Canine Performance

Introduction: When I tell people that I walk dogs for a living, I almost feel them blush in embarrassment for me. Embarrassed for me?! Why? "Maybe she couldn't afford to go to college" they might whisper later over coffee. The truth is, I feel it could be too good to be true. I walk dogs for a living! I slip through a back gate, a sliding door or a triple-bolted security entrance every single day and I am greeted by mind-blowing over the top enthusiasm. When else can you walk into work and have all your coworkers literally jumping with pure joy because you're there? Your worries simply slip away as you hold your head higher, puff out your chest and high five everyone while they cheer you through the corridor. It's impossible to sustain any kind of gray, Monday-morning funk after that. Don't get me wrong, there are what you might call "bad days" like when heat and hunger shake your brain at the wrong times. Or when you take a wrong turn in a new neighborhood and end up walking for an extra 20 minutes before you find your way back. But it's never the dog's fault. Even when the dogs press your buttons, it's like trying to be mad at your three-year-old, blue-eyed niece who grins at you with chocolate smeared across her face. You might shake a stern finger at her with one hand but your other hand is probably reaching for your iPhone so you can post it on Facebook. I also love the people. There are few greater people in my book than animal-lovers. They seem to look at the world through a slightly softer lens. They learn to be more patient, more forgiving and more compassionate. Isn't that what our dogs are here for? To spread joy? My heart flutters every time one of my client's dogs makes a new connection with me; a second longer of eye-contact, a breakthrough on obedience work or even a lick on my hand. I'm a dog walker. It's the best job in the world.