TL; DR: Pets are the new children and plants are the new pets. I prefer animals to humans. I provide adorable Instagrammable dog photos. Your only concern will be if your dog wants to go home. Star Sitter. Mikko (February 2010 - June 2021): My first dog… my first bear. Mikko was a two-year-old owner-surrender to Panora Pets in Guthrie County, Iowa. I always wanted a Chow Chow (Mikko was a mix) since I was kid; I saw one at the corner of Beaver Avenue and Franklin Avenue on my way to Snookies and knew I wanted a dog that looked like a bear. Mikko unfortunately tore his ACL at Raccoon River Dog Park in 2015 and we never visited there again. Dogs that tear one ACL are more prone to tearing the other ACL as they have spent so much time favoring it during the recovery. On a snowy weekend in January 2017, Mikko tore his other ACL. This second time was less traumatic for me since I knew what to expect this time around. Unfortunately, Mikko was diagnosed with anal gland cancer in January 2021 and we parted ways in June 2021. Yogi (February 2018 - Current): My second dog… my second bear but my first puppy. If you are considering having children, I highly suggest starting with a puppy first. Yogi and I spent a lot of time working on his fear-based anxiety and leash aggression. I am so proud of the dog he is today and grateful for the folks at Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle. In February 2019, we got Yogi on puppy Xanax to help reduce the anxiety to focus on building his comfort, confidence, and obedience. Yogi is now a generally mellow and sweet seven-year-old who makes an excellent training companion. I have worked with him extensively to overcome leash reactivity and herding tendencies, and I’m happy to continue any training you’re working on at home with your pup.