I love animals, and animals love me. I have two adopted animals with minds of their own! Rescues take more work, and my pets and I worked through it together. I have 16 years of pet ownership experience, 2.5 of that in a mixed pet (dog and cat) household. I have experience managing dogs that are less than perfectly behaved. I am particularly good at identifying when animals are signalling a need. My own dog loves to eat things, regardless of what they are. Walking your dog, I would be very attentive to what your dog is doing with its nose! I love to play with animals. My cat relishes in scampering around and chasing jingly balls and play with string. I will happily play with your scamper-butts, just like I do my own! I also have 3ish years of experience house-sitting for a family friend, whose cat loved to roam the neighborhood and pretend to be the neighbors cat! That cat's dog buddy was also very shy, but over time, came to trust me readily. All told, I'm very empathetic with animals, and I like getting to know them, paying attention to them, reading their signals and needs, and making sure their needs are met!