Trying to restart this blog, time is hard to come by these days. A quick review to bring everyone up to speed.

 

Since our last post we've:

~Hired 2 more part time team members bringing the total to 6 (including Meg and I)

~Have expanded our client list to over 300 clients.

~Have created a Facebook page as well as Brady and Nina's own Twitter page! Tune in to get all of their daily updates on the road with Mom and Dad! Brady is training for the Windsor Dog Walk and is tweeting his day to day process!

~Have installed our Pet Care lottery and trivia game on the website an included new pics and videos on both the webpage and facebook fan page.

~We've rezoned our service area, and changed a few of our rates - some upward, some downward

~We closed out 2009 with 264 overnight sessions, a new HSH record!

~We've accrued a significant number of aggressive clients and have worked safely and successfully with each one!

~We now have ACH debit payment options and will be up and running with our "shopping cart" for invoiced services soon!

 

Hopefully I will get to blogging' more often and keep that list shorter!

 

Today is about Hayden our new foster. He is a 1.5 yr old yellow lab and is just awesome! He was bought from a puppy store when he was just 8 weeks old and has had a rough go of it ever since...not to mention the "go" he had of it before and during his life in a puppy store. He is every bit puppy in both his rambunctious nature and his cuteness! He is the sweetest little guy and wants nothing more than affection. This drives him to trouble sometimes, as he will nose around and steal things off the table or couch just to garner your attention, but its all in good fun and hard not to laugh. We've known him since he was a puppy as we know the family that originally had him. For private reasons, the family could not keep them and gave him to another family with 5 children and acres with which to run. This seemed like a great plan but the husband soon decided that he could not be bothered by Hayden and was abusing him before too long. As soon as we found this out we drove over and convinced them to surrender him. The husband of course claimed that Hayden was biting at the children and being aggressive, actions which had drawn threats by the husband that he was going to shoot him. These all turned out to be lies but who cares, Hayden is out of there...and the abuse was not a lie. When we got his crate set up, it was all dented in and the gate did not close properly. Reports came out after we rescued him that the husband had kicked and tossed the crate while Hayden was in there as well as thrown chairs at the crate in drunken anger. There had to be a reason why Hayden was petrified to go into it. He's been with us for just over a week now and has shown NONE of the traits that were described to us by the family. Even his counter surfing as ceased to be displayed. He has moments where he gets a hyper and a little mischievous, but a 1.5yr yellow puppy should do nothing else.

 

With some positive reinforcement, and a new "cave" design for his crate, he is back to using it as a safe place and even trots in there on his own at the end of the night. Its very satisfying to see that he trusts the crate so much after what had happened to him in there. He is eating well and loves loves loves playing with Brady and Nina. Its a good thing that there are 2 of them to share the burden as old lazy bones would have their paws full otherwise. We would love to keep him if our living situation were a little different. A bigger home would help as well as having the time to work with and train him. He needs basic obedience but neither of us has the time required to work with him due to the nature of our 'on the run' business. Brady and Nina are in the groove and are so dependable that they often travel with me during the week. It would be unfair to adopt Hayden only to need a dog walker of his own!

 

It looks like he is either going to a wonderful rescue organization in NY or back to the original family who always loved him but had independent issues in the past that made it difficult for them to keep him. Either way, we are enjoying our time with him and love watching him play to his hearts content, as a puppy should. And when he gets out of line, well, Brady and Nina show him the way of the pack. Its the best training anyone could ask for!

 

Hayden is safe and sound for now and by anything we have to do about it, will be for the rest of his life, but keep him in your thoughts as he waits for the perfect forever home to bring him into their life.

 

Chris ~