I am a stay-at-home mom with a 12 year-old, an 8 year-old, and a 5 year-old who all love animals! I grew up with all kinds of animals, including several dogs, cats, hampsters, birds, fish, guinea pigs, rabbits, and more. We live in a very dog-friendly neighborhood. Our yard has a fenced area (about 4-ft high) for dogs to run about when the weather is appropriate, and there are a lot of places we can walk to as well. We also have a long tie-out that dogs can be put on inside the fenced area (if they are prone to try and jump the fence). Our town has an off-leash dog park too. We have an 8 year-old black lab mix (fixed female). She is typically a little "growly" towards new dogs initially (protective nature) but we keep her separate from dogs we watch until she calms down and we are sure she is going to behave nicely. Typically, she is friendly with the visiting dogs after a couple hours, if not sooner. I request that all dogs staying with us be current on vaccinations, and flea treatment. Our cat typically spends most of her time upstairs (where other pets aren't allowed), so if your dog doesn't get along well with cats, that is pretty easily avoided. We also have a finished basement where dogs can play, sleep, and lounge if the weather is is bad or very cold/hot.