Baby Steps!
I'm taking care of my friend's dogs for the week and it's been a challenge. EVERY day, I come home to find poop and pee on the floors. Not that I wasn't prepared for that - I have doggie pads downstairs on the cement basement floors just for this kind of thing, but do you think they're using them? Oh noooo.... Poop on the carpeted stairs, poop on the hallway carpet, pee on the throw rugs (well, at least I can easily clean them). And I take the dogs outside 3 times a day, play with them, walk them, and nothing... and a few hours later, more poop. GAA! This has never happened before and I've been watching these guys off and on for the past 3 years.... SIGH. But I love them anyways - because after I get everything cleaned up, the big guy (a boxer) comes over with those beautiful brown eyes and lays his head on my lap....
And so, looking into those loving eyes, I've begun... this week, I've gotten started with preparing for my future. I just spent the last hour researching, getting the information on what my "competitors" do, rates they charge, the set ups they have.... ALL of them also do grooming. I'm not a groomer and have no interest in doing so either. But it's possible that it's the only way they make enough to stay open? However, my first estimates on income, even at being 1/2 full throughout the year, still shows I'd earn MORE money than I do now - almost double. So things look up.
My schedule over the next 2 weeks is insane.... I want to go SEE my "competitors", dig a little deeper on the facilities, how the dogs act in that environment, and then get over to Sioux Falls and visit my friend who also runs one over there and ask him the parts that wouldn't be public... insurance, licensing, health requirements, 1st aid training and emergency preparedness.
BUT, I'm getting there.... I'm also doing a side expense not really related, and that would be a camper. A trailer hitch and light hook ups are going on my van today. As I get all this prepared, I'm going to use it to travel to long distance places to get more ideas, and also use it to "take a break" because I think best when I'm in nature. And worst case scenario, I'll rent out the house and live in the camper at my business for the first year until I can afford to hire help, thereby bringing in income to keep things going without borrowing.
And so, now comes the boring stuff... putting it all together and making up a 5 year business plan. I'm still scared... almost to the point of those panic attacks again... but through baby steps I'm still keeping my fears under control and am moving forward... LATER!
And so, looking into those loving eyes, I've begun... this week, I've gotten started with preparing for my future. I just spent the last hour researching, getting the information on what my "competitors" do, rates they charge, the set ups they have.... ALL of them also do grooming. I'm not a groomer and have no interest in doing so either. But it's possible that it's the only way they make enough to stay open? However, my first estimates on income, even at being 1/2 full throughout the year, still shows I'd earn MORE money than I do now - almost double. So things look up.
My schedule over the next 2 weeks is insane.... I want to go SEE my "competitors", dig a little deeper on the facilities, how the dogs act in that environment, and then get over to Sioux Falls and visit my friend who also runs one over there and ask him the parts that wouldn't be public... insurance, licensing, health requirements, 1st aid training and emergency preparedness.
BUT, I'm getting there.... I'm also doing a side expense not really related, and that would be a camper. A trailer hitch and light hook ups are going on my van today. As I get all this prepared, I'm going to use it to travel to long distance places to get more ideas, and also use it to "take a break" because I think best when I'm in nature. And worst case scenario, I'll rent out the house and live in the camper at my business for the first year until I can afford to hire help, thereby bringing in income to keep things going without borrowing.
And so, now comes the boring stuff... putting it all together and making up a 5 year business plan. I'm still scared... almost to the point of those panic attacks again... but through baby steps I'm still keeping my fears under control and am moving forward... LATER!
Replies
I know the scared part all too well. The ex has quit paying me and I have the option to have this farm in my name alone and it means having to scramble to find the money. Each month I have to hit the savings to pay the bills. That means I have to find more money to pay off the mortgage. Without the mortgage I can do this but no one wants to loan a woman my age money even with an excellent credit rating that goes back forever. I\'m not ready to sit on a porch and watch life pass me by. You aren\'t either.
You can hire a groomer and I would kennel or crate those dogs until they relearn to go potty outside. At least when you leave for errands or work. Sometimes a more dominate dog will cover over the scent of other dogs. Marking his territory. My horses do this too if another horse has gone potty in the wash rack.
My dog is put in a kennel if I\'m gone or I have a lot going on here at home. I want him kept safe and not to cause harm to me, the horses or hisself.
Why don\'t you invest in a couple of outdoor kennels with the tarp covers. You can get an anti bark device that attaches to a wall or inside the kennel and it only allows so much barking and humanely gets them quiet. That would take care of Mr. nosey neighbor.
It gets too cold here to do that but thanks for the thoughts - the owners just came back a day early due to weather, and as we talked about what was going on, we both were racking our brains with no solution. I think you might have just hit it on the head about the territory thing. Hopefully, next time they come I\'ll be more prepared - I\'ve got space to make a kennel area inside instead!
The inside kennel sounds like a good idea. Yes, it would be colder there. The few times it gets cold here I put a rain sheet on Max. The wind whips across here pretty strong.
I\'m in charge of three dogs for a two month stint - one mine, and the other two my parents who are on vacation down south. The puppy is almost 8 months old and STILL peeing in the house. Sometimes he has a few good days and then....he goes again. WHAT\'S up with that? If he can have one or two good days, then why not EVERY day? So I figure it\'s behavioural. Same for your little guests. I\'m doing my best to give puppy attention etc. but he\'s just not there.
I love dogs, but not THIS much responsibility. Driving me batty. I can\'t imagine running a business being in charge of all these little beings! It takes courage and it takes commitment and you\'ve got BOTH sister! Good for you.
btw the puppy is crated EVERYTIME I go out and he rarely has an accident in there. I think you need to separate the dogs from each other when you\'re not around.
Good luck with your business plan. I\'m super impressed and wish I had the guts and an idea for a business that would work for me!
Puppies I get, lol! Puppies HAVE to be taken outside every 1 to 2 hours to start even if they don\'t seem to need it, slowly increasing the time between \"going out\", rewards for \"good jobs\" (a treat) every time they do their business. They\'re pretty smart... Bear figured it all out within a month. It\'s the older dogs doing it that I don\'t get, lol. Oh WAIT! Cooper is on meds for seizures and I just realized that I noticed that it\'s been really knocking him out lately.... I\'ll bet THAT\'s why.... And Cali (a smaller boxer) is probably just guzzling too much water because she spends the day messing around with the cats while I\'m gone.... I\'m going to do something different (isolate the cats in a different area) next time and see if it works!
The up of doing this as a business: nothing would give me more joy than playing with dogs all day long. The down? Being tied down to them so much that I wouldn\'t be able to get out and bike, etc in the forest. BUT, I\'m going to plan for that. Yep, I\'m getting there!