Care for our 2 dogs and garden, with easy access to London and Cambridge
Introduction
We are a busy family with 2 kids, a labradoodle, and a young, bouncey and anxious malti poo. We love animals and the outdoors. We live in a small town on the edge of the countryside with beautiful walks on our doorstep, whilst also being close to Cambridge and London that are easily accessible by train. We have so enjoyed using Trusted House sitters over the years; our pets get to stay home, happy, whilst we get the chance to welcome different people from around the globe into our home. Jessy our beloved labradoodle is well behaved, and good with all humans and dogs. She has exercise intolerance so although loves her walks doesn't have as much energy as she used to. Lyra our maltese toy poodle cross is cute, cuddly and funny and can be well behaved when dog treats are involved. Although great with most dogs she can be nervous and barky with strangers, and needs help to deal with this anxiety. It sometimes takes her time to get used to new people, and ideally our hoise sitter would have experience with anxious dogs. Both dogs need a minimum of 2 x 20 minute walks a day, but are always happy for more than this. Our house sitters usually arrive the day before we travel so we can introduce them to our pets, home and local walks and and get to know each other over a meal together.
Show more...Home & location
We live in a Victorian semi detached house on a friendly street on the edge of Baldock, a small market town, with a beautiful ancient centre. The Hertfordshire countryside starts 2 minutes from our house. We are a 4 minute walk from the train station, with a 30 minute journey to Cambridge or 40 minutes into Kings Cross (central London and the Eurostar). For housesitters we offer our downstairs guest room which has a super comfy double sofa bed with a memory foam mattress and goose down duvet. There is a smart TV in the room with free to view channels plus Netflix and Amazon prime. There is also a downstairs shower room/ toilet at your disposal. Then you are welcome to use our downstairs living areas: a living room with open fire, plus our kitchen/diner/living area, with stereo and record player, which opens onto the garden. We spend most of our time in this open airey room. We love to cook so it is a well equipped kitchen. On the patio we have a large corner sofa, plus a gravel barbecue area with table and chairs. Baldock has a few shops, quite a few restaurants, cafes and some fantastic pubs. We also have a large Tesco Extra store ( hyper market) which has anything you might need. We have some great community events throughout the year, including the Baldock Festival in May, with Beer Festival and medieval street fair. Then there is Balstock, our Annual Music festival in the summer. Ivel Springs Nature reserve is on our doorstep, aswell as miles of fields with limitless walks to take Jessy and Lyra on.
Show more...Responsibilities
Walking the dogs 2 times a day. You'll need to keep an eye on Lyra as she has a tendency to bark at strangers without dogs or chase joggers. Always keep treats to hand and use them as a distraction in these situations. We'd be happy to arrange a dog walker if you wish to make day trips on odd days. You will need to pick up dog poo on walks, as well as in the garden. If possible, maintaining Lyra's training ( sit, down, stay, wait, off) and ensuring you are consistent with the rules, e.g. no jumping on living room furniture) Brushing Lyra ocasionally. Feeding dogs ( twice a day). In summer watering garden, pots and baskets, and if possible helping remove the odd weed, snail and slug, and giving our tiny lawn a mow once a week.
Show more...Meet the pets
Jessy
11 years
Lyra
3 years
Sitter Reviews (7)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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Christina was very friendly and welcoming. We had the opportunity to meet her before the sit, which allowed us to go through everything we needed to know. The house was very tidy and had everything we needed for our stay. Baldock is a lovely place to explore if you’re looking to see more of Hertfordshire. The property is just a few minutes' walk from the train station, providing direct access to London. Lyra took a couple of days to get used to me, but once she did, she was very affectionate and loving. (Lyra got along with my wife and daughter immediately.) Jesse was amazing throughout the sit and was very well-behaved. We loved taking them on walks through the beautiful countryside and sitting in the backyard in the warm weather.
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Christina and her family were incredibly welcoming the moment I stepped off the train! Birdy and Jess were absolute angels during my sit and l had such a fun time with little Lyra’s training (though once you have food in your hand she’s very agreeable). Both the house and the area were beautiful to stay in, with a wonderful scenic walk to take the dogs on each day. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my stay in Baldock - it was the perfect end to my trip of Europe.
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A review was not left by the sitter.
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This is a wonderful house/pet sitting opportunity. I loved staying in the remodeled, historic home. I have to say— the kitchen had everything a chef would need! The Baldock area was intriguing to explore, especially the footpaths. Stores and train station anywhere are within easy walking distance. Jessy is the sweetest, easiest dog. She obviously gets a lot of love from the family. The kitties are independent and affectionate. I loved being able to “play” in the beautiful back garden as well as help out with cleaning up the front garden. This was a wonderful stay for me. Thank you for the opportunity!
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What a lovely bunch live here! :) I was sad to leave them all, but especially Sid, the cat extraordinaire. That being said, I may be a cat person, but Jessy wormed her way into my heart with her sweet temperament and great level of training. Everything's pretty much within walking distance, which helps if you don't have a car, so both Cambridge and London are accessible if you can spare the time from Jessy's walks. Thanks guys, I had a lovely time. Oh yes, that Christmas cake was awesome!!
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Christina
