I have had a dog for the past 5 years who I trained my self. I was given the responsibility of taking care of an amazing cancer surviving husky for weeks at a time while her parents had to travel through out the summer. Tina (husky) had a very specific routine that included 3 walks a day, 5 meals a day that included some kind of supplement, and of course to give her a bunch of extra love while her parents where gone. I was also given the challenge of training her to get ready to fly from NY to Spain. Once she saw she wasn't in charge, training an older dog actually went very smoothly! I also have a cat and have had one all my life. I know how to take care of both very well, together or separately.