My Thank You Note to Belle

To Belle,

I am forever grateful to Marjorie (C.A.A.R.E.), Barbara (Bones Pet Rescue), and any others that helped you to find your way to me.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined just how much you would change my life.  Tears roll down my face as I write this while you sleep next to me.  I’ll never forget the day we met and how quickly you relaxed on our first drive together.  You were just a skinny 8 month old pup, with endless energy, running around the back yard while looking up at the sky.  You quickly showed me how important you would be to my business as new dogs came around for boarding during the busy summer.  In 27 of the first 30 days with me you worked hard at the job of entertaining guest dogs without a single complaint.  I kept track of how many different dogs you had met for the first couple years, but stopped counting at well over 200.  Your ability to adjust to each dogs energy whether it is to hang with the big dogs or play with the little pups will always amaze me.  And your aptitude to help the fearful dogs to come out of their shell is flawless; you always seem to know just what to do.

People often give me the credit for your awesome temperament and instincts, but it’s really you, just being you.  Like the time you met that litter of 6 week old Jack Russell pups in Tahoe and they were scared of such a big dog standing next to their X-pen.  So you lay down, rolled over on your back and put your nose up to the fence and waited for the pups to come up and visit with you.  They knew the communication you had so clearly given, and soon they were coming up to greet you.

I’m forever impressed with your ability to forgive me for my training mistakes and so proud of all of your accomplishments.  Just before your 4th birthday you Passed the Therapy Dog Certification test, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Splash Dogs dock jumper, Demo Dog for numerous dog training classes and my invaluable assistant at Pawsitive Training Center as the official Entertainment Director for boarding dogs. 

Belle, you’re my forever companion, assistant and best friend, and I’m thankful for every day we spend together,

Love, Marty.