Unexpected rewards

For those of you that know me I think you'd describe my relationship with my dogs and their training a bit of a passion. They do take up rather a significant amount of my time and income, but I certainly wouldn't want it any other way. Teaching for a living seemed a natural progression to this love affair as I want the people I teach to be enthused to enjoy their dogs to the full, as sadly we don't get to keep them nearly so long as we would like.

My dogs have led me to meet many people, a few who've gifted me with some important information on my dog training journey, and many others who've come to join me as friends in the bigger journey of my life. Today I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be doing the job I do.

I met Sally Comport and Max a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sometime ago now on one of our beginner agility classes. By her own admission Max's real problem was his recall and she hoped agility would strengthen their bond and improve his recall in the process. What we find on our current agility classes is how many people are led to agility in a similar way to Sally & Max, that even those who have  successfully attended classes in community halls haven't found a formula that works in the distractions of everyday life. Our training field offers many real life distractions such as rabbit poo, other dogs smells, wildlife scents, to name but a few. 

I'm so glad Sally found her way to our classes, not least because of how helpful she found the instruction in building on her relationship with Max. For the last few weeks I've been enjoying her company on our daily walks as Sally still finds it difficult to trust Max not to take fright at something and take off into the distance. Happily Max takes a lot of confidence from being with my dogs and looks happy and relaxed when out with us, and as such Sally's been enjoying watching him run around off lead. Sometimes just a bit of moral support can go a long way, and really that's all I've thought of our walks as being.

So imagine my surprise and delight to be presented with a rather large gift at the end of our walk this afternoon, with a lovely message on a card to go with it! From someone who started as a client, but quickly turned into a friend - the unexpected rewards in life are part of what makes it all so interesting and enjoyable. Thank you Sally & Max! :-)

Today I am grateful for the friendships which enrich my life :-)