Justin & Stephanie W.
Justin & Stephanie W.
Contact for Boarding
from $45 per night
Highlights
Pet care experience
A Family, Not a Kennel 🩷
Welcome to Our Home! 🐾❤️ Hey! We’re Justin and Stephanie. We’ve always been a family that loves dogs, and over the last few years, having Rover dogs in our home has become something we genuinely look forward to. We love getting to know each dog, seeing their different personalities, and watching them go from “I’m not sure about this place” to acting like they live here. 😂 We know leaving your dog with someone else can be stressful. We’re dog owners too, so we understand the worry that comes with wondering if they’re eating, sleeping, getting enough attention, or just sitting around missing you. Our goal is to make your dog feel comfortable here and give you peace of mind while you’re away. A Little About Us ❤️ I’m Justin, and I’m a truck driver. I usually work Monday through Thursday from 6 AM to 4 PM and Fridays from 6 AM to noon. When I’m home, I’m pretty hands-on with the dogs. I feed them, let them outside, play with them, give them treats when they’re allowed, hang out with them, and of course give them plenty of attention and cuddles. My wife, Stephanie, works at a school nearby Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. She comes home during her lunch break, usually for about 30 minutes, to let everyone out, give them fresh water, play with them, and check on everyone before going back to work. Stephanie is also the one who handles most of the Rover communication. She takes a lot of the pictures, sends updates, answers messages, and keeps up with what’s going on with each dog. When she’s home, she’s right in the middle of everything too. Stephanie’s dad also lives with us and is home with the dogs during the day. He’s 80, uses a wheelchair, and absolutely loves having dogs around. He basically gets to hang out with them all day and has a way of becoming every dog’s best friend. 😂 You’ll probably see him in quite a few pictures with our Rover dogs. If he has to leave during the day, it’s usually only for about 30 minutes once a day. We also have three kids, ages 3, 6, and 8. Our youngest thinks every dog he sees is his new best friend. 😂 Our older two are really good about giving dogs their space, but if a dog comes looking for attention, they’re always happy to give it. Because our youngest has had one bad experience with a dog before, we’re careful about the dogs we bring into our home. We do require dogs to have some experience around children and to be comfortable around them. If your dog doesn’t have much experience with kids, just let us know. We may still be able to accommodate them, but they wouldn’t have free access to the whole house. We have baby gates that allow us to give them their own comfortable space in the living room where they can hang out on the couch or dog beds, watch TV, and still get plenty of attention while being separated from the kids. Our Dogs 🐶 We have two dogs of our own: Holly is our 2-year-old Bernedoodle. She loves other dogs and pretty much assumes every dog she meets wants to be her best friend. Shadow is our 10-year-old terrier mix. She’s much more laid-back and would usually rather nap than run around playing. Both of them are used to dogs coming and going. They’ve met all kinds of personalities over the years, and they’re pretty used to having new friends around. Our Home 🏡 We live in a bi-level home with a fully fenced backyard. Dogs have access to the upstairs areas of the house, and we have an upstairs bedroom that dogs are welcome to use if they want a quieter place to relax. We also allow dogs on the furniture, including the couches and bed. If your dog is used to sleeping on the couch or climbing into bed at home, we’re not going to make them suddenly sleep on the floor here. 😂 We want them to be comfortable. We’re also working on turning our sunroom into a dedicated dog lounge with dog beds and a comfortable place for our Rover guests to hang out. There are about six steps to get into our home through the front entrance and around ten steps down to the backyard. We have baby gates throughout the house when needed. One can be used to separate dogs in the living room, and another is at the top of the stairs so dogs can’t accidentally get out when someone is coming or going. Our backyard is completely fenced, and we always supervise dogs outside. We never leave dogs unattended in the yard. We also try not to crate dogs unless they are already comfortable with a crate and normally use one at home. We’d rather keep their normal routine as much as possible instead of making them do something completely different while they’re here. If your dog is allowed treats, we’re happy to spoil them a little with some of our favorites too. 🦴 What to Bring 🧳🐾 We try to keep this simple. The most important thing is their food. Please bring enough for the entire stay, plus a little extra if possible in case your plans change. We prefer to keep dogs on their normal food and feeding schedule while they’re here. You should also bring: * Collar and/or harness and leash * Dog bed, if they have one they really like * Crate, if they normally use one * Any medications or special-care items with instructions * Favorite toys or comfort items We have some extra dog beds here, so you don’t have to bring one unless your dog has a particular bed they love. We also have a few extra crates, but please ask us ahead of time if you’d like to use one of ours. We don’t keep the extra crates set up, so we just need some notice to make sure we have one that will work for your dog and get it cleaned and ready. Drop-Off & Helping Your Dog Settle In 🐾 For weekday drop-offs, whenever possible, we really like when dogs can come the evening before their stay starts. It gives them time to get comfortable in the house, meet everyone, check things out, meet our dogs, and settle in before we have to leave for work the next morning. We don’t love having a dog arrive for the first time right as we’re walking out the door for work. We’d rather give them some time with us first so they aren’t dropped somewhere new and then immediately left alone. Evening drop-off the night before is completely free for weekday bookings. We offer it because it makes things easier for us, but more importantly, we think it’s better for the dog. They get to spend the evening getting comfortable instead of having their first experience here be us leaving for work. Weekend drop-offs are completely flexible. If your booking starts on a Saturday or Sunday, we’re happy to work with whatever time is convenient for you. We know schedules don’t always work perfectly, so if you need a different weekday drop-off time, just let us know. We’re always happy to see what we can work out. Meet & Greets 🐶❤️ Meet & greets aren’t required, but we really like doing them when possible. We usually meet at Meadow Park Dog Park in Elkton, Maryland or Glasgow Dog Park in Glasgow, Delaware. We like meeting somewhere neutral because it gives everyone a chance to meet without immediately bringing another dog into our home. We can see how the dogs interact, let them get comfortable with each other, and make sure everyone seems like a good fit. At the end of the day, we just want to make sure your dog will be comfortable and safe here. Communication & Updates 📸 We know you want to know how your dog is doing while you’re away. We would too. We do our best to send pictures and an update every day so you can see what your dog is up to. We are also a busy family, and sometimes we get completely distracted because we’re outside playing with the dogs or just caught up in everything going on. 😂 If you haven’t heard from us, please just message us! We’re never annoyed by someone checking in, and we’re always happy to send pictures or give you an update. We want you to enjoy your time away without sitting there wondering how your dog is doing. Most Importantly ❤️ We really do love having dogs here. Over time, we’ve had all kinds of dogs stay with us. Some run through the door like they already live here. Some are nervous and need a little time. Some want to play all day, some want to sleep all day, and some want to follow you around everywhere. We’re okay with all of it. We try to figure out what each dog likes and let them settle in at their own pace. We want them to feel comfortable enough to relax and be themselves while they’re here. We take having someone’s dog in our care seriously. We make sure they’re safe, supervised, fed, given fresh water, and getting plenty of attention. At the end of the stay, our hope is that your dog feels like they came to visit family rather than being boarded somewhere. If you have any questions about us, our home, or how your dog’s stay would work, just send us a message. We’re always happy to talk! 🐶❤️
Cat care experience
Justin & Stephanie also care for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
They are amazing. Camilla had the best doggy vacation while I was on vacation. She had a ball.. I really appreciated the constant photo-op they gave Camilla. I found my new home away from home for my baby.. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you...
This was our second time leaving our dog Goose with Justin and Stephanie and it certainly wont be the last. Justin treats Goose as part of the family and is very hands on in keeping the dogs active daily, and Stephanie is very good with providing updates along with photos throughout the stay. Goose was very happy after his first stay and basically jumped out of the car to run inside when we dropped him off for his second stay.
Very good care of our puppy. Much appreciated.
Very happy with the care given our puppy and highly recommend .
Dewey is well taken care of and it means so much. I can’t imagine him staying with anyone else!
First time leaving my 1.5 year old Labrador with Justin and Stephanie. He had a great time and enjoyed playing with other dogs. Communication and flexibility was great. I would recommend them to anyone looking for dog sitters!
Calendar and availability
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Schedule
Between me, Stephanie, and her dad, there’s usually someone home at all times, so having dogs here fits pretty easily into our normal routine. They get regular potty breaks, fresh water, attention, playtime, and someone around to keep an eye on them. We’re able to work around different dogs and what they need. Some need to go out more often, some want to play, and some are perfectly happy finding a spot to sleep while we go about our day. We just try to keep them on a routine that works for them. We do have work and family schedules, so availability depends on the dates and how many dogs we already have staying with us. We try not to take more dogs than we can comfortably handle and give enough attention to. If you have dates in mind, just send us a message and we’ll let you know what we can do!
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
We take safety seriously, especially when someone is trusting us with their dog. Since dogs are part of our everyday life, we’re always keeping an eye on what’s going on and how everyone is getting along. We pay attention to each dog’s personality and how they’re handling everything around them. If a dog needs some space, a break from the other dogs, a quieter place to relax, or needs to be separated for feeding, we have the ability to do that. We also use baby gates throughout the house when needed and always supervise dogs when they’re outside. We don’t expect every dog to be comfortable with the same things, so we adjust as needed instead of forcing them into a situation they aren’t comfortable with. We try to keep their normal routines as much as possible, follow the instructions their owners leave for us, and make sure they have a safe and comfortable place to stay. At the end of the day, we treat every dog here the way we’d want someone to treat our own. We want you to feel comfortable leaving them with us and know they’re safe, cared for, and getting plenty of attention while you’re away.
Pets
A typical day
On a normal workday, I’m usually up around 5 AM. The dogs go outside around 6 AM and then get breakfast. Stephanie takes everyone outside again around 7 AM before she heads to work. While we’re at work, the dogs hang out with Steve. Stephanie comes home for lunch sometime between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM for about 30 minutes. She lets everyone outside, gives them lunch if they normally eat lunch, plays with them for a bit, makes sure they have fresh water, and then heads back to work. They hang out with Steve again until Stephanie gets home around 3:30 PM. She takes everyone back outside, and then they hang out inside until I usually get home around 5 PM. I’ll feed them dinner based on whatever time they normally eat at home, then take everyone back outside. After that, they pretty much get to do whatever they want. 😂 Some want to play, some want to hang out with us, and some just want to sleep on the couch all evening. We don’t make them follow some strict schedule while they’re here. We try to keep their normal routine from home as much as we can and let them sleep, relax, play, or hang out whenever they want. We usually take everyone outside again around 8–9 PM before bed. On weekends, we try to keep things pretty similar, but since we’re home more, they usually get extra outside time, more playtime, and more attention. They basically just hang out with us and become part of whatever we’re doing that day. The main thing is that we want their stay to feel as normal as possible. If they’re used to eating at a certain time, going outside often, or sleeping whenever they feel like it, we try to keep that routine instead of completely changing things while they’re here.