little baby Tinoh
So today marks Tinoh’s 3rd birthday, a very Happy Birthday to Tinoh! I must say this is quite a mile stone as not only is Tinoh another year older and wiser but I, as his dog walker, have almost two and half years to look back and reflect on.
Tinoh was my 3rd dog walking client back when I first started out. Tinoh was a fresh-faced puppy of 7 months, still being walked on a harness, right in the middle of his bed ripping & destroying puppy phase. I was fresh out of advertising having watched back to back episodes of ‘The Dog Whisperer’ and volunteering every weekend out at the Doggie Rescue’s shelter when I had decided that working with dogs may just be a ‘calling’ for me. It was me that answered an ad/poster hung up in Balmain looking for a dog walker to walk a puppy on week days. When I met Tinoh and his mum I was quite nervous, Tinoh was FULL of beans, but so little and adorable. I remember thinking how hard can this pup be to walk?
Well Tinoh wasn’t at all a difficult dog but rather an energetic labrador puppy (with a dash of Kelpie in him) that basically taught me so much so quickly, how I’d like to put it, it was a ‘sink or swim’ situation. I think it’s safe to say that I swam and Tinoh was my kickboard!
Tinoh feels like part of the family, over the years Tinoh has not only been a long-term daily/weekly client but often he’ll come and stay with Brad, Shelly & Me when his mum is traveling for work. We’ve been lucky enough to spend his first birthday with him, take him away on holiday’s with us and he’s even been to family and friends houses on many occasions. Shelly is a tough cookie to impress (being that she is little, female and older) but she has grown so fond of Tinoh, and they have a sweet relationship (we call them cousins) that involves Tinoh doing as Shelly says, even letting her have his big bed (see photo below). When Tinoh moved to NZ for 3 months I couldn’t stop crying, I even had to take a day off work, I was so sad to see him go.
To his pack and friends in the park Tinoh is a loveable goof ball that is as fast as lightning and as sweet as pie. At home Tinoh is a massive sook that will often climb onto my lap for hugs.
Still to this day he is puppy like with his playing style and as long as I can remember that’s one of my favourite things about Tinoh, he’s young at heart!
Tinoh’s mum Sandra has written a little something about Tinoh below and included some great puppy photos, and I’ve added some early & fave photos I’ve taken, so take a look…
