Websites that make me happy - Gone to the dogs

Once upon a time, not that long ago...

(Funny, does anyone else hear Bon Jovi? Just me?)

... I managed a doggie daycare for a couple who eventually screwed me out of a job. But that's irrelevant to this story. The important thing is that once I had a job where I was to care for other people's dogs all day long while they went to work. I even left a somewhat lucrative, if totally unfulfilling job at a Fortune 500 company to work there. For 11 hours, five days a week I played with dogs, gave dogs treats, stroked their soft fur, played catch, and sometimes just sat on a rock in the sun while a pack of canines napped around me. I also cleaned up all manners of their waste but that's also irrelevent to this story.

Bottom line, the job rocked.

Okay, sometimes the work was tough. For instance, some dog owners think their dogs are little human beings and should be treated accordingly, which flies in the face of everything I and every other rational human being believes, and disagreements over care would happen. On the weather front, it doesn't matter if it's 2 degrees or 92 degrees outside, the dogs still need to go out to do their business and I've never been a fan of extremes in temperature. And it's really no fun to break up a dog fight only to realize you yourself have been bitten, in that soft spot between the thumb and the pointer fighter no less, and end up at the doctor's for a tetnus shot. Eh, had to update it anyway.

For the most part, however, I loved that job. I would work all day and well into the evening, transitioning from care giver to trainer, and fall into bed exhausted and I loved it. I would come home wreaking and covered in drool and fur and I loved it. I hope to do it again some day.

There is a peace that comes from being surrounded by other peaceful beings, animals who have no doubt where they stand in the pecking order. There is a top dog (or dogs), some in the middle, and then lastly, but no less importantly to the order of things, the ones at the bottom. And as long as everyone knows their place things run relatively smooth. I was happy in that pecking order. Maybe because I was the top dog in charge. The top bitch, if you will.

This is all a really long way of saying: I really like this guy's Flickr page. He owns a dog daycare. He takes pretty pictures. He has part of the life I want. And one day, I will. Oh yes, I will. This bitch will be on top again.

Make sure to watch the videos, you won't be disappointed. Unless you're not a pet lover. And if that's the case maybe you should just go away right now because sometimes when I'm displeased, I bite.

(found via Dooce)