Discovering how quality is more important than quantity (Dec. 2024)

In October, I was contacted by a lady who has 8 dogs. At first, when she asked me if I would do it, I honestly didn’t know if I could handle so many dogs. But I felt ready for a new challenge, so in November and December I went twice to stay with them for one week. It actually turned out to be easier than it has often been for me to stay with 2 or 3 dogs! They were very well-trained, they got immediately used to me being there, were never naughty, never fighting, never stealing each other’s food, etc. They had access to a huge fenced yard in the beautiful countryside of Andalusia, so I never needed to take them for walks, unless I wanted to. They were all rescue dogs, and as I have said before, you can just feel how thankful rescue dogs are compared to dogs that are not rescues, as they do not have this typically spoiled behavior, which I see so often when staying with other dogs. So, it turned out to be quite a relaxing job and a not too challenging after all. 

When remembering this experience, I can definitely say that it all depends on how well-educated the dogs are, and not on how many they are. This is also an important fact to keep in mind for any petsitter when accepting dogsitting offers. When they are many, they also entertain each other. And the bonus is that I receive 8 times more hugs and kisses!! 

After this, I went to stay by the beach with a pure-breed Spanish Water Dog with her charming “ponytail” on top of the head, named Jolly. We did some very long walks together, as this type of dog has a lot of energy and they are very playful. Some dogs eat much too fast and this can cause them digestive troubles, and with Jolly I learned an interesting way of feeding, that slows down the speed: She had her food spread all over the shower cabin! No bowl needed anymore. And no mess either; she surely would never leave any trace of food behind.    

For the Christmas and New Year’s vacations, I have been overwhelmed by all the demands for dogsitting. I choose to stay with my two favorite tiny Pomeranians in the city center of Malaga, Winnie and Ned. I walk them in a baby pram, as they cannot walk much (they are smaller than an average cat), which is so convenient because they can then come with me everywhere without me having to worry that someone would accidentally step on them. They are full of love and just want to be in my arms all the time. Isn’t it just a wonderful way to spend the festive season? However, their fur grows at the speed of light, so it’s a good thing that I travel with all my grooming equipment and that they are too small to protest much :) 

Thanks for following me, and keep on doing so next year for more of my amazing experiences as a nomad DOG-MUM. Wishing you a very happy New Year full of doghair everywhere!