Taking Care of Dogs.

I've always been one of those people who wanted a dog but never got to have one. Then my brother gave me the idea of taking care of other people's dogs. This has been a fun ride, so let me tell you about it.

My only experience taking care of dogs was with three dogs in a campsite. We were friends with the owners, so I sometimes got to clean them, take them for walks and, in general, give them much love. When I received the idea of doing it for a profit I instantly started checking for apps and I found two: Gudog and Rover. I created my profile with the little experience I had collected and started to wait.

At first not much happened. I was an unexperienced sitter and my only potential for competition was low prices. However some requests did come. Some didn't get through but I landed on three requests.

Pintxo

This was actually a dog that was being sit by my brother, but I happened to coincide at his home meanwhile. Pintxo was a very curious dachshund and loved by pretty much everyone we saw. He slept with me in the sofa while I was at his home and was very loving.

Layka and Oreo

These were my first actual dogs, the first a female and the second a male. They were both big and strong, so walking them did get me a bit buff. Layka was more chill. She walked slowly by my side and got tired pretty quickly, drinking lots of water every time she could. Oreo is best described as a hurricane. He always tried to get ahead of us, was not very nice to other dogs and didn't get tired ever.

Overall, great experience. I took care of them for about a week and made some profit.

Miki

Miki was an old small dog. About 16 years old. He had some problems walking and I suspect some kind of dementia. He had difficulty reaching for the food and left it all scrambled on the floor. He had some incontinence, so I had to put some diapers on him. Even then, he was a very energic dog. I would leave him to walk on the park and he would go in circles for a while. He was clearly a bit disoriented, but never got tired.

Some thoughts

I've got some more requests coming in soon. If you're interested you can check out this website , where I'm collecting some pictures of the dogs I take care of. It's a small project made using WordPress to test it out.

Petsitting is a great activity if you don't plan on going on vacation on summer. Not only can you make a quick buck but you also help other people who want to go on holiday but can't because of their pets. You must be aware that you are dealing with lives and loved ones, so please don't take it as a joke. Make sure you attend their needs and stay in contact with the owners.

Overall, my desire for a dog has vanished. While I love animals, they are daily work and a responsibility. I prefer to petsit, not only because of the economics of it but also because it gives me the best of both worlds.

03/08/2024