As I searched through job listings on Craigslist this past May, I knew that if I was going to dedicate 30+ hours a week of my precious summer relaxation time to something other than sunbathing, pigging out on Doritos and binge watching Netflix, my new job would have to be pretty darn special. Although the countless retail and waitressing positions sounded fun, the one posting that caught my eye was for a day camp counselor at a local dog boarding and grooming facility. Needless to say, I applied for the job, landed an interview and was eventually hired to supervise dog play groups for four hours each day.
I firmly believe that dogs are the purest form of goodness on this Earth, and for that reason I anticipated anything involving them to be stress relieving, full of happiness and frankly, easy. I thought that I had mastered the art of dog caregiving long ago (as I have four of my own), but I could not have been more wrong.
Within three days of working there, I was scratched so badly that I now have a pencil length scar on my thigh, humped (multiple times, by dogs of various sizes including a German Shepherd), growled and nipped at, peed on and practically pulled to the ground by a Great Dane. Not to mention scolded by angry customers on any given day when I was forced to deal with the public. People get crazy when their dogs are involved.
Although I dealt with my fair share of stressful situations, I had an absolute blast at the kennel. The struggles I faced only strengthened my determination to persevere and I learned several valuable life lessons along the way.
- Dogs (especially in large groups) are exactly like toddlers. Their moods change without warning and they make noises that can only be described as adorable, yet gross. They constantly want affection and will pester you for it, especially when you’re doing something important like scolding one dog/toddler for biting another dog/toddler on their cheek.
- Losing your patience doesn’t ever help the situation. A job where you work with both animals and the American public is incredibly hectic. Everyone has different wants, needs and feelings and they aren’t afraid to express them. It can very easily lead to someone having a temper tantrum. That being said…
- People are insane. I witnessed more than one adult human being actually stomp their foot in protest of perfectly reasonable company policies. As difficult as it might be to ignore “the customer is always right” adage, don’t let anyone bully you.
- It’s important to have friends. No matter if you are a dog or human, knowing that someone is looking out for you is amazingly comforting, especially in new or scary situations.
- Everyone and everything deserves love. Above everything else, being a doggie day care counselor taught me that compassion truly does go a long way. Simply showing kindness to those around you by offering to cover a shift, giving a few extra belly rubs and even having a positive attitude can mean the difference between having a great day or a terrible one. Everyone is battling something, so why not at least try to make them feel a bit better?
I cannot wait until next summer when I can work with my favorite people and dogs again! Until then, though, I will carry the life lessons I have learned with me and apply them to my everyday life.