We are looking for someone to look after our two dogs (a 13 year old springer spaniel and a 7 year old border collie cross) whilst living in our 5 bedroom house in Harborne, Birmingham. The dogs' care is our primary concern, although we would expect to find the house clean and the lawn mowed.
We will be going away for 7-10 days (happy to negotiate the duration of our stay with potential house sitters) in September, somewhere between the 1st and the 14th (again, this can be finalised with the house minder).
Our house sitter would be responsible for our dogs' emotional welfare (they are both very loving and tactile, and need kind, gentle carers), and for their physical well being. They both require at least a 30 minute walk a day (best walked separately for reasons I can explain in further communications). We have a very large lawned, fully enclosed and private garden, which is perfect for additional ball throwing sessions to tire out the collie.
The dogs are fed twice a day (full instructions will be given), and the spaniel receives medication twice a day (which he eagerly consumes, so it's not a problem).
In the event of any canine medical emergency, we would expect the dog minders to take the dog(s) to the vet (details provided). They are both in excellent health though, so we don't anticipate any medical problems.
The dogs can be left for around 4-5 hours without any problems.
Our dogs are full members of the family and allowed access to the whole house, they are not kennel dogs. So any potential sitter would have to be comfortable watching TV with a snoring spaniel at their feet. The dogs sleep downstairs though.
We are in a leafy suburb of Birmingham, within walking distance of the University of Birmingham and the Botanical Gardens. Frequent buses into the city centre (reachable in 10 minutes), and the main train station. We are only an hour from Oxford, 50 minutes from Stratford, 45 minutes from Upton upon Severn and the Malvern Hills etc. A great base for exploring the area.
We have a 6 bedroomed house (currently 3 of those rooms are set up as bedrooms, 2 doubles and 1 single). There is a large kitchen, a double-aspect dining room and a good sized lounge. We have freeview TV, satellite TV and wifi. Dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer available. Wooden flooring downstairs. Two bathrooms upstairs, one with a shower and one with a bathtub.
Garden is totally private and full of mature trees.
Pleasant small, authentic pub is opposite, as well as a church. Two golf courses nearby (in walking distance), as well as a large leisure centre with pool. Two supermarkets are within walking distance, as are banks, cafes, restaurants and pharmacies. The local park is a five minute stroll away.
This assignment is not suitable for couples with children, as one of the dogs is uncomfortable around kids.