Career Option No.1 - Dog Walker

For the last month I have been not working. For the 3 months prior to that I was working my arse off as a private housekeeper. 13 and 14 hour days rushed off my feet were the norm. I may go into more detail about this at a later date but right now I try not to dwell on the horror that was my summer as it tends to bring on nightmares.

Anyhoo. So during my month of bed rest, television and facebook therapy I had been dwelling on my next move. What was my next job to be? I couldn't go back into hospitality (my nerves are still too damaged to take huge crowds of demanding people, screaming kids, mess....) and that was where I was stuck, considering I lived on an island that made its money through tourism, with the only jobs being in cafes, restaurants, bars.....or real estate.

"Start your own business!" was the boyfriends suggestion. He makes it look so easy. He has started 3 on the island and all are doing well. "Fantastic idea!" I thought, "but....my own business doing.....what?" . I thought about it while dunking my gingernut into my cup of tea. I continued thinking about it through half a packet of gingernuts and 5 cups of tea. I got frustrated with my lack of ideas and decided to switch my brain off completely with a little facebooking. Half a day later and I realised I still had nothing. I was peckish and decided to be healthy and eat an orange. After the orange I felt so pleased with myself for avoiding temptation I rewarded myself with some salt and vinegar crisps and a glass of chocolate milk. The aftermath of guilt made me get out of the house and go round to my mums to walk the dogs.

She has 3, all Blue Heelers crossed with Corgi. If any of you have had experience with Blue Heelers then you will know they are "energetic" to say the least. If not exercised regularly they punish you by destroying your property - with mums dogs they all have their particular favourites; Yodi perfers Bra's and Undies, new or old he's not picky. Sumo is a bucket destroyer, he loves plastic buckets! Pupple also loves buckets but has a real penchant for shoes - and normally the shoes you wear/love the most. They all also suffer various forms of OCD.

Yodi HAS to walk around the car 2 times befor getting in it. He likes to jump in the back seat, then out the front drivers door and will do this over and over until you get in. Once you are in he will bark like a dog possessed, and usually doesn't let up until you are nearly at your destination - thus it is a requirement that you wear ear mufflers at all times when he is in the car.

Sumo HAS to have something in his mouth when you are about to take him for a walk otherwise he gets so excited he tries to hurry you along by nipping at your inner thigh. I used to get really pissed off about it but then I discovered sticks and would just thrust one into his mouth and he'd be happy as larry! Now he is "trained" and whenever we go out the door for a walk he gets all excited, looks in the garden and grabs the biggest stick he can find (he is currently taking all our firewood logs out of the pile) and then he's ready to go.

Pupple has a weird foot fetish. She loves human feet! First thing in the morning she loves to pounce on your feet and lick 'em. If you try to move she'll pounce again and lick, lick, lick once more. (It is utter torture when you've just woken and are desperate to get to the toilet.)

Anyhew - so into my 2nd hour of dog walking with the last dog I was feeling great! I felt sure I'd burnt off all the junk I'd eaten earlier in the day and was mulling over how much exercise I'd get if I did this every day, and how mum was so busy (she is writing a novel as part of her masters degree) and this was really helping her out when it dawned on me......"this could be a business!". I mean, I live on a small island with a heap of dogs (I know this for a fact as my nanas dog has contributed 3 litters, about 28 pups, to this growing dog population) and I'm sure that unlike me, most people are employed and are therefore out of the house most of the day, too busy to walk their pooches or too tired to do it when they get in. ALSO, there are all the little old ladies and men who have these dogs but have got to the stage where they are too old to be able to take the dogs for a walk. My mind was whirling!!! Where to start? Where to start? Advertising!!

So I stuck an advert in the local paper. It ran on thursday and I got 3 calls that day!!!

The first was from an old lady calling on behalf of her neighbour who has a dog that needed walking. She wanted to know where I lived. I told her and then she said, "ohhhh, my neighbour doesn't live near there" and I said, "It doesn't matter, I pick the dog up from her house and drop it off"....and she did that thing that all old ladies do so well, that "ohhhhh" which sounds more like a happy "ewwwwww!", and said she'd let her know and call me back.

The secound call was from another old lady wanting to know if I wanted her surplus of plastic bags for picking up the dog poop. I told her that was a great offer but as yet they weren't needed as I had no clients.

The third call was a lady WITH A DOG who WANTED A WALKER!!!! YAY!!!! The convo was all rather hurried as she was on the ferry to town to fly to australia for a week. Address, blah blah, Dogs name is Blake, blah blah.....hunterway cross.....blah blah.....hemophiliac.....HEMOPHILIAC!? "Oh yes, so if he cuts himself then you'll need to give him a tablet from on top of the fridge..." I couldn't remember if she then said I had to also take him to the vet or I was to take him to the vet if I couldn't find the tablets, or I was to take him to the vet if the tablets didn't work...

Anyhew it is day 2 of walking Blake. He is a darling!!! Quite young, very affectionate, lanky...when he greets me he tries to jump up and put his front paws on my chest. (The result of this being that I nearly fall backwards! ) His house is right next to a walking park which is perfect HOWEVER I had never really noticed until the first day of walking him that the park is FULL OF GORSE!!!! I was having mini heart palpitations everytime we had to walk through a little cluster of gorse, but it was unavoidable, its friggin everywhere!!! At the end of the walk he seemed happy-as but I still made a thorough paw inspection, ready to whip him to the vets at the merest sign of anything red....but he was fine. And was fine today also.

So yes! That is a rather rambling tale. Hopefully I'll get a few more dogs. My next move will be advertising in the vets and supermarket. I am feeling a little dejected that no-one else has phoned but as the boyfriend says, "it all takes time" and the business will build, "through word of mouth"....I hope so. At the moment what I am charging to walk Blake is barely covering the petrol it takes to drive out to where he lives!! haha.