I cannot remember a time in my life when dogs were not around. As soon as I graduated college, I began volunteering with a no-kill shelter in Austin, Texas. Volunteering at the shelter quickly expanded to becoming a dog foster. At the time, I did not have dogs of my own, so I was the perfect candidate to foster long-stay dogs as well as dogs with behavior and medical issues. My first foster was a tiny puppy recovering from Parvo. It was one of the toughest and most rewarding dog experiences of my life! Fostering dogs with behavior issues gave me the opportunity to participate in several training courses and programs. One of those dogs even inspired a dog-empowerment non-profit organization (Dogs Out Loud) -- she was also the logo! After several years of working with this dog, she became my last foster dog...because we adopted her! We introduced another dog into our home a few years later and it was a constant work in progress (and training) to keep those two in each other's good graces. Both of those babes have since crossed the rainbow bridge. We currently foster through DFW Lab Rescue because we are not ready to adopt, but as mentioned above, I can't imagine a home with no dog. My journey with dogs has allowed me to meet a wide range of unique creatures with unique needs, giving me the confidence to handle all types of dog situations.