Losing a dog, who's been a best friend, really hurts

Two weeks ago, Hannah, age 8 - a gorgeous German Shepard dog customer of mine, died suddenly.

Her symptoms were that of a stomach virus.  Turns out, she was riddled with cancer.

I've spent the past two weeks comforting her owners, Vicki and David.

And now I will spend however long I have to, comforting myself.

You see, Hannah girl, or Hannah Banana, as we sometimes called her, had been coming to daycare since
she was 6 months old.  I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on her.  Stunning. Breathtaking. Beautiful.

She was shy at first, but once she got in to the routine and groove, she became high up in the pack.  She attended our daycare in NY, 3 days a week.  Multiplied by 52 weeks a year.  Multiply that by 8 1/2 years.  That's how often I got to see Hannah.

She was more than a customer.  She was my magestic, beautiful friend.  Although she never talked to me, she listened, she looked, she understood.  She comforted.  She was funny.  She was maternal to the puppies.  She was sometimes fresh! ("cheapshot Hannah" was a nickname because when we'd be outside in the woods, she'd "herd" some dogs by nipping - never biting - their legs, and startle the heck out of them for a second).

I cannot believe I won't see her gorgeous face anymore.  My dogs loved her! My staff loved her! Everyone loved her.

These dogs and I form such a close bond, words can't describe it really.  I sound insane saying that my best friends have furry feet.  But its true.  They do.

This is just the beginning, I know.  My customers who started with me as puppies are soon entering their senior years.  One day, I'll have to say good bye to them.  How does one prepare themselves for that? One minute they're healthy and playful, the next day they're gone. 

To my beautiful Hannah:  I think of you all the time.  I believe all dogs do go to heaven.  I hope you're there waiting for me when I get there!  I love you my sweetie pie, I love you so much.  RIP.

Sometimes, doggy daycare isn't the best place for doggies...and I'll tell you why -

This past week, we held an interview for a gorgeous, stunning, adorable, fresh face, mixed breed, named Taylor. She's 4.  Lived on a farm in Jersey all her life. Then her family moved to the suburbs in NY.

Her mom, who had the purest of intentions, stopped by without Taylor to check us out.  She asked many questions, I answered all of them, happily.

She disclosed one red flag....that Taylor had killed a barn cat, on her property. Ok - strike one against Taylor, but, since there are no kitties in doggie daycare, I was willing to meet her.

I told the mom to bring Taylor in for her interview first thing in the morning - like - 7 a.m. - this way, she'd start out with just a few dogs, and as the others streamed in, she'd be the one greeting them, instead of the other way around.

The mom didn't show up w/ Taylor until 10 a.m. - bad move, Mom.

Taylor came in, wagging her tail, looking as cute as could be.  My staff and I all oooo'd and aaaah'd at her, she really was adorable.  A husky, golden, and something else, mix.

We brought out our two awesome interview dogs.  Bear, a big black lab who is a big mush.  And Riley, another lab, he's yellow - and also, a mush.

Taylor went to bite both of them.  And both times, wagging her tail while doing so.

Luckily, she didn't break skin, but I called her mom, told her what happened, and said she needed to be picked up.

Mom picked her up - upset - confused (?) and kind of angry with us.

FOUR hours later. Yes - FOUR hours later - the Mom returned, DEMANDING to meet the dogs Taylor went after.

Well, we were happy to oblige - after all, these delicious dogs Taylor tried to get a taste of were super friendly, and came out wagging their tails, happy as clams.

She pointed to Bear.  And said....."Oh, I can see that Taylor may have been intimidated by that FAT one" as she looked at Bear with disgust. WRONG MOVE LADY...... Jen, who works at Buddy's Barking Lot, was with me. Jen is madly in love with Bear.  Jen does not let anyone call Bear "fat".  Jen says that Bear has big bones and lots of muscle, and he's not fat.  Jen went on to tell this woman that Bear is the kindest dog and would never hurt a fly.  I was biting my cheeks from laughing - but also, biting my toungue from chiming in with Jen.

Then she sees Riley boy.  She said "oh, I don't know why Taylor would go after him....."

Me neither lady.

VERY KINDLY, and calmly, I explained to her that sometimes doggie daycare isn't for all dogs.  They must be social.  They must be willing to meet other dogs.  Shy is fine.  Insecure is fine too.  Our pack will make every dog feel at ease, literally, in minutes.  They are the most non threatening pack on the planet. 

She kept pushing........well, how about this idea......how about if you chooose one dog to go up to your dog park and play with Taylor?  I said "well, that process of elimination could be quite a blood bath...." She says "how so?" I say "how many dogs does she need to bite, in order to find the dog she will tolerate?"  It isn't worth it.  It really isn't.

For all the dog daycare owners, or soon to be owners - do not allow a dog who bites to come to daycare.  Its not worth the liability.  Dogs like that should be walked and walked and walked by dog walkers, or their owners.  There's no room for aggression like that, in a cage, crate free doggie daycare.

For all dog owners - don't go away mad when your dog fails the interview.  Its for the good of all involved.  Don't put your dog in a position where it will want to bite other dogs. Its just not fair.

Peace!

Eileen Fleming
xo

Be Nice or Leave!

Hello world! Sometimes the cat's just got my toungue - or fingers - and I'm just not motivated to go to the computer and type out my thoughts.  Maybe its been because this summer has been a whirlwind! Maybe its because my mind is going 1,000 mph and I can't sit still... Whatever the reasons/excuses - I'm back.

So as you know, I have a doggie daycare.  Yesterday, I was challenged in a way that I haven't let myself been in a long time! 

A lady comes in with her adorable 4 mo old JRT. For the interview. Dog interview.

I broke my rule and allowed her to come in while we had a packed house.  I just thought, maybe if she saw the fun, the calm, the cozy inside, she wouldn't look like a deer caught in headlights. 

Bad move.

She immediatly looks at Champ - our priceless, gentle giant - pit bull.  "THAT'S A PITBULL...." she says.

Yes, that's also the sweetest love bug on the planet - I say back.  I'm holding her pup at this time.  She says, no, no, no my dog isn't going back there with all those other dogs.... So I instantly hand her back her dog. "No problem" I said - and was ready to open the door and shoo her away. 

I'm not like that with potential customers. Really I'm not.  But I took offense (and shouldn't have) to her snide remarks about any of our dogs. She had no idea, that if her Jack Russell went in the back room, and played with the big boys, he'd be running circles around all of them - and have the time of his life. 

Ugh.  After twenty tortuous minutes, she finally left to go run errands, and allowed her pup to stay with us "on one condition" - that he not go in the back to play with the big boys.

Ok fine. So he stays in the smaller room, with the couch potato dogs, who just want to nap.  And being that he's a puppy, soooo thrilled to be in doggie daycare - he starts scratching on the door to go back to play with the other dogs.  In the big room, we have 3 lb dogs hanging out with 180 lb dogs. No cages. No crates. No fights. Its calm and managable chaos. My staff are pro's. We've been doing this a long time. So I found this lady so darn annoying.

She called to check on him, and I said listen, maybe you should pick him up, bring him back when he is older and you are more secure of his safety. She says ok sure. She comes back, much sweeter this time.  She said her husband told her that she was neurotic.  She said can her dog come back next week? Or his he banned from daycare?

(we never fail 4 month old puppies from daycare interviews, btw)

I'm hoping that when she really knows the feistiness of a JRT, she'll trust this process more.  We don't put dogs in danger in our facility, ever.  We don't cage the dogs - they're all happy wonderful creatures.  And I love them all.

So don't dis our pits - don't dis our dogs - and Be Nice - or Leave!

Dogs & Divorce. Who gets the dog?

I'm feeling compelled to address the "d" word today.  Divorce.

In the U.S., at this time, Dogs are considered "chattel" which means "property" or "object" like a lamp or a suitcase.

We all know, the dogs in our lives today are far from that.

So many of my customers call their dogs their furry children. Because, well, they are.

So what happens when a couple splits? Who gets the dog?

I've spoken to my friends at a local vet about this.  I've also spoken to one of my favorite dog trainers.  We all agree that the person who is the primary care taker for the dog (there normally is only one in a family) should get the dog.  But what about the other person? That's easy. Its called "visitation."

I believe that, just like a child gets visitation with the non custodial parent, so should a dog.  It is just unfair otherwise, to disrupt your pooch's life and rip anyone out of it.  (unless the other party doesn't care a lick).

Here are some tips if you're heading down the Divorce lane....

1) Don't fight in front of your dog.

2) Don't argue in front of your dog.

3) Try really hard not to cry in front of your dog.  It does nothing but confuses them.

4)  Think of what is in the best interest of your dog, not just yourself.

5)  Use your dog for comfort, but, not as a bargaining chip.  Too many people do that with their kids, and that's as low as it gets.  Please, don't do that to your dog.


Take a deep breath - and think - what would Fido want?

Peace & Love

Eileen

Please don't use me as a bargaining chip during the divorce, ok?

Very yummy Dog Ice Pops

Last week the weather was brutally hot! Our dogs in daycare, who normally love "recess" time and taking walks, would pull us back inside to the a/c. 

Next heat wave, we'll be prepared - here is a great recipe for dog pops.  You'll need little dixie cups and milk bones.

Ingredients:

Three 6 ounce Containers of Plain, Low-Fat Yogurt
1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter (Low Sodium)
1 Four Ounce Jar of Banana Baby Food
1 Tablespoon of Honey

 

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend
well. Pour mixutre into small cups (I used Dixie
Cups). Place dog bone in mixture (to serve as the
handle). Freeze. Once frozen, peel away paper cup
and serve! Yummy! 

 

I've made 72 of them so far - each day I'll make about one dozen until our freezer is full!

When a Dog's Owner Dies...

I've had the blessing of getting to know my human customers very well.  They become somewhat like close friends to me.   And I become somewhat of an extension of their own household.  In this case, I'm writing about one of our regulars, who has been coming to daycare since 2006.  His name is Rocky and he is a wheaton terrier.  I love him dearly.

I also love his family dearly.

Rocky hails from one of the most beautiful areas in New York - and maybe even the U.S.  He's from Scarsdale, NY.  His home is gorgeous, his two sweet little girls are priceless, and his mom Lisa was just wonderful.

Lisa passed away last month of cancer.  For the past year, my staff and I knew something was up, but we didn't ask questions.  Lisa had started to lose a lot of weight, first off.  Her voice became scratchy on the phone, and, eventually, when we'd go to pick Rocky up in the a.m., she was no longer seated at the kitchen table as she normally would be.  She was a stay at home Mom, and the President of the Junior League of Southern Westchester County, NY.  Very busy lady!  In a world where the "rich" can easily dismiss the "rest of us" - Lisa was polite and kind, always.  Rocky was her "first baby" and she had him years before the children came along.

A few months ago, I started seeing clear signs of a problem.  Suddenly, there was a ramp added to the front porch.  Then, I caught a glimpse of a wheel chair in her garage.  Family and friends were buzzing in and out of her home each day.  And then one day, I got an email from Lisa's husband Sean.  It simply said "Lisa passed away this morning, funeral details to follow, thank you for everything you've done for our family."

I lost it.  Totally lost it.  I kept thinking of the children without their wonderful Mom, and of course, how on earth is Rocky going to process this?

Sean emailed me the funeral arrangements, and asked if I'd take Rocky the day of the funeral through the weekend.  I, of course, said of course.  I went to the funeral, and then went and picked up Rocky from his empty house, as everyone went to the cemetary afterward. 

He greeted me normally - tail wagging, lots of rubbing up against my legs.  When I saw what was around his neck, I couldn't stop crying.

It was an orange bandana.  That may not sound important to you, but, it was to me.  You see, every year for the holidays or for his birthday, I'd always give Rocky orange toys.  He loves the color orange.  You can put 10 toys in front of him, if none are orange, he won't bother with any of them!  If one is orange, he'll snatch it up in a nano second.  I often told Lisa  how funny it was how he loved the color orange! (Such a typical boy color too!)

And that orange bandana - the first he's ever worn - was a sign to me, from Lisa.  I took it as "keep loving my boy please!".  I took it as "I know you love Rocky, as I do - here he is in his favorite color for you - remember me and be good to him."  That's what I heard in my head, and that's what I will always do.

Rocky is a funny dog.  He dislikes when men pass us in a car.  He loves, however, when ladies pass us.  I swear, sometimes I think he's eyeballing the cute ladies up and down as we are stopped at red lights.  But if a man is stopped at a cross walk - or - God forbid, a man fills up my gas tank when we're at the gas station with Rocky in the car - he'll flip the heck out.  Being a terrier - he's crafty, brave, loving, affectionate and silly.  And very smart.

I hug Rocky extra hard these days.  I tell him what a good boy he is.  But I don't mention the words "Mommy" or "Lisa" - ever.  The other day I went to pick him up for daycare, and he was sound asleep in his crate, lying on Lisa's blue fleece sweatshirt.  More tears on my end.  He's probably dreaming of his Mom, as he smells her scent from her sweatshirt.  Personally, I don't think its the best idea to have Lisa's sweatshirt in his crate, so he can smell her still.  But what the heck do I know?  I just feel bad that he may be thinking she's coming home soon.  He has big sad brown eyes, & I could just be projecting my own sadness for everyone in his home on to Rocky. 



Rocky in skunk costume, 10/31/11.  We sent him home like this, so his kids and family could see what a cute skunk he was for Halloween!

 Prayers to Lisa - up in Heaven - Rocky is being loved still by all, and getting extra hard hugs as well.  May you rest in Peace. 

Cute idea for a canine birthday cake!

This was Boomer our special German Shepard Dog's Birthday Cake!

Doggie Birthday Cake:  Lots of ground beef/turkey, cooked on stove top, when fully cooked, drain fat, add an egg and some unseasoned breadcrumbs.  Mold in to a non stick cake tin.  Bake for about 20 mins.  When cool - frost with cream cheese.  EASY and the dogs LOVE IT!  Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve!

Left to Right:  Koda, Kita and Simba.  Three of our four Huskies in Doggie Daycare.  For so many years I hadn't seen one, and this past year, we have four regulars! (none from the same family)

A Pool Day!

This is Jodi, she is a shepard mix rescue from North Shore Animal League in Long Island, NY! She has been with us since she was 5 months old, back in 2004.  One of our oldest customers. 



Ginger, being demanding - I can say that, because it is true, and she's my dog.  She's obsessed with swimming and fetching the tennis balls in the water.



The Dogs, relaxing in and around the hot tub.  My kind of day on the job!  (pictured is Louis, my biz partner's husband, it is their home we're swimming at!)

Manny & Ginger, gracefully swimming

This is one of my favorite pool shots!

"Bad Hair Day" #greatdogday



Left to Right:  Ginger, Buddy, Chelsea, Baby, Jack, Allie (in red harness) and Beauty is up top! Only ones missing are Winnie and Lionel.

 Bad Hair Day; Great Dog Day!

This is typical "me" in doggie daycare, normally at the end of the day.  My hair's a mess, my jeans are covered in paw prints, my make up has been licked/wiped off, and I look a "hot mess" as my dog trainer Wanda would say!

But I don't care, the dogs don't either. As long as they're feeling the love, that is all that matters!