We don't deserve dogs...but that'll never stop me from trying to be worthy of them. I've been an animal lover all my life. I have volunteered at no-kill shelters, petitioned for animal rights and have crossed 3 lanes of traffic to attempt to rescue a stray dog on numerous occasions. My family and friends know to come to me or to refer me to anyone who needs a sitter. My philosophy of taking care of their children is to treat them with the exact same care and love as their parents bestow upon them. Sometimes it's bad enough for them that you are gone for 8 hours a day leaving them to wonder why you keep disappearing for long hours. I'm sure it's the same feeling even if you're gone for just 5 minutes! But to leave them with a complete stranger might leave them even more confused. By creating the same environment and feel that they are used to receiving leads to trust that they are in good hands. I have volunteered many times since I was 13 to watch a friends dog while they were away on vacation for a week. It's never a hesitation and it's never a bother. I've stayed at their homes as well, usually with my own pup by my side, so theirs aren't completely alone for 23 hours and only seeing a human twice a day. I have experience in giving medication, pills and shots. If they need to play fetch for an hour a day, no problem! It's important to keep up their routine and I make sure it happens. As much as the idea of boarding a pup is convenient, it sometimes isn't a comfortable environment for them. I've had parents tell me their pup comes home even more anxious than they were before boarding. Unless it's for safety reasons, I wouldn't want to be left in a kennel for more than a minute myself. I try to only take in 1 client at a time, no more than 2 pets per client in my home, depending on their size. I may have a repeat client in need of my services and if I feel both animals will get along, I might consider hosting them at the same time. I have doggy gates throughout the home if separation is needed. I would not allow the environment to be stressful for my pup or yours.