5.0

I grew up around animals; cats, dogs, birds, and fish were normals at our house! I got my first cat at age 6, and my first dog (Wheaten terrier mix) at age 12 - although I was still a kid, I was responsible for his training and completed multiple obedience courses with him. Later, in college, I rescued my first border collie (BC) after fostering several dogs for a local rescue. That experience got me hooked on herding dogs for many years, and I pursued a number of canine-human activities with my BC including sheep herding, agility, and AKC training. I'm now an experienced dog trainer who focuses on positive reinforcement to deliver consistent results (most recently used to de-sensitize my shelter-rescued Australian Cattle Dog from sounds and stimuli that at first overwhelmed her). My home includes my dog (55 lb female Australian Cattle dog, about 9 years old) and occasionally a domestic shorthair cat who I have part-time custody of. The cat and dog get along very well with each other. My dog is happiest with dogs her size or smaller, and the cat adapts well too; she's not afraid to greet new dogs who are not visibly aggressive toward her. I've also dog and cat-sat for friends and family across the US over the past decade, including walks, feeding, baths (where applicable) and play! I try to take lots of photos while sitting to update pet parents too.