I am a professional pet portrait artist (Pawblo Picasso), and I absolutely LOVE dogs! I haven't been able to commit to owning a dog yet (time and money), but my boyfriend and I have been dog-sitting through Rover for over a year and we couldn't be happier! I have the perfect job for having dogs around because I can bring the dogs with me to the studio to keep me company while I paint so I won't end up leaving them home all day. My boyfriend works from home a few days during the week as well, and I sometimes leave the dogs with him so they can hang out with him in our huge fenced-in backyard while he works. We enjoy cooking and hanging out in the backyard and allowing the dogs to get as much outside time as possible. I try to regularly go to local dog parks if that suits the dogs I am watching. We are very active and look forward to any opportunity to go on a long walk or even a hike with a four-legged friend. Between my boyfriend and I, our schedules are generally pretty flexible! Since we don't have any of our own dogs , we can offer a specialty service of hosting your dog on by his or herself. Because we would have to turn down other dogs for this time, we charge 50% extra for this. About Melissa: I am a professional painter with a specialization in pet portraits. I am VERY much an animal person. I've had dogs growing up but I haven't been able to have them in my house up until recently (landlord issues). I grew up in MA and went to school in Michigan and now I live in Medford. I am very active and love the excuse to go on a hike or a long walk with a 4-legged pal! I spend my days in the studio and would love to have some company while I paint! About Samir: Samir is a men's vintage clothing and antique dealer. Sadly, he didn't experience the joys of having dogs while growing up, but he is making up for lost time by hosting a variety of dogs through Rover. Samir is a huge animal lover and has been having a blast getting to learn about different breeds and temperaments.