Most dogs, at their core, are the same in terms of needs. But it's the in-bred personalities and human effects that are what make a dog the personality that it is. The owner will always know their dog(s) the best and are the most suitable for telling me about particular behaviors, tendencies, quirks, fears, complexes, and refusals. I believe my flexible attitude and calm, assertive energy allows for dogs to demonstrate their needs to me as well as heed any necessary instruction from me. If possible, I like to briefly meet the dogs first. But at a minimum, a good phone conversation with the owner about what to expect will suffice.

Activities can often be dictated by a dog's preferences, capabilities, & energy level. I am a firm believer on some sort of structured walk with all dogs no matter the size & age. But then I like to follow up a walk with an activity that fits the dog's personality (i.e. fetch for retriever breeds, tracking for hounds/terriers, pulling/hauling for working breeds, running for endurance breeds, etc.). Activity options can be discussed with owner. If approved by owner, my dog will be happy to join-in on walks for structured, safe, & supervised socialization.