I’ve cared for a variety of dogs, some as tiny as a Chihuahua and some as large as a Great Dane! I have experience with special needs dogs. I often dog sit for my sister who has a 3-legged Yorkie. She needs assistance getting into bed and going up stairs or steep inclines. It’s taught me to be more selective in the locations I chose to walk her and to be more aware of the actions I would need to take incase of emergency. I’ve noticed she trips over herself easily when spooked, so I personally trained her to walk directly next me to keep her within reach. I allow her to roam more freely in safer areas. I also dog sit for my uncle who has a senior dog approaching her end of life. She is both deaf and blind, so she requires more supervision. She knows her way around the house really well but she can still loose her bearings easily, so I’m always extra attentive and help guide her when needed. I grew up with dogs and have experience raising puppies. I’ve attended obedience courses and have learned the most effective ways of teaching obedience with positive reinforcement. A list of basic commands I’ve successfully taught to dogs include: sit, down, come, stay, heel, off, leave it, drop it, take it, speak, paw, and look at me. I’ve also taught my families German Shepard, Lily, some pretty special tricks. Lily knows how to check the mail and bring it inside straight to my mom at her computer desk. She also knows how to bring in the newspaper for my dad at the kitchen table. I even taught her how to place her food bowl on the kitchen counter for my mom to refill during meal times. Both of my parents are getting older in age and my mom is disabled, so they have a hard time performing tasks around the house that require them to bend over or go down the porch stairs. Teaching Lily these commands helps them continue to care for her even with their limited mobility.