Finding the good guys

Life in general can be a challenge to sift through the mediocre, bad and deceitful.   How many times have you thought that you were hiring the best only to find out you made a very bad choice and may have just hired the worst.  Perhaps someone you thought was an upstanding, honest and reliable person turned out to be someone you would have never associated with.  Well the dog world is the same; it can be a monumental task to say the least.

When I started as a dog trainer; I heard that I was the second trainer at least a dozen times.  Second trainer because after the first guy was paid he never came back.  Can you even imagine?  One very nice training client had put her faith in a training facility where you leave your dog.  She had faith in him; he was a professional and he said that her dog would be ruined if she didn't leave him.  When she returned to pick up her dog she found a shell of her former dog; listless and scary skinny.  She was mortified; felt betrayed and was guilt ridden.

Finding the "good guys" can be a challenge.  Research, recommendations, more research and a visual is imperative.  The most important thing to remember is; if you are EVER leaving your dog somewhere you must  be able to visit.  Whether it is a breeder, a boarding kennel, training facility, groomers or daycare you should never be denied visitation.  I have heard of several places that do not allow visits, never.  Their reasoning is that it will interfere, upset the dog.

If anyone ever says that you cannot stop by and see either a facility where you are leaving your dog or getting a new dog then I say DON'T DO IT.  If someone doesn't want you to see; then there is a reason.  Being a professional anything is never a guarantee of honesty; trust or care for you or your dog.

We work hard to gain the trust of our dogs.  When we achieve that trust it is our obligation to find other trust worthy people who we choose to care or work with our dogs.  When you do find someone who is reliable and honest; share them with your friends because you have found  one of  "the good guys."