Volunteering at the Animal Shelter

This week I officially began volunteering at the local adoption center for my county's animal services. They are trying to become a No-Kill facility and I really want to support that. I needed to volunteer somewhere and get back into the groove of things anyway so the shelter was a perfect place to start.

I walked five dogs for two hours on Wednesday. I was exhausted! The dogs were beutiful though and they got  a lot of attention. I really hope that some of the people that commented on them while we walked went over to the shelter to check them out and maybe give them a new home. One of the big reasons that I decided to walk dogs at the shelter was so that I could learn more about dogs and training them. But, I found that I learned a little more about people this week than dogs. People really like dogs, a lot. I can't stress this enough. Everyone just started smiling when they saw the dogs go by. It was funny to watch. I really enjoyed my time volunteering. I'm considering going to volunteer today. I need to recouperate though so I might wait until next week. I need to build up my strength!

I am really hoping that this will help me learn some things that I am going to need to know before training my own service dog. Also, I'll gain some mental and physical stamina volunteering too. It isn't like working, it's easier for me, but it's enough of a challenge to keep me on my toes. I think that it will keep me going while I'm not working. I'm ready for a new challenge. I'm actually really looking forward to talking to my therapist about volunteering. It has been a while since I've had something really positive to talk about so I'm happy to have a good topic.

Big Bad Doberman Pinscher

I want a Doberman for my service dog. They have a bad reputation, but the truth is a well-bred doberman is an intelligent, easily trainable, low fuzz dog. (I need a low fuzz dog. Seriously. Scroll down and look at the pictures of my Elkhound. My husband and I make jokes that she procreates by making fuzz balls and there are actually furbabies all over our house.) But, I digress, the doberman is a beautiful dog. I absolutely love them. All of the ones I have met have made excellent impressions on me. I love the idea that I can go running with my dog and then come home and cuddle with them on the couch.

I had originally looked into getting a golden retriever or a German shepherd. They both have too much fur. I think that German shepherds are too high strung anyway. I've never met one that wasn't crazy. Crazy can be fun, but they are a little too much for me. The golden retriever is too generic for me too. I need a dog that matches my personality.

Before the onset of my bipolar disorder I was confident, happy go lucky, ready for anything and would try anything. After, I became frightened, jumpy, confused, I had no drive. I need a dog that matches what I'm supposed to be. I was changed, but I can change some things back. I need a dog that reflects that and I think that the doberman pincher does that for me. They are confident, capable, intelligent animals that can also lay back and just enjoy the day. I love that, I want more of that in my life.

Etsy Store

I'm starting an Etsy store to help earn money for my service dog. I am selling polymer clay pet tags. I got into polymer clay as a hobby a while ago because I needed something to do to relax. It really helps me chill and I really do like the things I've made to sell. I figure I've got something good going here, I can relax and make money off of it. Although I'm finding that setting up and maintaining an Etsy store is easier said than done. It's a lot of work.

I'm enjoying that work though. I have lots to write to fill in my about pages, there are lots of pictures to be taken, I need to get a banner made and I need to figure out the best ways to promote my site. I am not going to post my site's info until I have made it less embarrassing. I only have three items listed and my site is still a bit of a sloppy mess. I am making progress though, and, as I have learned well in the last year, any progress is good progress!

If any of my readers have sold anything on Etsy and would like to share some tips with me, please leave a comment! I need all of the help I can get. I really want this to work.