From Our End of the Leash

It’s not unusual for me to be at a stop light and have the people next to me do a double take. There are times when I literally stop people dead in their tracks.No, I don’t resemble a famous movie star, or wear outrageous clothes…in fact, it’s not really me that’s causing the scene at all…it’s the characters I’m with. Take my buddy Max for example. He’s a handsome man with loads of personality and a real ladies man…he always gets noticed! Then there’s the big boys Parker and Finn, a couple of good looking blonds that make friends with everyone they meet. And who can forget the tall dark and handsome Bob, distinguished and charming! Not to mention the girls…dear old Abby, my favorite little senior who always has an extra skip in her step, and Miss Mertle, everyone's best cheerleader! My list of friends could go on forever.

With a cast like that, how can’t you get noticed?! All I know is this - I can’t think of anything better than spending my afternoons walking through the woods and playing in the park with my friends, and I know they feel the same way…I can tell by the happy faces, big kisses and wagging tails.Oh yeah, did I forget to mention I’m a dog walker?

Shannon

PETSATHOME® NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2007

Here it is the ‘dog days of summer’ and no better time than to kick back

and reflect on some of the antics our four legged friends invite us to

be a part of everyday.

This is our first official On-Line Newletter..hope you enjoy it!

Feel free to send us an email with your comments or ideas.

The National Agility Trials Held this Weekend at Halton Place

The last four days have been amazing! This was our first trip to the Nationals, and hopefully not our last! I had the extreme pleasure to not only meet wonderful people from B.C. right across Canada to PEI, but it was also a time to reconnect with my 'dog friends' from the '90's.

At that time I owned a Border Collie named Gym-Bag. Our teammates where Diane with Kyle, Jackie with Ashling, Andrea with Boomer, Dawn with Tikka and me with my Gym-Bag! Gym and I had a wonderful time with Northern Borders Flyball Team ....travelling and competing at flyball events all over Ontario and in Michigan.

This weekend brought back many good memories. I started to reflect on how fast time passes and yet here we all are....still involved in dogs and dog sports!

Good to see you girls again and meet your new pups and dogs. Please keep in touch....Diane and Andrea see you at SuperDogs during the Ex. and Dawn, see you soon as I'll be up during one of Tessas classes!

Dog Walking Observation #1

I'm not sure I know of another job that encompasses so many other professions. We're not just 'dog walkers' we're also......

Policemen - walking the beat

Postman - through sleet, snow, hail, rain and sun….

Day Care Worker – ‘okay everyone’ lets all walk together!

Entertainment Director – responsible for the location &what it has to offer

Teacher – making sure everyone learns the rules of riding in cars, exiting cars,

playing fair, no bullying allowed and sharing

Trusted Friend – we’re their buddies, friends, pals that make sure they’re safe

Confidante – seeing all the ‘love affairs’ between the dogs

Tour Guide – teaching the dogs about the world around them

Taxi/School Bus Driver- pick up and delivery of all the dogs

Groomer – getting all the burrs out before they go home

Veterinarian – tending to any boo boos or scrapes

Speech Therapist – teaching the dogs our language

Waiter/Waitress – serving up drinks and food

Recreation Director – we pick the activities suited to the groups needs

Accountant – keeping track of the pees and poops and who did what!

PhysioTherapist - helping with just the right amount of exercise to help them physically recover from operations

Behaviorist - understanding the dogs we walk and their normal everyday behavior, so, if there is something bothering them that day we can help to make them happier

And finally.......

A Rock Star – because that's the way the dogs make us feel everyday when they meet us at the door!

Diary of a Dog Walker

Some days the frogs are croaking in the pond off the trail we walk along. was comical to see the two dogs I was walking look to the right, left, right, left as if they were watching a tennis match. When the frogs on one side of the pond croaked, the dogs would look that direction and when the frogs on the other side answered with their croaking, the dogs would look to that side, and back and forth it went. It seemed like the frogs were toying with them!


On our regular route we would see a traffic cone where the sidewalk needed repair. Max and I would walk by without much attention to the cone if it were in its upright position, however, one day it was knocked over! He came face to face with a large gaping hole which was the bottom side of the cone. This made him leap backwards and crouch, ready to make an escape. With encouragement, he then sniffed tentatively at it and made his way around it while keeping a safe distance. It happened another day with the same reaction. I guess to him, it looked like a large mouth ready to gobble him up!


One day on our walk I bent over to look at an unusual flower and Buck gently put his nose up to the flower, smelled it and kept looking at it while I did. Eventually, he turned and looked up at me as if to ask “What are we looking at this for?” He was so... cute.

Laura

Just Another Fun Dog Class!

Many years ago I was t teaching an obedience class and there was a very sweet Gentleman with a black cocker spaniel. That night in class we were teaching the ‘down’ command . If you've ever been involved in an obedience class you know the steps and body language we use when teaching this command.....well, within minutes of me giving the rundown to the class, the sweet gentleman with the black cocker spaniel was down on his knees with his face plastered sideways against the floor, his butt up in the air and his hand slapping the floor, begging his dog to pllllll---ease lie-down….the cocker spaniel is still in the sit position & now looking down at his owner! For a very short moment I thought "I wonder what was going through that dogs head"???....oohhhh, I think we all knew what was going through that little dogs head!!

Linda