Putting Ash to Work, Literally!

[Draco]

My new job working in a dog kennel has resulted in an interesting tangent, Ashenpaw now has a job! Often I have heard how important it is for Border Collies to have a job. Ash was such a mellow couch potato that I never really had to come up with something. He just wasn't real destructive like the typical Border. I talked with my boss shortly after being hired and discovered dogs of employees are welcome provided we make our own arrangements for them when we cannot supervise them. No problem, a crate solved that issue. I brought him to work with me today and let him play first with one of the boarding dogs the boss wanted to know what the temperment was like (we were already pretty sure the boarder was a sweety, just wanted to be certain) ... on the heels of that came a daycare session. Ash was romping the room with a visla, two beagles, two bichons, a young coonhound, a young lab, and a silky ... he stunned a trainer time and again when the visla came and swiped the frisbee right from his mouth and still Ash came trotting back beside the visla with a smile on his muzzle. He could have cared less.

Later in the day, we had a new arrival for a daycare screening. A gorgeous German Shepherd. Ash was right on spot trotting into the room to check the dogs temperment. Again, my boss was amazed at how Ash behaved. My boy is now VERY welcome to romp the play sessions and work the dogs, as well as becoming a screener dog for the daycare because of his moderate checkout procedure. I cannot say enough about early and effective socialization, and responsible dog park usage. That is the key to Ashenpaw's demeanor with other dogs.

How cool is that?!:cheers: Of course, I will be watching to make sure no harm comes to my boy, but that is why I will be assisting with the screenings. If I need to Ash to back off, one word will produce the desired result and he will retreat to my side, since the other dog is on lead that should curtail everything. That was not something they had with the previous screener dog.

[Monkey]

Congratulations!!! Isnt it awesome when your dog finds a good job :D :D
You gotta be so proud over him :D

[Jake2006]

that's brilliant! Most dogs would die for that job! How much do you pay him?

He's also getting a lot of exercise too. Bet you are pleased!

[blunder paws]

Oh that sounds great go to work with your dog and they get a job to. Way to go Ash. I bet it's also a nice feeling to show off such a well behaved dog as well on you can take anywhere.:)

[Draco]

LOL! Well, he gets paid in affection and playtime, don't think they'll be putting him on the payroll. ;) And yes, it feels great to have such a well behaved boy. Since he's so attached to me he'll stay where I put him, or follow around for the most part. He's not with me when I'm feeding the dogs or walking them ... that's too risky yet. But that's his nap time, which he seems to need.

Today I'm going to leave him home though, Mya needs an intermittent adjustment time to being alone. And on a second note, Ash swallowed a hunk of rawhide whole last night and he should probably have a quieter day til that passes. :D

[layla17]

That's great. I'm glad to hear that he got a job working with other dogs. It just goes to show that our dogs can always surprise us. I wish I could go to work with my two puppies.

[Chaz]

Was the Visla loud, in our kennels we find them to be lovely dogs but they can get bored easily and become loud, just like weimaraners, I don't think that them type of dogs are suited to our kennels as they need to be somewhere that they can be more active.

[Draco]

Yup, the visla was very chatty! Barking right in Ash's face to get the frisbee, not that he cared one rip. I also am finding German Shorthair's to be rather vocal and an increased kennel aggressive tendency (just behind the door, once outside of it they're fine). Could just be the sheer number of Shorthairs we've had though. Oh, and the terriers are a handful! One destroyed an enclosure changing how we house terriers from this point on.

As far as kenneling goes, where I work we try to get the dog friendly dogs out to romp with eachother in supervised groups separated from eachother ... looking at these dogs getting two playsessions roughly 2-3 hours each time. They're pretty tired out. Once construction of the grounds is complete we'll have three indoor play areas, and three outdoor play yards. Given enough staff we could exercise ALOT of dogs at once. ;) That's the plan, anyway.

[sandalfarm]

That's great!! How old is Ash? And is Mya a collie with long legs???

[Chaz]

Oh we don't let dogs play together, well the bosses don't anyway I sometimes break the rules with another girl when the bosses are out and walk some dogs together as you can tell the friendly ones from the not so friendly, there was a German wirehaired pointer who came into work who cut her feet to pieces as although the front door to the kennels is safety glass the back door is metal and she just kept jumping and she is ten!!! We have a EBT that comes in who eats and digests the beds that we give him so we have given up with him, although if all goes to plan his owners want to rehome him and I have been given first choice as to whether I want him or not, my parents are thinking about it tonight, at the moment though they are giving him too much Serene-UM as they are giving him as much that a great dane should have. The terriers at the kennels I work at are fine, some want to kill each other when we put them out into the 'paddocks' (fenced areas that the dogs go into in the first thing in the morning and last thing at night to do what they need to).

[Draco]

Sandelfarm: Ash is 4 and a half, and Mya is a Brittany. ;) Generally they are couch potatoes which is RARE for a Border Collie like Ash. His activity needs are mild compared to his breed. But he loves coming to the kennel. I'm going to see if I can't get him to stay at my side so he can be out more in time. He's good, but a little distractable and LOVES to greet people.

Chaz: Ours is a pet resort type of thing. ;) Many of the dogs are daycare who have been screened for temperment. That is the bulk of our play session dogs. Some of the boarding dogs have been with us enough times we've gotten to know them. The sessions are being constructed with care, and typically have someone with training experience in the room. ;) We're not just placing the dogs together willy nilly. They are closely watched. And the owners of the business seem to have a good handle on how to run this. Thus far the owners have been very happy with the playtime service.

[Chaz]

well nothing has happened as we don't let the dogs off lead and do see how the dogs interact through a fence before walking them, just thinking as you have a Brittany in yet because we have and they make the strangest noise when we get their leads out, does Mya do this also?

[skunkstripe]

So Ash is kind of like a Therapy Dog for other dogs! That's great! :thumb: He can do good and have a job!

[agilityk9trainer]

Good for Ash! It's always nice when your dog has a job. :)