Pet Sitters

Jamie my husband and I are off on holiday on Saturday to Bath. We have a lovely 300 year old cottage booked but as it is a musuem, sight-seeing rather than walking sort of holiday we are going on our own.

We have "Minders Keepers" pet and house-sitting agency booked for the week to look after Cherry and Parker. We have a lovely retired couple staying in our home and walking the dogs.

Am a bit worried about how they will behave with new people though-hope they will be good! Have left a book with details on about feeding, walking, grooming etc.

Makes you realise what naughty things you let your dogs get up to when other people are caring for them-like sitting on the furniture-felt embarrassed about this one!
It feels like "Wife Swap" with my book of "rules" I have left and having to scrub the house from top-to-bottom (not that it was dirty but want it to look gleaming).

Anyone else had experience of house-sitters? (please don't reply till after my holiday if you have had a bad experience like they lost your dog!).

No I don't have any experience of house/dog sitters but Mo goes to our friends house when we go on holiday.
I send a list of meal and snack times, when she has her walks, all her toys and a pile of covers, "in case she gets on the furniture".
Lol the little dear spends all her time on the settee and our bed!
Good job our friends are "doggy"

I'm sure they will be fine, hope you have a great holiday, loads of piccies when you get back please!

Heehee I /am/ a pet sitter...but I don't house sit I have dogs come into my house or I visit owners' houses 3 times a day.

Never had any major problems so far. I assess all dogs before I agree to take them on so don't have any issues with dogs not getting on with Kiba. I always get the owners to tell me their usual routine and any special considerations for their dogs so I'm sure the people who are house sitting for you will be grateful that you've done that because it means they wont have to worry about anything.

I'm sure the dogs and you guys will have a great time!

What insurance do THEY have if anything happens to YOUR dog?

We're going away for 5 weeks in January, my dad has kindly offered to look after Oscar our Chi. he'll be home all the time and spoil him to death but I have to make a list for him not to go on the sofas, not to go upstairs ect and the big one only feed him the dog food I give him he used to feed our Yorkie fish, or whatever he was having. I think there may be a trial run before we go a night here and there we have already started leaving the dog with my dad one day a week.

Yes-they do have full insurance to cover all eventualities.

We thought of putting them with homeboarders but other people on another forum put me off. Actually glad I didn't go down this route as now found out that Cherry is blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other so may have been hard for her to cope with being in a different home.

You wouldn't want Cherry to look after as she is a little bod with dogs she doesn't know but Parker is a sweetie.

I've never had someone stay in my home, but my dogs have stayed in a dog sitters home. They LOVE it and get so excited when we arrive, which to me says it all.

I'm assuming the pet sitters you are using have plenty of experience and references, so I wouldn't worry. I'm sure any fears will subside when you meet them.

They will have insurance to cover THEM not your dog and most likely not your home. They will have liability insurance if they trash your house etc... Ill say no more, but please check.

Actually most people who have insurance have it to cover both. Mine covers third party liability in case the dogs cause damage, then Care Custody and Control for myself and the dogs.