Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tattoo
I'd say I have been VERY responsible with my month in the last year. I have succeded in not being kicked out of the house, although there were nights were I bought dog food over people food and had my card rejected due to lack of funds a few times. Im still here! Im making money and people are happy! So I went out last night and got myself a tattoo! An image of my little heart dogs paw. I absolutely love it! It not only represents her and how important she will always be to me but it represents a year of blood, sweat and tears. And despite what people thought I did succeed and I did survive.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
I got bit.
This isnt my first bite. But it is the worst.
The first was when I was interning, I neglected to keep a stressed Jack Russel moving in a high stress situation he went to bit another dog that past by and got my inside thigh. It barely broke the skin.
The second, was very scary. I had a very large In Kennel Training dog. He had attacked and nearly killed his house mate. I knew how to help him. But once he was with me and away from his owners he was terrified. I kept him outside as much as possible, it was on his 3rd or 4th day I went out in the evening to get him and bring him in. And I could tell he was not in the best of moods. I took my time and got a slip lead on him, it took me a half hour. Once the lead was on I took slow steps to the gate. Every step I took he growled or lunged at me, every time I held my ground, not wanting him to think I was afraid of him. Finally he lunged up and put a puncture in my shoulder. He was aiming for my face. That was the scariest part. I remember I was able to get him in for the night, but I dont remember how long it took or how I did it. With this one I feel I did alot of things right. But my mistake was not putting my dogs away or taking my cell out with me. If I had put my dogs away it would lessened his stress because they were on the other side of the fence barking. If I had brought my cell phone out I could have call my husband out to help me. He was home but in the garage where even if I called to him he wouldnt have heard me. I sent that dog home.
My third surprisingly came from my own dog. He was chasing the leaf blower missed and and nailed my leg. That was his very first come to God moment. Now I dont hit my dogs. But they need to know that putting their teeth on me is not ok. And I understand it was an accident, but he should know where he is putting his teeth.
Then there was this one. The third.
I had three dogs in a yard getting them ready to go to an adoption event. One a yellow lab is a little selective in which dogs he gets along with but he is great 99% of the time. A second a German Shepherd. Was thought to be aggressive but I had ran him threw some tests, with no aggression, and he and the lab had been running in daycare for weeks with no issues. It was very early saturday morning and the three dogs had been out for about an hour I was walking threw the yard, and the next thing I knew the two where fighting. I remember looking at the two and not being able to see a good opportunity to to grab collars, so I grabbed the hip of the shepherd, that's when he turned around and got a mouth full of my wrist, after that I dont know what happened some how I got a very deep laceration on my left hand, blood every were... eventually the fight stopped. Both dogs are fine. The lab has a few punctures but nothing bad at all. In the end my right wrist has 4 shallow lacerations. And my left middle finger the deep inch long laceration. Both hands swelled and I eventually went to the minute clinic and the doc said I should have gotten stitches. I have been soaking them in Epson salt and warm water ( to prevent infection ) , putting Vitamin E oil on them ( to prevent scaring ) and taking antibiotics. Three days later the swelling is down but both hands are very sore. What I should have done.I have a spray I had just recently bought that brakes up dog fights I keep it out in the yard on a fence. Its more of a habit to grab my stock stick and brake up a fight that way, but I didnt have that out there and in the commotion I forgot about the spray.
ETA: I take it back, the Jack was not my first bite. My first one was when I was a groomer and I was bathing a cat (ugh, yes a cat) I had it soaking in the tub when the other groomer turned on the blow dryer the cat got scared and made a run for it so I grabbed the first thing I could, its tail, it turned around and put 4 punctures in the palm of my hand. It hurt. Alot.
The first was when I was interning, I neglected to keep a stressed Jack Russel moving in a high stress situation he went to bit another dog that past by and got my inside thigh. It barely broke the skin.
The second, was very scary. I had a very large In Kennel Training dog. He had attacked and nearly killed his house mate. I knew how to help him. But once he was with me and away from his owners he was terrified. I kept him outside as much as possible, it was on his 3rd or 4th day I went out in the evening to get him and bring him in. And I could tell he was not in the best of moods. I took my time and got a slip lead on him, it took me a half hour. Once the lead was on I took slow steps to the gate. Every step I took he growled or lunged at me, every time I held my ground, not wanting him to think I was afraid of him. Finally he lunged up and put a puncture in my shoulder. He was aiming for my face. That was the scariest part. I remember I was able to get him in for the night, but I dont remember how long it took or how I did it. With this one I feel I did alot of things right. But my mistake was not putting my dogs away or taking my cell out with me. If I had put my dogs away it would lessened his stress because they were on the other side of the fence barking. If I had brought my cell phone out I could have call my husband out to help me. He was home but in the garage where even if I called to him he wouldnt have heard me. I sent that dog home.
My third surprisingly came from my own dog. He was chasing the leaf blower missed and and nailed my leg. That was his very first come to God moment. Now I dont hit my dogs. But they need to know that putting their teeth on me is not ok. And I understand it was an accident, but he should know where he is putting his teeth.
Then there was this one. The third.
I had three dogs in a yard getting them ready to go to an adoption event. One a yellow lab is a little selective in which dogs he gets along with but he is great 99% of the time. A second a German Shepherd. Was thought to be aggressive but I had ran him threw some tests, with no aggression, and he and the lab had been running in daycare for weeks with no issues. It was very early saturday morning and the three dogs had been out for about an hour I was walking threw the yard, and the next thing I knew the two where fighting. I remember looking at the two and not being able to see a good opportunity to to grab collars, so I grabbed the hip of the shepherd, that's when he turned around and got a mouth full of my wrist, after that I dont know what happened some how I got a very deep laceration on my left hand, blood every were... eventually the fight stopped. Both dogs are fine. The lab has a few punctures but nothing bad at all. In the end my right wrist has 4 shallow lacerations. And my left middle finger the deep inch long laceration. Both hands swelled and I eventually went to the minute clinic and the doc said I should have gotten stitches. I have been soaking them in Epson salt and warm water ( to prevent infection ) , putting Vitamin E oil on them ( to prevent scaring ) and taking antibiotics. Three days later the swelling is down but both hands are very sore. What I should have done.I have a spray I had just recently bought that brakes up dog fights I keep it out in the yard on a fence. Its more of a habit to grab my stock stick and brake up a fight that way, but I didnt have that out there and in the commotion I forgot about the spray.
ETA: I take it back, the Jack was not my first bite. My first one was when I was a groomer and I was bathing a cat (ugh, yes a cat) I had it soaking in the tub when the other groomer turned on the blow dryer the cat got scared and made a run for it so I grabbed the first thing I could, its tail, it turned around and put 4 punctures in the palm of my hand. It hurt. Alot.
Monday, June 10, 2013
One Year.
This past weekend marks the one year anniversary of my business. It was at this time last year I was struggling for cash, not knowing from one month to the next if I would have a place to live, and looking down the barrel of a 7 month deployment. But I made it. Yes I had to barrow money. Yes there were some nights the dogs ate and I didnt. Now, as of today I would not call myself successful, but I think I have things at least figured out.
Things I have learned....
I'd say the biggest lesson I learned in the past year is that you can't trust people. You cant trust them to pay you. To be on time. To call. Or even to pick up their beloved family pet. Just the other weekend I hosted a big Instinct Test Day for a local group. One lady came up to me pleading to allow me to let her pay later and that she was trustworthy, she claimed that she didnt know I was charging for this event, when it is clearly written on the website. A year ago I would have let her. But this year, I kindly directed her to the nearest ATM .... she left and never came back. This morning I had an appointment with someone who wanted to check the property. I got up early to have the kennel cleaned ( something I normally wait to do till the evening) and he didnt show. At 10:15am he called me while I was at another appointment to say he had to be at a meeting at 9am and that he was sitting in my driveway ready to take a look at the facility. Well dude you missed your appointment by an hour and 15min, Im sorry I do not sit at the house all day and wait around for people.Just imagine that response in a more polite manor.
I've also learned that you can not please everyone. With as many people as I work with not everyone is going to be happy. I can have this facility spotless. And it will just not be right for someone. Its nothing against me personally. But not everyone wants there dog to stay in a concrete dog run and play in the dirt all day. I get it, no worries. Whats really irritating is when people make reservations and then dont show. Because I really depend on the money and I saved that space for them. I think people assume I will be offended if they go somewhere else. But in I'd rather people be honest with me. Last weekend I have a massive training event. We had 106 dogs and even more people. Out of everyone, only 2 people were unhappy, I call that pretty darn successful! And unlike last year when I would have dwelt on those two people this year, I know I worked hard and I did the best I could and thats all that matters in the end.
I've toughened up alot in the last year. I'm at a point where I love my work, I just hate that its my job. I've realized that if I could do this same job and not be the one responsible for the rent I would love everything about it. But now thats not the case. And for the moment I'll be making the best of it.
Things I have learned....
I'd say the biggest lesson I learned in the past year is that you can't trust people. You cant trust them to pay you. To be on time. To call. Or even to pick up their beloved family pet. Just the other weekend I hosted a big Instinct Test Day for a local group. One lady came up to me pleading to allow me to let her pay later and that she was trustworthy, she claimed that she didnt know I was charging for this event, when it is clearly written on the website. A year ago I would have let her. But this year, I kindly directed her to the nearest ATM .... she left and never came back. This morning I had an appointment with someone who wanted to check the property. I got up early to have the kennel cleaned ( something I normally wait to do till the evening) and he didnt show. At 10:15am he called me while I was at another appointment to say he had to be at a meeting at 9am and that he was sitting in my driveway ready to take a look at the facility. Well dude you missed your appointment by an hour and 15min, Im sorry I do not sit at the house all day and wait around for people.Just imagine that response in a more polite manor.
I've also learned that you can not please everyone. With as many people as I work with not everyone is going to be happy. I can have this facility spotless. And it will just not be right for someone. Its nothing against me personally. But not everyone wants there dog to stay in a concrete dog run and play in the dirt all day. I get it, no worries. Whats really irritating is when people make reservations and then dont show. Because I really depend on the money and I saved that space for them. I think people assume I will be offended if they go somewhere else. But in I'd rather people be honest with me. Last weekend I have a massive training event. We had 106 dogs and even more people. Out of everyone, only 2 people were unhappy, I call that pretty darn successful! And unlike last year when I would have dwelt on those two people this year, I know I worked hard and I did the best I could and thats all that matters in the end.
I've toughened up alot in the last year. I'm at a point where I love my work, I just hate that its my job. I've realized that if I could do this same job and not be the one responsible for the rent I would love everything about it. But now thats not the case. And for the moment I'll be making the best of it.
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