5.0

Hi there! I'm new to Rover but have ~15 years of experience caring for dogs, of all sizes - from Chihuahuas to Great Danes - and all ages - puppies, adults, and senior dogs. I also have ~4 years of experience caring for cats, and I'm very comfortable with social and generally easygoing cats! (I'm not yet experienced with cats who can be more aggressive when wary of new people.) My primary focus is housesitting (with some availability for drop-in visits), and my goal is to provide high-quality care that makes your pets feel more like their Aunt Liz came for a fun visit, not that there's a stranger in their house keeping them alive while their humans are gone. Your pets are my main focus while housesitting, not just a side gig! I'm most comfortable with dogs up to ~100 pounds (though I have housesat a well-trained Great Dane without issue), and my own dogs have ranged from 40 to 80 pounds. I'm very comfortable with having 2-3 dogs in my care, and I even once housesat with 5 dogs. I've both raised a puppy (featured in my profile picture - he often seems to think he still weighs 10 pounds!) and cared for a dog into her senior years until she passed from leukemia (featured in the sunflower field pictures). I've gained a lot of dog training knowledge and experience while training my own dogs and puppy. I follow a positive reinforcement model, and I'm able to balance showering pets with love while still expecting respectful behavior. I'd be happy to informally practice some basic commands with your dog(s) while housesitting! 🐾 My standard (non-puppy) housesitting rate generally includes the following, with plenty of flexibility for customization: 🐾 - 2 meals a day, typically morning and evening - Meal-time oral medications or supplements (ex. food topper or pill pocket) - 2 ~30 minute walks a day, typically morning and evening - Regular updates and photos, typically ~2 times per day and centered around meal times and/or walks (let me know if there’s anything you’re concerned about or would like specific updates about!) - Spending most of my time at your home (no 9-5 office job), with play time, potty breaks, and lots of pets and snuggles throughout - Outings typically less than 4-5 hours (errands, gym time, social plans, etc.), with occasional outings up to 6-8 hours (depending on your pet's needs - usually on the weekend) - Sleeping at your home overnight (well-behaved pets are welcome to sleep in bed with me if they prefer to!) - Other light house duties as requested, such as getting the mail, watering plants, feeding fish, rolling bins to/from the curb, etc. - Cleaning up after myself before departure, including washing dishes, wiping down counters, taking out the trash/recycling, and other light housekeeping if requested 🐾 For puppies, my base rate is higher to accommodate: 🐾 - Shorter outings / more frequent potty breaks - Even more play time and enrichment activities - Cleaning up probable indoor accidents while your puppy is still working on potty training - Pups still working on basic training commands + lots of reinforcement and praise 🐾 For all pets, additional charges may apply for: 🐾 - “Early morning” add-on charge for housesitting arrivals/departures or drop-in visits before ~9 am - “Early morning” increase to daily housesitting rate for pet care duties before ~8/9 am - “Short notice” add-on charge for requests made within ~48 hours of the start time - “Additional dog”/“additional cat” rate may be higher if the additional pet has significantly different care needs than the other pet(s) of their same species - “Additional dog”/“additional cat” rate may be higher for the 4th and beyond pets - Dogs 1-2 years old with puppy-like behavior and/or schedule may be charged the puppy housesitting rate - Dogs >1 year old (not under the puppy housesitting rate) who cannot be home alone for at least ~6 hours (if needed) may have a higher housesitting rate