Two small elder pups and a newly remodeled home in walkable Long Beach, CA

About this assignment

We would love someone experienced with dog sitting and especially familiar with the needs of older dogs - which is mainly a need to sleep comfortably and not be overly stressed or exerted, especially in the heat.

If you can't do dates we're currently seeking, but are interested in house sitting for us at another time, please also feel free to reach out as we're open to planning our future travel around sitter travel to our area.

Thanks for looking!

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

Look after our home and two older dogs (8 and 12 lbs). They're sweet, silly, easy, and affectionate.

The dogs are house trained and you can let them go potty in the backyard, as long they're fully supervised when out there. They typically go out about 4 times a day and get two 20-30-minute walks.

In terms of other responsibilities around the house, mainly just bringing in the mail and taking out the trash and recycling when it's their day of the week. We might have some house plants or herbs that need watering.

We have a tenant in the unit that makes up the other side of the house. She's an elderly woman and has a caretaker who's there part of the week. She's quiet and very nice. You don't need to attend to anything on her side as she'll be able to contact us and we'll send maintenance out to her if needed.

What are the good features of the property and location

We're located right where three neighborhoods meet - North Alamitos Beach (home to Retro Row), Downtown's East Village Arts District, and Craftsman Village. With a 91% walk score there's easy access to numerous chain and specialty grocers, nearly any kind of food you could dream of, great bars and breweries, and less than a mile from the beach! Long Beach is also highly bikeable, or easy to get around on app-based electric scooters and ebikes like Bird or Wheels. Our home was recently renovated, so you will be staying in a fresh modern home with new appliances and amenities, including super quiet AC, dishwasher, laundry/dryer combo, instant pot. We also have a king sized-bed (although usually shared with the dogs), sectional sofa, chaise lounge, Roku TV with Netflix, and Hulu, smart locks, and a security system. Our side of the duplex is small (550 sqft) but we have a decent-sized backyard with a gazebo and lounge furniture.

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

The dogs cannot be left unattended outside, they need to be on leashes even at off-leash sites. They shouldn't regularly be left alone for more than 4 hours, and can't bear long excursions or very long walks in the heat.

We also can't allow other pets, and while we welcome couples, no children or guests would be allowed in the home during the sitting period without our permission.

We cannot offer parking, and street parking can be tricky depending on time of day, though we can give you tips if you're bringing a car. Depending on how we're traveling, we may be able to rent you use of a vehicle. There are several major bus routes on the block, we're not far from the metro A line, and a block from the free Circuit shuttle zone.

Although we love our home's proximity to several cool neighborhood amenities and we feel safe out and about at all times and like our neighbors, it's very much an urban area and I guarantee you will see homeless people, litter on sidewalks (and streets and in yards...), graffiti, mentally ill people, and people on drugs. If you're used to those things, they won't at all phase you. We have previously lived in "nice" neighborhoods in Hollywood and Seattle (Capitol Hill) and this area of Long Beach is very similar.

Keep in mind, the neighborhood, and Long Beach in general, is majority-minority in its racial/ethnic composition. If that makes you uncomfortable, then this would not be a good match for you.

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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