I've had enough of not earning enough money grooming (it's been 6 months and I still only have 25 customers, my first ones haven't started coming back yet), so I flicked through the yellow pages the other day.  Rang up a kennels with a nice advert, and I got a job! the first one I rang too!!

Dead chuffed now :D I start tomorrow, Ann (the owner) wants to see how I work and what I'm like with the dogs, as she wants to go away for a couple days this week - she likes that I've worked with dogs before and that I enjoy learning about them, so if tomorrow goes well she'll be happy to trust me with the place while she's away. Yay me!  Apparently her two staff both like dogs, but don't want to learn, and Ann wouldn't trust them if she wasn't there.

It's a sweet little place, only small, but it looks nice - better than the kennels I left last summer, certainly.  Don't get me wrong, they were nice people, but the exercise paddock had dodgy fencing - every time I wanted to take some dogs out, I had to get the owner to shut her own dogs away (anti social GSD and great dane!) so they wouldn't hop over the wire and harass the dogs!  Ann on the other hand has 3 GSDs, all very friendly, an ancient cavalier and an old BC, all sweet dogs.  The GSDs are gorgeous, the proper type - none of this vastly oversized, hairy, iffy temperament type there is sadly a lot of round my way.  While I was there yesterday I met one she's bred - he's 1/2cm under the top of the standard, a big dog, but fabulous :) complete nutter, he nearly sent me flying over a patio chair!!  Apparently I'm welcome to try some training with my clicker with him if I want!

So I'm very pleased, it will be nice to have some money for a change (especially as my trianers and my last pair of jeans are falling apart!) and I can't wait to get back working with all sorts of dogs again, I've missed it.  I adore my two, but a change is always nice!

Well done Nik!!

Nice when you get a job just like that...I'm also waiting for some places to get back to me...Fingers crossed :)

Good for you Nikita, wish you were nearer me lol.  I have just advertised for 'help' and you would not believe the quality (or lack of it) of applicants.  Well done, and I hope the new job goes well :D

Well done! and remember you can still keep your grooming part time so you could build it up slowly if you wanted to.

Well done :-) you deserve it  :-D

thanks all :D I plan to build the grooming up - well, I've been trying since January, really!  A brilliant bonus to the job is the grooming - Ann used to groom herself, but do to a shoulder injury she doesn't do it anymore - she takes dogs to a groomer elsewhere, doesn't get a discount so loses money on petrol costs, doesn't really like the groomer plus the groomer likes punctuality but often isn't there when Ann turns up!  So the plan is for me to do the grooming, and I'll get paid extra for it. Woo!

Ann was telling me about the "quality" of some of the staff she's had - she's had teenagers who didn't work because it was too hot or cold, or they'd rather be ridnig their horse... and once she had a lesbian working for her, and ended up having to pay her 6 months' sick pay, because the woman injured her back cheating on her partner while at work!!!  Sounds like it'll be a fun place to work :)  Certainly am looking forward to it!

I'll let you all know how tomorrow goes!

Good Luck Nikita, word of caution though listen to it all , take it in and don't say too much.

An employer is often best not to " Dish the dirt" on previous people so quickly. May be nothing but make sure they don't take advantage of you..

Good luck , don't let me put a damper on it just wanted to make sure they are fair to you.

Pam

Not to worry, I think it's mroe because we get on so well that she told me all about the people she's had! For instance, yesterday was fantastic for a first day, we finished work at quarter to four and got chatting, and I didn't leave till 10 to seven!

Is great though, I feel much more at home in this place than any other job I've had (except grooming at home, of course :D).  She's trusting me with the kennels this week while she's in Devon showing dogs, which is very good I think for a first week!  So I'm in all week till Friday afternoon, coming home in the evenings of course.  And even better, I can take my dogs with me - there's one kennel that isn't used, a fairly big one (metal run and large wooden kennel on the side), it's used for storage but we are going to clean it out for my two tearaways.  Brilliant!  It also means I can give them some space to run around in - with their recall as it is, whilst it is improving wonderfully each day, I still can't let them off at all and they only have a little patio at home - so it'll be good to be able to chuck a ball about for them at lunchtime.

And the odd thing ni all this?  As soon as I got the job, I started getting grooming bookings!  Two this morning, and three people left messages while I was at work.  Wierd!

Thats great news,

ps have pm'd you :D

Well done on your new job.  I worked part time for a long time when I was doing the grooming business and it takes a very long time for you to get people to trust you with their dogs.  Have you advertised in yellow pages?  I did leaflet drops quite frequently and got lots of customers.

Keep at it long term it is a very rewarding trade.

I'm not in the yellow pages yet, I was two months too late for the latest issue, but I'll be in the next one!

Hi Nikita

Good for you.  I'm at that stage as well ie trying to get a job and work at my business part-time.  I've got an interview on Friday and, same as you, I have started getting orders in.  I have a wonderful girl that looks after my dogs for me when I'm away and she has said she will look in on them during the day so hopefully things will work out.

It will be nice to have regular income again.  It's been a long time since I worked for anybody else but needs must at the moment so here's hoping Friday goes well.

Kind regards
Annie

Same here - I actually said I'd never work for anyone else again, but Ann is so un-boss like at times it isn't a bad way to work :)

I've decided not to take my own dogs in though - I took them in today and yesterday, but rather than be happy that they get to see me much more than they would if they were at home, Opi spent the whole day sitting and looking for me, and anytime I came near the kennel they were in they both came out into the sunshine to winge at me.  remy was pawing the door by the end of the day, and whining - the last time I let them out I had to pull him back in, he just wasn't happy.  So they're staying at home now.  Oh well!

It's great otherwise - couple of difficult dogs, no big problem though.  I did spend half an hour trying to persuade a cocker called Monty to come back in, but no dice - I managed to grab his collar once, but he flipped on his back and started biting me (rough player, he bites your ankles in play when you walk), so i elt go.  In the end I had to slip a lead on him sneakily to get him in, and I haven't let hinm off since!  Then there's Rodeny, the HUGE great dane who doesn't like people all that much, and hates going indoors if you don't have a bowl of food to give him.  He understands now that he can't make me move - I had a lead on him yesterday to bring him in, he pulled backwards as hard as he could, but gave up when he realised I wasn't going anywhere!  Got him in easy after that :) I suspect if he was a little bulkier it might not be the same, he's on the thin side.  Lucky me :D

One of my friends works at The Dogs Trust and was able to take her dog with her.  She didn't settle either and now she stays with my friends mum during the day and is much happier.  I think you're doing the right thing there.  Not all dogs settle in kennels - I know that mine wouldn't!  I've got a special plan worked out.  I will be working 11-5pm from Friday to Monday.  I will take them for an enormous walk in the morning early before I go to work and I have somebody that will come in at around 1.30-2.00 to let them into the garden and sit with them for half an hour.  I'll be back at the latest 5.30 and they will go for another walk then if its not too hot.  I spent ages soul searching about getting a job and I should have done it a little while ago but I was worried about the dogs.  But, the bottom line is, we need to keep a roof over our heads and if this is the only way to do it in the short term then so be it.  I'm sure they will be fine though. :)