Hi, I'm Danielle, and I'm going to tell you why I'm doing this and why you should feel really very safe and comfortable having me take care of your dog babies. I've had lots experience with dogs of all sizes, ages and breeds and I've found that I really do prefer dogs over people in many circumstances. I've had experience bottle feeding infant puppies, raising and training all ages, caring for elderly disabled dogs and have helped friends and family with check-ins, walks, sitting and anything else a pup in need might require. I've raised many of my own dogs as well as some of our family dogs. My life, as well as the lives of most of my family members and friends, has always included a pup. I am a "dog person" from a "dog family" through and through, and my world has never been complete without animals - dogs in particular. I believe that animals are incredible, magical creatures and that being with dogs is truly good for the soul. They do as much for my happiness as I do for theirs! I'm a stay at home mom, raising 2 beautiful boys, ages 7 and 10. They love to be with the dogs, cuddle them up, and help in any way they can, so it is extremely important that all of our furry guests are just as good with them. Being home for the majority of my time allows me to be a constant companion to your babes. I'm at home 85% of the time, give or take some walks or a trip to the store. This provides extra peace of mind that your animals are getting constant supervision and consistent love and affection. I live in a house with a good sized front and back yard, all enclosed by a tall redwood fence for extra security. There is lots of room to run and there are lots of other puppies of different ages to play with. I have 3 dogs of my own, plus a consistent flow of new friends to meet. However, if all that sounds a bit much, no worries, there is also the older, calmer crowd, who prefer to lounge on the cushions or in the soft grass and sleep the day away. This makes friendly, peaceful temperaments crucial in our puppy world. We also have a cat, Chicken. She is also very friendly with our own dogs, but like most cats, she stays away if it feels like too much, so its OK if one of our guests isn't quite acclimated to felines. Chicken will retreat to her room if she feels uncomfortable. While vacationing at my house, your dogs will have full access to outside as well as inside. My back door stays open with a curtain over the doorway, so that all the pups are free to take a potty break whenever they need to, in the fully enclosed backyard. They have the option to play outside (when I open the gate to the backyard, it opens up to the enclosed front yard for extra running space!) If its just too hot/cold to be outside, they can curl up inside on a couch or one of the fluffy doggy beds next to it. I do not crate unless requested, but if your pup is more comfortable that way, I do have a large crate we can use. Otherwise, its blankets, cushions and cuddling when it comes to bedtime! The sleeping arrangements are pretty relaxed, the dogs tend to pile up on couches, dog beds and more often than not, my bed :-) My house is pretty busy with kids and dogs and we do have our pack rules, but I do allow dogs on the couches. If this is a problem for you, please let me know and I'll make sure to reinforce that and any other rules you prefer keep their consistency. I also ask that you supply food, food bowl and leashes, but feel free to bring any other toys or blankets that may help with comfort or transition. Please keep in mind, any toys or beds our guests bring with them always run the risk of coming back damaged - there's a lot of traffic through here most days, so I ask that you please leave favorite toys or anything of value at home. I have plenty of toys, blankets and beds for everyone. One of my favorite parts is taking pictures of your pup's vacation here at my home. During their stay, I will provide 1-2 updates a day, through Rover, which will include pictures and stories/descriptions about their day so far. I am available anytime throughout the stay, so feel free to contact me with any special concerns or questions. Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!