The Pet Minder

It seems that my animals know my routine, and wait for each movement or noise to indicate that it is time for them to move.

When they hear the “Windows” closing down theme, then it is time to go outside before bed.

Leaving the kitchen and moving down the hall provides a bit more of a conundrum. I could be moving toward the bathroom or the office, and with both spaniels running ahead of me, one of them is usually on the money. Bryson constantly turns around, checking to see he is winning.

It is the refrigerator which holds the prize though, by way of a piece of icecream, or frozen yoghurt. Of late it has been icecream, the low fat variety.

Each sitting by their bowl, waiting for the prize.

At the end of a tub, the three of them have turns at removing the remains , spaniels have the base and weimaraner has the lid, and they don’t stop licking until the treat has disappeared. The scene could be likened to the three bears.

It has been all go, with 7am starts and an early morning alarm for the neighbourhood, as the dogs bark in unison, when we walk in to the kennel area.

This noise is a prelude to the calm that will soon envelop the area once food has been distributed.

From all of our little boarders to the large Pyranean Mountain dogs, the daily routine remains the same.

Above is a taste of the Christmas rush, which took over our lives for four weeks, but which has now settled down to the usual February lull.

Down time for January was opening from 8-11 am, and then closed for the remainder of the day. This enabled everyone to recoup from the hectic time, that is traditionally, Christmas holidays.

The weather, certainly, was not kind to us in Wellington this year, with cloudy days and rain, and also cold temperatures. Those who escaped the city and surrounds, were more fortunate, and enjoyed glorious weather around the country.

It was a case of “crash and burn” at the end of January, where all I  could do in the early afternoon, was to go for a “nana nap”, hoping that this would restore my fading energy.

However, now we have the bassets, Pepe and Scooter back in their small, but happy group for day care. There is no greater pleasure for me, than to see these pups greet each other on arrival, and then get down to the serious business of sniffing the yard

 

The first few visitors are beginning  to arrive.

Arms laden with beds, toys and treats, customers are delivering their beloved pets for their Christmas with us, while they are heading off to, hopefully, somewhere with sunshine and warmer temperatures.

This is the last week of Day Care for 2009,  and my charges will be off to explore different areas of the neighbourhood for a month, until the majority of my current guests have vacated the premises.

We would like to wish all of our customers and their pets, a very Merry Christmas, and a Prosperous New Year, and hope to see all of our regular, and new, customers, in 2010.