In this edition of Short Tails, I want to reflect on our experience pet sitting in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. We were tasked with looking after one of the biggest dogs we have ever come up against.
Abraham – The Big Famous Dog of Phu Quoc
To avoid any confusion, it is pronounced Foo Kwock. It is a stunningly beautiful island to the south of Vietnam. It’s home to incredible scenery, amazing beaches, and a chilled way of life that can often be missing from Vietnam’s chaotic big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
We were lucky enough to be selected for an amazing house sit within a few minutes walk of the beach. It included taking care of 1 dog, Abraham, and 2 cats, Gold and Pink. We had very little contact with the host prior to arriving. He was a very chilled German ex-pat, happy to let us just get on with things.
We were sent a text with some info about the pets and where the house keys were. There were photos on the Trusted Housesitters profile, but they did not do justice to what we found inside. We arrived without a hitch and discovered that Abraham was one of the biggest dogs we had ever seen!
Meet Abraham
It had occurred to me that many dogs can be quite territorial about their homes. Most hosts like to have a handover so that the temporary carers can get to know the pets, and vice-versa. This was not the case in Phu Quoc! We tentatively opened the door to find Abraham, the big fluff ball, ecstatic to see new people!
Any intruders need only fear being licked to death as Abraham, despite his massive size, is one of the softest dogs you could ever hope to meet.
The First Walk
Phu Quoc is hot all year round, especially for a huge Husky Cross like Abraham. Subsequently, he was more than content to have an early morning walk, then chill in the nice air-conditioned apartment all day, and get out again once the sun had gone down. We ventured out with him that first night and learned what a local star he was.
We were staying in Sonasea, a small west coast part of Phu Quoc. It’s an area that is dominated by several massive resort-style hotels. As a result, many tourists are continuously coming and going around the local streets. Walking with Abraham was like walking with a celebrity, his big, beautiful, and majestic stride made people cross the street to come and see him. Or cross the street to get away from him!
This brings me to another thing that we have discovered while in Vietnam. Some Vietnamese people don’t like dogs, and will actively go out of their way to avoid them. However, being in such a transient tourist spot, Abraham had fans flocking to him.
Photo Shoots
Thankfully, given his obvious strength, Abraham was great on a lead and walked like a dream. He was also very friendly with all of his ‘fans’ and more than happy to pose for regular photos, which happened 3 to 4 times on every single walk!
People would halt their vehicles, get out of the sea to come and see him on the beach, and stop us in our tracks to talk and pet Abraham. I did however have to put an end to one photo shoot with a group of Vietnamese girls.
Now, I am aware this is not true of all young Vietnamese people but I’ve certainly witnessed it plenty of times. A quick photo opportunity turns into an elaborate supermodel-style photo shoot. This certain group of girls posed for 10 minutes straight with Abraham. It was madness, even he got sick of it and threw a diva celeb-style fit. ‘Tam Biet!’ (Goodbye!).
House Hierarchy
Abraham was only a puppy, just one year old when we took care of him in March 2024. He’s still growing! In his own home, he is the newest pet recruit and as such has a quirky dynamic with the two cats who must have wondered what the hell was going on when Abraham turned up.
In a strange rarity for a pet sit, we didn’t actually see one of the cats the entire time we were there, almost 3 weeks! When we questioned this with the pet parent he said, ‘Yeh, Pink is a bit weird, don’t worry she’ll just do her thing’. She was the easiest cat to look after, ever! Gold was a little more adventurous and held his own with Abraham, despite being a 20th his size.
It was funny watching Abraham trying to entice the tiny cat into a playtime only to be rebuffed by the brave kitty who believed in the pet hierarchy, ‘I was here first, I am your boss!‘. He could easily wind Abraham up into a tizz.
Conclusion
We love taking care of all dogs but big dogs have a special place in the hearts of Hannah and I. Having taken in my family’s Rotweiller for the final 4 years of his life we grew to love the special characteristics that big goofy dogs can have.
Abraham ticked that box perfectly and we miss him. For such a majestic beast, he had been trained well as a pup and had a comfortable and friendly aura about him that was enticing to the many people we passed on our daily walks.
Despite being a dog bred for much colder climbs, Abraham leads a charmed life. He loves the beach and goes swimming wherever and whenever he possibly can. He gets to meet new friends every day and avoids the harsh Phu Quoc heat in a nice cool apartment with two cats that he considers friends (even if they don’t feel the same!).
Up Next
We’ll be releasing new stories from our travels every single week. Hannah’s back in the hot seat for the next edition of Short Tails, click here to read all the previous episodes and click here to sign up to receive the new blogs weekly via email.
House Sitting Info
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