Tuesday

How I Tamed My Wild Hair, Part 1

I got a wild hair to write this post, and that hair is on my floor in case you were wondering where it was at.

You're used to stopping in here and seeing DIY, with furniture painting, wood re-purposing, sheetrock-mud slinging, and tidbits on how to take junk and make something useful from it.

But outside of those topics believe it or not I have a regular-irregular normal-abnormal life that I don't blog about.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

As you may know, I only do reviews of products I love and actually own, and I have a review coming up for a product that I want readers to fully understand how it fits in here at the ranch.

So before I can do that product review you have to look at photos of dogs.

Big ones, little ones, short hair, long hair and some that are.......  

 drooly

adjective, \-lē, -li\

According to my spell check drooly is not a word, however Merriam Webster and Urban Dictionary both tell me different.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

The story of my life involves many people - and pooches - but it's not just my story to tell so I try to respect everyone's privacy, which includes my own.

I included that fact in this post just so I can tell 'ya I'm about to let you into a little bit of my non blogging world.......

I am a dog whisperer.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

Seven years ago I got a wild hair to start a small dog sitting business.

I wanted the freedom to come and go to my kids school activities, and the option to stay in my pajamas as long as I felt like it.

In my mind who wouldn't want to bring Fido out to the country to play on 25 acres with a lake, pool, and patio pond, and kids to love on their dog while they went on vacation.

We're just like a certain bar on television.  You know .....a place where everybody knows your name, even if you're a dog.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

My ulterior motive was that it would stop my family from asking for another dog since they would have a revolving list of new dogs.

Our old dog saw 14 years with us, but as dogs do, he aged faster than we did.

So at 2:00 one afternoon I sat down and put an ad on Craigslist to test the dog sitting water, with photos of our fun yard and a link to a blog page I used as the business front.

Then I proceeded to go to a doctors appointment and shopping at Target, never giving that Craigslist ad another thought.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

Until my phone rang while shopping in the men's underwear isle.

I didn't recognize the number but answered it anyway thinking maybe it was the appointment I had just been at, and some guy started talking about his amazing dog.

As I stood holding a package of size 34 tighty whities listening to the man, I was all like what the helll, this has GOT to be a wrong number.

He rambled on, and thankfully I couldn't get a word in to tell him I had no clue what he was talking about, or that would have been the end to my first client.

Instead I remained quiet as he talked about his dog who couldn't go on vacation to the lake with him and he didn't want to take him to a traditional place.

When HE finally said "so I saw your ad on Craigslist.....", MY light bulb finally came on.  I tried to contain my excitement as I stammered out , "YES....yes I DO sit dogs".

And the rest is history.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

Fast forward a hundred dogs and seven years later.

I've watched dogs get old, and welcomed their replacements. 

For the last five years I haven't put an ad out anywhere, I have however found myself in the men's underwear isle from time to time.

Word of mouth brings me quality clients and well loved pets from a consistent group of repeat customers who think bringing their dog to me is giving them a vacation too.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

The premise is simple, I'm not a kennel, I take no more than four dogs at a time, which can still get, well...... pretty hairy.... and the product review I mentioned earlier, it helps with that hair.

Most of the dogs that stay with us are large dogs whose owners are looking for a place that their dog doesn't have to be contained, where they can run outside and play safely anytime they want just like at home, with a family to love them.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

Regular outdoor dogs, who then sleep inside in my mudroom, because we spoil them just a bit and I like to terrorize our UPS man.

They arrive with lots of hair - the dogs not the UPS man - and when they go home, they leave a little of that hair with us on the mudroom floor.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

During dog visits I sweep often, but I tend to just sweep the dog hair to a corner till I feel like fetching the dustpan or the vacuum.

Recently I've been able to ditch the dustpan.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

I'm not gonna leave you with a classy picture of my dog hair corner, too real for all of you who stop in to see the pretty pictures of dresser redo's.

But on that note, left with a hairy visual, you can be thankful I don't write about my personal life more often.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

Stop back for Part 2 of How I Tamed Our Wild Hair, with a review and a giveaway on the coolest product to pass through the Bliss Ranch doggie door...... The SweepOVac.

Cute Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

                                                  Verrrrryyy interrrestinggg.





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14 comments :

  1. Now, wait just a darn minute. I love this post and you should do this kinda thing more often! (BTW, that doodle with the tongue is hilarious!) Sweet, funny post. Love your dog visitors!! Definitely show more doggies.

    -andi

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  2. Ah. This is why I love you.... As the dogs do

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  3. Love this so much. I think I knew about your doggy biz but I'd forgotten. These hairy pooches are so darling...again...you are a genius!!

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  4. I'm so glad you're spilling the beans on this part of your life! And thank you for sharing all of those beautiful pictures. I think what you're doing is the best ever! I have never put a dog in a kennel or boarded them. I could never bring myself to do that, so I love this idea.
    I think I want to be you when I grow up... except I'm more of a small dog person. It just proves to me that I was right about how incredibly smart you are!

    gail

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  5. oh my gosh, Piper and I could BOTH come for a vacation at your house! You're so freaking cool. xo

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  6. Please spill the beans quick. Jack won't let me vacuum him and I'm changing my bedding every day. Getting the dogs to sleep elsewhere isn't an option. I do want to go on vacation, though, so send Brawn and a couple of the kids to fetch the three hounds. I'll pay extra. I'll give you a zillion dollars if you get them to like the pool.

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  7. I had no idea you had this side business! Oh how I wish you were closer! Ernie would definitely "vacation" with you when we go on vacation! Alas, my current dog sitter (who has a similar operation to you in their home with a yard for the dogs to run free) closed up shop. A sad day for Ernie ...

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  8. How cool is this? Taking the dogs into your home to watch and treat them like family, love it. Surprised to read about this side job. How the heck with all your kids, life and blogging. Just being a mom is a lot of time.

    Can't wait to see the product. May be good for my clean up of hair. Shorthaired, when they shed they shed.

    Keep shopping those undoes

    Cindy

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  9. I didn't think it was possible, but I love you even more now, Bliss.

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  10. Bless you for doing this. Must be a lot of rewarding work!

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  11. While I enjoy many of your posts, this is my hands down favorite one. Please continue these glimpses into your not only very creative life, but your compassionate one as well. I am our neighborhood pet sitter. We live on a rural lane so my pet sitting is mostly at their own home and involves all types of farm critters as well as dogs and cats. I love it. It makes me smile to see those dogs sacked out on your mud room floor.

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  12. Oh my gosh... if you were any closer, I'd entice you to take my cats!

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  13. I had no idea you did this, but I think it is so fitting and those dogs could not ask for a better hang out while their peeps are away. And if you did show us a pic of that corner of fur, it would probably be prettier than the next dog sitters ;P

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  14. It is very informative post.
    dog sitting

    ReplyDelete

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