When I was younger we took in two spaniels and one had some significant behavioural issues. I learnt from a very early age how to navigate this and to learn to work with our dog to help her understand the ways she needed to behave without her always feeling told off. Learning these skills has really come in handy when we have dog sat for friends dogs, particularly when we had one in our care who had very rarely been shown good training. It’s really helped me to know how to approach these situations with patience and understanding and making sure to love the doggy through its challenges. Our other dog also developed some significant health issues toward the end of her life and due to this I was able to learn how to care for a very old and unwell puppy who didn’t like to be touched because of her pain. We have also often looked after a friends dog who suffers a lot of anxiety so this is something we are very used to and love an excuse for extra doggy cuddles for reassurance!