I am always happy to talk about all things animals, and love hearing about clients’ pets-that is almost as much as getting to know those pets. That being said, I feel it’s only fair to provide the opportunity to learn a little about our team members’ own pets. So, without further delay: I invite you to begin to learn more about the pets we call our own. First up to bat is my pup Maggie.
What types of pets do you have?
I have been grateful to have had the opportunity to have had pets ranging from salt water fish to a lovely gelding. However, at present, I am very content having one dog as my only pet. I have a delightful, 14 year-old dog named Maggie. She is a Boston Terrier/ Australian Cattle dog mix.
How would you describe her personality?
She’s super sweet, has lots of heart, is quick to pick up on new things and is an excellent scavenger. She’s never one to turn down an adventure either. As a result of her rough start in life before I adopted her, she has a very quirky personality.
How did your pet get her nickname?
She is most often called “Goofy”, simply because of the sheer multitude of her silly behaviors. From sideways runs and belly crawls to her pursuit of big sticks and cozy sleeping spaces.
What’s one of your favorite memories with her?
Her first several years of life she slept with her face on mine. I found it incredibly precious, but I am glad that she is secure enough to sleep beside me rather than on me. In fact, her first couple of years, I never saw her close her eyes. So, her comfort with life and her transformation, in itself is by far a favorite memory.
That being said, I also have so many wonderful memories climbing mountains with her, canyoneering with her and being amazed that in spite of her small size, she excelled at rock scrambling- often leaping 4 or more times her own height.
What’s the funniest thing she has ever done?
I don’t know if I could choose the funniest thing, but I always have loved how she tilts her head sideways when she is interested in something. Sometimes, she’ll even tilt from side to side.
Having a clever dog certainly has it’s upsides and downsides, but without a doubt a clever dog proves entertaining. For example, Maggie readily picked up new words. So, when I didn’t want her keyed in on an item of interest yet, I would use synonyms to throw her off of the path of what I was talking about. However, I quickly learned that calling “walks” “strolls” etc. had significant limitations in that she picked up on words too rapidly for this to be a practical work around. That’s when spelling was introduced. While she never associated the spelling of something with the actual activity, she did quickly learn that spelling was a very exciting thing! Thus, spelling readily became a surefire way to get Maggie’s head tilting at lightning speed.
I hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Maggie. I am happy that others will have the same opportunity to introduce their pets, very soon. Be on the look at out for more introductions to our furry (and finned) pets next week.