What we are looking for in a house sitter?
Last minute cancellation by planned housesitter. Ideal time to be in the PNW.
We are looking for reliable, experienced dog sitter(s), non-smoker, who wants to spend some relaxing time in the Olympia, WA area looking after our two senior dogs, Cleo and Widget. The ideal candidate(s) will be a dog owner (or former owner) who has experience with all aspects of dog care. We prefer a mature/retired couple or individual. Children would not be a good fit.
What responsibilities will our house sitter have?
Primary duties will be to provide companionship to our dogs and maintain their routine of outdoor potty breaks, feedings and sleep. Cleo is an 11 year old, 17 lb terrier mix who is lame/weak in her left front leg, so she needs help up & down stairs and onto the couch/bed. She still enjoys short walks and hobbles around quite well. She is on some oral medication which is mixed with her food. Widget is also 11 years old, 11 lb chihuahua/pekingese mix who mostly just likes to cuddle - the ultimate lap dog. Both will expect to sleep with you. They love car rides and short walks.
Other responsibilities include watering the plants / yard in the dry summer months, keeping the bird feeders full and taking out the trash and recycling for curbside pickup if/ when necessary.
We expect a daily update via text or to reassure us things are going well or contact us with any questions.
What are the features of our property and location?
We have a comfortable custom home on five forested acres. Very private and quiet. Stunning views of Mt. Rainier (weather permitting). Gourmet kitchen, large deck with gas grill. Dish satellite TV and internet via AT&T hotspot with unlimited data. We have an attached garage for your vehicle. The home is heated and cooled with a heat pump. There is also a wood stove in the open concept living-dining area for winter months October-April. Water is from a well on the property with a whole-house water filter and water softener system. Washer & Dryer are in the garage.
We are about 15 minutes from downtown Olympia, which boasts numerous dog-friendly parks and trails. Capitol Forest, with great hiking/biking/equestrian trails is within one mile. Bird watchers will find Nisqually Wildlife refuge an easy 30 minute drive. For those who enjoy water sports, there is access to Puget Sound and numerous area lakes.
What do potential house sitters need to consider before applying for this assignment?
You will need your own car for transportation. Rear wheel drive would have trouble on our sloping crushed rock driveway, front-wheel drove or AWD, etc. are fine. We are in a rural setting, so it will be pretty quiet and feel remote but a short 7 mile drive to West Olympia for all the retail, restaurants and entertainment desired.
The house is built into a hillside & is 3 stories high, so someone who is not able to do stairs would not be comfortable here. We require references with proof of previous dog care. Nonsmokers only. A laptop pad/ tablet or cell is essential for communication with us and a cell is highly recommended as we have no land-line . Experience with typical homeowner systems is also useful.