Hello pet parents, my name is Megan. I have been caring for and working with dogs and cats since 2005. I have spent over a 13 years as a dog handler. Being responsible for a large group of dogs on a daily basis was extremely useful in teaching me how to remain calm during bouts of total canine chaos. Many years have been spent learning dog body language first-hand and observing canine behaviors in a variety of situations. Be proactive. Practice keeping calm. Try to make your best and safest decision ASAP if an animal is in distress. Or, isn't in distress and just needs some extra fun attention, or even a nice, quiet private area to nap in. I also have about 3+ experience in a veterinary setting, and the past 3 years I've owned my pet care business "Portland Pugaholics". I encourage pet parents who have animals that are on the older side of life, have any special needs, separation anxiety, PTSD, or any behavioral quirks to contact me if they are looking for an experienced and trusted pet sitter that is familiar with these types of behaviors and who can work with their animals and help them feel as comfortable as possible while their humans are away. Pet care is my career with two decades in the making. I feel very fortunate for this! When dog sitting I never, ever let any dog off their leash. Not even for dog park visits. This is because I am not you. I'm not their person. Your dog could just completely book it down the street in an attempt to go find you. This has never personally happened to me, and that's because I believe it's wise to think about every possible outcome before taking action that has any possibility for future regret for something that could have easily been avoided. Also, I'm not a big fan of letting your dog greet other dogs while walking. 10 times out of 10, it's not your dog I'm worried about. It's the other dog. So for your dogs safety, we will politely decline. I also don't leave any dogs in the backyard unattended.