🐾How long your pet is left alone is a personal choice although I never recommend leaving animals alone long term like overnight. This can be so distressing to animals.

If you are local to Pittsfield you can reach out for her name and number.

Edit to add: It probably goes without saying but I do not use Rover or other websites to find a dog sitter.
I am very picky and you should be too.

08/04/2023

A couple of pictures of this lovely pair in their paddock this morning. As the fencing is not secure their owners have requested they are walked in the paddock in their harnesses and leads, with which I completely concur.

07/04/2023

On a house and hound sit in a rural village not far from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire for the next week or so and these are two of the beautiful creatures I am looking after: a very happy and handsome greyhound and a very gentle and pretty Silken Windhund ❤

14/02/2023

I have limited availability for approximately one week in April and approximately one week in May for suitable hounds and properties – please message me if you are interested 🙂