I treat all animals with love and respect, and I have been a dog owner for over 45 years. Hike, backpack and mountain climb with my dogs. The phrase, "It's only a dog" really upsets me. Both myself and my wife are retired, so someone is almost always here. We have a nice sized, completely fenced in yard in a very quiet and safe neighborhood. We have watched young puppies, very old dogs and everything in between. We have watched dogs that had more energy then hours in the day, and we have watched dogs that really preferred to simply be allowed to lay near us and keep them company. We have watched dogs that were completely healthy, and others that required special foods, meds, and activity limitations. We watched puppies a few pounds in weight all the way up to over 100lbs. We've fed dogs that ate anything not tied down and dogs that had to be gently fed by hand with food specially prepared for them. We've watched dogs that adjusted to their new environment almost immediately, and others that were very nervous and confused initially. In other words, we have the experience to comfortably watch just about any dog out there - and that includes yours. Your dog likes to snuggle up on a sofa - no problem here. Your dog is shy and prefers its own space either all the time or initially, we can accommodate that. Your dog loves to run around like a wild man playing fetch or tug-of-war, you've found the right place. Your precious needs a lot of petting and lap time - you got it - you've come to right place!!! We have two dogs that have never met a dog they didn't like. While Rover does offer some protection for you and your dog with their insurance coverage, it does not cover everything. I have my own private insurance that fully protects you and myself from any issues that may arise while your dog is in my care (Policy # JN1220-PCI31381). I also do not charge extra for holiday stays. While I typically only watch one dog at a time, if multiple clients need a particular time slot and are agreeable with it, and I know the dogs from previous stays, I can watch more than one dog. I will spend a ton of time with your dog. You can be assured that your dog will not simply be here - he or she will be an integral member of our family. If he or she enjoys running around and fetching, the opportunities are nearly limitless. As for sleeping at night, I and my dogs will join yours in our living room and have an in-house camp out. Night time can be stressful for a dog in a new environment, so I sleep on the floor with both my dogs and my clients so that I am right there with them should they be restless or need to go out. I only do overnights because, while drop ins and day care are important for clients, I want to really get to know each dog who comes under my care. When you entrust me with your dog, you have my word that I will do everything I can to make his or her stay a fun packed adventure, mentally stimulating and a safe one as well. Finally, as I have indicated above, with both myself and my wife retired, your dog will always have someone close by. What sets me apart from most people is the respect I have for all animals, but especially dogs. They are living, breathing beings who have the right to a life that allows them to utilize all of their senses in order to maximize their life to the fullest. Bottom line, while there are few guarantees in life - I guarantee you your dog will not be bored while staying here with us!!! Your dog will be asking you when you come to get her, "Aw gee, can't I stay one more day?". We have miles and miles of safe sidewalks in a quiet neighborhood to explore. Plenty of fenced in yard for your dog to run around, or he or she can simply chill in the sun or shade, etc. Having almost constant access to our backyard, many of our dogs just love going out and back in over and over again. The freedom to go out and safely explore our backyard as often or as little as they want is a real treat for our guests. Though our home is a bi-level, we have a gentle, carpeted ramp leading down into our backyard. If your dog has any problems with steps, he or she won't have to worry about that. As an integral member of our family, we will go out of our way to make sure your fur ball has a great time while staying with us. Plenty of loving and playing to be sure. For those of you who have hiked with your dog off leash, or who would be willing to let me introduce them to this amazing activity, I will gladly take your dog out for wooded hikes in the various areas around here where I take my dogs all the time. This adds a whole new, exciting adventure for your dog. I go to areas where few people go, and I avoid areas where car traffic can cause a safety concern. My dogs are always off leash and your dog would be also. While I have literally hiked and backpacked well over 10,000 miles with my dogs over the years, as well as having climbed several dozen mountains and am extremely knowledgeable about hiking with dogs off leash, there is always the possibility of something negative occurring while out hiking. You need to be aware of that and understand that. To further protect your dog I put one of my dog tags on him or her with all our phone nbrs that can reach me or my wife. Also, I use the Whistle Go Explore, the highest rated dog gps tracking unit on the market that I will place on your dog when we go on our hikes. The dog tag and gps offer additional security for your dog, but again, no one can guarantee 100% that something negative won't occur while out hiking. Many of my clients were a little leery of letting their dogs participate in this kind of activity, mainly because their dog had never done that before and were concerned he'd "run away or get hurt". Those that decided to let me take their dog on a hike or hikes were very happy to later hear and see in the pictures and videos I sent them, just how much joy it brought to their dog. That being said, if you are confident your dog is up for it, hiking in the woods beats hiking around the block every single time!!! Hiking in the woods or swimming in a brook truly take a dog back to his or her roots. Before I would do this I would first have to establish a solid relationship with your dog. This usually only takes about a day and a half max because of how much time I devote to my dogs. Your dog will also need to be on flea and tick preventive care. Ticks are becoming a bigger and bigger issue, so your dog needs to be protected. Even if you or myself determine that your dog might not be a good candidate for off leash hiking in the woods, I take my dogs on frequent car rides just to let them "air it out". They usually end up with us getting a coffee and muffin, and all our dogs gourmet dog treats!!! That is if we don't stop for ice cream!!!