Today I experienced the world of doggy daycare. We were at The Dog Lodge to get cute dogs on camera. We needed the footage to tell the story about the potential dangers of Cocoa Mulch for our canine pals.
I am a huge fan of dogs. I don’t encounter them much in my professional life, but I have two wiener dogs at home. Still, I was relatively unprepared for the energy of more than twenty pooches in the same place! They greeted us with wild enthusiasm. Before I could really comprehend what had befallen me, and my light grey suit (a horrible wardrobe choice by the way) I was covered in dog saliva and wet fur. (The dogs were having a pool party outside when we arrived) It was fairly comical watching my photographer try to capture the dogs while they scurried everywhere, and pounced on him playfully, but unpredictably.
I was feeling a little like the Velveteen Rabbit after about ten minutes. A little too appreciated, and a little tattered. That’s when I fell in love with a Boxer named Petey. For some reason, the dog decided I either needed his protection, or that I was exclusively his ear scratcher.
He positioned himself between me and the other dogs, pressing his weight against my knees. Anytime a dog from his group approached, he would bark and scare them away. I was grateful because while I enjoyed the boundless barking love and attention, I was increasingly concerned about the amount of water, fur, and saliva on my light colored slacks. (I have to at least try to keep up the pretenses of being professionally groomed on TV.)
Petey sort of made my day. I walked out of The Dog Lodge with a new appreciation for those who choose that profession and a little jealousy for the owner of my new four legged friend Petey. I may make another appearance at The Dog Lodge, but next time I will be wearing jeans and flip-flops.
