Four Year Reflection

Sometimes I can't believe I've been at this job for over four years now. Like when I'm celebrating birthdays for dogs who started with me when they were just pups. Last week both Fudge and Lucy turned four years old. They've both been coming with me since they were about four or five months old. As a teacher, four years was the bittersweet timeframe. Those awkward, scared and tiny freshmen were graduating as confident, rambunctious and head strong seniors. Sure, some of them would come back and visit around thanksgiving or send emails letting you know what they were up to, but most of the time you just had to let go. Now don't get me wrong, there are always some students you were happy to say goodbye to, never to be heard from again. But that four year rotation was always tough.

Now here I am four years later and I've got to watch puppies become adolescents and full grown dogs. It hasn't always been easy. Of course puppies are adorable and smooshy but they don't always listen and they still have a lot to learn. Kind of like freshmen. And the older dogs listen better but have a confidence and headstrong-ness about them that puppies just don't possess. Kind of like seniors. Just take a look at my boy Fudge and how much he's changed over the last four years:

A lot of people ask me if I miss teaching. How can working with dogs possibly compare? I've thought about it a lot. There are plenty of similarities. And surely lots of differences. And you can't really compare one to the other. I just know this is a better fit for me.

But the main thing that makes me love this job is getting to watch these dogs transform from wriggly, antsy little puppies into sure footed, well behaved dogs. And knowing that if I'm lucky, I'll get to be a part of the next four years and the four years after that.