04/20/2025
I got the job! I’ll be expanding and adding to my dog handling and training skills. This is my true passion and breathes life into my soul. Working with dogs. I’ll be helping run a large dog boarding and rescue facility in Belmont. I’ll be responsible for up to twenty or even more dogs than that. I will be running and operating the entire facility on my own full time by the end of May, when the owner has to travel to California to take care of her affairs.
I’ve been lucky and only boarded one reactive dog. I strictly vet dogs and introduce them slowly and properly. Running a home based dog handling business is a bit different than a kennel & run type facility that can keep more dogs and keep them seperately. I’ve been lucky with Smokey DNA & breeding he’s been the easiest dog to train and raise and is basically the perfect dog. Now I’ll be jumping right in to the rescue arena which works with dogs with trauma, abandonment, dogs that haven’t been trained , socialized or supported since pups. Dogs that are dumped, abandoned, and given up on. The owner has been working in rescue for 30 years, so I feel like I have a lot to learn from her and I’m looking forward to the new experiences I’ll have and things I can learn. I can practice training with dogs that need it. I will be helping to train, rehabilitate, and accomodate dogs with different needs and temperments.
Ive been wanting to evolve and expand into dog training, but With Smokey there’s nothing to do he’s already trained and perfect, he’s exceptional and never has had or developed a single issue or problem! Ive got nothing towork on but reinforce his obedience training . I barely did anything and he passed his canine good citizen. Great breeding, dna, temperament and having a clean slate to start with is definitely an advantage . Plus early and extensive socialization , training, and a strong bond, established trust, & my leadership skills, added to the recipe for the perfect dog. Also I was able to invest and devote all my time, energy, and recourses into working with him and being with since he was a pup. We found the right recipe for a perfectly trained working service dog!
Ive been wondering how Im going to practice dog training if I don’t have access to dogs with issues that actually need it. Since I want to evolve into training as well, this is a good place to start, learn, and get sone practicing in. I do have other reactive clients I work with offsite. But now I will have a regular job working with dogs offsite of a variety of different breeds, ages, temperaments and needs. The facility is in Belmont, about a 16mi drive. I start on Wednesday at 8am. There are so many dogs it’s going to take some time to learn all their nanes, differences , and individual needs. The owner said it’s rewarding working with rescue dogs and seeing how far they can come, and how far along you can bring them and how they can heal and rehabilitate in spite of traumas. I do have sone experience dog handling in shelters. I will be expanding on that learning first hand, by hands on experience. Im just going to jump and dive right in feet first! This will be new and challenging adventure different from what Im used to but offers me a lot of opportunity to learn, grow, and get even better at what I do!
Ive been strict with vetting the dogs I care for in my home to maintain a harmonious relaxing environment where dogs can interact, play, and thrive eith all the luxeries of home plus extra friends, enrichment , home made treats, dog cakes and parties and more. If your dog is in my hone, they are truly pampered and spoiled in every possible way! I go above and beyond with daily 7mile nature walks, car rides, & rotating smokey out for dog park time. I spend my own money on handmade frozen treats, buying the dogs tiys, stuffies, balls, chews. I send clients home with treat jars and toys snd their own handmade tote with their name, to keep all their things. But I don’t take dogs in the home that are reactive, show any kind of aggression , dominance that can escalate into dog fighting , resource gaurding or if they have problems with other dogs ect. So far Ive had it pretty easy and been pretty lucky with my dpg and the dogs in my home. They are pretty lucky too. They get to play, wrestle, cuddle, sleep, and get fed special treats all day. The get to share the couch, bed, all the doggy beds. They are free to roam the entire house. I am able to stay home with them full time so they don’t have to be crated and left alone. They usually end uper super attached following me everywhere I go, whether into the kitchen, the bathroom , or changing my clothes. They get to sleep with me and/or Smokey. They even each get their own rooms and set up with their crates toys blankets and food to retreat into as they wish. It’s really a great thing I have going here and an ideal environment I have set up for good tempered dogs to be happy and thrive. Enjoy all the confirts of home plus a few added luxuries and some extra pampering .
I do plan to keep Pampered Pet Palace By Sarah open and running still. Just now I will splitting my time spending three days a week handling the dogs and helping run this facility in Belmont. I’m ready to put in the time and work necessary to learn everything I can and need to by the end of May. It might be hard to schedule daycare if I won’t be home and working off sight. If I get request for boarding I’ll work this out with my boss and I think she’ll be flexible. Except for the two weeks at the end of May, I’ll be fully booked, independently operating the entire facility from sunrise to sunset. My neighbors sabatoged me by reporting me for “running a doggy daycare in a residential area,” getting me fined and my successful busy thriving business shut down. It was vindictive, maliscious, petty, controlling mean bullying and was one of the biggest and most devestating losses of my life. It’s been really hard to get my business up running again and I have to be careful and prepared with a story/excuse/argunent/defense if anyone causes me trouble. I used to have up to four dogs at a time book for weeks and months at a time. But lately, it’s just been one dog at a time, and I’m not getting much requests or inquiries.
Seems like now is the perfect time to step into this new job and working offsite I don’t have to worry about horrible maliscious neighbors. I have the time and availability. I spend so much of my time on Smokey, hiking with him, taking him to the dog park, and I’m always reading books and watching YouTube videos on dog training. I didn’t mind my job at chow hound but didn’t really love it either. From running my business I’ve always known I want to work directly with dogs caring for them, giving enrichment, exercise, playmates for them, walking and exercising them, and spend all my time with them. I get great joy from enjoying the companionship of dogs and thrive when Im abke to do this. I love opening up my heart and home to new dog friends. It’s not the same as a high and goodbye as dogs go in and out and I spent more time caring for cats there. Also, I was maybe bringing home $2-$3an hr after government penalties and benefits require you to pay everything back if you are disabled and do get a job. This new job I will be able to get paid without it effecting my income or benefits! Big win! I was pretty much willing to volunteer and work just for gas money just to get the opportunity to do what I love most while I learn, grow, and evolve as a handler. I was going to try to volunteer at a shelter anyways. This is like that but even better because I’ll actually get paid and compensated for gas travel ect. I’ve been wanting to find a facility I could intern or apprentice in so I could evolve more into dog training. This opportunity is about as close to that and perfect as anything I could find!
Smokey Bear set me on this new chapter and trajectory for my life, and I’m so grateful for him and everything this led to and opened my life to. Finding new purpose and path for my life after tremendous loss was a great help in healing and moving forward. Then, I was able to open, own, and operate my business. I could not do this if Smokey wasn’t such a well tempered, socialized, and trained dog. Bringing dogs in of all ages, breeds, and needs. These were some of the happiest days and memories of my life. One of the only times I remember being truly happy and thriving was when I was busy with my dog handling business full time. I was just scrolling through happy memories and pictures of our doggy adventures and playcations last night, and I miss those days so much. Can’t choose my neighbors and it’s hard and risky to get up and running again and I have to be careful vs when I had four dogs at a time and they all got plenty of time outside.
I believe this opportunity is the next best thing for me to do with my life and the change in my life and circumstances I’ve been wanting and praying for a long time as I greived the loss of my business everything I loved and built. Just because I have a disability, that doesn’t mean I still don’t wish to work. I want something to do with my life and reason to get out of bed each day and take on the day. I need purpose and meaning in my life just like everyone else. It seems like I’ve found the perfect place for me and I can’t wait to see how things go and start to fall into place. It’s a little different working with kenneled and crated dogs and working with rescue dogs and in the rescue industry. But I can’t wait for all I can learn and grow and the knew experiences I can gain from this job and work. And at the end of the day, I’m doing exactly what I want and am good at! Working with dogs hands on and spending my days caring for them and meeting their needs!
I’m so grateful everything went so well and I’m very excited to get started and get to work on my many new doggy experiences and adventures! Keep prayers and good vibes coming that everything works and falls into place as perfectly as it can!
