Hi, My name is Marly, I am 20 years old, I am currently looking into pet grooming as a career. My first dog was named Stella , she was an American Staffordshire Terrier and was 12 years old. Having a "Pitbull looking" dog came with challenges and stereotypes. Ofcourse I would get offended and would respond "she doesn't bite by staring". As she got older, she started having balancing problems, her hips and body were always exhausted but she keep smiling. In the last year of her life we got a rescued beagle/pug/lab named Stitch. We got him thinking she was going to be around longer, she took a mommy role after she got used to him. She taught him how to pee, bark at other dogs, walk and run since he was super tiny (15-20 pounds). I taught him how to pee in the back yard when we weren't on walks, I also taught him how to find a bell to go out, I taught him the words "potty spot" and "go potty".That same year, I went on google and searched "how to feed a dog with a syringe?", "how to encourage my dog to eat?" "what foods are the tastiest for dogs?", "how to help my dog walk" "anti vomiting remedies" "is Gatorade good for dogs?". She lived past my 18th birthday which was amazing. On my birthday she also walked across my yard to me without someone protecting her from falling, it was an overwhelming experience. The next couple of days she did not get better so my parents and the rest of the family decided that we did not want her in pain and decided to put her to sleep where she grew up (at home). It was extremely emotional, I wasn't ready. My puppy did not understand what was happening and tried waking her up. Couple months went on and we decided to get another dog in memory of our Previous dog. My sister fell in love with a puppy which was all white with pink ears. We went in looking for a dog older than 1 but my sister fell in love. Currently I spend alot of time with my dogs. We go on 30-40 minute walks, we hike, climb, run and go in lakes. (Shallow ones because we couldn't teach them to like water and not be afraid of it or swimming). In the hotter spring & summer days we take them on an hour to an hour 30 minute walk. We also go hiking and on trails not just the weekends but almost 5 days of the week. NOTE: I am in the process of becoming vegan---I saw a sad video of how animals are treated when they die; I do not want to be a part of that world or encourage it. I DO NOT have anything against non vegans. I hope this wasn't too long and it showed my love of animals. I love all kinds and do not stereotype a single group of dogs❤