Responsible woman or couple required to care for friendly, energetic young dog (whippet/greyhound/staffie cross, labrador-sixed), 4 hens and organic vegetable garden.
The dog is 2 years old and is very sweet-natured. She finds it difficult to trust men and is not used to children, which is why we are looking for a woman or a couple where a woman is prepared to be the the main carer for her.
She is very sweet-natured and generally happy, and just wants to please. She has bursts of energy but generally sleeps a lot at home. She needs 2 walks a day of 30 to 45 minutes each, but won't be keen if it's wet. She is clean in the house, and can be left for about 4 hours once she has been exercised. We do ask that the sitter/s have experience of caring for energetic larger dogs as she does occasionally get too exuberant, requiring kind but firm correction. If you are interested in this sit I will give you further details.
The hens free range, and need to be let out in the morning and locked up at dusk. They can be put "half in" and left safely if you go out before dusk (bribed with a handful of corn) - eg if you go to the theatre in Stratford. Their care is straightforward, so don't worry if you don't have any experience of hens. They are laying about 2 eggs a day, so it helps if you like eggs! There is no cockerel, so no crowing at daybreak.
The vegetables may require daily watering depending on weather - please also harvest and eat vegetables to keep the plants producing!
The house is a 16th-century timber-framed cottage with medium/large garden.
We are in a small, friendly village with two pubs and one shop which is very close to the cottage. Th cottage is opposite the church and near the village green. It is 16 miles from Stratford upon Avon, and the river Avon flows through the village. There are many interesting walks in the immediate vicinity.