One of these days

I'm going to be able to afford my own facility so that my work doesn't follow me home on my day 'off'. (yeah right, like that's ever going to happen, when I start playing the lottery, right?)

Or better yet, I should know better than to answer the phone when it has woken me from a sound sleep and I don't recognize the name on caller ID. That would be a simpler, more effective plan. Because that's why I have an answering machine!

Sometimes I think I care too much. About other people's dogs that I don't even know. About what that dog's life will be like. And what may happen to him or her. And I can't 'let it go' when people make unwise decisions regarding their new charge. I try so hard to get them to listen to the professional (ie me) and sometimes I get way too blunt which only circumvents what I've been trying to do all along.

Today such a phone call happened. And I'm still shaking my head at it. Some days my ability to deal effectively with John Q Public is severely lacking. Today is apparently such a day.

The person already had made up their mind and couldn't fathom what I was going on about, "How does this have anything to do with puppy training?!" she remarked. Well, um, how about Everything! Setting a solid well grounded foundation is critical for having a well rounded, trained and socialized adult dog. Well the woman didn't want to hear it, and my patience wore thin. I did cop an attitude, and she copped one back saying, "Well maybe I don't want to work with you!" and she then hung up.

A rational person would say, "Good riddance, you are not the type of client I would want to have anyway." Which is rather true. But I still feel terribly bad for that poor puppy who is living in that home. It's not a neglect case or anything from what I could gather, but the dog will not get the proper basis for his or her life in that home, due to their narrow and short sighted view of that dog's future. And that is a huge disservice to that dog. And he or she deserves much better. As every dog deserves. And it frustrates and appals me when people can't see that or choose not to see that and the dog suffers in the end. And they don't seem to care! How can they not care! That dog is a living, breathing being, dependent on them for everything, and they don't seem to care. And I couldn't convince them to care, to see that side of it. And that is a part of my job that I dislike immensely.