Find us on Insta here : Kayla+Leith = Aunty Keith’s House https://instagram.com/aunty.keiths
We live right beside Sydney park and know all the best spots (and shade for summer!). Our apartment building is extremely pet friendly and spacious (there's even a groomer and vet down stairs). We have two big, well enclosed covered balconies and a big washable beanbag chair your dog will love.
I am originally from Vancouver, Canada. I am doing a psychology PhD at University of Sydney and I teach online for the University of Adelaide entirely from home. I absolutely love the companionship of dogs so I decided to make it my side gig during my PhD.
My partner Leith is a computer programmer with golden retriever energy (hehe). Dogs love him and he loves dogs. He is WFH Mondays and Fridays.
I'm very happy to stick strictly to your dog's dietary and walking/training needs. I stick to on leash walking unless we’re both really comfortable with recall.
I like to take lots of pictures to send while sitting (mostly with my iphone but I sometimes pull out my pro camera or polaroid). If your dog is ok for a car ride, I love to walk around the dog beach near the airport.
I have started studying dog psychology and training on the side for fun - it's super interesting! I want to be able to communicate the best I can with your dog so I use lots of positive reinforcement - never negative. When we meet, I might seem like I'm ignoring your dog but I'm just letting them have a sniff of me on their own for a few minutes before I greet them.
I also do some basic walk/heel training, sitting and leaving the front door and name reinforcement so we can 'talk' a little better. I am by no means an official dog trainer! I'm just aspiring to have the best relationship I can with dogs.
I prefer to take bookings from people who anticipate needing a somewhat regular sitter. Hopefully both you and your dog will feel more comfortable about time apart if we're all familiar with each other.
What a booking with me looks like:
-Let's do a meet and greet at Sydney Park first to chat in person. Please note: I only take dogs who are up to date with their vaccines, house-trained and happy to be around other dogs
-I leave booking room for two dogs at a time, occasionally a third if they're one of my chilled out regular day-time only dogs
-My 'day' rate is for bookings under approx. 12 hrs and over-night rate is up to aprox. 24hrs
-After we confirm the booking, drop them off at my place on the booking day with their bed, favourite toys, treats and food (parking is pretty easy on my road).
-Throughout their stay, I'll send photo or video updates to keep you in the loop on how they're going at my place.
-Your dog has free access to anywhere in our home and we'll be doing walks at Sydney Park 3x/day. Your dog will also have access to a fake grass wee corner on our balcony
-For pick-up, I'm happy to be flexible, just keep me in the loop about your plans so I can work around them
Top features of my service:
✓ Large, secure unit directly bordering the extremely dog friendly Sydney Park and close to Sydney International Airport
✓ Lots of walking and fetch! I love to walk and jog and all dogs staying with me get at least three outings a day (in the shade and short in the heat)
✓Lots of positive reinforcement and basic training like name recall, sit/heel
✓ Right beside Southern Cross Vet Inner West
✓ Daily photos/videos during the stay
✓ Pick up/drop off services available if requested and agreed on (I have a SUV available at all times)
✓ Speak with me confidentially if you are experiencing significant financial hardship and/or an unsafe living situation
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