Come and visit a beautiful part of England, where Merlot and Shiraz have moved to from France!
United Kingdom, Dorchester, England
Pets
- Dog(s)
- Cat(s)
Merlot - French Spaniel currently 8 years old, and Shiraz the cat 9 years old.
Dates
- 30 Aug 2026 to 15 Sep 2026 (No sitters have applied for these dates yet. Be the first!)
About this assignment
We are looking for sitters who are reliable, friendly and able to look after our lively dog and cat and also our house. We live in a beautiful area of SW England near the Jurassic Coast and we hope you will enjoy exploring it. Having a car is recommended.
What responsibilities are required of the house sitter
House sitting and looking after our lively French spaniel and chartreuse cat.
There should not be any special gardening work, just watering of a few plants.
What are the good features of the property and location
Our house is in a lovely village with a great pub. It is only 20 mins from the beautiful Jurassic Coast and also has Dorchester only 8 mins away.
What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment
This is a house with stairs. Merlot and Shiraz can be left alone whilst you explore the area, but Merlot also loves beach walks and exploring the local towns and villages. A car is preferable
Can I bring my own pets?
No, sorry.
Last updated:
27 July 2026
Sitemap
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Testimonials
Best housesit ever
Wow, what a wonderful time with Merlot and Shiraz in a gorgeous house in a picturesque landscape. Everyday we started a new adventure with Merlot and enjoyed our walks with him running happyle around. Our accommodation was worth six out of five stars. We felt very comfortable and missed nothing. The hospitality of Sue and Charlie made the package complete. They made us very welcome from the our videochat in advance of the sit until we left. We enjoyed the evenings we spend together very much. There is no hesitation, we would be back for another housesit. All the best for the future for you all four. Ines & Roland
Ines, Germany, June 2025
Thank you for having us!
We had a wonderful time looking after Shiraz and Merlot in Sue and Charlie’s lovely home. Sue cooked a beautiful dinner the night before they left and Charlie poured rather a lot of very good wine! The pets are a delight and we loved chilling with them in the garden. We miss them terribly and would go back in a heartbeat.
Janie, United Kingdom, May 2025
Merlot & Shiraz in fabulous rural French farmhouse
How can I describe how lucky or blessed we were to be selected. Merlot, the dog was a delight - friendly, easy to care for and loving. (I actually shed a tear on saying goodbye after 3 and a bit weeks.) Shiraz was also a pleasure. She is not a lap cat, but, over time she did come and sit on my lap, occasionally at night. The farmhouse and gite are gorgeous!! Set in a French hamlet. Sue and Charlie are fantastic hosts - preparing a gorgeous meal for the first night and they go through all instructions and leave folders with any information you may need. They are also easily contactable. Before the sit, Sue would answer any questions I had. We would go back there in a heartbeat.
Karin, New Zealand, July 2024
Great petsit
Sue and Charlie made us welcome for our second assignment looking after their house and pets, Merlot the French Spaniel and Shiraz the cat, for the month of January 2024. We stayed for the whole month and looked after the pets, which was a delight especially Merlot who is the friendliest friend you can imagine and very well trained and behaved. Sue and Charlie have a lovely home which they generously shared, they made us welcome with food and drinks (Sue is a great cook) and they provided extensive written information. The weather was cold but the house was warm. We did have an issue with the house which we successfully managed, it was a one-off event which will not affect any future house sitters. When they returned from holiday we all went out for a meal and had lots of conversation, they are an interesting and friendly couple and we were very pleased to have had the opportunity to see them again and look after their pets. Merlot particularly is such fun and so rewarding to spend time with. Thank you Sue and Charlie!
Colin and Clare, United Kingdom, March 2024
House sit Charente
We are Keith and Marijke and we looked after Sue and Charlie’s beautiful home, gite and their two pets for over two weeks in September 2013. It was a fabulous experience in every aspect. We arrived the day before Sue and Charlie left to go on their trip and they showed us around the property and explained the routine. They welcomed us in the evening with a delicious home cooked meal. Their house is in the Charente Maritime in a small hamlet with walks starting at your doorsteps. We enjoyed taking Merlot on daily walks in the surrounding vineyards and corn fields. It was worthwhile getting up early to see the impressive sunrises and cloud formations. Merlot is a delightful happy, obedient, and faithful dog and it was a pleasure to see him runing around like a puppy – after all, he is only 8! Cat Shiraz is not a lap cat but after sussing us out a bit more she was not shy to ask for cuddles. Shiraz is very independent and tend to do her own thing. The Charente is a beautiful and interesting area and Sue and Charlie gave us plenty tips of places to visit and restaurants to eat. Their house is only a short drive from the Gironde Estuary with lots of little villages, harbours, beaches and towns such as Cognac and Royan. They are all worth a visit. We managed to see a fair bit of the area and took Merlot on several of our trips which was remarkably easy. He behaves excellent in the car and listens very well. We ate in a few restaurants, and even then, we were amazed and impressed how well-behaved Merlot is. Their house is lovely – part of it is a successful 4-star gite, where we stayed and both gite and house have separate outdoor areas – the gite even has its own bar! Although, we stayed in the gite, we got to use their living areas and kitchen as well and we were so lucky to be in the apple and fig season. The trees in their garden were full of fruit and we invited to pick. We can fully recommend housesitting for Sue and Charlie and hope to be able to visit again in the future.
Marijke, France, October 2023
Lovely pets, house and homeowners!
We've spend the entire October in Sue's and Charlie's house and had a fantastic time, that could not have been better! Sue and Charly invited us to come some days earlier to get to know them, their pets and their routines. They are both so friendly, courteous and hospitable people! Their pets Merlot (the dog) and Shiraz (the cat) are wonderful! Merlot is the funniest dog we've ever met and who we locked straight into our hearts. They are both quite uncomplicated pets and easy to care for. And not forgetting the amazing house, garden and surrounding! Sue and Charly have created their own paradise. We really hope to come back some day! 1000% recommendation!
Anna & Johannes, Germany, February 2023
Peace and Quiet
An absolutely beautiful house set in the countryside amongst the grapevines. Merlot loved his walks and took us down many country lanes. He was a very affectionate dog, but Shiraz the cat ruled the roost including Merlot. We have no hesitation in recommending Sue and Charlie to future house sitters, they are a beautiful down to earth couple. By the way, Sue is an excellent cook and made two Aussie girls feel very welcome.
Glenda, February 2023
Absolutely joyful stay in the Charente with Merlot and Shiraz (the pets!)
We had an amazing time at the beautiful Le Petit Saule of Sue and Charlie. Merlot and Shiraz were an absolute delight to be with, Merlot being a goofy big wimp and Shiraz being, well, a (lovely) cat! :D Sue and Charlie were really inviting and generally just great people to hang out with, get to know the area with, talk with about their lovely home etc. The gite part of the house in which we were staying was a stunning renovation completely up our alley combining original authentic elements with all the modern comforts. We felt pampered being here. Sue even provided with a lovely meal upon our arrival, which just goes to show what amazing hosts they are. We cannot recommend them enough and hope to see them again sometime!
Matthias, November 2021
Fabulous house sit in France
We had a fantastic house sit in France, looking after Sue and Charlie's house and their pets. The house was very very comfortable with plenty of room, good heating, and everything was wonderful. The gite area that was our bedroom had it's own living room, kitchen and bathroom, all were spotlessly clean and well equipped. Merlot (the dog) was quite a character, and was so easy to look after and take on walks through the vineyards. He was an absolute delight. Shiraz (the cat) was very affectionate and we enjoyed looking after her. The chicken gave us a fresh egg every day! We loved it at Sue and Charlie's home and would not hesitate to do another house sit for them in the future.
Karen, January 2020
Wonderful couple, great pets, very nice comfortable house
Sue and Charlie graciously welcomed us into their beautifully renovated farmhouse. Accommodating and friendly, they made us feel at ease immediately. They are very well organized and provided detailed information regarding their home and pets as well as clear verbal guidance to pave the way for all we needed for a successful stay. Always available by text or phone, we felt comfortable asking questions and providing updates easily. Merlot, their dog, is a very well trained 3-year-old French Spaniel with such a sweet personality and lots of energy. He is eager to be with you and loves going for his daily walk. Shiraz is demure and more independent and just as sweet in her quiet way.
BRUCE, February 2019
Amazing Housesit Opportunity!
I don't think we have met nicer, kinder people than Sue and Charlie. they allowed us to arrive a day early, showed us around the area and even made us a fabulous gourmet dinner before they left! The house is absolutely beautiful surrounded by farmland and vineyards. I felt like we were staying in a house out of a magazine! We cooked a lot in Sue's fully stocked kitchen and used their grill in the back garden. Sunsets here were fantastic and we were lucky enough to be there during a full moon! WoW! The best part of this housesit is Merlot (dog) and Shiraz (cat)!! I cant begin to explain how smart and funny this dog is. We loved spending time with him, even when he thinks he's a small lap dog and wants to curl up in your lap! The daily romps though the vineyards with Merlot felt like soemthing out of a movie! Shiraz is a beautiful cat who shows up every morning by jumping though the window! In the mornings, Merlot and Shiraz would lounge about the yard while we drank our coffee! It was idyllic! There are beautfil villages to explore in the area. And while its not far from Bordeaux we found we had plenty to see and do closer to home. There is a great local market about 30 minutes away in Royan that is not to be missed. We would HIGHLY recommed this housesit. We only wish we could have spent more time with Sue and Charlie! Hopefully our paths will cross again! Cheers! Simon & Michelle
simon, United States, December 2018
Maurice from Northern Ireland
I did a three week house sit for Sue and Charlie in June of 2017 looking after Merlot and Shiraz. I had my own ensuite room in a wing of the house which was in a quiet village in the Charente. The house was spotless and very well equipped. The boulangerie was just over a kilometre and a large supermarket about eight kilometres from the house. Merlot is a big friendly spaniel who enjoyed his daily walk in the vinyard and Shiraz, as cats tend to do, came and went as she pleased. Charlie and Sue were by no means demanding and were very appreciative of the little bits of work done around the house. One feature of the animal care I appreciated was the weighing of the food. I makes life so much simpler. I would have no hesitation returning to do another sit for Sue and Charlie.
Maurice, April 2018
Friends for life
We now know for sure we can never have enough of Merlot and Shiraz. No not the grapes (although there is nothing wrong with those either....) but the two heavenly characters that we were blessed meet and care for here. Beautiful happy-go-lucky Merlot, the sweetest big baby cuddle dog on the planet and the ever hungry queen of the castle Shiraz or Puss as we called her. In their normal day to day life Merlot and Shiraz care for the two humans that also inhabit their house, named Sue and Charlie. From day one of our arrival they made us feel as if we had known them for years. Such warm, kind and welcoming people. Ahead of every sit there is always a bit of excitement about what and who you will find upon arrival. Believe us, a Merlot, Shiraz, Sue and Charlie is what you hope for and in this case it is exactly what you will get! ;-) The gite we stayed in is perfect. It meets the highest standards for any stay, including a luxurious holiday. The house is absolutely stunning as are its surroundings. Situated in the beautiful countryside and only a stones throw away from the coast. It doesn't get much better. A long story short, it was perfect. We don't just recommend them but we'd urge you to go there! We will return there even if it is not for a sitting assignment. We'll just rent the gite. That's how good it is!
Dana, April 2018
Merlot and Shiraz in the Charente Maritime
We spent a month in January/February 2017 looking after Merlot the French Spaniel and Shiraz the cat at the home of Sue and Charlie. We were very comfortable there and everything concerning the house and pets was made clear to us. Sue and Charlie are a friendly and hospitable couple and made us very welcome. The house is situated a few minutes from the Gironde estuary and not far from Royan and the sea, so there is plenty to see and do. We would like to thank them for having us and hope we can return sometime in the future.
richard, March 2017