"Animal lover" is a truly an understatement when it comes to my identity. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest epiphanies of my adult life came after a visit to the Central Park petting zoo with my now sister-in-law and nieces, who were surprised by how closely I interacted with the animals. "Why do you talk to them?" they asked. The only answer I could think of was, "why DON'T you?!" I have been a human companion to dogs my entire life--growing up, we never had fewer than two dogs cohabitating with us. From the time I was in middle school, I was the primary caretaker of our dogs Cappuccino, Mocha and Espresso, who lived until I was in my mid-20s. And although I am no longer her primary caretaker, I am still very fortunate to get to spend time with Kahlua, the sweet puppy I adopted with my former partner, whenever I go visit my family in California. She is now 10 years old and still very well cared for. Currently, my husband Matthew and I are the human parents of Orleans (we call him Orly), an extremely good-natured pitbull mix. We adopted him from Animal Haven in SoHo when he was three months old, and he has been fixed since about four months old. He is very playful and a "dog's dog". He is a very good dog to "train" other dogs (that are insecure or unsocialized). He is great with children and adults, although he is still learning his own strength and sometimes needs to be gently reminded of that when he gets excited about "hugging" people. Matt and I are thrilled by the opportunity to share our love of and experience with dogs with you! We have a large, split level apartment, with a very large fenced-in, private backyard. Matt works from home often and I have a pretty flexible schedule, so I think we'd make a great option for a family who wants their dog(s) to get lots of attention, love and space to roam. We would prefer a dog that is crate-trained, or a human that is open to us crating the dog(s) for short periods during the day and at bedtime, but we are certainly flexible on the issue. We have no size, age, sex or breed restrictions. Rest assured that your pup (ALL dogs are pups, regardless of age aren't they?!) will be in VERY good hands with us. Please feel free to contact us with any particulars or questions you may have. Why I love dog sitting I've literally grown up with dogs--my parents had them before I was born, and they were a fixture in our lives throughout my childhood, and continue to be into my adulthood. I haven't yet met a dog that I don't love! Meet my pets Orly, our three year old pit bull--he is VERY loving and well-socialized with other dogs. About my yard We have a very large split-level private backyard (concrete) that is completely fenced in. My experience administering medication Yes, no problems administering medication orally, rectally, or via syringe.