My first dog was a Collie, when I was a child. I've owned dogs most of my adult life, all have been adopted. Most have been medium: 40 - 60 pounds, Shepherd, German Shepherd, Chow, etc mixes. Samoyed, We have recently cared for a friend's Cockapoo (if that's how it's spelled) in our home. I think he considers our place to be his second home. At present, I do drop-in care for a family of three dogs: A lab, a shepherd mix, and a small dog. The shepherd loves to play catch with tennis balls and has become quite skilled. I have trained her to drop the ball in front of me (most of the time). The lab ususlly prefers to just chew on a ball. All I prefer to work around noon, but might make special arrangements on some days. I'm an older man in good shape -- I work out regularly -- and have no trouble handling a large dog, although I can't run with them.