I adopted a mixed breed 6 month old homeless dog in my early 20's. We had 16 years together and she was the love of my life. I learned about medicating when necessary and how to take care of her in the various stages of her life. Recently I spent a number of years being a daytime sitter to a friend's dog while he completed school. That made me want more dog time. More recently I did some daytime caring for new neighbors who have two large dogs, four cats and a tortoise. The dogs almost knock me over with glee when I come over, and the cats actually run over to me, too. A few months ago I learned from a friend about Rover.com while passing by his house. He was on the front porch with a darling little dog who was too sweet for words. All I had to do was complete the fence around my large backyard, and now I'm a Rover-ite too. My communication style and routine for pet sitting are based on the individual dogs I'm caring for. I get certain instructions re. feeding, etc. from the owner and I let the dog tell me what he/she needs. The routine varies from critter to critter. Each communicates differently. I have good availability since I work at home and have next door neighbors, Al and Kyle, who are around to help, should I need it. they have two cats and a lovable boxer. they have a great history caring for animals. I have a roomy home with a fenced yard with a large running around space and nooks & crannies to explore. Please note these two items: While I have plenty of room for small and most medium sized dogs, I prefer dogs 30 lbs. and under. Also, I'm currently going through chemotherapy and occasionally my energy level isn't up to its usual self. Along with this, I live in a hilly area and leash walking can be difficult. The yard is large with plenty of room to roam and sniff. And I am good for two walks a day. For dogs who like to play fetch, my yard is ideal and a tennis playing friend keeps me supplied with all the balls we need!