Sweet dogs, lovely house, need loving sitter while Mom is away

Introduction

Cavaliers are wonderful pups. My little pampered family of 5 pups is very attached to their mom and each other, and open their hearts to anyone who opens theirs in return. Four of the pups are on meds which they love to take with a melted cheese treat at breakfast, dinner and before bed - but of course the fifth one gets a cheese treat at the same time. Lucy is the grande dame, 13.5 years old and loves her treats but snoozes most of the time. Along with Bunny, 12 yrs old, they are kept pretty quiet as both have heart conditions so can't do a lot of exercise but still are enjoying life. Bethany Rose is 2 years and Dakota is 3 years old with just 4 months separating them. Dakota is definitely the boss but they love to cuddle, play together and run around the back yard and go for walks. The middle one, Cheyenne, is 10 yrs old, still thinks she is a puppy and joins the two younger ones outside, but has arthritis so doesn't run around as much as the younger ones and generally is a major cuddler. We have a huge fenced backyard so the pups don't need to be walked to potty, but they love to go out for strolls on a leash, car rides, and climb into a shopping cart for a tour of one of the stores or outdoor malls that are pet friendly. The two youngest stay in their own crates in the TV room when left in the house alone. The three older ones stay in the TV room with them but not in their crates. The TV room entrance is gated and I usually don't leave them alone for more than 4 hours. This will be a wonderful sitting job for people who enjoy relaxing in a lovely setting, with loving dogs, and like to go out for a few hours each day, but not for whole days to go to work or other activities (unless you can take the pups with you safely). The younger three all sleep in my bed, the two older ones sleep where they choose. I will be gone for 3-4 weeks and I can be flexible on my schedule depending on your availability. You are welcome to invite your children or other family to enjoy our home and play with our pups! They would love it!

Home & location

Gainesville is a lovely university town located half way between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, about a 45 minute drive to Cedar Keys on the Gulf and rivers to kayak or caverns for diving, an hour and a half to the Atlantic and Jacksonville, and 2 hrs to Orlando and Disney or historic St Augustine. Gainesville has many nice restaurants, theatres at the University and downtown, and several art festivals are coming up. My home is surrounded by natural wooded wetlands on two sides so it is very private - like you are in the country - but Starbucks and Publix are only 5 minutes away. There are many lush nature parks, museums and places to stroll if you enjoy peaceful outdoor pleasures. If you would like to stay at my home a few days before I go on my trip or after I return in order to take longer day journeys to places like Disney, I would be happy to accommodate you.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities consist primarily of being a loving caregiver for my pups. They need to be given a cuddle periodically, and allowed to snuggle with you on the couch when you watch a show or read or are in bed at night. They are fed twice a day with dehydrated raw food that is simple to prepare. They also eat raw chicken or beef (from a farm) with dehydrated veggies for dinner. And you have to keep an eye on the pups to make sure they aren't eating something they shouldn't - amazing what they can find to chew on - so things have to be kept out of their reach, off the floor or low counters (or counters near chairs they can jump on). I also give them a snack at noon (cup of kibble thrown on the floor for them to chase) and around 8:30 they get a dental chew. Four of the pups are on meds for various congenital issues. I prepare the meds in pill savers labeled for each pup so it is just a matter of wrapping them up in a little cheese bundle and giving them this "treat" at 8 am, 3pm, 7pm and before bed. The dogs run around in my large back yard several times during the day. I usually put them out every 3-4 hours to potty. Since they get the exercise they need in the backyard, I usually only take the younger ones to the farmers market on Saturday morning to walk around and very occasionally take them for walks. The older ones have heart issues, and even though they enjoy walks, it is not good for them to do strenuous stuff. When the dogs are left at home alone, the two youngest ones are kept in their kennels (as I don't know what they'll get into) and the older three are left to roam in the same room (TV room) with the gate closed to the room. Water is left for all of them - water bottles for the younger ones in their crates. I toss about a cup of dry kibble on the floor and in the crates for them to chase every time I go out. Keeps them for getting hysterical about me leaving! I will leave them alone in the house for up to 4 hours at a time. I have a housekeeper that comes in every other Friday, so the only cleaning that will be needed is to pick up after yourself and the dogs if they make a mess (but they don't usually), and sweep or vacuum every couple of days for dog hair.