I’ve been away from dog training for a few of weeks.  Up in the mountains, in the cool, with hikes in the snow with my own dog Keeper and the family.  I tried not to think about dog training to much while I was there.  Sure, I did a bit of hunting work with Keeper and worked on his directional training for finding birds but nothing else.

It was interesting though when I came back.  My first day back at work and I saw clients that I worked with for one or two sessions a little over a month ago.  When I met with each of them this week they all told me in their own way that “their lives had been changed” and that they were grateful for the work that I did with them.  I was sort of stunned and speechless but I believe that I uttered “my pleasure” to each of them.

I rarely think of what I do as “life changing”.  I guess I see it as the workday job that everyone else goes to.  Sure, I have a skill that I guess not that many other have but I’ve honed it over Many Many Many Many years and I do think of myself as “good at it.”  But life changing for clients.  I don’t know.  I am, however, grateful that they feel that way and that I get to help people and their pups in some small way that improves the world we live in.  Big words for a small job but there it is.

So a brief thank you to my clients this week for letting me know I helped and a big thank you to my clients for having me out to work with you.  That, I am truly thankful for.

Steve Haynes