FairPlay Dog Services

28/11/2024

Wishing you all a peaceful, beautiful day filled with reasons to be grateful~

26/11/2024

He was a baby, really – neglected and emaciated. He was about 2 years old, and he’d been tied in the yard for as long as he could remember. He’d gotten his right hind tangled in his tie out, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t extricate himself. Finally, in a desperate attempt to be free, he tried to chew off his foot. He did a pretty good job of it, too.

This was his condition when he was rescued from his yard, the only world he’d ever known, and taken to Angell Memorial in Boston. There, he was cared for by a dedicated staff. A top surgeon performed a ground breaking procedure, using the salvageable parts of his foot and toe pads to create a single pad at the bottom of his leg so that, with foot and toe bits amputated, he’d be able to walk safely on all fours.

Hundreds id not thousands of adoption applications poured in when it was time. The lucky folks who were chosen were the Douglas family of Stow, MA.

The Douglases had always had shepherds, and they’d boarded their previous dog with me from the age of 5 months until her death. One summer afternoon in 2017, Mark brought Maverick over to meet me before he committed to the adoption; this boy needed a village, and I could provide both daycare and boarding services. As he settled in and got comfortable in his new home, he developed some reactivity to both strange dogs, and to unfamiliar people. I could help with this, as well.

Maverick loved his family, and they adored him. For the first couple of years, Mark made the two hour round trip to Angell many dozens of times for bandage changes, surgical tweaks, and other medical necessities. He had a special boot made that would allow the bandage to remain clean and dry. When the bandages FINALLY came off for good, Maverick wore the boot any time he left the house.

Maverick needed a fun activity that he could do without being in a group class setting. I suggested that Mark give Nose Work a try. He and Maverick came to my Sunday afternoon classes in 2018, and Maverick was a rock star. But after awhile, family obligations made the Sunday schedule difficult so they had to stop.

In the winter of 2021/22, Mark decided to give NW another go. I was teaching in a different facility at this point, and when we offered Wednesday evening classes, Mark signed up.

Maverick picked up right where he’d left off. He was unerring in his searches, and each time he found a hide he did a little lip smack, and turned to Mark – ‘chicken, please?’

Mark and Maverick have been beloved and integral members of our Wednesday night NW family for several years now. But tragically, that has come to an end.

I received a text from Mark yesterday. In the back seat of Mark’s wife’s car, on the way out for a walk, Maverick collapsed and died from what their vet determined was a fatal coronary event. His death was swift and sudden, and has left the Douglas family in shock.

I don’t know what to do with these feelings of loss. I’m still coming to terms with the news. I will never again see this huge, magnificent, special dog. In class, we will never again shake our heads in wonder and utter ‘wow’ as Maverick locates hides, smacks his lips and turns to Mark for chicken. I will never again see the intelligence in his beautiful dark eyes, or sink my fingers into his thick, soft coat.

I just don’t know what to do with these feelings. He played with baby Cricket in my back yard. He accepted me and trusted me. He amazed me, and amused me.

I’m going to miss you, buddy. And I’ll never forget you. Run free and whole, and know there are a lot of folks back here who loved you.

08/11/2024

These are a riot!

04/11/2024

These very nice people in MA have a litter of eight 3-week old lab pups! They want to do everything right, so pls be kind regarding current methodology…they really don’t know how to look for homes. So, I’m helping by letting you all know!
If you (or anyone you know) are (is) interested in a lab puppy, feel free to contact me or them. I suspect they’re gonna get clobbered with posts from every wackadoodle out there, so I’m happy to let them know about serious inquiries from sane people.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567913200720&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Dog breeder

28/10/2024

UPDATE: REUNITED!! Daisy is home safe & sound after 4 days, 12 hours :)

"Thank you to everyone who shared and helped us spread the word WE HAVE FOUND HER AND SHE IS SAFE AND HOME NOW. "
-Daisy's Owner
Please spread the word for this lost dog. Daisy was LOST on October 25, 2024 in Indianapolis, IN 46278 near Neighborhoods by Pike High School (71st and Zionsville)

Message from Owner: Daisy was last seen around 6pm last night and got out. She has not come back . She is a bit timid but not aggressive. She loves plush toys.

Description: Dark tan Whippet. Blue collar.

For more info or to contact Daisy's owner, click here: https://www.pawboost.com/p/70905941

Lost or found a pet? Report it to PawBoost here: https://www.pawboost.com/l/rpl

26/10/2024

My boys 💖

24/10/2024

Ruby finds a high hide in NW class

22/10/2024

21/10/2024

This little nugget won Best Puppy at the International Windsprite Club Fall Specialty on Saturday!
He is Artichoke (Arti), Fairbairn’s Snapdragon. He is one of the six sons of my Radish (Tova’s Cumulus Dawn from Fairbairn) and Luca (Aurai Chunky Bleu of Wisco) whelped 7/6/24.
Just an FYI, his mama won Best Puppy at the 2021 Fall Specialty, and she won a nice Grand Champion class Saturday, her second first placement toward her GCh title!

13/10/2024

😂😂

12/10/2024

I’ve just ordered my third lead from this vendor…love the wide selection for customization and great service! They’re easy on the hands, so perfect for race day 😁 and other exciting events.

This Pet Leashes item by BeanieBraidedLeashes has 241 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from North Anson, ME. Listed on Oct 6, 2024

09/10/2024

I am totally on board and in synch with this! I find my dogs to be delightful, affectionate and entertaining, and they’ll always come first in my life.
The more I express my love to my dogs, the better we all are~

I’m a professional dog trainer of 23 years, so here’s a list of things I can guarantee you my dogs are better at than most -

1. Begging for food. That’s right. My dogs 100% know how to turn on the drool and charm when I’m eating or cooking. Does it work? Maybe. Do I always pay cheese tax? Absolutely.

2. Taking over my furniture and bed. Yes. My dogs sleep with me, lay on me, take up real estate on the couch, my lap and anywhere else they find comfort.

3. Getting super excited at greetings. My dogs jump up and hug me all the time. In fact, I don’t ever wear anything I care about. It’s super fun in summertime when I’m in shorts.

4. Chewing stuff that isn’t theirs. Shoes, the corner of a rug, we’ve even lost a chair leg to adolescent teething. Toys? Oh sure they have TONS of them, that I rotate and fill with food and freeze and hide - but what are toys compared to a family heirloom?

5. Ignoring me when it’s really important. Why come back when I’m calling them when it matters most? Why not make me stand in my underwear at 5am for a few minutes. They sure do love to keep me on my toes. It’s even better when it’s in public and I’ve just told people I’m a dog trainer!

6. Getting sick at the worst possible times. It’s not a vacation if someone doesn’t start pooping water or ingest something unknown while I’m gone. Or when I’ve just finished putting the kids to bed and cleaning the house, they are SO good at vomiting right at the bottom stair so I can step in it barefoot on my way downstairs to “relax”.

7. Barking at nothing, and everything, at all times. Leaf fall? Vacuum going? Small creak in floor? We could all die and they keep me safe. Without them, I may fall into the awful spiral of having peace and quiet, and who wants that?

8. Pointing out my flaws. Nothing like an adolescent dog or a drivey shepherd to make you recognize you need more work on your patience, timing and delivery. If it weren’t for them, I’d never have to really work on myself!

9. Leaving too soon. Just as we’ve figured out all of each other’s idiosyncrasies and habits and settle into a friendship of a lifetime, they have to go. We get a few amazing years together, and then my heart gets absolutely shattered, yet I still wouldn’t have it any other way. And THEN, I choose to take the journey all over again.

10. Being my best friends. Long day, feeling gloomy, struggling to see a bright side? They are there through all of it. Making me laugh, keeping me grounded, never taking things too seriously and always ready to try again for me. At my best and my worst they adore me, what better friends can you get than that.

I’m a dog trainer, but I still have dogs. They are not perfect, neither am I. My dogs are still allowed to be dogs as they accept that I’m still allowed to be a human. They are gonna dig a hole in my favorite spot of the yard and I’m going to take away the soggy tennis ball they found in the swamp. They will shred a new bed I bought for them and I’ll ask them to walk politely next to me instead of dragging me down. They will bark at a suspicious plastic bag and I will ask them to perform silly behaviors in front of people. They need to smell a tree branch for 10 minutes and I want to watch this new Netflix documentary. It’s a two way street and I’ve learned to embrace it instead of try to control it. That’s the only way I’ve found for it to be truly fair to them and to myself.

If you want a dog trainer who doesn’t advocate for allowing dogs to be dogs, and humans to be humans, and finding a compromise that’s fair and humane, I’m not your trainer, and that’s okay with me. They aren’t here long enough to make such big deals out of such little things for the level of friendship and devotion we get in return with them. Love your dogs everyone. For them, and for you.

- Helen St. Pierre

09/10/2024

It’s another sparkling Maine morning!