Do you ever go into your "Yahoo-Dog-Speech" in public?
As I was at work (Petco) today, a nice woman came up to me and asked me what kind of treats she should be feeding her German Shepherd Dog. I instantly asked a bunch of questions ("What kind of food does your dog like?", "Does she get upset stomachs often?") etc., only to find out the dog was a picky eater being feed Royal Canin (!). I immediately told her to switch food and begin giving hot dogs or cheese as a "motivation food". This very soon developed into a half hour long tour of the store where I pointed the woman to a Gentle Leader (which she chose over the choke collar she was considering), a bag of Solid Gold Wolf Cub, a new collar, and my phone number so she can call me for private lessons.
And all this thanks to my Yahoo-Dog-Speech. The same speech I have used in parking lots, at the dog park, in the groom shop, and once at the dentists office.
So what are you Yahoo-Dog-Speech stories? Ever feel like you should be getting commission from some of these companies!?
2008-04-27T19:22:36Z
LOL Isis! I'm doing all this at the place I work! My boss walked by as I'm explaining to someone that "Beneful" is the worst food on the market- while standing NEXT TO a display of "Beneful". Ooooh well! Score one for the dog world!
Jennifer T2008-04-27T19:23:33Z
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I went into YA mode at a Chinese restaraunt once. Folks were talking about breeding their mastiff, and I managed to edge into the conversation, deliver an educational seminar on conformation and health testing, all while sucking down a plate of sweet and sour chicken and a mess of stuff custom made on the Mongolian grill. LOL At last these folks listened, and stayd in touch long enough for me to help them find a good mentor. Saw 'em at a dog show a couple of years later. They had neutered their boy and were doing obedience.
I will go into "educate" mode at teh drop of a hat...or for no reason at all. LOL
ADDED: I been booted from the pet shop that sells puppies more than once, but they turn over staff so often, by the time I go in to sabotage them again, no one recognizes me. LOL Love that little card I printed up with the www.petshoppuppies.org addy on it!
I know what you mean, since I learned about the value of decent dry, not corn meal based junk food, for dogs from a trainer and show people, I have been advising people to feed that to their dogs instead of supermarket junk or Science Diet.
I'm with a rescue, so I have always given the lecture about spay/neuter, adopt, don't buy, etc. - long before puppy mills were made public.
I'm glad people are getting more educated about the terrible problem of homeless dogs and puppy mills, but we have a long way to go - so keep on lecturing.
every day at work is a speech for me. im a trainer at petsmart, so everyday is people asking questions about all kinds of things about training, food, etc. at petsmart, we aren't "supposed" to say one food is bad, one is good, etc, but we ARE supposed to point them in direction of a "premium" food (theres onle a couple i'll even recommend and even at that, sometimes i tell them to go to a diff pet store because we dont carry that many healthy foods), but i've been in "speech" mode long before i ever came on YA. because of the area we live in (right near Philly) we get a lot of city people with fighting dogs looking for food to "fatten them up" and muzzles to "make them tough". half the time, instead of tryna give a speech, i spend my energy trying NOT to punch them in the skull, hah.
Anyway, I give my Yahoo-Spay-and-Neuter-Speech much more often. There are so many times when I hear about people wanting to breed their dogs, and it just rips me apart into a full-fledged monster.
Of course I feel bad; but it just angers me how ignorant some people can be.