My husband and I both grew up with dogs and have been dog sitting for friends for years. Whenever we go away we leave Stella (our 8 year old Beagle mix) with friends who have dogs - it's a relief knowing she's being taken care of in a relaxed home environment by other people who love dogs as much as we do, and she is so much more relaxed there than she is at a dog boarding facility. We do the same for our friends when they go away, and Stella loves having friends come round to stay and play with! We'd love to do this more often for others and give Stella a chance to make new friends! Our house is large enough that the dogs have space to relax and play as they wish. I work from home, so the dogs will very seldom be home without someone here with them. We take them for walks in the mornings and/or evenings and have a large fenced yard they can play in when we're at home. I work from home, so the dogs will very seldom be home without someone here with them. We have a large fenced yard and can leave the door open (weather permitting) so the dogs can come in and out of the house as they please. Because I'm at home all day I can easily let the dogs out for potty breaks as often as needed. We take them for walks in the mornings and/or in the evenings (always on a leash unless in a secure, fenced, off-leash dog park) and have a large fenced yard they can play in when we're at home.