Treating your dog as if it were my own is the most important aspect of my role as your dog's caregiver. I have grown up with dogs my whole life - mainly Golden Retrievers and small Shih Tzu mixes. Throughout my life, I have always had at least one or 2 dogs in my home. Dogs truly make a house a home and are important members of our family. In our home, we currently have a 3-year-old Great Dane, Harriet, who is a gentle "House Horse", as well as an 9-year-old Yellow Labrador Retriever, Ozzie, who is "Career Changed" from the Lion's Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. I can credit Ozzie for igniting my passion for Service Dogs. In the recent past, I have helped train Service Dogs for COPE Service Dogs and taught their Canines in the Classroom Program - a program where at-risk students receive a high school credit for helping train future Service Dogs. I have also worked at Park9 Dog Resort, volunteered with Toronto Animal Services and frequently dog-sit for families who have multiple dogs in the home. These canine caregiving avenues continue to provide me with many experiences and grow my knowledge in understanding canine behaviour. Being able to understand dog body language provides you with important information about their personalities. It helps solidify the human-animal bond. This is important for meeting dogs for the first time, especially ones who are more hesitant to trust strangers. I currently foster for Happy's Retirement Home for Senior Dogs and have fostered over 16 dogs in 5 years. Welcoming these old souls into our home, accepting them for who they are, and giving them a safe, comfortable and loving place to rest their heads for the few short weeks they are with us until they get adopted, brings me much joy. I understand that different dogs have different needs that need to be met. I am willing and more than happy to provide your dog with any special needs they require. Being dedicated to your dog's positive health care is very important to me. This could mean short walks, long walks or even runs (!!!), all of which I am more than happy to provide. You know your dog better than I do, and I will do my best to ensure their needs are met and exceeded. I cannot wait to meet your 4-legged friend and give them all the love in the world that they deserve.