I got my first dog when I was 9. She was my best friend in the whole world. Her name was Coco, and she was a Chocolate Lab. I always said the world needed more of her, so when we had the chance to breed her, we couldn't pass it up. My dad's family breed German Shepherds when he was a child and wanted that same experience for us. At 12, my house was full of 13 Chocolate Lab puppies! It was a sad day when they all went home to their new families. Luckily, my nieces and nephews live close by, and we kept her son, Zinger, who was 125lbs of pure muscle. Animals pick their owners not the other way around. Zinger was a Thomas from the day he was born. Unlike his mother who never had a health issue in her life and practically lived outside, Zinger was allergic to dust and grass and had seasonal allergies. We joked he was our inside dog. She was our outside dog. He took pills daily and weekly shots, so I'm no stranger to giving pets medication. Zinger and Coco passed away in 2020 and 2022. Since then, I've been dogsitting for neighbors and family friends. The dogs range from Yorkshire Terriers to St. Bernards. I love getting to spend time with furry friends. My bookclub calls me the dog whisperer because no matter who hosts, the dogs hang out with me all night. Dogs know dog people!