Dog Boarding Creston

“She was so great at watching our puppy! Her dogs showed our puppy how to ring bells to use the potty which was a huge help as we were potty training her. She sent pictures and updates of our puppy, and always answered the messages we sent! 10/10 I would have her watch our puppy again and recommend her personally to other puppy parents!”

Steven E.

About: I’ve been caring for dogs since I was young, and I now have over 18 years of hands-on experience with dogs of all sizes and personalities. Friends, neighbors, and family have always trusted me to walk, feed, bathe, and give their pets the same love and attention they would. I’m patient, responsible, and passionate about making every dog feel safe and happy. I work part-time, which gives me plenty of flexibility to care for pets throughout the week. I’m available on weekends and most weekdays after 2 PM for walks, drop-ins, or boarding. Also im at full time college student I live in a clean, pet-friendly apartment where animals can relax and feel safe. I follow each pet’s routine closely, provide lots of attention, and make sure they’re supervised at all times. I can also crate your dog if required.

About: I have years of experience caring for dogs from all ages puppy to senior. No two are the same. They are all beautiful in their own ways. I am very flexible and dependable. I have two dogs of my own. And have dog sit for strangers and family alike. Strangers are just friends we haven't met yet. I can offer an array of services from basic drop ins and walks, to feedings and overnight stays at my place or yours. I am flexible and willing to work with you to find the best option.

“This was the longest I've left my dogs and had no worries. Kimberly treated my dogs like they were her own with lots of love and attention, had great communication, and sent lots of pictures and updates. There's nothing better than picking up well cared for and happy dogs! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!”

Katherine B.

“Great communication from Ashley! I received pictures and videos and continual love from afar about my sweet boy. Huge yard and a great home for any doggie. Excited to have Bowie hosted there again, highly recommended! Great experience!”

Adam K.

About: I've taken care of pets since I was young. I've always had a dog growing up! After moving to Sycamore in 1998, I moved into a farm. We had almost every farm animal, as well as cats. I've had all of my dogs from puppies until the end. Come summer, I am free all the time! I work at the school district! Just weekends are softball. My oldest is on a traveling team! I will follow what is needed to be done with your pet! Treat your pet like my own fur baby. Always lots of love and treats (if that’s okay with the treats lol)

“Sam took excellent care of our 12 year old pup Ruby. As soon as we arrived I could tell Ruby would be in great hands as Sam is a really warm and kind person. They have a lovely home too. Sam sent lots of pictures during Ruby's stay, which was really appreciated. I have no doubt she was perfectly spoiled and treated like a princess! We will definitely be returning anytime we are out of town. Thank you Sam!!”

Eric G.

About: I have many years of cat and dog sitting including my own pets and friends and family as well some neighbors as well I love it I have open availability and love to spend time with pets at all times and would like to experience new adventures with some new pets I have a fenced yard and a spare room to keep them separated if necessary from my own pets we have small children that are good with animals

About: Hi there! My name is Stephanie and have ample experience and tons of love for dogs! We have rescued a few pups with varying personalities and support requirements from partial paralysis, fear-aggression and anxiety. I have experience in dog walking, boarding and administration of medications (our own pup takes meds daily). I do have a 2 year old toddler at home along with an 11-year-old dachshund mix so any boarding requests should take that into consideration and will be vetted accordingly! I do work from home so your love bug would get lots of attention !

About: I have a ton of experience pet sitting and checking in on pets throughout the day as well as dog walking. I also have a lot of experience working with senior aged animals. I am very confident in my skills and would love the opportunity to help out anyone who needs it. I am super flexible with hours and always available. I am currently on summer break from school so right now I have all the time in the world. Once September starts I will have to go back to school but I only have a few classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I would only be away from, the animals for two hours at most. Caring for pets in their home is my preferred way to do it because they are familiar with the environment. I have experience watching pets in all types of and different types of outdoor access. So even if there is no screened in fence, I am able to deal with that.

“We just want to say thank you to Molly she was really a great pick for our Australian Shepard named auggie he has separation anxiety really bad and Molly did all that she could to make him feel at home we are very thankful we found her to make our vacation a lot enjoyable knowing auggie was in good hands thanks Molly”

Herb V.

“We were fortunate to find Shannon. We have a somewhat special needs dog (Sandy) and didn’t think we could find an appropriate sitter. But Sandy quickly accepted Shannon and her two beautiful dogs, Lex and Captain Black. We were able to enjoy a worry free trip knowing Sandy was receiving excellent care. We highly recommend Shannon and will use her service in the future.”

Keith S.

“Nice home and kind family welcomed our little dog with pets, walks and treats. She seemed comfortable right away. Couldn’t ask for better. Thank you!”

Christine H.

“Omg Amy is the best! She was so caring for my puppy and I absolutely felt like he is at home. He was well taken care of. I really really love the way she paid attention to detail and also sent me pictures and videos from time to time. Will work with her again!”

Achint M.

“I can't believe how Angelina got my shy-with-everyone-but-me dog to cuddle up to her! She really is a dog whisperer! My two babies had a fantastic time with her and seemed to especially like the backyard for running and playing. I definitely recommend her!”

Hannah K.

“Stacy was great with Mustang! Sent lots of pictures. She responds very quickly if I have a question. I'll definitely have her Mustang again! Thank you Stacy!”

krista c.

About: Hello, my name is Erika! I’m a lifelong animal lover and a vegan of 10 years. Dogs have been in my life since I can remember, thanks to my mom and dad. I am currently a dog owner myself, to a lovely little fur ball Australian Shepherd named Mysti, and I also adopted a ball python (snake) from a family who could no longer care for him. ———————————————————— I grew up with larger breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, medium breeds like Brittany Spaniels, and additionally, small breeds, including Dachshunds. Additionally, throughout my life, I’ve had cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs, and a reptile. ———————————————————— When I was little, my mom took me with her to obedience, training, and puppy classes, which is why I am so confident and well-versed when it comes to having healthy control and a good read on dogs. As a fourth-year Psychology student, I benefit by having an educational background in behavior, conditioning, and biopsychology (how the body impacts the mind and vice versa). I use dog psychology every time I’m with a dog, and cat psychology every time I’m with a cat. ———————————————————— I also used to work and volunteer on farms with large and small animals, so I’m quite comfortable with giant and unpredictable animals overall. Beyond my comfortability with most dogs and animals, I thrive on the nomadic and sporadic nature of my job- every day is different! ———————————————————— Throughout my life, personally and professionally, I have come across many breeds and different temperaments. I can typically work with any breed. There has only been one dog I have encountered that was seriously aggressive, but that was a systematic issue that stemmed from trauma at a boarding center. Otherwise, I have a strong capability to connect with and gain a dog’s trust, even if it takes a few visits to build that foundation. ————————————————————Personal Qualities Relevant to Petsitting: 1. Intuitive. 2. Flexible/adaptable. 3. Knowledgeable and open to learning. 4. Calm under pressure. 5. Good at multi-tasking. 6. Physically capable of handling large and powerful breeds. 7. Good at reading body language and other non-verbal cues. 8. Tolerant nature overall, but not a pushover. 9. Empathic and compassionate. 10. Safety-oriented. ———————————————————— Breeds I have worked with 🐶: African Dogs (wide DNA range), Alaskan Malamutes, American Eskimo Dogs, Australian Cattledogs (Heelers - blue and red), Australian Shepherds, Basset Hounds, Beagle, Belgian Malinois, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Bichon Frises, Blood Hounds, Border Collies, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Brittany Spaniels, Cane Corsos, Chihuahuas, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Coon Hounds, Corgis, Dachshunds, Doodles (Bernedoodle, Goldendoodle, Labradoodle), English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, German Shepherd Dogs (white and black/tan shepherds), Golden Retrievers/Cream Retrievers, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees’, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Havanese, King Charles Spaniels, Korean Jindos, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, Lhasa Apsos, Malteses, Mastiffs (French Mastiff, English Mastiff, Argentinian Mastiff), Mini Australian Shepherds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Papillons, Poodles of all kinds, Pomeranians, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Rottweilers, Siberian Huskies, Terrier breeds (Pitbull Terriers (Staffordshire Terrier), Wheaton Terriers, Yorkies, Rat Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers), Whippets, Wolfdogs, mutts of all kinds, and more. ———————————————————— I’ve worked in marketing, agriculture, the food industry, as a personal assistant, and this is by far the most satisfying job for me, personally (so far). I am an outdoors adventurer and nature lover, so I enjoy being active and jumping from job to job each day- it excites me and keeps me busy! I’m also very intrigued by the psychology of each pet that I visit. It is my job to figure out what they need in the moment and I enjoy that care aspect of my work very much. ———————————————————— Some Personal Background: I am currently completing my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology online at Oregon State University. I am from Illinois originally (St. Charles North Graduate), lived in Portland (Oregon) for a bit, and then came back to Illinois during the pandemic. During my return home, I met a boyfriend, got engaged, bought a house, adopted a dog, and am now an independent business owner with my pet sitting business. I have been doing Rover professionally for almost 2 years now (Dec 2025), and have learned much more about dogs and behavior along the way. My future professional goals include being a licensed trauma therapist who specializes in healing modalities such as art, spending time in nature (eco therapy), and animal therapy. ———————————————————— How I fell into this career: Petsitting and pet care are things I fell in to because people around me have always needed help with their pets, whether that be family, friends, or acquaintances. ———————————————————— Professional experience: I have been doing Rover officially as a sitter since December 2025. It has been basically my full-time job ever since. I’ve worked with dogs who have extreme health issues (diabetes, blindness, deafness, epilepsy, terminal cancer, etc.), reactive dogs, overly-excited dogs, trained dogs, untrained dogs, housebroken and unhousebroken dogs, cats with extreme health issues, cats and dogs with behavioral issues, chemical imbalances, and even aggressive dogs. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, hundreds of dogs and cats, and have picked up thousands of poops 💩 ———————————————————— I’m not easily distracted and am very observant when working with pets, especially reading their body language and the energy they are giving. My vigilant nature makes me proud to say that no dogs have been lost, escaped, or injured during my nearly two nears of working with pets professionally. I can administer all types of medicines and am a calm presence for sick or nervous dogs especially. ———————————————————— Professional philosophy: When I started petsitting, my first official job was a dog needing insulin shots. Her name was Pumpkin. She taught me that what is most important when sitting is a clean, calm environment, and also an attention to detail. With my client’s pets, I come in as a guide, not as solely a friend, and do my best to create a calm and conducive environment for healthy sitter to pet interactions. This approach helps to take pressure off of your pet, helps them to see that I’m there to care for them (not be weird), and naturally they will open up more to me if I give them the space they need to assess me initially. This helps me to have control over the environment, and to gain trust quickly with timid or fearful dogs. ———————————————————— Common questions and concerns from clients: 1. *How often will you be there?*: If you booked a house-sitting, then my goal is to always be there every 2-5 hours. It all depends on how your animals are and how busy I am. I always leave gaps in my schedule for house-sittings and adjust my schedule if needed to suit your dogs needs. 2. *Are you ever late?*: I strive to be on time but sometimes things happen during the day, such as weather-related incidences, doggy or kitty accidents (sometimes it can be crazy), health issues that take longer to care for than usual, behavioral issues (such as dogs refusing to potty or go outside/inside), and of course traffic-related issues. For drop-ins, I always prioritize senior and medical care first, and then I prioritize ability to meet needs. For instance, if a dog hasn’t done potty and I’m supposed to see a cat with automatic feeding and litter, then I may go to the dog first and go to the cat later. That is just more ethical and humane, even if from your end it seems like I may be blowing you off, the odds are I am dealing with something or am triaging my time and resources in a way that makes sense. That being said, the well-being of your pet is always at my forefront, and I have a great track record of making important judgement calls. 3. *Do you care about cameras in and outside the home?*: No, as long as they aren’t in bathrooms or bedrooms and turned on, then I don’t have a problem and prefer cameras as they provide a digital record of my care and training methods, which makes us both feel more comfortable. Happy you means happy me! 4. *Do you sleep overnight at my home for house-sittings?*: Yes, I do! I tend to eat and get ready at my own home, but then I will head over and spend the night with your pet(s). 5. *How do you keep dogs safe on walks?*: I am very aware of my surroundings and will go the other direction or cross the street every time. I typically don’t welcome approaches from other dogs as I find them an unnecessary liability. I’m there to work personally with your dog, not socialize them with strangers. I have mace on me in case we are ever approached by a strange, scary person. Luckily I haven’t had any issue with that. 6. *What other services do you provide when you’re at my house?*: I am happy to grab mail (if requested to me), clean up messes (yes, even the bad ones), feed fish, care for other small or exotic animals, water your plants (inside and out), and I always do a complimentary clean of the spaces that I used while in your space. 7. *Do you stay the full 30-60 minutes for drop-ins and walks?* Yes, that is what you are paying for! Certain circumstances may warrant an early departure, such as someone being there early or the pet being visibly upset/uncomfortable by my presence. Every situation is different and I will always communicate with you about those things individually. 8. *Can you do short walks for drop-ins?*: Yes, if you don’t want a full walk, then you can just choose a drop-in. Each walk for a drop-in is brief, less than 5-10 minutes. 9. *How do you operate boarding dogs?*: Every dog is different, so I always work with the pace and temperament of the dog that I am hosting. Ideally, your dog will be partially or full crate-trained so I can put them away to decompress if they are being naughty or are feeling a bit out of control. I’m around throughout the day, only leaving to take care of other jobs and small errands, and I return every few hours when I’m out. My fiancé is a lifelong dog owner, his family has poodle mixes and a Belgian Malinois, so he is very experienced with dogs and can assist in caring for your pet if needed (feeding, changing water, letting outside). We have a fenced yard with a hose and lots of toys, including a herding ball, so when the weather is nice, we spend time with your dog out back and tire them out that way so they can be relaxed throughout the day. 10. *What happens if there is an emergency?*: I will move everything around to accommodate your pet. Medical emergencies triumph every other job. Just leave your pet’s vet information and/or emergency contact and I will promptly get your pet to the vet and contact you, and your emergency contact. I have people who can help me out with small jobs if needed, saying I’m stuck in an animal hospital. 11. *How do you clean up messes?*: If I don’t have anything on me, I will resort to what you have on hand, but if the situation is more persistent with accidents, then I will bring my Bissel Green with your permission and some probiotic urine-dissolving solution. Cleaning is fun for me, especially seeing the before and after and knowing the difference I made, so rest assured I will clean up any mess and strive to leave your home a little cleaner than I found it. Of course, I will never go into other rooms or just clean your entire home! That is invasive, I just clean the areas I and the pets are using for the time being. ———————————————————— Client Green Flags 🍃: 1. Upfront and honest. 2. Organized. 3. Respectful of my time. 4. Explains pet’s needs, temperament, and routine. 5. Non-aggressive and non-threatening. 6. Pays for the services they need. 7. Available for contact as well. 8. Creates a safe and clean space for me and the pets. 9. Provides safety and health information. 10. Does not withhold important information regarding their pets ———————————————————— Client Red Flags 🚩: I have been doing pet care professionally for nearly two years, almost every single day since I started, and I have lost my naive angle about this business. This is a very high-pressure job that deals with home safety, material safety, and most important of all, your pet’s health and safety. There are always people who do not see value in what I do and try to take advantage of my good heart. Here are some red flags I look out for in clients: 1. Expecting 24/7 care and availability. I have clients who need help 7 days a week, so at this point, I don’t have days off unless I schedule them. I look for clients who respect my time, freedom, and autonomy. I don’t work with people who hassle me constantly about where I am. 2. Expecting an unpaid meet and greet out of my specified time requirements. If you reach out last minute, I may not be able to accommodate because I am in demand and need time to plan things. Also, meet and greets are timely, and expensive, so if you need one, you will need to pay to cover expenses (gas, travel time, time spot taken). 3. Treating me like “the help” and not an independent businesswoman. 4. Expecting perfection. So many people fixate on little details that are missed or overlooked. My goal when I get to a place is to make sure the pets are safe and taken are of. Sometimes my focus on your pet may lead me to neglect a small detail such as leaving a certain light on. We are all human and are imperfect, and I expect grace and mercy from people as I am putting myself at risk by driving to your home and being in an unknown place with a relatively unknown animal and environment. Unless I missed something major like a medical treatment (which has never happened on my watch), please be kind and understanding, this job can be draining, physically and emotionally, at times. 5. Black and white perspective: Life is harder lately, gas is up, groceries are up, and I do have to work more to compensate for those changes. I try not to make my prices exorbitantly expensive because I want my prices to be fair. Some clients come in with this all or nothing attitude, and I really don’t tend to work with people who are like that. Life is full of grey areas and spectrums, not just “this way or the highway”. 6. Not open to being flexible: I sometimes work 18 hour days, 24/7, when you include overnights, and I’m on the road for the majority of the day when I’m not at my jobs. Flexibility to some degree is a must for me and I do not work with rigid people who sit there and count the minutes obsessively. Some people become really creepy and dehumanizing around this issue and this is one of the main reasons why I contemplate leaving this field! If you’re flexible and help me have a calmer day, I will go out of my way to go a little above and beyond for you. Happy me, happy pets, happy you! 7. Not wanting to book due to cancellation fee: If you want to try holding off on booking as long as possible to avoid a cancellation fee, I will probably not work with you if there’s not a valid reason to wait. I book fast so I need to know what is going on in the future! 8. Leaving little to no notes: Please don’t do this. I work with a lot of people and different pets. My memory is great but I am not a robot. Please leave detailed notes to some degree, thank you! 9. Leaving the home a mess: I’m not a super clean freak but I would appreciate it if you left your home tidy in the areas where I will be working and hanging with your pets. This is for health and safety reasons. 10. Micromanaging and expectation of constant availability: I understand checking in on cameras, texting here and there, asking for an update or two throughout the day, but I will not work with clients who are extremely controlling. I will follow your rules and outlines the best to my ability but I am not a “thing” to be controlled, despite popular opinion in some spaces unfortunately. I’m a very independent person and appreciate time and space to reply if the matter is not urgent or life and death. ———————————————————— If you want to book with me: Reach out and let me know if you would like to schedule a meeting. ———————————————————— Feel free to reach out with any other specific questions you may have. If I seem like a good fit for you, I look forward to hearing from you! ———————————————————— Disclaimer: Toxic, abusive, manipulative behavior, or excessive rudeness is not tolerated in my business. If you are not about mutual respect, then I don’t want to work with you! If we do end up working together and you demonstrate those characteristics, then I will abruptly end our professional relationship to protect myself and my peace. This type of business has no place for abuse, towards animals or people. ———————————————————— My Bad Experiences with Rover Clients: In case you were curious! 1. Expecting 24/7 care for less than $1 an hour. Extremely unsettling expectations. 2. Watching me on cameras obsessively, to the minute, and then berating me if I’m a minute late. 3. Leaving me with messes to clean. I’m all about cleanliness but I am not a maid. 4. Expecting me to be okay with bad behavior, even if it puts me at risk. 5. Being uninformed of guests and visitors while sitting a house. I don’t know you like that! 6. Creepy customers. Pretty self-explanatory. I’m here to watch your pets, nothing else! 7. Dealing with clients who are experiencing substance abuse issues. 8. Yelling at me for things that are out of my control. I’m a house-sitter, not God itself. 9. Clients that don’t read my messages and then accuse me of not doing things correctly. 10. Double-standards from clients. This is an equal relationship, that means that we both need to communicate, be honest, and be present with what is going on. Currently, my full-time job is working with pets and completing my degree. I do have some regulars around lunchtime, but other than that my schedule is generally open. In my spare time I garden, paint, draw, cook, walk my dog, and run another small business online. Trust: I’m someone who likes things straight forward and blunt- this makes it easier for us both to trust each other. I prefer transparency, and I will always be honest with you about what is going on with me and your pet. I back this up by being completely okay with being watched by home cameras, as long as they aren’t in private areas, and that I am informed. ———————————————————— Environment: Cleanliness, order, and structure are important to me when caring for pets, whether they be a dog who needs a walk, a cat who needs medicine, or a puppy who just needs to play. I am very mindful about the environment I am in, whether that be your home, your yard, or walking outside in the neighborhood. I typically centralize what I need in the workspace that I am assigned (kitchen, living room, bedroom), and will complete all essential tasks as described and then clean up after myself completely. I take pride in leaving an environment clean and leaving your personal belongings untouched, and making sure that your pet can’t get into anything dangerous, can’t get out, and is safe when they are with me and when they are alone in the house. I’m careful of poisonous substances, such as coffee grounds, items containing xylitol, and other poisonous items such as chemical cleaning agents. In regard to your home, I am diligent about keeping windows and doors locked when I am around and when I am out. Nothing scares me more than the thought of a loose pet or someone getting into a home while I am gone and will go to great lengths to make sure neither of those things happen on my watch. ———————————————————— Safety: I would like to think I’m pretty fun and cool, but I’m actually quite a stickler when it comes to safety. When walking especially, I will avoid people and dogs without a second thought because I don’t want your dog to either react negatively and get into a bad situation or end up getting attacked by a reactive/aggressive dog. I’m a quick walker, carry treats on me for emergencies, and am physically capable of picking up dogs up to about 80-100 pounds. Extra large dogs I am able to control by making them do a sit and holding their collar until they’re calm or non-resistant. If they do not sit, I will block them until they listen and relax. I use obedience basics to ensure a safe and trusting relationship with the pets I watch, whether or not we are on a walk. My method when a dog is acting naughty is to ignore them, take treats away, and if necessary I can crate them.

About: Hey my name is Cass. My parents loved animals! When I was younger, I grew up with several pets. Dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. you name it. I really enjoy being outside and being active. I love to walk to parks, bike, workout, and draw in my free time. I also like to explore different forest preserves in the area. I would love to play and care for your pet! If you have any questions or interests just shoot me a message, I would be more than happy to answer them. I hope to hear from you! Thank you so much and have a great day! :) I’m currently working part time so I have plenty of time to play with your pups! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I don’t have a fenced in yard but I love to be outside and would keep on a leash when going out. If your dog is more energetic and needs to run around, I have no issue blowing off some energy too and going to a fenced in dog park.

About: I have worked in vet med for almost 3 years now. I started work as a kennel technician and I am now currently a veterinary assistant. I have pet sat my family and friends pets throughout the years. My one pup at home is a special needs puppy so I have some special need care as well. My schedule has opened up recently and I would love the opportunity to be able to watch/care for pups. I am available in the afternoon/evenings on weekdays and I am free on the weekends as well. I have two very friendly dogs who could keep your furry friend company. I also have crates and play pens in home too for separation if needed.

About: From nose ears to little pads I know what's going on with my little guys being very big on doing things myself so that way I catch when things are not right with them. I currently my own Boss with my own schedule with some time and some flexibility to help out with other families that might need help Walkable access to parks and trails for opportunities for outdoor play and fun time. I've always been big on both supervised engaging play time 🤓