How long have you been a dog lover? Tell us about your history with dogs. Actually, I have been a dog lover for most of my life, because I come from a family of dog lovers. As a kid, my canine friends were the ultimate pets of choice across every family member’s household. My cousins had large breed dogs, like German Shepherds, as family pets. Therefore, you would never believe me when I say that, initially, I feared larger dogs as a kid. While I am no longer afraid of dogs, my fear all started with a scary backyard and suffering a bite from a large, vicious dog as a child. At that time, I thought all dogs were vicious. Later, I learned all dogs are not vicious, and that, like people, they mimic, or react, to the behaviors and emotions of others; acting sometimes out of fear, sadness, anxiety, happiness, etc. It took a while for me to realize that, if I am afraid, a dog can sense that fear. As a result, he or she will be on guard, or may feel the need to attack. Once I understood this about dogs, I thought the best way to get over my fear was to attack it head on by adding some canine friends to the family. Our first addition was Princess, my mom’s first love, and our second addition was Lucky, my first love. Currently, it is Mya, my furry daughter. These awesome friendly pooches are why, over the years, I began to see dogs as more than vicious animals or even as loyal companions, but as family and so I began treating them as such. Do you have reliable transportation in the event of an emergency? Currently, I do not possess my own vehicle, but I will have access to a vehicle from the hours of 4:30 pm until dawn; in the event of an emergency. However, during the hours outside this timeframe, I rely on the public transportation, Wayne Ellis Taxi service, or Uber/Lyft drivers who allow pet transportation. Are you comfortable administering medication? Yes, I am comfortable with administering medication. If you as the pet owner can please do all or a combination of the following: Leave a thorough bit of instructions (including the medication dosage, frequency, administering time(s), whether the meds are given with/without food, etc.). Provide a demonstration of how you administer the meds to your pet(s). Provide advice on any useful tips or tricks that you find work best for administering the medication more effectively. While I have experience with administering medication to animals, you know your pooch/kitty best, and any bit of knowledge is helpful. Why do you love dog sitting? I love dog-sitting, because under my care, the canines and I: ~Teach each other... -To overcome our fears/obstacles head-on (esp. after being bitten as a kid by a dog) -Patience -The Inappropriate and appropriate exchange of behavior(s) -When to be guarded, and when to be free/open -Impulse Control -Loyalty (building such a strong rapport with clients that they prefer no other sitters to me) ~Develop a strong family or pack-like bond(s), which I see as a family-like structure as close to home for me, as it can be for the dogs) ~Share a type of love one another, despite our differences ~Look forward to companionship About Me I have been a dog lover most of my life. I can’t say my entire life because I feared larger dogs as a kid. The reason was not because of their size, but their bite. Yes, I was attacked and bitten by a dog as a child. However, I soon broke out of that fear, considering I come from a family of dog lovers (esp. larger breeds). I learned that dogs, like people, react to certain behaviors. Often, the response of fear promotes a reaction of fear from the dog. This exchange of intense fear has the potential to cause either the person or the dog to be on guard or feel the need to attack. Anyways, I thought the best way to get over my fear was to attack it head on. For this reason, we added Princess to the family. Later, Lucky, and currently, Mya. Over the years, I began to see my loyal companions as family and treated them as such. Why should a client choose you to take care of their dog? Most pet parents want their fur baby cared for by a house sitter, a dog-walker, or any pet-friendly drop-in caretaker who possesses two or more good qualities such as being the following: -Reliable -Responsible -Genuine -Loving/Compassionate -Cheerful/friendly -Cautious/Careful -Flexible -A good leader/ excellent pack leader Etc. In addition to these qualities, they want someone with the appropriate experience/expertise and professionalism to sit, walk, or drop-in on their pooches. I believe I exude all of these characteristics and more. Besides caring for other family member’s pets and my own dogs over the years, I have also managed to put my heart and soul into dog sitting other pet parents’ dogs as if they were my own for 2+ years on a full-time schedule. As a result, I have built a strong rapport with my clients and their dogs, where they prefer no other sitter to me. My family, my dog, Mya and I, have solidified bonds so strong and loving that no matter how unruly or rambunctious each dog is we all still miss them and each little bothersome trait about them. SO, CHOOSE ME TO CARE FOR YOUR DOG, NOT DUE TO MY LAUNDRY LIST OF GOOD QUALITIES, BUT BECAUSE WITH ME, YOU KNOW YOUR DOG WILL BE DELIVERED THE BEST CARE!