*For health and safety of everyone involved I am booking one appointment per day, preferential to repeat homes so that there will be no in-person contact. For new families, we should discuss as much as possible through the app or video chat, but it is still a good idea to introduce me before hand to make sure your animals are comfortable with me. * My rates are high because I give peace of mind and lots of love to your animals. I respond fairly quickly to messages and am available to answer any questions or concerns you have. I am careful and respectful of your home, and spend most of my day keeping company with your animals. I've recently experienced high demand so I give previous clients preferred scheduling and I give undivided attention to one family at a time. My husband takes care of our dogs while I am caring for others. I've taken care of the family dogs since I was a little girl. My Grandfather was a dog trainer in the army and so when he retired he continued to teach pet owners on weekends and I was his apprentice for 7 years. Since I was born there was not a time I did not have at least one dog - many times even 3 large dogs at a time! I adopted 2 of my fur babies from the shelter I volunteered with in Georgia, then joined the first crew of foster homes when the program started at Oconee County Animal Shelter. I have experience handling dogs with behavioral issues and dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes. In my profile photos you will see some dogs I fostered and some dogs I was sitting in Georgia. My husband and I own a home in the Hickory Grove area of East Charlotte. Our backyard is bordered with a 4ft fence all the way around, and I do not leave dogs unattended outside. We have plenty of trees (and squirrels), sunny spots, grassy spots, and tennis balls - everything for a lovely weather day of playing outdoors. If your dog prefers long walks, we have a mostly quiet neighborhood with a little park trail within reach. If they don't mind, I find long brushing ceremonies relaxing, and I have a medium hair length furminator brush. There is always fresh clean water available and I usually feed 9am and 9pm unless otherwise requested. My standard potty schedule is before breakfast, late morning, early afternoon, early evening, and before bed (just 3 times if it's raining all day). If I have a geriatric dog then I'll probably keep it down to morning and evening unless they signal me to go out, and with a puppy I'll usually opt for every 2 hours. Please let me know if your dog has any fears (loud noises, stairs, etc.) and if they have any special needs. I am available to administer medication if necessary. I am not afraid of animals, but I am very cautious when first introducing myself until they become comfortable with me. I have 2 large adult males and 1 small young male, all of whom are neutered. I slowly introduce them one by one, in order of most submissive and playful so they get time one on one until each develop a comfortable familiarity. With unknown dogs I will leave them in an extra large crate (52"x45") when I am out of the house (no more than 3 hours at a time). However, once they become familiar or repeat visits and I see that they are well behaved I will not lock them in the crate and I will not leave things that are dangerous for them to swallow. I love to bake my own dog treats with natural ingredients such as sweet potatoes, carrots, apple sauce, and oatmeal! However, I will not give someone else's dog anything that was not provided by the owner unless otherwise specified (due to various allergies and stomach issues dogs may have). I try my best to make it gluten free and full of nutrition if that is a concern for you. Personally, I keep my dogs off of my furniture and bed for behavioral reasons, but I really love to cuddle on the couch and bed with pets. I will respect whatever the rules are in your home so as to meet their expectations.