Aloha! I provide a large discount on multiple dogs ~ my rates will be more for you if you have more than one dog. My name is Yvette (pronounced e-vet). I have 11 years of experience petsitting. I offer free “meet-and-greets”, where I come to your location and you, your pet, and I get to know each other to make sure everyone feels comfortable with the stay. I work from home and love scheduling my life so that it feels good to my system. This means… low-stress, frequent internet breaks, and quality time in Mother Nature. I love spending time outside, sitting underneath a tree with a good book. I love dogs and have always been a dog person. I currently have NO pets of my home, though I certainly miss them! A heavy introvert, I love the quiet and spending time alone. Animals make great company, and I love having an excuse to go for another walk outside! Throughout the years, I’ve had every type of experience with pets that you can think of. From fostering litters of puppies, to watching 10 adult dogs at the same time, to caring for dogs who are deaf, blind, or even both. I’ve experienced it all. I am blessed with this experience. It’s allowed me to: - Understand the subtle body language of dogs. My experience began with studying with dog trainers, but morphed into a deep understanding as I began to observe the language of dogs. Ears slicked back on a dog, for example, alongside the dog licking its lips, is a sign of NERVOUSNESS and a sign of their boundary about to be crossed. It is not a submissive sign, it is very much a dog trying to communicate that they are uncomfortable. - Experience every type of leash behavior known to man. From dogs that were absolute angels… until the Fedex truck came… to dogs that have tried every harness contraption known to man… I’ve walked them all. Tell me about your dog’s leash behavior, and about their open door behavior (do they bolt?). I’ll be very interested to know. - Work with dog’s separation anxiety. I’ve had dogs that have straight-up drooled pools of drool onto my floor due to their anxiety with owner separation, not to mention those whose anxiety kicks in when they are left completely alone. I’ve worked with trainers regarding separation anxiety. I work from home, so separation anxiety is far less of a problem when I am looking after pets than it is when owners are home and have to leave for an 8-hour work day. When it comes to me looking after your pet, I’m a firm believer in allowing the pet to come to me when they feel ready. Sometimes this process is really fast, within seconds. Other times shy dogs take a good day to come sit in my lap. Whatever their process of trust is, I’m keen on building it as opposed to forcing a pet into a hug before they are ready. During my free time, I am either working on creative projects, reading, writing, or hiking. Aloha!