Raising the new puppy.
As I was laying in bed the other night thoughts of Dexter, our pit bull – boxer entered my mind. I am not sure why the thoughts came rushing back this particular night. The movie playing in my head was comical though.
The pup was running full speed in a circle around our living room. As he geared up his little legs scrambled for traction on our new laminate flooring. As he slipped and slid, he would round the corner. Under the coffee table and through the end tables Dexter wound his way through the maze he used as his racetrack. It became a nightly ritual for our new pup, running at all out full speed until he dropped.
As I drifted off to sleep, I remember feeling my lips curl upward into a smile. I even remember slightly laughing aloud. He sure was a site to see.
Dexter came to us the same month we opened our nationwide auto transport business. I will admit I was not very happy about it. Like most parents, we did not choose Dexter. Our son received him as a gift from a co-worker and could not say no. He brought him home and handed him to me, all 5 pounds of him. Thinking back I should have put my foot down and said no, but just like us parents do…I did not.
Through all the kicking, screaming and denial my heart absolutely melted when I took the first look at his little face. He licked my nose and it was all over. Instant bonding took place that day. Little did I know that running a business would be like raising a puppy.
Get acquainted…
The biggest reason I did not want another dog was I knew it would be busy in the office . Answering phone calls for customers requesting auto transport quotes would take time. Puppies also take a tremendous amount of time to train the right way. There would be no time to play, house break him or show him the attention he would need.
There was also the issue of time to take him to get his puppy shots. We bought special puppy food because boxers get a lot of gas. Just like toddlers, puppies need toys to occupy their days.
Thinking about the sleepless nights ahead of me I cringed. I was thinking about the long hours I would be putting into working up the nationwide auto transport quotes. Why did I not put my foot down and say no to my son?
My husband and son both worked full time at jobs outside of the home. On the other hand, I was here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have ever owned a new puppy you know, the training period is crazy.
So began the development of our relationship. Up at 5 AM we would go outside together for his morning ritual of sniffing the grass. Running around like that was all we had to do was crazy. His legs were so short that the grass scratched his little belly. Whether it was pouring rain, or 115* outside, there we would be playing in the dark.
As the school bus drove by, the driver would honk and wave. All of the kids were smiling as if we were their entertainment . The parents driving carpools would stop and watch. Some of them even shouted out, "awe, how cute". Soon they would wave and off they would go to drop the kids at school.
Our day got started in the office after our first morning outing. Dexter and I both soon learned how to work together. The office guard puppy and the nationwide auto transport broker provided auto transport quotes to customers daily. He learned to lie on the rug in the doorway. I learned to take breaks, eat meals and love on my new companion while building my car shipping business.
Come back next time for the continuing story of Dexter, our office dog. See how customer requests for auto transport quotes and the puppy continue growing together.
Here to Serve,
Carla J Gardiner
Carla J Gardiner is an ex-banker turned entrepreneur who built an auto transport brokerage and dispatch center from the ground up. With half a days training and little else Carla learned the business inside and out the hard way…by doing it. Her passion and purpose lies with the people she works with daily; the client, dispatcher, broker and truck driver. Her frustration within the industry has birthed a new division of her company; one to properly train, encourage and mentor other professionals in auto transport. What did you think?
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