Sue, Steve & Toby - The travelling trio

Sue and Steve are a couple from country Victoria who were keen to make the most of their post-work life. Of course, when it came to the idea of travelling, leaving behind their beloved dog Toby was out of the question.

So, after doing a bit of research and speaking with friends who had previously house sat they thought, “We should give house sitting a go!”

Sue: We did some investigating and found Aussie House Sitters had the easiest website to navigate when you travel with your own pets. We travel with our 12yr old cross breed dog Toby, who is both blind and diabetic. He is totally house trained though and loves to play with other dogs. He hasn’t got a mean bone in his body and totally ignores cats, chooks, sheep, geese etc. In all honesty, we couldn’t leave him behind and have taken him to many house sits, so knowing that we could travel with Toby, I took the plunge and joined the site. 

On occasion, we’ve been asked to bring Toby along to a meet and greet with the homeowner’s pets before the actual house sit. Toby is so quiet and gentle I always know he’ll be well liked, in fact he just cruises on by. He doesn’t even get upset when the owner’s pets sleep on his bed. It’s been really easy to travel with him on our house sits as he is very well trained.

We’ve found house sitting a fabulous way to explore new parts of Australia. We have loved all the sits we’ve done and we haven’t had one where we didn’t have lots of cuddles and laughs. A huge benefit is that its allowed us to spend more time in one place than we would have previously. You get to really settle in, enjoy a place and obviously, it’s cheaper. Plus, you also meet really interesting people. We have always been respectful, responsible and caring house sitters as we love it when the owners ask you back!!! Many of the owners leave us nibbles, wine, chocolates and even dog biscuits for Toby. When it’s time to head on, I often leave a bunch of flowers and sometimes a cake or a meal if I know they are getting home late, as well as fresh milk and bread which I know will always be appreciated.   

Travelling with our dog has added another dimension to our adventures. If you know your dog is good with other animals and you plan a meet and greet first then I would say absolutely give it a go. Like always, be respectful that the homeowner’s pets are your main priority and you’re there for them and you should have no issues.

Our aim is to keep travelling and Sydney is next on our list. But really, there’s a whole world out there and all it costs is the sign-up fee and you can stay for free at a location that works for both you and the home owner.



In Sue’s own words, “Life is an adventure, start it now!”

Fancy following in the footsteps of Sue, Steve & Toby? Sign up for Aussie House Sitters today and create your own pet perfect adventure. If you’re already a member, check out the latest pet sits to kick start your travels.