Hello, my name is Erika! Dogs have been in my life since I was first brought home from the hospital as a baby. I grew up with larger breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, medium breeds such as Brittany Spaniels, and additionally, small breeds such as the Dachshund. Throughout my life, personally and professionally, I have some across many breeds and different temperaments. My family, friends, and neighbors have also usually had dogs also. I tend to feel most comfortable and safe around dogs, which is why I’ve gravitated towards this field and have stayed in it for nearly two years. Beyond my comfortability with most dogs and animals, I thrive on the nomadic and sporadic nature of my job. ———————————————————— Breeds I have worked with 🐶: African Dog, Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo Dog, Australian Cattledog (Heelers), Australian Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brittany Spaniel, Cane Corso, Chihuahua, Chow Chow, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Coon Hound, Corgi, Dachshund, Doodles (Bernedoodle, Goldendoodle), English Bulldog, French Bulldog, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever/Cream Retriever, Great Dane, Greyhound, Italian Greyhound, Jack Russell Terrier, King Charles Spaniel, Korean Jindo, Labrador Retriever, Leonberger, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Mastiffs (French Mastiff, English Mastiff, Argentinian Mastiff), Mini Australian Shepherd, Norwegian Elkhound, Papillon, Pitbull, Poodle, Pomeranian, Rat Terrier, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky, Terrier breeds (Pitbulls, Yorkies, Rat Terriers, Boston Terriers, Jack Russells), Whippet, Wolfdogs, mutts of all kinds, and more. ———————————————————— I’ve worked in marketing, agriculture, the service industry, as a personal assistant, and this is by far my most satisfying job for me personally. I am an outdoors adventurer and nature lover, so I enjoy being active and jumping from job to job each day- it excites me and keeps me busy! I’m also very intrigued by the psychology of each pet that I visit. It is my job to figure out what they need in the moment and I enjoy that care aspect of my work very much. ———————————————————— I am currently completing my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology online at Oregon State University. I am from Illinois, lived in Portland (Oregon) for a bit, and then came back to Illinois during the pandemic. During my return home, I met a boyfriend, got engaged, bought a house, adopted a dog, and am now an independent business owner with my pet sitting business. I have been doing Rover professionally for almost 2 years now (Dec 2025), and have learned much more about dogs and behavior along the way. My future professional goals include being a licensed trauma therapist who specializes in healing modalities such as art, spending time in nature (eco therapy), and animal therapy. ———————————————————— How I fell into this career: Petsitting and pet care are things I fell in to because people around me have always needed help with their pets, whether that be family, friends, or acquaintances. ———————————————————— Professional experience: I have been doing Rover officially as a sitter since December 2025. It has been basically my full-time job ever since. I’ve worked with dogs who have extreme health issues (diabetes, blindness, deafness, epilepsy, terminal cancer, etc.), reactive dogs, overly-excited dogs, trained dogs, untrained dogs, housebroken and unhousebroken dogs, cats with extreme health issues, cats and dogs with behavioral issues, chemical imbalances, and even aggressive dogs (that is, if they aren’t trying to kill me). I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, hundreds of dogs and cats, and have picked up thousands of poops. I grew up going to obedience and training classes with my mom, and I have nearly 30 years experience of working and training my family dogs and my own personal pup now. I’m not easily intimated and am very observant when working with pets, especially reading their body language and the energy they are giving off. My vigilant nature makes me proud to say that no dogs have been lost, escaped, or injured during my nearly two nears of working with pets professionally. I can administer all types of medicines and am a calm presence for sick or nervous dogs especially. I also used to work and volunteer on farms with large and small animals. ———————————————————— Professional philosophy: When I started petsitting, my first official job was a dog with diabetes needing insulin shots. Her name was Pumpkin. She taught me that what is most important when sitting is a clean and calm environment, and an attention to detail also. With my client’s pets, I come in as a guide, not as solely a friend (although I’m always happy to reward good behavior), and do my best to create a calm and conducive environment for training, obedience, calm, and healthy sitter to pet relations. I reward good behavior with treats and affection, such as not pulling on walks, not jumping, waiting for permission to do things, sitting, doing tricks (when requested), and being calm. When dealing with dogs that misbehave, I have learned over the years that the best method is to ignore them while keeping an ear on them if you know what I mean. While I’m with your dog, I will work on reducing unwanted behaviors and increasing positive ones. It is the least I can do as a professional, and from my perspective, is the most ethical and healthy way to operate in this profession. ———————————————————— Common questions and concerns from clients: 1. How often will you be there?: If you booked a house-sitting, then my goal is to always be there every 2-5 hours. It all depends on how your animals are and how busy I am. I always leave gaps in my schedule for house-sittings and adjust my schedule if needed to suit your dogs needs. 2. Are you ever late?: I strive to be on time but sometimes things happen during the day, such as weather-related incidences, doggy or kitty accidents (sometimes it can be crazy), health issues that take longer to care for than usual, behavioral issues (such as dogs refusing to potty or go outside/inside), and of course traffic-related issues. For drop-ins, I always prioritize senior and medical care first, and then I prioritize ability to meet needs. For instance, if a dog hasn’t done potty and I’m supposed to see a cat with automatic feeding and litter, then I may go to the dog first and go to the cat later. That is just more ethical and humane, even if from your end it seems like I may be blowing you off, the odds are I am dealing with something or am triaging my time and resources in a way that makes sense. That being said, the well-being of your pet is always at my forefront, and I have a great track record of making important judgement calls. 3. Do you care about cameras in and outside the home?: No, as long as they aren’t in bathrooms or bedrooms and turned on, then I don’t have a problem and prefer cameras as they provide a digital record of my care and training methods, which makes us both feel more comfortable. Happy you means happy me! 4. Do you sleep overnight at my home for house-sittings?: Yes, I do! I tend to eat and get ready at my own home, but then I will head over and spend the night with your pup or kitty. Cuddling is always allowed! 5. How do you keep dogs safe on walks?: I am very aware of my surroundings and will go the other direction or cross the street every time. I typically don’t welcome approaches from other dogs as I find them an unnecessary liability. I’m there to work personally with your dog, not socialize them with strangers. I have mace on me in case we are ever approached by a strange, scary person. Luckily I haven’t had any issue with that. 6. What other services do you provide when you’re at my house?: I am happy to grab mail (if requested to me), clean up messes (yes, even the bad ones), feed fish, care for other small or exotic animals, water your plants (inside and out), and I always do a complimentary clean of the spaces that I used while in your space. 7. Do you stay the full 30-60 minutes for drop-ins and walks?: Yes, always… that is what you are paying for! Certain circumstances may warrant an early departure, such as someone being there early or the pet being visibly uncomfortable by my presence. Every situation is different and I will always communicate with you about those things individually. 8. Can you do short walks for drop-ins?: Yes, if you don’t want a full walk, then you can just choose a drop-in. Each walk for a drop-in is brief, less than 5-10 minutes. 9. How do you operate boarding dogs?: Every dog is different, so I always work with the pace and temperament of the dog that I am hosting. Ideally, your dog will be partially or full crate-trained so I can put them away to decompress if they are being naughty or are feeling a bit out of control. I’m around throughout the day, only leaving to take care of other jobs and small errands, and I return every few hours when I’m out. My fiancé is a lifelong dog owner, his family has poodle mixes and a Belgian Malinois, so he is very experienced with dogs and can assist in caring for your pet if needed (feeding, changing water, letting outside). We have a fenced yard with a hose and lots of toys, including a herding ball, so when the weather is nice, we spend time with your dog out back and tire them out that way so they can be relaxed throughout the day. 10. What happens if there is an emergency?: I will move everything around to accommodate your pet. Medical emergencies triumph every other job. Just leave your pet’s vet information and/or emergency contact and I will promptly get your pet to the vet and contact you, and your emergency contact. I have people who can help me out with small jobs if needed, saying I’m stuck in an animal hospital. 11. How do you clean up messes?: If I don’t have anything on me, I will resort to what you have on hand, but if the situation is more persistent with accidents, then I will bring my Bissel Green with your permission and some probiotic urine-dissolving solution. Cleaning is fun for me, especially seeing the before and after and knowing the difference I made, so rest assured I will clean up any mess and strive to leave your home a little cleaner than I found it. Of course, I will never go into other rooms or just clean your entire home! That is invasive, I just clean the areas I and the pets are in. ———————————————————- Pricing explained: I recently updated my rates due to being in high demand and the compliments I have received from my clients. I charge what I charge because I have always been able to get the job done efficiently, and I’m able to work with dogs of all temperaments and pasts. House-sittings are priced at $100 a night because of the expectations of clients and my level of experience. A normal drop-in for a dog is $20, and a house-sitting encompasses overnight care and multiple drop-ins a day. With house-sittings I clean, tend to the home, the garden, the mail, and will do a complimentary clean of any area that I used or lived in. ———————————————————— Client Red Flags 🚩: I have been doing pet care professionally for nearly two years, almost every single day since I started, and I have lost my naive angle about this business. This is a very high-pressure job that deals with home safety, material safety, and most important of all, your pet’s health and safety. There are always people who do not see value in what I do and try to take advantage of my good heart. Here are some red flags I look out for in clients: 1. Expecting 24/7 care and availability. I have clients who need help 7 days a week, so at this point, I don’t have days off unless I schedule them. I look for clients who respect my time, freedom, and autonomy. I don’t work with people who hassle me constantly about where I am. 2. Expecting an unpaid meet and greet out of my specified time requirements. If you reach out last minute, I may not be able to accommodate because I am in demand and need time to plan things. Also, meet and greets are timely, and expensive, so if you need one, you will need to pay to cover expenses (gas, travel time, time spot taken). 3. Treating me like “the help”. I’ve made more money in this profession than I have in any other profession I have worked in. I’m financially independent and don’t appreciate people treating me as if I have no other options. I do, I just prefer this career at this time, thank you! 4. Expecting perfection. So many people fixate on little details that are missed or overlooked when I am dealing with their aggressive, controlling, or anxious dogs. My goal when I get to a place is to make sure the pets are safe and taken are of. Sometimes my focus on your pet may lead me to neglect a small detail such as leaving a certain light on. We are all human and are imperfect, and I expect grace and mercy from people as I am putting myself at risk by driving to your home and being in an unknown place with a relatively unknown animal and environment. Unless I missed something major like a medical treatment (which has never happened on my watch), please be kind and understanding, this job is very draining physically and emotionally at times. 5. Black and white perspective: Life is harder lately, gas is up, groceries are up, and I do have to work more to compensate for those changes. I try not to make my prices exorbitantly expensive because I want my prices to be fair. Some clients come in with this all or nothing attitude, and I really don’t tend to work with people who are like that. Life is full of grey areas and spectrums, not just “this way or the highway”. 6. Not open to being flexible: I work 18 hour days, 24/7 when you include overnights, and I’m on the road for the majority of the day when I’m not at my jobs. Flexibility to some degree is a must for me and I do not work with rigid people who sit there and count the minutes obsessively. Some people become really creepy and dehumanizing around this issue and this is one of the main reasons why I contemplate leaving this field! If you’re flexible and help me have a calmer day, I will go out of my way to go a little above and beyond for you. Happy me, happy pets, happy you! 7. Not wanting to book due to cancellation fee: If you want to try holding off on booking as long as possible to avoid a cancellation fee, I will probably not work with you if there’s not a valid reason to wait. I book fast so I need to know what is going on in the future! 8. Leaving little to no notes: Please don’t do this. I work with a lot of people and different pets. My memory is great but I am not a robot. Please leave detailed notes to some degree, thank you! 9. Leaving the home a mess: I’m not a super clean freak but I would appreciate it if you left your home tidy in the areas where I will be working and hanging with your pets. This is for health and safety reasons. 10. Micromanaging and expectation of constant availability: I understand checking in on cameras, texting here and there, asking for an update or two throughout the day, but I will not work with clients who are extremely controlling. I will follow your rules and outlines the best to my ability but I am not a “thing” to be controlled, despite popular opinion in some spaces unfortunately. I’m a very independent person and appreciate time and space to reply if the matter is not urgent or life and death. ———————————————————— Client Green Flags 🍃: 1. Upfront and honest. 2. Organized. 3. Respectful of my time. 4. Explains pet’s needs, temperament, and routine. 5. Non-aggressive and non-threatening. 6. Pays for the services they need. 7. Available for contact as well. 8. Creates a safe and clean space for me and the pets. 9. Provides safety and health information. 10. Does not withhold important information regarding their pets. ———————————————————— If you want to book with me: Reach out and let me know if you would like to schedule a meet and greet. In-person meetings are now paid only due to being in high demand, so I request $20 for each meeting since I am using my time, car, and gas to come out to you. If you wish to avoid this fee and think your dog or cat will be fine, then we can either skip the meeting or do a virtual one. ———————————————————— Feel free to reach out with any other specific questions you may have. If I seem like a good fit for you, I look forward to hearing from you and your fur family!