Forty-five Dogs and Counting

Professional Dog Walker

Since 2015 we’ve cared for dogs, cats, horses, sheep, chickens, ducks, peacocks, parrots, budgies and turkeys.

We’ve fed, walked, groomed and petted over forty-five homeowner’s dogs, and picked up and disposed of their poop. 

We’ve cuddled and given various medications to different breeds of dogs.

On one solemn occasion, Frank sat with a Yorkshire Terrier on his lap as the veterinarian applied the euthanasia medication to end its life.

We’ve cared for friendly dogs, vicious dogs, obedient dogs and cute, fuzzy dogs. We’ve sat well-chiselled dogs, skinny dogs, wiry dogs, playful dogs and smelly dogs. We loved them all.

Deaf and Happy Dog

Frannie, a small mixed-breed deaf dog, managed herself cleverly on the leash by staying nearby. We walked her along a gravel road with minimal traffic and when a vehicle approached she stood still. We learned her habit and gladly accommodated her. The experience reminded me of how when I was a kid would shout “Car!” while playing road hockey. We knew what to do.

Abby the happy job-driven dog

Abby, an intuitive retriever was a hobby-farm dog. She paid close attention to her surroundings. When Frank took hold of the horses’ halters hanging on the wall, instinctively our clever companion would race to the grass field, gather the two horses and deliver them back to the stable. Her breed needs a purposeful job to do.

Liesl on the Left

Liesl, named after Liesl von Trapp, is a Shih Tzu. She was a motived by food and would be first in line to have her body collar put on and leash attached. The homeowner’s habit of rewarding their three dogs after returning from a walk with a treat became our routine.

We’ve learned over the years that dogs can remember their past experiences and learn from them. Although they do not think about the future and in this case, the reward of a treat in their future, Liesl, to some extent, thinks about the past and how when the walk is over she may be rewarded.

Bosco Jumps for Snowballs

Bosco, a purebred German Shephard did not get along with other animals. He wore a special “Dangerous Dog” license tag for having killed another dog and was not allowed outside his property without a leash. He barked incessantly at birds and planes flying overhead, at rodents bouncing around the trees in his yard and lunged at other dogs on our walks. We took him up and down an isolated road however other dog owners did the same.

Hershey (courtesy of owner)

Hershey, a senior purebred Chocolate Labrador was a handsome and calm dog. He waddles when he walks to compensate for his sore hips. His daily medication seemed to relieve some of the pain. He would turn around and around before he was confident enough to drop down on his padded bed.

Casey, the gentleman

Casey, a short-haired Terrier, was a gentleman on his walks. His owner had been told by her vet that he suffers from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, a brain disorder akin to Alzheimer’s disease. His howling and barking at night were keeping her awake. The owner's choice is to give him daily doses of Cannabidiol oil. We closely follow the medication instructions provided to us.

Leaving your dog in the company of a qualified and empathetic pet-sitter will relieve you from any feelings of regret or separation anxiety.

Happy Dog, Happy Home

Jonty's New Shoes

Frank and Jonty with the farriers

Jonty is a handsome horse who is owned and loved by his owners in Duncan, British Columbia.

We are happy to have been chosen to sit this hobby-farm. 

On Wednesday, a farrier fit Janty’s two front hooves with new metal shoes.

Shane The Farrier

As you may know, Frank was a farrier and was happy to assist by holding on to Jonty’s lead. It was a great chance for him to share some of his shoeing stories.

Frank shares farrier stories

The farrier first dug out the muck and other bits from Jonty’s hooves. The big brown mount stood calm and seemingly satisfied to be the centre of attention.

Farrier cleans Jonty's hoof

Shane placed two shoes into his propane forge. The heat turns the iron red hot and pliable. The horseshoe was put on an anvil and shaped with a large hammer.

Shane's propane forge

When it was pushed against the bottom of Janty's hoof, the searing metal caused a large plume of smoke. The steed didn’t react. His toe is much like our fingernails – no feelings.

Hot metal against Jonty's hoof

The farrier evaluated the shape of Jonty’s hoof several times and then hammered the shoe again to further customize its shape. His apprentice snipped a bit of the toe, filed it with a large sanding rasp, and dug out more grit from the body of the sole.

Apprentice uses sanding rasp

In the end, Shane hammered six nails each into Jonty’s two front hooves. Both the farrier and the horse seemed satisfied.

Farrier secures Jonty's shoe

There was a magical clop, clop, clop sound made by Jonty’s new shoes as Frank guided him over the concrete driveway on the way to his stall.

Jonty's New Shoe

Free-Range Freedom

Free-range chickens

Directing chickens is like herding cats.

Preventing turkeys from roosting on the sundeck is like keeping cats from jumping on furniture.

Getting ducks into their pen before dusk is like convincing an indoor/outdoor cat to come in at night.

On July 15, 2019, we arrived at our hobby-farm sit in the Duncan district. We were welcomed by a young adventurous couple and their three rambunctious boys. Their large farmhouse was being masterfully crafted by the homeowners and naturally claimed by the young kids and their large brown dog, Hershey.

Sheep and turkeys share a field

Outdoors, we were introduced to the sheep eating and drinking within a fenced-in field. A short walk away the homeowners opened the chicken coop door to reveal a few hens roosting.

“You can gather the eggs from here,” the poultry farmer said.

He described the early morning feeding routine and how to try to corral the hens at dusk to bring them to the barn.  The two roosters would find their own way back to the barn he said.

Closer to the house was the duck pen. It was empty with the exception of one of the females roosting.

We had disturbed her and the sweet duck fluttered out and waddled to the small nearby pond.

Ducks are very organized

“The ducks come in a little later, after dusk, around ten o’clock. You’ll have to close their pen using this guillotine mechanism.” The woman laughed at her reference as she pulled a thick rope which forced the wooden flap to slam shut.

When we arrived back at the house there were two hens and four chicks perched on the sundeck.

Hens and chicks roost on the balcony

“We lost all of our turkeys several years ago. These two gals showed up at the end of spring and so we’ve been feeding them. Their getting used to us,” the homeowner said.

Frank is the farmer and gets up early. He performs most outdoor chores while I make meals and maintain the inside of the home.

♪ Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ole fiddle 

When the sun's comin' up I got porridge on the griddle 

Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle 

Thank God I'm a country boy ♪

Oh, A Cattery!

Cats drink from fish tank

We faked our way into this house and pet sit. The homeowner explained to Frank and me over the phone that she operates a cattery.

“I breed cats. They’re Orientals. Two males live in the garage. You don’t have to go in there. I have someone who comes over and feeds them and fills their water dish,” she says.

“There is a mother cat and her three kittens in one of the bedrooms. You’re responsible for cleaning their litter, filling the mother’s dish with hard food and setting out soft food for the kittens. They share the water bowl.”

“Are you still there?”

“Yes, we’re listening,” Frank says.

“Okay. What’s most important is that you don’t let the mother cat out of that room. She’s very aggressive and it’s difficult to catch her.”

We listen carefully as she describes the lifestyle of her other two cats, spayed and neutered.

She tells us of her two medium-sized dogs, one who is hyper and wears a shock collar because of his incessant barking and the other who follows his habits.

We arrive late afternoon and walk through the house listening to her explain the importance of each animal.

Her three large fish tanks are pushed against the walls in the dining room.

The mother cat, hidden kittens

The stench wafting from under one of the bedroom doors overwhelms the lemon-scented deodorizer hanging from the doorknob. We step inside and are hissed at by the skinny mother feline as she scampers under the bunkbed. Her kittens squeak.

“If you don’t want the other cats to sleep with you, you need to keep the master bedroom door closed,” she says.

With a few written instructions in hand, we stand at the front door and wave goodbye to the homeowner.

Only two incidents are worth mentioning. First, I forgot to close the master bedroom door one morning and one of the ‘regular’ cats jumped on the bed and pooped. Another day, Frank forgot to close the door to the cattery and sure enough, the mother cat escaped. We set up a low jumpable barrier at the cattery door which the mother hopped over easily and returned to her darlings.

Life is a cabaret!

The Enchanted Nature Park

Glover Park, located 2.8 kilometres north of Union Bay on Vancouver Island, presents you with a wide footpath through a coastal forest in transition.

During our house and pet sit gig from April 22 to May 13, 2019, we had the daily pleasure of taking Alex, our walking companion, on several excursions through the captivating nature park. 

Frank and Alex in the woods

Our homeowners granted us permission to use their truck to transport Alex to a variety of trails in the area. 

Glover Park and its wonderments became our favourite. 

Sitting on nearly every tree, tree trunk, fallen log, or imaginative surface are variations on a fairy theme. Fairies with translucent wings, frogs, dogs, and all of the seven dwarfs. There were many tiny homes, cleverly crafted to fit nearly invisible in their hidden settlements.

When we first spotted a ceramic mushroom sitting on a log, we stopped and turned in every direction to admire all the treasures that hikers had placed along the side of the path. There were no intrusive footprints disrupting the forest floor almost as though it had been the fairies themselves who placed the precious ornaments. 

Our life as house and pet sitters brings us to many locations. Union Bay is a hidden treasure.

Not Dog-Friendly

Frank and Lilly

“Lilly is not friendly with other dogs, so you need to pay attention to other dogs around you and hold on to her leash,” the dog owner said. 

“She’s very strong. Frank, you look like you can manage,” she chuckled.

A dog that is not friendly with other dogs is called a dog-aggressive dog.

We witnessed Lilly’s dynamic change in behaviour on our first walk with her and her owner. Because of her Rottweiler brute strength, the lead is first fastened to her neck collar and then wrapped under her belly up over her back and interlaced in place. The rest of the lead was held in the owner’s hand. It wasn’t long before we witnessed some one-on-one action between Lilly and another dog. Her lunge was powerful enough to pull her owner off balance. The tug on the lead and shouts from the owner did not deter the dog. With all her might, she dragged the snarling Rottie away. We carried on from there. 

Frank and Lilly on a walkabout

As professional house and pet sitters, going for a walk with a dog is one our favourite ways to exercise and relax, but if the dog is not leash trained or is not friendly with other dogs, our pleasant outing can quickly turn into a stressful one.

In the house and backyard, Ms Lilly is very cooperative, respectful, gentle, and fun to be with. 

Dear Pet Owner,

We are very happy to care for your pet and your home. We take great pleasure in managing a dog that is leash trained and socially adjusted. We are not professional dog trainers and we believe it is your responsibility to ensure that your pet is well behaved around humans and other dogs.

You described Lilly as 56 centimetres high and weight at a slim 37 kg. You said that she is very strong and you need a person fit and capable to manage her pulling and lunging at other dogs. You reported that she is very friendly with humans. You warned us that she is not able to join other dogs in the dog park because of her unsettling aggression. You also recommended we keep her on a leash because you could not guarantee that she would come back to us when called.

We would greatly appreciate you taking the time to train your dog to be social with other dogs along the public walkway. Or if that is not possible, please supply us with a mussel. She may also have to be ‘mussel trained’.

We look forward to caring for your pet and home.

Susan and Frank

Professional House and Pet Sitters

Beyond the Call of Duty

On October 10, 2017, we arrived at our five-month winter house sit in Sicamous, British Columbia. 

We had spoken several times on the phone with the homeowner about his daily routine with his two cats and his habit of bringing in a housekeeper once a week.

I'm a bachelor," he said. "Housekeeping is not my favourite thing to do."

We assured him that we would maintain the house, and he could cancel his assistant.

As a professional house and pet sitting couple, I look after the chores inside the home and Frank does the outside tasks, including picking up after the animals.

Socks

Our introduction to Socks and OC, short for Orange Cat, included a leg rub, loud purring and tails straight up. We responded with a head scratch and a slight tug on each tail. Our five-year caring for people's pets lifestyle has taught us that felines give signals on how they are feeling. We took their reaction to us to be friendly and content.

OC Orange Cat

While the homeowner was in Florida, we immersed ourselves in the community. 

Books to sort

I took to the streets, walking around the town exploring the local shops. I met a very wonderful bookstore owner and soon found myself at her store several times a week. We became fast friends and I helped her stalking the shelves.

Frank stayed indoors for several weeks playing familiar tunes on his violin 

Later that winter, we attended a church service and met another group of fabulous folks. We celebrated International Religion Day with a pancake breakfast courtesy of Frank along with other fun foods and drinks. We've learned over the years that immersing yourself into the community is a keen way to feel like a local.

While Frank was tending to the cat's two litter boxes and I was preparing their medication, the phone rang. It was the homeowner who announced that he was at the nearest big city hospital; that he'd been flown in by air ambulance and his stay in the infirmary could be three weeks or more.

"How can we help?" Frank asked.

"I'd like you to come and get me when I get out," the homeowner said.

Frank delivered the homeowner to his residence where he settled into a daily routine. The cats followed him from one room to another and sat patiently under the table waiting for food scraps.

I had taken to preparing his doctor-prescribed meals. Frank became the chauffer and delivered the homeowner to his doctor appointments, picked up medicine, and joined him on grocery errands. The homeowner trusted Frank enough to provide him with his debit card and pin number so that he could get him some cash.

House and pet sitting is a rewarding way to be of service and to meet new people, create dynamic memories and live life to the fullest.

Lots of trails to explore