“Dogs Bring Out the Best in Me:” Meet Rover Sitter Fabiana
Rover sitter Fabiana R. lives a dog lover’s dream in San Diego. For her and her “canine campers,” as she calls her dog clients, an average day includes balanced meals and treats, a trail hike or beach trip, and plenty of cuddles. Dog sitting keeps Fabi physically active and even helps with her mindfulness practice.
She says simply, “[Dogs] bring out the best in me.”
“Rover Provides Me with my Biggest Dream”
Fabi considers her client dogs as members of her family, saying, “Rover provides me with my biggest dream: to have more than 86 dogs!”
And it seems dogs love her back, based on her repeat customers and five-star reviews. Fabi remembers one pooch in particular who formed a strong bond while staying in her home. “He was very loyal to me,” she recalls, “and when his human came to pick him up, he did not want to leave.”
Her Secret to Success
Fabi credits her success to her philosophy of treating dogs like individuals. “I take every pooch’s unique personality into account,” Fabi says. “I’m very detailed oriented and love making EVERYONE feel happy.”
That includes dogs who are feeling under the weather, like a favorite client who needed supervision while recovering from an insect bite. The dog’s human had to work, but didn’t want to leave their sick pet home alone. Fabi spent all day hanging out with the dog, tracking his symptoms, and was ready to him to the vet at a moment’s notice if it seemed necessary.
Dogs as Mindfulness Practice
Fabiana is able to stay cool under pressure thanks to her practice of mindfulness and meditation. In fact, she’s currently studying to become a mindfulness instructor through the Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School. Her ability to remain present and calm is a huge asset to dog sitting, when challenges and even emergencies can arise at a moment’s notice.
Fabiana’s biggest tip for taking care of dogs is to “be yourself.” Dogs love you and the moment, no matter what. As Fabiana says, “they practice what I preach. Always in the present moment, no worries about the past or future.”
We love her advice.