Hugh
Like me, my senior dog looks young
Singapore
About Hugh
I'm a retiree with a 10 year old female sheltie mix which I rescued in 2019 from VFA where I volunteered. Like my dog, I may come across as docile, but I am in fact firm and instrumental in calming active dogs through walks, play and stimulating engagement. This maturity comes with age as well as after having dealt with almost a hundred hyper dogs at 1 time, weekly at the shelter. That same resolve came in useful when I had to petsit an excited puppy which was over 20kg.
My dog is a cancer survivor with pancreatitis - managing with a keen eye for details has become a daily routine. And so explains why I have a good record of petsitting special needs dogs overnight (blind, deaf, crippled, 1 had no lower jaw). Administering medication plus observing a long list of do's and don't's all but come naturally.
A raw feeder myself, I can understand why your dog might not be vaccinated or neutered. But with that said, your loved one must be proven tick free. More importantly, the meet-and-greet moment with my easy going senior dog has to confirm that yours do not display resource guarding behavior or averse separation anxiety.
I live in a flat and your pet would have access to my entire home (including all furniture) and sleep with me in my bedroom. Currently I would only accept small dogs under 7kg; at any given point in time, only a maximum of 3 dogs are allowed to stay.
I do not accept puppies for now as the energy level is incompatible to most of the older, mellow guests in my home in any given duration.
I follow your complete and clear instructions on feeding with no unnecessary improvisation to avoid tummy upset, and unless otherwise advised, your pet gets 3 walks daily with my senior who strolls like a snail, always in the shade. Photos and clips would be sent to you daily throughout the stay because that's what I expect for myself when I am away, considering mine is looked after by relatives. OCD is a good thing here :) Dogs that mark territory will be on diapers provided by you during the stay.
Personal practices:
I don't allow strangers and unfamiliar dogs to approach us during our walks. This avoids all and any possible accidents from happening.
I don't visit dog runs. It's dirty and typically disease ridden.
My home and dog are very clean and I will be grooming yours to ensure it is maintained the same during the stay.
Requirements of owners:
Please be completely honest regarding your dog's personality, eg. separation anxiety, aggression, resource guarding issues, etc.
Please provide leash, pee pads, diapers, food, toys, your belonging with your scent on it. Medicine, if any, with clear instructions of administering is appreciated.
Please shower your dogs before the day of board. I will maintain its cleanliness throughout its stay with me. However, if your dog has body odour, I will shower it but the $15 fee would be charged to you. The other pawrents have feedback that they want their doggos to be smell-free when they see other guests in my home during same duration of stay. So it's only fair ALL doggos smell nice here! :)