I love all animals and dogs have a special place in my heart. In college, I volunteered at the local shelter every Friday, getting dogs and cats ready for adoption events and making sure everyone got some fresh air. As an adult, I have my own dogs and cats, and they have been very influential in my life and the decisions I make. When I bought my house almost a year ago, I kept them in mind every step of the way and continue to do so as I continue to customize our home for our needs. As a single female with 5 pets, I have to be resourceful, creative, and flexible in order to meet their needs and expectations. I never set out to start an animal resort, but life seems to have steered me in that direction, and I love it. I would truly love to be able to do it full-time, which is not possible due to the financial demands of my pets currently. They have full access to most of the house and the entire backyard. I can open the shed up for added shade, but the well established trees do a fine job of providing that. They can watch the wooded area behind the house or gaze out the balcony doors into the neighborhood. I'm currently working on a doggie lounge area in the master suite just for them to get some RnR in. The master suite also has a standing shower with a detachable shower nozzle so I can easily bathe the dogs without fear of escapes before they are finished, and a large closet with drawers and shelves to to organize their belongings and keep items with the correct pet. Often, on weekends I will absolutely be able to take last-minute bookings. All of my animals are fixed and up to date on shots. I can walk dogs either on the paved sidewalks of the neighborhood, or in the woods behind the house. Also, I make my own dog treats by dehydrating chicken, with special supplements according to their specific needs. The house has the master suite, and then two bedrooms upstairs. One bedroom overlooks the front of the house, and the other is set on the back of the house and doubles as my office. All rooms have places for dogs to lay if they prefer to be close to a caretaker while reposing. I'm in the process of replacing the carpet upstairs with hard flooring for sanitary purposes, and will instead utilize area rugs where needed. The living room, dining room , and kitchen have a very open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and windows high and low, providing plenty of natural light. I try to organize things so that dogs of all sizes can see out of as many windows as possible during the day. They also have 24/7 access to a large dog door that leads out into the fenced in backyard with a view of the woods behind the house. The back deck is large and has area underneath for the dogs to run through or just cool off under, much like a bilevel bridge. There will be times when their access to the outdoors is limited briefly, usually at night, if there is something prohibiting their safe play outside. For instance, in extreme heat, I may close off the door so dogs can cool of inside for 30 minutes or an hour if I see that they may get into distress if they continue running full speed ahead, as many will. Inside, the furniture is varied to accommodate all breeds of dogs, whether its a folded comforter over memory foam for senior dogs that can't jump, to ottomans covered in outdoor boating material, it is all dog-friendly. The only restrictions are the eating areas. The dining room table, which is cocktail height with tall chairs, and the kitchen counters and island (and my small desk area) are really the only places I do not allow pets, but they are rather inaccessible and I have had few problems enforcing that rule. I try to keep all tools and small objects up higher where they also are inaccessible to the dogs. The stairs will remain carpeted to prevent slips. I must admit my house is a tripping hazard for the two-legged. I try to keep a variety of toys down where the dogs can play with them at their leisure at all times. Feeding, of course, will depend on the owner's instructions. Multiple troughs of water are kept throughout the house and outside during the warmer months, and changed usually twice daily or more. If your dog needs a crate for down time or feeding time, the open floor plan allows for plenty of room for placement of various sized crates. In the event of hazardous weather, the very roomy closet in the master suite is the safe room. I, myself, am a bit of a hobby herpetologist. I like looking for different snake specimens, and do not mind handling one if necessary. I frequently check the shed, wood pile, and under the deck for any snakes that might be a problem to try to avoid snake bites instead of treating them. Again, my home is a dog paradise in progress, so I am constantly working on projects to improve the quality of my home for dogs, so that they feel at home and as comfortable as possible when staying with me.