Would you believe that despite labelling myself as a ‘fashion blogger’, one of the topics that I’m most frequently asked about is actually my boys?! Well, I don’t blame you guys, I mean, look at them! It’s been a while since I updated you on the sweet boys here on the blog (keep an eye on my YouTube channel for weekly updates on them in my vlogs) so today, on National Dog Day (yup!!!) it’s all about Dexter and Dickens.
If you’re not familiar with my handsome hounds, let me first introduce you properly. Dexter and Dickens are two beautiful long haired miniature Dachshunds. Dexter is 3 years old, and Dickens almost two. While they pretend to be brothers, the boys are actually unrelated, and have totally different personalities! The beautiful black and tan chap is Dexter, he’s the ‘posh one’ – totally a snob when it comes to most things in life including his food, his mode of transport (we recently took him for a ride in the back of a Rolls Royce and Dexter refuses to ride any form of public transport now!) and even his clothing. Dickie (as we call him) is more happy-go-lucky. He copies everything his older ‘brother’ does, and he can’t bark very well, so instead he howls. He’s the most spectacular and unusual dapple colouring, with the softest pink tummy – although his light complexion makes him sensitive sun, so throughout the UK heatwave I spent half of my day moving him into the sun, despite his love of sunbathing.
Anyone who’s watched my vlogs or Instagram stories will know I’m bonkers about my boys. I sing songs to them, they each have their own ‘dog voices’ which I frequently impersonate, and when I’m not with them, I demand that their carer sends me regular photos and videos of them, including ‘close up’ shots of their little snouts or their paws, just so I can imagine kissing them! I told you I was bonkers.
One of my most frequently asked questions is actually about who cares for the precious boys while I’m away – even while writing this I’m half packed for our next trip to NYC in a few days – and thankfully, we have a pretty good solution to dog care. First port of call is always my mum. With two dogs herself, she loves to look after the boys – and she’s just under an hour drive away so it’s no problem at all to drop them off and pick them up again. Often though, it’s just a day that we need them to be cared for, and my new solution for this type of care is a god-send! Whether it’s a full day photo shoot or a day trip or overnight stay, sometimes you just need someone local who you can totally trust to either take them to their house, or pop around yours to keep them company; and this is why I’m so grateful to have discovered care.com. A trusted online platform that provides access to various services to those of us who need a helping hand with everyday things (as well as dog grooming / sitting / walking I’m also using their platform for household help like cleaning and ironing!!), it’s totally removed the stress of organising a friend or neighbour to pop in and check on the boys (pretty sure some of my friends have muted my whatsapp requests because of this!!) – and it couldn’t be easier to do.
According to research undertaken by Care.com, I’m far from alone in looking for help with the hounds, it’s herein London where we have the highest volume of dog sitters available for when people are away, or working, and a stat that surprised me is that it’s Sunderland that tops the ranks for the location with the most dog groomers and pet shops in the UK! Perhaps I need to organise a day trip to Sunderland!?
The process is easy, after signing up and letting the platform know your requirements, you’re suggested a selection of carers, shown their photo, their location, their bio, and even reviews and recommendations from those who have hired them. You can then reach out to the carer, and organise their first visit!
Charlie and I are also planning on taking the boys on more road trips this Summer, after we discovered how Dickens is secretly an excellent swimmer on a recent trip to Dorset (watch the vlog here!), we are eager to share more of our UK holidays with them, and even look into getting them both passports for abroad trips too! While we are gone, we can even enlist a carer from Care.com to house sit, and perform errands for us – if we wish! I for sure am looking forward to trying their various services out, I’d love to know if you’ve tried care.com before? Let me know!
Thanks to care.com for sponsoring todays blog post!
xoxo
