I've cared for many animals for most of my teenage and adult life. I have cat and dog sat, dog walked, and even cared for my sister's snake when she traveled. In college, one of my four roommates had a cat. Besides the cat's mom, I was a close second and the designated cat sitter when my roommate was out of town. Finally, after college, I became a pet owner myself. I first adopted a gecko and then my dog a few years later. My 1.5 year old dog was not house trained when my husband and I got her, and had to start at square one. After taking charge of much of her training, our dog Pinto Bean is fully house and crate trained, can walk calmly, and do several tricks.