Me and the Missus are going away for 5 weeks in October. Ideally, we would like our regular dog walker to stay in our home and look after our 2 small dogs while we are away, but this is looking doubtful.

I have been looking at commercial alternatives, obviously, its a little worrying having a stranger in your home for over a month.

Can anyone recommend a service or an individual?

We live in Berkshire.

Cheers
TBH

I know they're expensive, but I would recommend Animal Aunts, based in Surrey, as I worked for them for three years and know that there is plenty of back-up and support. I would not hesitate in using them if I could afford it.

If you have a friend with a dog who knows how to get along with your dog, I would say, ask a friend to take your dog in the time that you're gone. Otherwise, your dog may be more comfortable in your own home with a family member or trusted friend to occupy the house for you. In this way, your house is being watched too.

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Hi @thebrownhaze,

I know it's quite a while since you asked the question, but I just wanted to chime in with a few thoughts in case anyone else was in the same pickle or in case you yourself were facing it again.

1. The easiest option is to find a friend or family member to take care of your pet, as they'll usually do it for free. However, I guess if you're posting here, you will already have thought of that! This option is also much easier with cats and small animals - dogs need regular walking and not everyone is up for doing that.
2. There are traditional pet sitting agencies out there like Animal Aunts. These can be great for last-minute requirements, but they can also be very expensive, as mentioned. (They tend to add fees on for just about everything) You get what you pay for however, as these sitters usually come vetted, with experience and can do last minute house sits.
3. Another option would be to use a website like housecarers or trustedhousesitters. Here you will find a lot of people who will work for free (or quite little) in return for free accommodation.

An important point on this last one. Because obviously anyone can create a profile on one of these websites, it's important to be extra careful with your vetting. In some ways you actually have more control as with an agency you never get to meet the person beforehand.

I use websites like these quite frequently, however we've actually gone and created our own website (International Pet & House Sitters - The House Sitting Couple) to give potential clients more visibility. Hopefully you'll find that quite a few people will do that as well.

- If you have any more questions, feel free to drop us an email or forum message. More than happy to help!