Two weeks ago today The Matriarch unexpectedly died after what was supposed to have been a routine spay. Franny, who would have been 8 at the end of June, and was at the time of her death the senior dog on staff, was the guide for her son, Shamrock, and daughter, Pinto, into the newer generation of resident dogs at A Better Pet. Dogs that are not only a pleasure and deep joy to live with, but that help, guide, and support the training, socialization, cultural dog awareness, and preparation for potential lives of service or therapy dog work the pups I take under my wing to help shape and let go of for others.
The new website launch for A Better Pet was to feature Franny in the role of The Matriarch, Shamrock cast as Sergeant at Arms, and Pinto is, at present, Peer Support Supervisor as she is still herself very young at only 16 months old. But transitions being the inevitable acceptance in the path of life, we are now adjusting to a new normal where her absence is still very fresh and strongly felt and affecting. We know it will get better, and I treasure the memories and years I did have with her at my side. I also am gratified that I have at least 3,573 photos of her per my last Photos search.
As A Better Pet is firmly rooted in our third decade since its soft launch in 1999 and becoming an LLC in 2000, it seemed fitting to set the tone for our adjustment to both a different world still adjusting to pandemic conditions since March 2020 and an evolving delivery of service. We hope you enjoy the new look and branding of A Better Pet.
I am currently raising and training and socializing and loving on and redirecting my 46th and 47th service/therapy dog projects (since 2002), it seems also fitting that both Radish the Springerdoodle and Wren the Cavapoo are now formally available for partner consideration. You can learn about them on the Available Dogs page.
We are offering both online and direct service training options and are hard at pre-production work on two pending courses we hope to launch in 2022 — The Expanded Six Pillars of Dog Training Wisdom, the very foundation of all the pet, service, and therapy dog training services offered at A Better Pet and [working title] A Better Pet Service Dog Online Course: How to Select, Raise, Socialize, Train and Develop Function for Service and Therapy Dogs.
Looking forward to the continued offering of products and services to help make your dogs better pets and assistants.