As a child we always had a minimum of one dog. I had daily responsibilities then to care for our animals. As an adult (42 years old now), I currently have three rescue fur babies! I fostered with Dachshund Rescue of St. Louis and found my first two dogs (lovingly called foster 'fails'!) and got my Cavalier (third dog) as a 7 week old rescue...now 3 years. I currently foster and volunteer with Cavalier Rescue USA to help other fur babies find their forever homes! My first foster with Cavalier Rescue USA was a 1.5 pound baby with a heart condition. She was not expected to live. Within the first two hours of having her, I took her to the emergency very with respiratory distress/infections. For the next four months I got her through a barrage of illnesses (upper respiratory, pneumonia, pulmonary edema) and watched her grow (slowly...but she grew!). When she was finally big enough, I took her for her heart surgery and then we watched her recover and experience life with a full functioning heart! She was adopted into a wonderful family in Michigan and is currently 12 pounds and thriving! Throughout the four months I had her, we administered multiple medicines multiple times a day (so administering medicine is easy for me to do). I was able to get her bell trained, learn a few simple commands while I had her as well as socialize her with my dogs, my sister's dogs (2 doors down). By the time she was adopted, you would never have known she had been so sick for so long. My second foster with Cavalier Rescue USA was deaf. I was able to use signs I know to help get him acclimated to his new world (that didn't involve a puppy mill). While I foster, I also maintain my own three dogs, a full time job and my children (youngest is 9 years). As a career, I am a behavior analyst for people with disabilities (primarily autism). I am able to train dogs by way of repetition and positive reinforcement and am friends with several dog trainers (so if I don't know how to train a particular skill, I have people to turn to)! I am very patient and treat all dogs as my own. I allow dogs on the furniture and in my bed! I have a big, fenced back yard where they can run and have a great time! There are lots of places for them to explore in our yard! I enjoy walking and bring most of my fur babies with me. I have always had a love for dogs! I will treat your dog(s) as if they were my own. I will love them and provide for them in any way!