A J C.
Tucson, AZ
Dog, Cat, Exotic Lover, Very Active
Pet care experience
I've had cats, dogs, and reptiles since I was small and am acutely sensitive to their feelings. My whole life, I've been told, "Wow, I've never seen my dog/cat get comfortable with a new person this quickly!" Behavior and psychology are a couple of my special interests, and I love helping friends and loved ones train both puppies and rescue dogs through positive reinforcement. I've even done some cat training. ### LGBTQ+ friendly. For me personally, neutral pronouns are most affirming. ### I am quite strong and am very comfortable walking dogs that pull on a leash or might have other challenging behaviors. But I am also happy to run around with your pups in your yard if you'd prefer that. * Note * Please be respectful of my time by refraining from contacting multiple sitters at once if you're interested in my services. If the calendar shows that I am available, I am available, but understand that I do require a brief meet & greet before confirming most bookings - this is free of charge, but if your dog has unique support needs or has a difficult time with new people, I may ask to schedule 1-3 drop-in visits with you present before you go out of town. I take what I do very seriously and building trust with your furry loved one is important to me. :) * *
Reviews
AJ is the absolute best and I always know my animals are in great hands. I come home to happy furbabies and that’s all I can ever ask for!
AJ was dependable, , flexible, friendly and took excellent care of Kali. Love the fact that she always showed up when she said she would and provided an estimated arrival time. Also, AJ was responsive to my dog handling requests and was very sensitive to my dog's fear of everything. I appreciate her efforts!
We had a wonderful experience with AJ. We have two large pit bulls and we were worried about leaving them for almost two weeks as we’ve never been away that long. From the minute AJ came to the house to meet them, we immediately felt at ease. AJ is kind, thorough, and you could tell the dogs felt comfortable with them right away. AJ followed all of our instructions and sent thoughtful updates so we had nothing to worry about while we were away. The house was spotless when we got home and the dogs seemed to have made a friend for life. AJ’s communication was great and they were very accommodating. We will definitely use AJ in the future and highly recommend them to anyone worried about leaving their fur babies behind. They will be in excellent hands with AJ!
Amazing with the pets. Would love to book again in the future!!
About A J C.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
If I am house-sitting for you and have internet access, I will make your home my primary location. I am also comfortable administering medication and working with disabilities. I have taken 2 semesters of American Sign Language. Please know that I will not force your dog to do anything they don't want to do; any exceptions would include preventing them from getting injured and giving necessary medications. This does not mean I am afraid of your dog. It means I firmly believe that deep learning and growing can not happen in an environment where we feel unsafe - true for both dogs and humans. I am highly attuned to signs of distress and will honor your dog's boundaries. That said, I love positive re-enforcement and I've had a lot of success with anxious dogs making progress even during short stays. I'm happy to water a few plants, open/close the curtains, get the mail, and put the trash bins out as part of my stay. Lastly, I have recently expanded my service radius, so if you're outside of Tucson we will discuss a small adjustment to your rate to account for my travel time.
Information A J C. would like to know about your pet
What's your pup's play style? What communication words and tricks do they know? Is there anything you're working on with them? Should we avoid other dogs when out on walks or can they say hi? Also any medical needs are very important to know. How old were they when you adopted them, and from where? Have they had sitters before? I love all sizes of dogs, and generally harmless behavior challenges (such as jumping or barking a lot when excited) don't bother me, though I'd love to work with you if that's something you're looking to train them away from.
A typical day
I love talking long walks, rain or shine, going to dog parks if that's something your dog enjoys, and training both puppies and rescue dogs. Mentally stimulating indoor playtime is also very important. For a longer stay, I could take them to a hiking trail. My personal policy is that I will take your dog on 1-2 short walks each day (this is separate from just taking them out to go potty) as part of my stay. If I feel like taking a longer walk - which I often do - I will. But if you want to make sure they get a certain amount of walking time, we can add-on 30 or 60 minute walks and the rate for those would be less than if you booked walks only, since there's no extra travel time. I'm a student so of course I love sleeping in! I don't mind an earlier routine though; just let me know ahead of time what your dogs are used to. Also please let me know if I can use your kitchen and washer/dryer. :) I have a few food allergies so it's likely I won't be able to eat most things in your cupboards, but I can use shared cookware with no problem. If you have a special diet and would prefer that I don't bring certain foods into your home, or if you have separate milchig/fleishig dishes, it's not a problem for me to observe.
Services
A J can watch in your home
Availability
I'm an engineering student and have on-campus classes but a lot of of my work is done online, so I won't be gone for a 9 to 5 kind of job. Depending on your location, the day, and your dog's needs I might leave for 2-5 hours. Please let me know well in advance if you need to add extended stay hours during the day and I can adjust my schedule in a way that makes sense. I prioritize spending time with, and feeding, my cats every day so I'll be away from your home for a couple hours while I visit them, either while I'm out for class, or during a separate trip if need be. I also love bringing dogs with me if they'd enjoy the car ride. My kitties are shy around dogs and may hide, but might be friendly if your dog has good manners.
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About A J C.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
If I am house-sitting for you and have internet access, I will make your home my primary location. I am also comfortable administering medication and working with disabilities. I have taken 2 semesters of American Sign Language. Please know that I will not force your dog to do anything they don't want to do; any exceptions would include preventing them from getting injured and giving necessary medications. This does not mean I am afraid of your dog. It means I firmly believe that deep learning and growing can not happen in an environment where we feel unsafe - true for both dogs and humans. I am highly attuned to signs of distress and will honor your dog's boundaries. That said, I love positive re-enforcement and I've had a lot of success with anxious dogs making progress even during short stays. I'm happy to water a few plants, open/close the curtains, get the mail, and put the trash bins out as part of my stay. Lastly, I have recently expanded my service radius, so if you're outside of Tucson we will discuss a small adjustment to your rate to account for my travel time.
Information A J C. would like to know about your pet
What's your pup's play style? What communication words and tricks do they know? Is there anything you're working on with them? Should we avoid other dogs when out on walks or can they say hi? Also any medical needs are very important to know. How old were they when you adopted them, and from where? Have they had sitters before? I love all sizes of dogs, and generally harmless behavior challenges (such as jumping or barking a lot when excited) don't bother me, though I'd love to work with you if that's something you're looking to train them away from.
A typical day
I love talking long walks, rain or shine, going to dog parks if that's something your dog enjoys, and training both puppies and rescue dogs. Mentally stimulating indoor playtime is also very important. For a longer stay, I could take them to a hiking trail. My personal policy is that I will take your dog on 1-2 short walks each day (this is separate from just taking them out to go potty) as part of my stay. If I feel like taking a longer walk - which I often do - I will. But if you want to make sure they get a certain amount of walking time, we can add-on 30 or 60 minute walks and the rate for those would be less than if you booked walks only, since there's no extra travel time. I'm a student so of course I love sleeping in! I don't mind an earlier routine though; just let me know ahead of time what your dogs are used to. Also please let me know if I can use your kitchen and washer/dryer. :) I have a few food allergies so it's likely I won't be able to eat most things in your cupboards, but I can use shared cookware with no problem. If you have a special diet and would prefer that I don't bring certain foods into your home, or if you have separate milchig/fleishig dishes, it's not a problem for me to observe.
Location
Tucson, AZ
Pets
A J C.
Tucson, AZ