Dogs have been a part of my life since I was very young, and I was usually the designated caretaker, even as a child. A few years ago, I took on a special needs German Shepherd dog - who had his front leg amputated after being run over by a car. His owners did not claim him from the vet hospital and I am related to the vet tech who fostered him after his accident, who encouraged me to adopt him. He has some understandable fears due to the trauma of his accident, and I've worked with a few different trainers to help him get over his fears or at least live with them. Through this experience, I've learned how to be a confident and patient leader, and to give him something to do when he's experiencing anxiety or acting out. I've since adopted a pit bull puppy and have taken him to puppy socialization and basic obedience classes, where I learned some other general training techniques. My puppy has a different set of challenges - like leash-pulling, and being confrontational around other dogs. He is going to short sessions at doggy day care to help him get used to playing politely with other dogs. I can use these skills and experiences to care for other dogs who might have some behavior challenges, as well as dogs who are already well-trained. I've also volunteered at the Humane Society, where I really enjoyed working with dogs of varying energy levels. I wouldn't necessarily want to own a dog with high energy, but it was really fun getting to play with them during my volunteer shifts. Over the past few years, I have been toying with the idea of fostering dogs or having some kind of business to care for animals whose owners are deployed military personnel. However, in my personal life, I love to travel - so I needed to find another way to work with dogs so that I can still travel a few times a year. That's where Rover comes in! I can still work with dogs and set my own schedule where I can be away when I need to be. I'm looking forward to meeting your best friends!