After Mark and I finished our six-week house sit with Gunner and Beckwourth in Albuquerque last spring (you can read that post here), we never thought we’d be back. While spring isn’t great in New Mexico, circumstances did lure us in for another five weeks. As a repeat sit, the introduction to the tasks was brief and straightforward; the biggest difference a third adult Labrador, named Fitzpatrick.
The Dogs
Three big dogs are a handful. We easily spent three hours a day taking care of their basic needs – peeing, pooping, feeding, walking. This doesn’t include brushing, bathing, clipping nails, cleaning ears, or cuddling.
At 6am, Beck (9) and Fitz (2) get antsy. The owners are early risers. We, not so much. We pushed the inevitable off until about 6:30am, when I got up and took the three boys out in the back yard to do their business. Gunner (13) was still sleeping, so needed to get coaxed.
Time to get up, auntie Liesbet!
Next, I fed them – a mixture of dry and wet food, and an array of powders, vitamins, supplements, and medicines. I emptied and refilled all six water bowls. Then, we all retreated to our bedroom, where it was time to check emails and shower. Before our own breakfast, Mark and I walked the dogs around the block. Due to Gunner’s old age and slow progress, this 3/4-mile stroll consumed 30-45 minutes.
During the day, we made sure the boys had access to the yard, received the necessary love and attention, and Mark took the yellow labs out for a longer hike on the mesa, where Petroglyph National Monument is located. When the weather was nice, play time and rest on the grassy patch in the back yard was encouraged.
Around 5pm, the evening meal preparations started. Gunner, Beck, and Fitz gobbled up their dinner and we took them for a last walk along the same route as in the morning. They always received a treat upon arrival back home and before bed, when all business was taken care of again.
We picked up their poop immediately, which amounted to quite a lot over the span of a week. Extra cuddles appeared at night, the food bowls were washed, and other care usually happened during the weekends.
Snuggling in the living room
While Gunner has slowed down a lot, all three are sweethearts, with Beck and especially Fitz being trusted shadows. Better not back up unexpectedly or forget something in the kitchen, as tripping hazards persisted!
The House
We really like this house in Albuquerque. It’s roomy, has all the modern amenities, and sports a fantastic hot tub, a relatively lush yard, and a big TV for Mark to dive into all the Game of Thrones seasons. He wanted to be caught up, since he’d forgotten most of the story lines.
Yard work consisted of watering and fertilizing some plants (most are on a drip-system), sweeping the porches, maintenance of the hot tub, and mowing the grass a couple of times.
Mark mowing the grassy patch in the yard
We collected packages and mail, vacuumed to stay on top of the dog hair, wheeled out the trash weekly, and communicated with the owners every few days. I sent updates and photos via email and let them know if anything required special attention. Once a month, a fantastic cleaning lady turned the interior of the house spic and span.
The Weather
Spring is still spring in Albuquerque, which means lots of wind – with desert dust and tumbleweeds flying all over the place – fluctuating cool temperatures, and – this year anyway – more than average rainfall. In short: not our kind of weather. Again, we don’t think we will ever return.
Visit from Friends
Some of you might remember Duwan and Greg from our meet-up in Arizona a couple of months ago. We invited them to swing by the house at some point and they happily obliged. Cinco de Mayo weekend seemed perfect for our get-together.
We cooked and shared Mexican food and drinks, hung out, and went for a strenuous hike in the Sandia Mountains. While it was a beautiful, yet steep trail, I was recovering from the flu and ended up with a major headache again, dampening one of our evenings together.
The four of us had a fantastic time together and the dogs loved the extra company. The scariest moment for the humans was our encounter with a rattle snake. It was curled up within one foot of where we gazed over the valley. Nobody was startled or hurt, but all eyes focused on the snake slowly retreating into the bush. We never heard the rattle.
Rattle snake along the trail. Can you see its rattle?
The Convenience
A big advantage of any house sit – to us, van dwellers – is the actual staying in a sticks-and-bricks home, with its conveniences. Unlimited water, electricity, and internet are music to our ears after months on the road. We enjoyed every shower, the use of our own dishwasher and laundry facilities, and a comfortable bed in which one can sit up to read blogs or write a diary.
During these last five weeks, Mark finished outstanding van projects (and discovered new and repeat problems), we gave Zesty a thorough spring cleaning, and I completed my memoir.
Best feature(s): Modern kitchen and laundry facilities and the use of a car.
Best gadget(s): The state-of-the-art hot tub on the side porch and a water boiler (electric kettle) with a setting for green tea (we love being able to sip our tea from the moment the water is poured).
Comfortable and modern hot tub
Surprise(s): Having the cleaning lady come the day we left – this saved us a lot of time and effort to “leave the place the way we found it or better,” one of our mottos.
Downside(s): Miscommunications about one of the owners returning home for a few days, twice.
Full moon over Albuquerque, seen from the front porch – the house is located on the mesa above the city
Since this was a repeat house sit, we did not ask for a new review. Our previous review from the home owners can be found here.
We’re back in Zesty now for the foreseeable future, exploring more of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. More about that later!
Boondocking in Arizona – Cliff Dwellers rest stop
May 14, 2019 at 18:19
The pups are adorable, the foliage gorgeous and I completely get the comfort of a home-stay. Sounds like grand adventures await. Looking forward to the pics.
May 14, 2019 at 21:05
And pics you will receive. I’m not sure about you, but I take about 300 photos a week when on the road! I always manage to create more work for myself. 🙂 I think adding in a house sit here or there is the perfect break from the nomadic life!
May 14, 2019 at 18:28
Oh my! I love the names of the adorable dogs. Thanks for sharing your time in New Mexico. It looks like lots of great memories were made…book 2 maybe? 🙂 Be safe in your travels. I’ll look forward to your next stop, Liesbet.
May 14, 2019 at 21:08
Hi Jill! Thanks for continuing to follow along in our travels. You have no idea how much “material” I collected over the last decades. Uncountable stories, anecdotes, and mishaps. If I were to write books about all those adventures, I won’t be able to ever go on new adventures. 🙂 But, I do like your enthusiasm about my memoir writing!
May 15, 2019 at 03:00
🙂
May 14, 2019 at 18:44
We have completed a few housesits that had 3 dogs, not again. Too much and to be honest we found people with an over abundance of animals quite hard to deal with, as in anxious and other not so pleasant personality traits!! Yes Liesbet, my tolerance for “bullshit” is now very low 🙂
That wasn’t very good of them arriving home twice and not letting you know. On a more positive note the Labradors look very lovable.
I love your list of pros and cons which are great to read from an experienced housesitter. Safe and happy travels
May 14, 2019 at 21:14
Ha, Suzanne! I just love your comment! Your remark is pretty much on the ball and there’s nothing that pleases me more than reading honest statements when it comes to blogs. Especially since I had to take a step back from totally spewing my guts for my own sake. I have Mark as a “sensorer”. 🙂
Thanks for the travel wishes. We’ve been driving a lot the last two days, but are happy to be back in one of our favorite areas of the US! Enjoy the rest of your fall!
May 14, 2019 at 18:58
Love the pic of Fritz and Beck on the bed waking you up. They are so lucky that they completely adorable. We loved getting to meet them and Gunner and enjoyed hanging out with them despite the very very slow walks.
And, of course, we loved hanging out with you and Mark too! The house was very nice despite being so huge. We are so spoiled in the van to have everything at arm’s reach!
I hope we get another chance to cross paths. We are currently in Texas making our journey across the state back east. I hope your travels in Arizona and Utah go well.
May 14, 2019 at 21:18
It’s always nice to have a “doggie fix” while on the road. The boys were so glad to have more humans to love them and be around them. I’m pretty confident we will meet again. Heck, we already did, Saturday, and very unexpectedly. Too bad neither of us had extra time to travel together for another few days.
We picked up the packages back in ABQ and have been driving hundreds of miles since. Yep, spending heaps on fuel. It doesn’t help that prices went up a bunch. Enjoy Texas and Louisiana!
May 14, 2019 at 23:03
I love reading your pet sit reviews. I always wonder if other pet-sitters on similar sites are as conscientious as you and Mark!
May 17, 2019 at 08:56
I think it’s a mixed bag, Donna. But two sets of friends we recently made and who are house sitters as well, love animals (almost) as much as we do and they’re extremely responsible as well. But, we’ve heard reports (of home owners) about less positive experiences too.
May 15, 2019 at 00:59
So many great doggy pics! Especially the one sitting proudly in bed showing off his stuffed toy, the crossed paws and the black dog on his back.
May 17, 2019 at 08:59
It’s so funny when Beck crosses his paws. He almost looks regal, but is nothing but in real life. 🙂
May 15, 2019 at 05:56
Three huge dogs — bravo!
May 17, 2019 at 09:00
Thanks, Janet! They were a lot of work and kept us up at night. But, the love is always worth it. 🙂
May 15, 2019 at 06:23
Wow, Liesbet, there is significantly more to this “house sit” gig than I imagined.
There is very little “sitting” it seems, unless one is cuddling doggies!
May 17, 2019 at 09:01
And the cuddling is the best part! Thanks for your comment, Nancy. Some house sits are more work than others. This one is pretty high on the “maintenance list”.
May 15, 2019 at 06:34
Pass on the rattlesnake. Had an encounter with one of those when I lived in Arizona. My brother and I ran like hell.
Now you can appreciate how much time multiple big dogs take.
May 17, 2019 at 09:02
Haha, Alex! I can just see you run from the snake. How our reactions are so different… You try to get away and the first thing I want to do (after making sure my friends are safe) is take photos. 🙂
May 15, 2019 at 08:29
It sounds as if you had your hands full with these lovely dogs Liesbet and I am glad you and Mark were there for them 💜 I have mixed feelings when people leave elderly dogs for five weeks. They are slowing down and need their family around them in the autumn of their lives. Wishing you and Mark happy travels and looking forward to hearing about your new adventures 🙂💖 xxx
May 17, 2019 at 09:07
You’re right about elderly dogs, Xenia. Of course you know. 🙂 That’s why the owner wanted us – above anyone else – to come and pet sit. We know Gunner and he knows (and recognizes) us and she also knew we’d take good care of him and notice any behavior that was out of the ordinary, and do something about it. At his age, he sleeps a lot, but he needed a lot of encouragement to go for walks or get up and do his business. He still sees well, but his hearing is disappearing. Sometimes, he would bark out of the blue, which we could not explain. This was a new behavior. If we had a 13-year-old dog, we probably wouldn’t leave him, though.
May 15, 2019 at 09:51
I have a chocolate lab Max and we really enjoyed this post. He’s thriteen. But don’t tell him, he still acts like a puppy. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
May 17, 2019 at 09:08
Thirteen is an amazing age for a big dog. Fortunate for you – and him – Anna. Mark and I lost both ours to cancer before the age of ten. So fortunate about Max. And, his behavior is fantastic!
May 15, 2019 at 13:30
Hi Liesbet – The dogs look so cute. Thanks for sharing your time in New Mexico. I look forward to reading about your next adventure. Safe and happy travels!
May 17, 2019 at 09:10
Thanks, Natalie. The dogs offered us some pet time until the next encounters this weekend, at Best Friends. The coming days will be a different adventure, volunteering. Yet, massive bad weather is coming our way, so that might be an adventure as well. Living in a van during rain and storms is no fun… Not sure whether we will take doggies back to Zesty for a sleepover.
May 15, 2019 at 13:58
The dogs are adorable, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend that much time and effort on someone else’s pets, that’s for sure. I’m always amazed at the housesit ads that describe the incredible amounts of time required to take care of their pets. I love animals but, at least right now, at this point in my life, I relish being able to do what I want to do, when I want. You two are so good with the dogs (and homes) you take care of… I’m not surprised that you keep being invited back.
May 17, 2019 at 09:15
Hi Janis! Nope, this would NOT have been a good house sit for you and Paul. It was a lot of work and I’m grateful for Mark, who took care of a lot, especially the extra walks, yard and house care, so I could focus on my book. Our main reason to return was to find a stable place to work and take a break from the road. When you already have a house of yourselves, I – like you – would need to find different benefits from the sit, like the location or exciting activities in that area. Cats as pets are the way to go. Or, just house care, like our sits in Santa Fe, NM last year. Fun and easy!
As I get older, I find it increasingly difficult to combine what I want to do with what I (feel like I) need to do…
May 15, 2019 at 21:56
I’d say the pups and homeowners are extraordinarily lucky to have you come and stay. I can’t imagine too many people who could manage it. Sounds like a lot of benefits to staying there and bravo to the finishing of the memoir!
May 17, 2019 at 09:20
Oooh, Sue! Thank you for the lovely comment and sweet sentiments. I have to agree that few people would take a house sit assignment like this one on and/or succeed, especially after the stories the home owner told us. Yet, you are right again when mentioning the benefits to us as well. We’ve always seen house and pet sitting as a fantastic exchange of services and expertise. 🙂
May 17, 2019 at 07:20
Three “pups” equate, sort of, to taking care of triplets in baby-land. You have had a lovely house-sit with hot tub, maid service, and freedom to expand. You say this is a re-booking, so maybe you’ll be back again next year, if not before.
Thanks for this glimpse into a stop on your life on the road.
Safe travels! Happy writing, Liesbet!
May 17, 2019 at 09:23
Hi Marian!
Every house sit has its pros and cons. And, when living in a van, things that might be taken for granted by most people become luxuries to us, making a house sit more appealing once in a while.
We won’t be back in Albuquerque, though. We are not fond of the area and the weather, and plan to head east in a couple of weeks. Yet, I know from experience “Never say never!” 🙂
May 17, 2019 at 14:27
You write so well I felt like I was feeding, watering, walking and picking up the poop with you two! I know that one dog takes a lot of work and is certainly worth the time and effort in the love we receive back. But THREE dogs would be too much for me and my guy. Like you say – almost a full time job. The labs are adorable, for sure. I love the one who relaxes with one paw over the other. I’ve only been to Albuquerque once, on business, so didn’t get to really “know” the area. At least you can say you know it well now. Bet those dogs miss you and your loving attention.
May 19, 2019 at 09:57
You’re so kind, Pam! This was our second house sit with three dogs and still there were many differences between the households, making the ABQ one quite difficult. Mark and I used to have two dogs, which we found manageable (even on sailboats and in campers). Adding a third one really changes the dynamics and is – for some reason – more than a third of the extra work.
We know Albuquerque quite well and don’t really like it. We actually had to go back the day after our sit ended (a detour of three hours) and the dogs were very happy to see us again! I can tell you a story about the poop of three dogs, but I might wait until we meet in person one day. 🙂
May 20, 2019 at 05:13
Laughing. If we ever meet “in person,” I suppose the poop story will be the first thing we’ll talk about. 🙂
I also think the amount of dogs one enjoys in the family depends on the dog training. For Mother’s Day we all gathered in our daughter’s small, in-the-middle-of-construction house with 3 dogs – one Golden (hers) and her in-laws’ recently rescued Standard Poodle and their 10-year-old deaf Basset Hound. The dogs were delightful company!
May 20, 2019 at 21:59
A heart-warming dog and people gathering, Pam! And, amen to the dog training and raising comment! To be honest, that is one of the biggest factors of a successful house/dog sit for us! Well-behaved dogs can make instead of break a pet sitting experience for us.
May 17, 2019 at 18:28
Being a person who needs a house/dog sitter, I cannot explain how happy it makes me to read your time with the dogs, Liesbet! Your love of dogs is so evident, even if you do have to roll out of bed early to tend to their needs. There is so much peace of mind when you know someone will look after your furbabies and take care of the house.
May 19, 2019 at 10:00
Hi Terri! You’re on the other side of the house and pet sitting spectrum and I can totally understand how dog owners feel when their babies are being taken care of well while they’re away. Not having to worry about that is key! Communication, trust, and responsibility are so important here. And yes, we do really love and connect with dogs. So much so that we’ve chosen to spend twelve days with them at Best Friends in Utah. 🙂
May 17, 2019 at 20:23
Hi Liesbet, A repeat sit would be a win/win for everyone, including the dogs. This house sit looks like a lot of work. I am always curious how other people live. Your writing always pulls me into the story. A very fun and interesting read! Erica
May 19, 2019 at 10:03
Thanks, Erica. I’m always excited about new house sits, curious about discovering the home and the area that will be “ours” for a few weeks. Then, there are advantages of repeat house sits, where the instructions are brief, the dogs are happy to see us again, and we know how to get to the grocery store and where to find our staples. 🙂 And, yes, in this situation it was beneficial to all, since there was an elderly dog that needed special care and love, who knew us from last year.
May 18, 2019 at 04:56
What amazing dogs; they look absolutely adorable, Liesbet Albuquerque looks very flat. Another blogger I know and have been following since my early days of blogging is about to move there. I’d have been running and screaming with that rattle snake so close.
May 19, 2019 at 10:07
The dogs, while a handful (or three handfuls) are sweethearts, Hugh! And, I know which blogger you talk about. She moved to the city towards the end of our stay there, I heard. I would be curious as to why she wanted to move to Albuquerque, as we found it not too inspiring of a place – mostly suburbs and the weather is quite challenging most of the year.
I wish I could have taken a photo of the snake curled up, but that would have brought the lives of my friends in jeopardy. The funny thing is that – afterwards – they regretted me not taking a photo of the rattlesnake within a foot of their ankles. Yeah… I have weird friends. 🙂 They did thank me for spotting the deadly animal and coaxing them to a safe distance, though.
May 18, 2019 at 13:47
Seriously, Liesbet, you have the life. I realize house-sitting is a lot of work. It’s just like maintaining our own home. But oh to be able to sit up in a REAL bed, as in spacious and soft and lots of headroom. You’re right about amenities. For my family of seven, after camping for a month, we can’t wait to get home and spread out.
As always, I love your photos and enjoy reading your posts. All best to you!
May 19, 2019 at 10:10
It’s always nice to find a place of comfort after camping trips, isn’t it? Our van does a good job of being a home, but the space is extremely limited and the one “compromise” to having everything in 19ft is not being able to sit up in our bed.
Another nice thing about house sitting is that, once we spot a problem, we can call the professionals and let them do the job without US having to pay the bill. 🙂
Thanks for following along in our journey and adventures, Victoria!
May 20, 2019 at 01:26
HI Liesbet. Thanks for such an interesting read. We are relatively new to house sitting. Your post had several reminders for me. 1) the owners may return.. this has not happened to us as yet. 2) to know what type of weather an area is likely to have before you decide on applying for a house sit 3) Three large dogs need a lot of care. Thanks again for such an interesting read
May 20, 2019 at 19:20
Hi Estelle, and welcome! Thank you for reading, looking, and leaving a thoughtful comment. I’m glad you found this post useful, as we’ve discovered your three points through trial and error! We’ve done many sits and most of them have been straightforward and amazing.
1)Usually, owners communicate when they return and there are no surprises. This was the very first time where Mark and I were thrown off. I’ll leave the complete story for another time. 🙂
2) For three years (and I’m not kidding), we have attempted to be warm over the winter. We came close in San Diego (but no cigar, as the house was very old and chilled) last year, thinking we’d finally did it in the spring by choosing Albuquerque and Santa Fe – home run to summer, right? – but nope. While the forecasted temperatures looked doable, we failed to research wind conditions! Spring in New Mexico? Not a good idea. So, yes, after winter one of being cold in Northern California, we have checked average temperatures before applying for winter/spring sits. But that might not be enough. And, the climate has been extreme these years. I’m typing this from Southern Utah, where is snowed this morning and still freezes at night… the end of May!!
3)And, while this was our second sit with three dogs (the other one had a chilled greyhound and two smaller specimens), three BIG dogs does make a difference!
Enjoy all your sitting experiences. If you have any questions, please ask.
May 20, 2019 at 16:13
Happy trails Liesbet. Looking forward to learning where you head next. 🙂
May 21, 2019 at 16:40
Hi Debby! We will be here in Best Friends for another week and then it’s off again. East. Hopefully, we do get to hike some of the great trails in this area and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Once the weather improves! Doing two shifts a day doesn’t leave much room for rest, hiking, work, or internet-related pursuits!
June 5, 2019 at 11:06
We used to have two dogs, and that was manageable. But I think three dogs would be one too many.
Jude
June 6, 2019 at 14:29
I think you are correct, Jude. Three dogs would be one too many. We had two dogs in the past, which was great. Yet, I never realized just how much more work, attention, and effort is needed with that one extra addition.
June 9, 2019 at 03:26
Wow, dogs sound like a ton of work. I’ll stick to the kitties, me thinks.
The hot tub would be nice, though. Awkward about the owners returning unexpectedly.
June 10, 2019 at 12:08
Cats are waaaaaay easier to care for. Or, leave alone for the day. But, we truly love dogs. And, Mark is allergic to cats, otherwise, we’d do more cat sits as well!! BTW: most dogs are less of a handful than these Albuquerque ones, especially if it’s only one. 🙂