The Best Customers in the World!!!

[Bowwowmeow]

As some of you may know, I own my own pet sitting and dog walking business. Here I will present my "customers", who are the best customers in the world to work for!

Here is Brandon, my very first customer. He is no longer with us now; he died of complications caused by chemo. He was 12 though, which is a good long life for a golden retriever.

Brandon had the funniest way of greeting me. He would just about panic if he didn't have something in his mouth whenever I came in through the door, and would pick up anything: a sock, a shoe, the TV remote control, or a piece of junk mail from the recycling bin. Then, with his mouth full, he would say "woo-woo-woo, woo-woo-woo", and wiggle his whole self. Then we would go to the park, and he would get a tennis ball and walk up to every person in the park and tempt them to take it out of his mouth. He never let go of it. That was the game, never to give it up, but always to tease people and trick them.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M8aAcoQrumc/SzawecnUh1I/AAAAAAAAANY/oZ9R8DkQNpA/Brandon.jpg

This is Porsche. Brandon was her "brother". She was eight when he passed away, and she grieved for him for six months. It was a hard time for all of us. Porsche used to like to wrestle with Brandon at the park, and they would growl and make the meanest faces, and it scared the children who saw it. We could never convince the kids at the park that they were just playing!
Porsche likes to throw her butt at people. There was a little girl of two or three at the park once, who was petting Porsche from behind, and Porsche knocked her down with her butt and tries to sit in her lap! She cried, but it was awfully cute, too, and we told her Porsche didn't mean it, she just wanted to sit in her lap!


http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M8aAcoQrumc/SzaxMYZjb3I/AAAAAAAAAOg/ZV71n9evBx0/Porsche.jpg

[Oracl]

Lovely dogs, BWM. :)

[Tiggerwoos]

Awwwwwwwwww. They are lovely and what a brilliant perfect job you have there!:)

I'd love to do something like that!

[mothwing]

:thumbsup:

[Kumem]

They're adorable. They sound like very special people :D

[Bowwowmeow]

Thanks everyone!

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M8aAcoQrumc/SzawetB-1MI/AAAAAAAAANg/dhhLQIfRa4U/Dog%20Pack.jpg
Joey. . . . .Bart. . . . . . Kanga. .. .Porsche. .. .Kiki
Black lab.Border Collie Mix.Aussie Shepherd.Golden Retrievers

[Bowwowmeow]

I am now an officially published photographer. Unpaid, but published! I entered this photo in Workman Publishing's Page A Day calendar contest, and they picked it! :excited:
Here are the original photo and the calendar page:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_M8aAcoQrumc/SzawpeWZy3I/AAAAAAAAANs/t-sUk3IjNMk/Kanga%20and%20Kiki.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M8aAcoQrumc/Sza8nYXUuEI/AAAAAAAAAP0/GepQHSsqokc/CalendarDogs.jpg

The caption says: "With a cute wrinkle of his brow, a Pug warns his rambunctious pals to stop bickering before their folding chair collapses." in case anyone has trouble reading it. :laugh:Whenever I leave my chair, Kanga jumps on it, and whenever I am sitting in it, Kiki tucks her head under the arm for attention. Fortunately I had my camera while Kiki's head was stuck under the arm and Kanga was in the chair playing with her. :D

[Oracl]

Great pic! :nanakiss: Well done getting published! :thumbsup:

In the other picture, showing all the dogs in the back of your vehicle, it's great to see my favourite, Joey the mad Black Lab. :doggygrin:

[ChenLi]

Awww, all adorable.

[thevegantwins]

:yea: Fantastic! Those photos are adorable. :smallheart:

[Bowwowmeow]

Thanks everyone!
Sometimes its not so fun. I have had to spend time with a grieving kitty this past week. It sucks to have to go to a house where one animal has passed away, but there is still another to care for. This kitty used to be shy, but all week he has been running down the stairs when I come in and call his name, and crying and rubbing himself on me because he is lonely for his "sister". No one can tell me that animals don't feel loss, or that I am anthropomorphising. I have seen it with my own eyes too many times. :(:(:(

[Delicious]

You are the animal healer, Bowwowmeow! I love it! These people must love thier pets very much to pay for a pro like you to care for them.


I wish that every "pet" lover would wake up and stop eating animals :(

[Bowwowmeow]

Thank you Delicious.
I always get excited when I see soymilk or veggie dogs in a customer's fridge! I wish I could get them all to go vegan.

[Bowwowmeow]

This is Joey, the black lab. Joey is an absolute maniac at the park. The first time I took him there and started throwing the ball for him he was nine months old, and before I realized it I had run him so hard he looked like he was going to have a heart attack. Joey will not stop, even if he hurts his leg. I had to train him to "take a break", which usually means "go find a puddle of mud and roll in it" or "go over to the water dish and step on it just right so that you create a huge tidal wave that drenches your tummy and makes everyone laugh". Joey does lots of thing that make people laugh, like picking up a rope toy, growling ferociously, and beating the crap out of himself with it by shaking it. He's been too close to me a few times while whipping a rope toy around, and it HURTS!!! When Joey drinks too much water at one time, he can projectile vomit a gallon all at once about two feet away! I remember once I was sitting at a bench far away from the drinking fountain, and Joey wanted water. I wouldn't give him any because he had had enough. Some people who had never met him before felt sorry for him, and turned on the faucet. Joey looks like a cartoon animal when the faucet is on; he opens his mouth and appears to fill up like a water balloon without swallowing. Well, he hurled it all over them within seconds. They learned the hard way not to fall for Joey's wily ways!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/JoeyBoy.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/MuddyTongue.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/AirJoey.jpg

Joey weighs probably about 90 pounds and has no business going airborne like he is in the last picture, but I can't stop him!

[Oracl]

Joey rocks! :rock: I love his enthusiasm and energy. :wacky:

:dognnana:

[Bowwowmeow]

Here are Bernie, Mia, Sage, and Beatrice
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Bernie.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Mia.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Sage1.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Beatrice1.jpg

I have known Bernie since she was a puppy. She is a Saint Bernard/German Shepherd mix. She is very well trained. I am the only person she still jumps on. It is best that she not jump on other people, as she is taller than me when she stands on her hind legs. I am 5'5". She is a clueless clown, who loves best to find a "poppy ball" and lie in the shade, popping it. This is actually any old tennis ball, which she likes to chew on in a certain way that causes a popping noise. She also says "woo woo woo" most of the time, instead of anything resembling a real bark.
Her old mom went to work in Florida, and her dad stayed here. They broke up, and her dad met Mia's mom. They moved in, so that was how Mia and Bernie became sisters. Mia was rescued from an abusive household, and she is very sensitive to raised voices and any sort of harsh physical contact. If you accidentally step on her foot or bump into her it hurts her feelings and depresses her. She is a rascal at the park, though. She loves to tease other dogs, and then gets angry with them for playing too rough with her.
Sage and Beatrice were living with Mia when Bernie moved in, and they adjusted with admirable patience to Bernie's size and clumsiness. Bernie is gentle with cats, thank goodness! Beatrice is very shy, but she is used to me now, and Sage is one of those real chatterbox kitties who never stops "talking" to you.
Their mom and dad are two of the nicest people I have as customers. :colors:

[Oracl]

Lovely pics, BWM! :colors:

Sage and Beatrice are really checking you out as you take their pictures! :rubchin:

[Bowwowmeow]

Aren't they gorgeous kitties? Sometimes its hard to take pictures of cats because they will never stay still, and when you hunker down to get closer, they start rubbing themselves all over you. These are mellow kitties, as we had just returned from the dog park, and Bernie and Mia were running all over looking for their folks.

[Bowwowmeow]

Woohoo! A new customer! Actually, his parents are not leaving until August for their vacation, but they sent an inquiry, and included a picture to entice me to say yes. Who could say no to Sebastian? :colors:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/CopyofSebastian.jpg
Isn't he cute? I can't wait to meet him. :dutchbun:

[Dexter]

awwww
they're all so sweeet :)

[Oracl]

Isn't he cute? I can't wait to meet him. :dutchbun:
:colors:

[Bowwowmeow]

I need to pay more attention to this thread. :agree:

I met some new customers who live in Hillsborough, which is were the rich and famous live. :rolleyes:

Here are Biscuit and Bogie:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/BiscuitandBogie.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/BiscuitandBogie5.jpg

Biscuit:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Biscuit.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Biscuit2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Biscuit4.jpg

Bogie:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Bogie.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Bogie3.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Bogie2.jpg

And here is their tennis court ;) :

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/TennisCourt.jpg

Their gazebo:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/Gazebo.jpg

Their view:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/View.jpg

Their pool:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/SwimmingPool.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/SwimmingPool2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/SwimmingPool3.jpg

They are a couple of sweet, unspoiled dogs though!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/BiscuitandBogie3.jpg

[Oracl]

Wow! Some pad! :rubchin:

Very gentle looking dogs. :)

[Gliondrach]

Nice dogs.

How the other half lives, eh?

[thevegantwins]

:wow:

Those dogs are living the life..and they have you! Do rich people do anything for themselves?

[Soynut]

Wow, I just discovered this thread. Don't you have one of the best jobs in the world!:thumbsup: And your customers are so adorable. I would love those animals like my own.:smallheart:

[my3labs]

Awesome thread BWM. I can't believe I've never seen it before.
I absolutely adore dog pics! They say so much without really having to explain anything.
Share more when you can, please.

[Soynut]

Thanks everyone!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Customers/NewImage.jpg
Joey. . . . .Bart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kanga. . . . . . . . . . . .Porsche. . . . . . .Kiki
Black lab.Border Collie Mix.Aussie Shepherd.Golden Retrievers


:D Cute.

[thevegantwins]

Last week when I was in NYC, I saw 3 adult males walking about 6-8 dogs each. They were crossing over Lexington Avenue and heading towards Central Park. It must have been a playdate. What was really cute was the first 2 guys had all big dogs and the last guy had all the teeny dogs.

[Bowwowmeow]

Thanks everyone! :nanakiss: :nanakiss: :nanakiss: :nanakiss: :nanakiss:

I've been at it for eight years this month. I can't believe it! :dizzy:

[Soynut]

Is there a Bowwowmeow franschise opening up in my area soon?:)

[Bowwowmeow]

:D

[Gliondrach]

Congratulations to BWM on her eight years in business!

[my3labs]

Is there a Bowwowmeow franschise opening up in my area soon?:)
I'm so quitting my job if so!! BWM, I'll be your Northwest liaison.

[Bowwowmeow]

You're probably the only ones I would trust if I were to expand my business. :agree:

[Oracl]

You'll definitely need a branch Downunder! :updn: :walkdog:

[Soynut]

We would make a powerful vegan bunch, I'm sure of it!:) All of us absolutely ADORE animals so we'd be popular.:thumbsup: