This all started because of a beautiful German Shepherd named Memphis that I fell in love and adopted. Everyone has moments in their lives where they feel overcome with an urge to bring something or someone in their lives. We don’t always know why or where this urge comes from. We just know we have to follow it.
Seeing Memphis for the first time was one of those moments for me. I knew I had to take him home. I knew very well, being a great fan of Cesar Millan’s show ‘The Dog Whisperer’, that German Shepherds are a powerful breed of dog and that they need regular exercise to be happy. But was I ready for Memphis? Oh boy, I’m not sure. As anyone who has ever adopted a pet from a shelter knows, shelter dogs are nervous, confused and have a lot of pent up energy from being in a cage all day. The result is a dog that literally goes wild when you attempt to take him for a walk. This was definitely the case for Memphis but I was determined to turn this nervous, ill-mannered dog into a first class canine citizen.
With much determination, I began my regular walks with Memphis. I applied all I had learned from Cesar Millan and Paul Owens on dog behavior. Soon, thanks to their wise words, my perseverance and Memphis’ intelligence, I began to see real results. Next thing I knew, people everywhere were stopping us on the street to see the calm and well-mannered German Shepard I had on my leash. Memphis brought happiness wherever he went. With structure and discipline he became the ideal companion I knew was inside him.
Then one day, I got a new job opportunity in Ottawa and decided to move back to Gatineau, the place where I grew up. Memphis, of course, came along with me. Things were going great however I was unable to find a dog walking service in this area. That meant that I needed to come home during my lunch break to walk Memphis. Soon I became very exhausted from demands from work, family and having to walk my dog. Memphis was beginning to suffer for it. I realized that he would be happier in a city where there was a dog walker to take care of him in the afternoon. I was very saddened by this loss, as anyone who has ever lost a pet knows.
I realized that there were many other people out there like me in the Gatineau area. People who absolutely love their pets but often have demands from work, social life and family life that make it hard for them to fulfill their pets needs at times. Sometimes that means not having time to give the dog enough exercise or sometimes it means not knowing what to do with your cat when you go on vacation or travel for work.
What I find most sad is that owners sometimes get so discouraged under the pressure of all their demands that they resort to bringing their pet to the SPCA or like me, bringing the dog to a friend who can take better care of him.
Luckily there is an alternative to this last resort and that is dog-walking and pet sitting services. And the noble cause of helping families live harmoniously with their pets is why we chose to operate in this business.
At La Trotterie, we are a team of individuals who have been pet lovers all our lives and who are dedicated to making the lives of our clients easier. We are fully insured and bonded and possess certificates of ‘Absence de Casier Judiciaire’.
I believe that Memphis, in his own way, brought me to you. He taught me to be a leader because that’s what he needed me to be. He trained me to be an excellent dog walker and to love the outdoors. It’s always a privilege for me to care for a pet, to walk a dog whether I am paid to do it or whether I do volunteer work for the SPCA.
-Myriam Chartier
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