We have been dog sitting for over twenty years for friends and neighbors in our beautiful neighborhood, the Prospect Hill National Historic District, near downtown Cincinnati, full of nearby city parks, doggy parks, historic homes, and views of the skyline. We are semi-retired and work out of our home--YOUR DOG WILL NEVER BE ALONE; WE ARE ALWAYS HERE. We have a large historic home; your dog is welcome in every room. In the back is a spacious and walled courtyard for your dog to explore, dig holes, chase squirrels, take a nap, fetch a ball, or splash around in the doggy pool. We do not consider the courtyard adequate exercise for your dog, though--we promise at least three daily and varied walks (tailored to the vigor and needs of your dog) and at least one daily visit (with your permission) to a nearby doggy park--Washington Park, Fido Field, Fort Thomas Dog Park, or Newport Doggy Park, our personal favorite. If your dog does not like other dogs but requires lots of exercise, we know of safe, off-leash places to take your dog to run and play where there will be no other dogs. Your dog is always supervised when outside and inside. We offer plenty of personal attention, play time and cuddle time, and will dote on your dog. Maybe because we ran a bed and breakfast for many years, we know how to roll out the red carpet for guests--whether they are furry or not. Jo is an RN and can give any medications your dog may need, and we will respect your dog's dietary routine and restrictions and reinforce any training that your dog may have received. We prefer to have no more than three dogs but will sometimes take four--but only if they are from the same family or are dogs who are well-socialized to other dogs and have been in our home repeatedly. If your dog does not get along with other dogs, then your dog can be the only one here if you request that--we affectionately refer to these dogs as our "singletons." The cost is extra if your dog is a "singleton." We do ask that your dog be house-trained, currently treated for fleas and ticks, and reasonably easy to handle on a leash. We prefer that all dogs have a leash and harness when they come stay--we do not use retractable leashes here but keep many regular leashes on hand if you only have the retractable kind. Our goal is to make your dog's separation from you as stress free and fun for him as possible and to relieve your worries about how your dog is doing in your absence. We will gladly keep you updated with news and photos of your dog while you are gone. In fact, if you are a first-timer with us, you will probably hear how your dog is doing within the first few hours because we know that is the time that families worry the most about their dog. When we owned dogs, we always looked for the perfect dog sitter and never found anyone who was just right. We were often worried about whether our dog was alone too much; getting enough play time, exercise, and loving attention; and whether he was eating and sleeping well. The idea of putting our dog in a kennel was out of the question, but we still worried constantly--even with a dog sitter at our home. We like to think that we have become that perfect dog sitter that we always looked for all those years. This really is not a job for us -- it is a calling. Read the rest of our profile and reviews and testimonials, and do not hesitate to contact us with further questions and concerns. We sincerely hope to meet you and your dog(s) soon. About these sitters: What can we say? We are obviously dog lovers through and through. Rick is also a writer of children's books about Ohio history, a classical music composer, a Cincinnati tour guide, a devoted husband, and a father to two adult children. Jo is a former RN specializing in women's health, a dog walker-sitter for almost twenty years, a bookkeeper for our publishing company, a political junkie, a loving wife, and mom to two great people. We ran a bed and breakfast inn for many years before we had our children. We have no small children at home nor do we have any pets which gives us great flexibility in the dogs we can accept to host. If your dog doesn't like other dogs , your dog will be the only one we accept. If your dog likes other dogs, we accept three dogs (and very rarely four dogs). If they are not from the same home, we observe dogs carefully at the meet and greets, have an extensive questionnaire for families to fill out about their dog, and then we very carefully match up dogs that appear to be compatible. We always inform families about the other dogs that will be present at the same time that your dog is here and explain why we think this is a good match. We take this part of the process very seriously. Since so many of our dogs are repeat guests who are very familiar to us--so familiar that we refer to them as our "grandchildren," it makes matching up dogs a fairly easy task. If a dog is not a good match for the others, then we do not accept that dog for that visit. We build our day around your dog's needs with plenty of play time, exercise, and cuddle time. We bring maturity, experience, undivided attention, and lots of fun and energy to your dog's stay with us. We are very conscientious about sending updates and photos to you. Your dog deserves the best, and we think we provide it. Why we love dog sitting: We have never been without a dog in our lives until a year ago when Jake, our 14 yr. old mixed breed, passed away. We are very eager to have some furry friends back in the house. Jo's family had a series of dogs when she was growing up that included several collies, a spitz, two cocker spaniels, and a wire-haired terrier. Rick also grew up with a wire-haired terrier, a labrador, and several dachsunds. Since we have been married, we have had several mixed breeds, a collie, and two springer spaniels. We have been dog sitters/walkers in our neighborhood for over twenty years now and have great references that are available to read on our profile. Meet our pets We have no pets and devote ourselves to yours. We are both semi-retired and work out of our home. There are no children at our home. About our yard We have a large and walled-in courtyard in the back where your doggy can go for exploring, digging holes, chasing squirrels, a nap in the sun, a quick pee or poo, a dip in the doggy pool in hot weather, and fresh air, but we routinely take pets on several walks per day to neighborhood parks, up and down the hills of Cincinnati, even to doggy parks at Washington Park, Fido Field, Newport or Fort Thomas, Ky. We do not consider our fenced-in courtyard to be adequate exercise for most dogs--ideally, they should be walked for stimulation several times per day and have some off-leash time at a doggy park or in a safe and enclosed space. if owners prefer that their dog not go to the dog park, then we will not take the dog there, of course. My experience administering medication Jo is an RN and has cared for many dogs who have required multiple medications.