Since I was 6 I have had dogs in my house. I've had both small and large dogs of all ages. Currently in my household we have three little dogs -- a chihuahua mix and 2 miniature poodles. When I was younger I grew up with a husky-pit bull mix and two great Pyrenees. All that is to say that I'm comfortable with dogs with a variety of personalities, energy levels, and sizes. I'm not afraid to meet the energy of a high energy dog! I have limited training experience with dogs. I've trained one of my poodles to do a few tricks and am constantly working with my dogs to train out negative behaviors. I believe in positive reinforcement training! My experience with senior dogs is also quite extensive. One of our great pyres who passed a couple years ago suffered with horrible arthritis and blindness. I remember having to help him outside and up the steps. There was a point where he needed oral medication as well, which I administered a handful of times. One of my overall philosophies with animal care is communicating with the animal. Many frustrations that come with pet care and training come from a lack of understanding what your animal needs. My dogs for example have a tendency to bark very often. This is because my dogs are incredibly anxious and protective of their people. So rather than yelling at them and contributing to the noise, my approach is to soothe them. I'll take them away from the window and onto the couch where I will speak to them softly and pet them. This is just one example of how I interpret the behavior of animals and act on that behavior.