House Sitter Wanted – How to Find a House Sitter

If you are one of the many home owners that has been the victim of burglary, or you are the owner of a pet with special needs (aren’t they all?), or you simply worry what will happen to your home and/or pet(s) in your absence, you know what it is like to be unable to completely relax and enjoy your hard earned holiday.

You may have arrived home to the aftermath of irresponsible relatives who were supposed to be taking care of your home in your absence and haven’t quite lived up to their end of the bargain. You could have forked out hundreds, if not thousands for pet boarding only to be unable to stop worrying about how they are the whole time, or for them to come back different pets, perhaps even with ticks or fleas (or worse).

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

I am one of the many people out there who are willing to make it their full time jobs to keep your home clean, love your pets (almost) as much as you do, make sure your home looks ‘lived in’ at all times, all this and more for (what I feel) is a small price to pay per day. I am willing to provide daily reports (email, sms, phone calls) about the kids with tails (or fins, or feathers, or scales), chat with your neighbours as if they were my own and forward your mail to wherever you happen to be living it up on the planet.

No longer do you need to lie awake in your hotel room fretting your skittish elderly cat isn’t coming in to eat at night, because you have chosen a cat lover with experience medicating cats due to having to do so with her own. Someone is there to make sure your dogs get their little jackets on if it starts to rain when out walking, because you have chosen someone who has had previous clients with similar needs.

“Who is this angels of mercy?” I hear you cry. “How do I get this wonderful person to come and take care of my wonderful home and precious pets while I am away?!”

With the advent of the internet making this world a whole lot smaller, you are now able to communicate via the magic of my website, facebook, twitter or email and get in touch with me to fulfill your needs.

When you use my day stay, overnight or live in house sitter services in return, I give you the opportunity to fully appreciate your holiday, join in that Conga line and fully enjoy yourself to the best of your abilities!

It is the least I can do !

Try this. Calculate how much you think it will cost you to pay each week if you were to hire a pet sitter to visit twice a day for 30mins or longer (or the fuel + time costs involved in having to transport your animals to boarding facilities or kennels). This can be quite expensive for multiple pet households! It is part of the territory for an experienced house sitter (like myself) to take care of everything and I am more than happy to do so. It becomes my full time job as your house sitter to take this weight off your mind and ensure the highest level of security, safety and wellbeing of your home and pets.

As a professional house sitter I have police clearances, my driver’s license available for inspection, a contract you must sign and references (available upon request) all ready to go so I can do what I am there for – to make sure you have absolute peace of mind. When I house sit I try to leave it as you left it (like I have not even been there!) and to love your precious pets in the way I want Marnie to be treated while I'm away. I owe you the peace of mind you seek. Without this, there would be no need for house sitters (like me) and with it the opportunity for great adventure (for you).

Each house sit has been a new and interesting episode in a way of life I would never have had the chance to experience! At the end of each house sit no-one really knows how to thank one another. The homeowner always feels like we have done them a great service and provided valuable peace of mind, I couldn’t be more thankful because I get to have my own mini-holiday and be surrounded by their wonderful pets.

So if you’ve ever had a bad experience that’s caused you to wake on your holiday in a cold sweat, have a furry kid that is a little mischievous (or precious to you) or you feel tied to the house in any way there is a shining light at the end of the tunnel! I'm available to house sit for 3 - 5 hours during the day, overnight or "live in" (24 hours) within South Brisbane, Gold Coast (yes all of the Gold Coast) and just "over the border" (Tweed region).

So don’t be afraid to leave home, get a house sitter. Your pets, plants, gardens and relatives will appreciate it!

Worldwide Internet Puppy Scams

Please contact me asap if you are aware of someone

fraudulently using Gold Coast Pet Sitting name and/or logo.

From Dogmovers

… the world wide web .. i.e., the internet .. provides potential pet owners with a wide variety of information as well as the chance to purchase a pet and/or adopt a pet.

… we recently have been made aware of off-shore based companies purporting to be affiliated with various Pet transport businesses including our own as either agents, or partners.

Dogmovers is based on the Gold Coast in Australia, We have only one office in Australia and are not involved with international transport of pets of any kind. We transport pets only within the states of NSW & QLD in Australia and we only transport pets by Road. Never by Air.

We have no partners or affiliates anywhere. We do work closely with several local pet transport businesses however it is normal for us to contact all parties directly by phone to finalise any arrangements concerning bookings with us. We do not usually finalise any details via email.

Additionally in most cases payment for our services is made directly to our driver at the point where he picks up or drops off your pet, In the event that a client chooses to pay via credit card or internet Banking the details are relayed directly from us by phone. We do not hold bank accounts outside of Australia.

At this point we are aware of instances of our name and logo being used in relation to scams in North America as well as the names ANIMAL MOVERS CO LTD & Animal movers pet carriers & Air animal pet movers being used in Australia. In all of the instances we are aware of the pets concerned were British bulldog pups, being given away. All monies requested were for transport or vet services prior to travel.

… the common business profile of the off-shore based company is to have you transfer several hundred dollars to their off-shore locations …. Once they “set the hook” into you with your initial deposit .. .. they come back with a sense of urgency …. indicating there are additional funds required to have veterinarians conduct “tests” before the pet is released to you … and then request generally an additional USD$150.00 …. As you review their e mails to you …always with a sense of urgency directed towards you .. the unsuspecting consumer … you will observe frequent errors in spelling and significant errors in sentence structure.

… another identifier of the off-shore based company is their reluctance to provide you with flight details, airline schedules, and air cargo air way bill tracking numbers … the off-shore based company will only provide you with information after you have wired them additional funds.

If you have any doubts check out the companies website. If they are using the name Dogmovers and after reading the above you are still not sure, call us on (07) 5530 2710 and don't pay the money.

The following is a copy from an email distributed recently which i believe is linked to the current scam (we received this twice)...

Hi,

I am looking to place a litter of 5 adorable bulldog puppies and also the parents, they belong to my late mother in law who I was really close to and she passed away unexpectedly, she is so much in love with the bulldog breed, that she breeds only once a year for the love of the breed. My husband and I recently moved to a new apartment where pets are not allowed. I want to find these lovely puppies and the adults a permanent loving and caring homes, if you are interested in having them, please contact me immediately.

Have a nice day.

Jessica

If you wish to report a scam you can contact the following Queensland links or locate similar organisations in your own state.

Queensland Police Computer Crime Investigation Unit

External email - cciu@bigpond.com.au
Telephone - 61 7 3364 6943 or 61 7 3364 4113
Facsimile - 61 7 3364 6549

Brisbane Office of Fair Trading
Email: BrisbaneOFT@dtftwid.qld.gov.au
Level 21, State Law Building, 50 Ann Street, Brisbane
GPO Box 3111, Brisbane, QLD, 4001
Facsimile: (07) 3246 1589

Nationally, Scamwatch is part of the ACCC

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/694011

If you have any other info that you think I should ad to the above let me know. I can be contacted by email at info@dogmovers.com.au

David Gallagher,

Dogmovers { SOURCE }

Potty Training a New Puppy

Written by: Sheena Diane

You just got a puppy and you are so excited, but now what? If you start training your puppy from the moment it comes home, then you can bypass a lot of bad behaviors. I feel the main problem dog owners face is when the puppy gets in the habit of going in the house. Once the habit is started, it makes house breaking more difficult. It is important to not let your puppy get into that habit. Below are nine ways that you can potty train your puppy.

Consistency – It’s essential to take your puppy out routinely. Keep it on a schedule so it can learn to hold it until the next potty break. If you can stay consistent with your routine then that is the first step. Puppies younger than four months may need at least twelve or fourteen potty breaks a day. Make a schedule and stick to it. Best times are first thing in the morning, after you puppy gets up from a nap, about five minutes after eating or drinking, and anytime you see the puppy sniffing the floor.

Words – Once the puppy is outside doing its business, repeat the same words each time. For example you can say “Go Potty” or “Potty time”. Saying this every time will teach them what those words mean, so later you can say “Go Potty” and they will know it’s time to go. You must remember to use the same words each time so the puppy will not get confused.

Play time – Remember that potty time is not play time, so once the puppy goes potty; you must bring it back inside right away. There is a time to play, and during bathroom breaks is not it. The puppy needs to learn the purpose of going outside, and that is to use the bathroom only.

Crate training – Everyone has a different opinion on crate training. However I have found that crate training has worked the best. Crates create a safe haven for dogs, and it taps into the natural instincts of keeping its den clean. Dogs do not like using the bathroom in there crate, so this is why crate training has proved to work. A crate is also seen as a safe, comforting place for your dog to come and relax. Once you take your dog outside, and it does not do its business, put it in the crate for thirty minutes, and try it again. Repeat until the puppy has gone potty outside.

Scents – Dogs rely on their scents of smell, so the best way to continue to have your dog go potty outside is by taking it to the same spot each time. Once it smells it’s urine from the last potty break, it will most likely go there again and again. This is why it’s so important to clean the accident areas in your house very good, or this could cause an issue with the puppy wanting to use the potty in the house instead of outside.

Make a schedule – First potty break should always be in the morning when the puppy wakes up. Having a new puppy is a round the clock reasonability and the puppy will need to learn your schedule. It is not reasonable to expect a puppy to hold its urine or feces until you get home from work, so you will have to work out a schedule that will work for you and your puppy both. Once you get a schedule that works, stick to it. Remember consistency is the key!

Signs – Learning what signs to look for, will help you know when your puppy needs to go out. Keep an eye on it at all times, and look for cues. Sniffing the carpet, circling, wiggling, or squatting are all sure signs that your puppy needs to be taken outside NOW!

Have patients – Every dog is different, just because your best friend potty trained her dog in a month, does not mean it will be the same for you. It could take you longer, or less time to house break your puppy. You cannot housebreak any dog over night, and you must be prepared to clean up some accidents. If you just stay persistent, then you can try to eliminate those accidents all together. Once your puppy does not have an accident in the house for one month, you can proudly say your pup is now potty trained.

Potty time – Once your puppy is potty trained, and learns to associate outside with potty, they will begin to show you when it’s time to go. Some dogs may stand by the door, waiting to be taken out. Others may bark at the door or leash. Some may even beg or whine. It’s your job to learn the signs that your dog needs to go out. Once you do, accidents should be few and far between.

REFERENCE: DOG FANCY MAGAZINE

Secrets To Dog Training

Know Your Pet's Health

Gold Coast

At YOUR Home

Pet Sitting / Minding

Dog Walking

House Sitting