As a child, I knew 5 dogs, 3 of which were shitzhu’s, 1 was a big dog who’s breed I still can’t figure out, and the other was a regular mut. All these pets gave me lots of knowledge on pet care and taught me many wise lessons, such as to never leave a ball that you value outside with a big playful dog. But it wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that I began to really take care of the dogs in my life. When my tia told me she was pregnant and could no longer have her big dog in her apartment, I immediately took up the offer to provide care for this beautiful hound. A year after having the growing dog running around our yard, we adopted a baby shitzhu and thankfully the two eventually grew to love each other’s company. I took up the habit of walking both dogs around my neighborhood every day. Walking with both dogs around a neighborhood full of other dogs with differing personalities definitely held its challenges but I’ve learned my lessons. I now feel I am ready to engage with dogs from different breeds and learn to manage new challenges. I no longer take care of my tia’s big hound dog, but I do still have my 3 year old shitzhu. He is friendly and has all his shots, but I will separate him from the other dogs if need be.