Visit an animal shelter and volunteer.

“I always love walking around and deciding which dog to take to the training room to teach new tricks. It’s always a difficult decision because the dogs always get so excited to see you, and it can be hard to just pick one. I remember teaching a mixed breed Collie how to sit, and when I came back the next time, another volunteer had taught her how to do paw. So every time I came with a treat, without even giving the commands, she immediately sat and gave me her paw. The experience was as motivating and exciting as it was to teach my own Labradoodle puppy to do the same tricks.”

“Working at an animal shelter isn’t the most glamorous work. I can tell you from firsthand experience: Do not wear your favorite shirt when training the dogs how to sit and stay because the big slobbering kiss that the Boxer is going to give you is going all over it. I wouldn’t wear new sneakers when feeding the cats either, especially near that one black tabby who shows her displeasure of particular food by spitting it out at random targets.”

“When I first started, I was nervous and didn’t know what the dogs were going to be like. [...] One of them came in the day before and she was so beautiful. She was found tied to the back door of he shelter, waiting to be found. She was really scared and nervous of her surroundings. A few volunteers were sitting with her in a room and I came in to meet her. When I entered she started wagging her tail. My heart just wanted to reach out to her so badly, this dog obviously has been through a lot and she deserves so much.”