Dog Sitting1 Day

We come to your house twice — morning and evening — and give your dog a proper visit each time. Food on his own schedule, a walk if he needs one, some time thrown around the garden, and a while just sitting with him being made a fuss of. Then messages and pictures to you, so the day isn't a black hole you're trying not to think about.

To be completely clear: nobody sleeps over. Your dog is on his own overnight, in his own house. That is the right arrangement for a great many dogs — his bed, his garden, his smells, no kennel, no other dogs barking through the night — and it is the wrong arrangement for some. A dog who genuinely cannot be alone, a puppy still learning, an old dog who needs someone there at three in the morning: those dogs need boarding or a live-in sitter, and we would rather say so than take your money.

For the dog it does suit, this is much the gentler option. Kennels are stressful for a lot of dogs, and the ones who go quiet in them aren't calm, they've just given up on the situation. Staying home means nothing changes except that the person arriving is us.

It works for a day trip, a wedding, a night away, a long day at the hospital — any of the times you're not going to be back in time and it isn't worth uprooting him.

R490 for the day, both visits included.

Before we come

We visit twice a day. We don't stay the night. It's worth being clear about that before you book, because "pet sitting" means different things at different companies. Your animal is at home in their own house, with someone coming morning and evening — not boarded, and not supervised around the clock. For most pets that's a better arrangement than a kennel or a cattery. For some it isn't, and we'd rather you knew which yours is now than find out while you're away. Write everything down for us. Feeding times, how much, which bowl, which cupboard, what they're not allowed, where the lead lives, which door sticks, what the alarm code is, and what "normal" looks like for your animal. You know all of it without thinking; we don't know any of it. The households where sitting goes best are the ones that leave a list on the fridge. Leave us your vet's details and a number you'll actually answer. Also a second contact — a neighbour, a family member — for the times you're on a plane or out of signal. We hope never to need any of it. Tell us about the animals we might not see. The nervous cat who hides under the bed all three days, the second dog who's fine with people but not with strangers arriving, the tortoise in the garden. Nothing is too small to mention. Tell us about medication, and be specific. What it is, when, how much, how it's given, and what happens if a dose is missed. Enough food, litter and medication for the whole booking, plus a bit spare. We'd rather not be buying your cat an unfamiliar food on day two. Be honest about whether he can be alone overnight. Not whether he'd prefer company — almost every dog would — but whether he can actually manage it. A dog who howls for eight hours, or panics, or destroys something, is telling you this isn't the right service. If you're not sure, tell us what he's like when you go out for an evening and we'll talk it through before you book. Leave the house the way he's used to it. Same bed, same crate if he uses one, same radio if it's usually on. Don't tidy the chewed blanket away for the sitter — it's his. Tell us about the garden. The gate that only latches if you lift it, the gap behind the shed, whether he can be left outside between visits or shouldn't be.