I've been lucky enough to have lived with pets my whole life--2 dogs and 2 cats at minimum. I'm experienced with aggressive dogs, older pups, special needs doggos, and pre-potty-trained puppies. With dogs, as with people, I love to communicate! It's a joy for me to teach dogs tricks and commands, or reinforce ones that are known. Even if a pooch doesn't have a big "vocabulary," it's still such a gift to communicate through affection. Also, I really enjoy figuring out a dog's particular needs. Care varies from one individual to the next, and I love the discovery process! In my company your pup can: go on invigorating jaunts on the bike path, leave pee-mails in the park, learn basic commands such as "heel" and "lay down," learn trick commands such as "high five" and "play dead," and socialize with other dogs (with dog-parent approval). I'm notoriously a pup-arazzi (forgive me the pun). It's fun for me to keep pup parents up to date and to show that their needs are being attended to. I also make every effort to be consistent with the training particular to each dog (i.e. Some dogs respond to "heel," others to "by my side," etc). In addition to dogs, I've always had the company of cats! I like to say that all cats must have been writers in their past lives, because they love to sprawl across my books, papers, and laptop. It's a good reminder to take a cuddle break! I've also looked after tadpoles and fish, and I tell you what -- I can serve up a mean fish flake. In my fanny pack are: small organic training treats, cute patterned poo bags, and a collapsible water bowl. I would love to have a brief check-in/meet-and-greet with you beforehand so that I can plan routes based on your pup's needs and personality.