Ever since childhood, I've owned and helped care for many different dogs, horses and even some cats, and have always absolutely adored it. I previously owned one 15 year old GSD x chow mix and currently have one 3 year old domestic shorthair I picked up as a stray and just adopted a 1 year old pittie x lab mix! At 16, I started studying animal behavior and the basics of learning theory, and though this initially started because of my work with horses, I've found it has carried over a great deal when working with all animals. I've delved a bit into training- mainly teaching my old dog new tricks, my young cat basic cooperative care, and my horse cooperative care and some tricks; approaching all of which with force-free, fear-free and rewards-based methods of practice in order to not only achieve the goal behaviors, but also to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone included- especially the animals! Through all this, my main source of pride and joy has been working with anxious animals and helping them grow confidence. As such, you would never have to worry about your beloved furry family members being unnecessarily forced into any uncomfortable situations, as I will do everything I can to set them up for success, keeping a particularly keen eye out for changes in body language and otherwise behavior, and always encouraging reciprocal communication. If you are looking for someone with a good understanding of animal behavior, endless patience, particular attention to detail and "soft hands" overall, we might just be the perfect match! LGBT friendly, so forth (: