Long time, no see.

 Well friends, I forgot this blog was even a thing. Luckily it was linked to my Google account and super recoverable. Let’s just pick up where we started huh? 

Hey, I’m Sarah Gooch, and I am a mother of 1, with one in the oven due in Dec. I’ve got 5 year old little boy, who is my literal world and my carbon copy in almost every aspect. I’ve got - wonderful husband, we just celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary and god knows like 14+ accumulated years together prior. I’ve got 3 dogs, all corgis, because some things never change. In order of age and familiarity to you, Molle (13 y/o), Xena (3 y/o) and Pepito (10 m/o) . Molle, is enjoying her retirement from service dog work. Xena is a Search and Rescue dog, currently training and working with Daviess County Search and Rescue. Pepito is a lumpy, lively little puppy who has been introduced to Cadaver dog, or Human remains detection work but we still don’t know what direction we will take with him. Jericho , my son has just gone school age on me, which blows my mind, and unnamed Thomas fetus remains in bun in oven status! 

I am still a dog groomer by profession, but no longer work for a corp grooming chain. Right as Covid hit the world I decided that my family life needed to outweigh my work life and I moved to a mom and pop chain called Pawstown. I worked there for a couple years when my best friend decided to open her own grooming/boarding and daycare shop and I needed very little prompting to move right along with her. Still a great decision! 

I guess I am re-opening this blog to talk about some of my Search and Rescue training, my dogs, and my life as it has transitioned from dog mom, to wife to mom and soon to mom of two. Hopefully, someone will relate or get something out of it, and hell even if you don’t it would just me nice to organize my thoughts and keep a training journal! 

So: TLDR, at the end of my blog, but buckle up because I’m back baby.

-Sarah Gooch

From the eyes of my dog.

How do you define what a pet does to change your life? Do you define it in the years they live? Do you define it in the moments that they share with you? Or in the vet bills they occur, or the cost of their upkeep? 

My dogs have shaped my life in a way i can not describe. They are been there for better or worse, in wealth and in poverty. They helped me choose the house I settled into, they helped me decorate with their shedding hair and crazy amounts of toys strewn all over the floor. They keep me active, rain or shine and they demand love and attention even if I think i am too down to give it.

Molle is the dog version of me. Fearless, spicy, vocal, sassy and balls to the wall all or nothing kinda dog. She demands perfection and she demands it on a strict timeline. Okay. Maybe she not that bossy, but she is pretty needy. Shes resilient and strong, but secretly soft and lovable. 

Ein is the complete opposite and does a great job balancing her energy out. Hes a couch potato who enjoys sleeping in, being warm and dry and regular, but not to strenuous walks. His fave word is cookie, and he is 100% food motivated. 

Dogs are not children. Children are children. These dogs are reflections of pieces i am missing from my self. They are parts of the machinery that keeps my life mobile and productive. They are dear to me because they are individuals who need me just as much as i need them. 

Molle is 6 this year. Ein is 10 in Dec. My heart aches to think of a time I may have to part ways with them, so i hold on to every moment.

I havent updated this blog in over a year. This may be non-sense. But my life is where i want it to be, so i thought, what the hell. Lets make a dog blog. 

Molle runs her first full 5K with me.

Ein explores new lands with me.

Molle watches a clown movie with me.

Ein becomes protector of the my recently purchased home.

Till next time. 

-Sarah Gooch

A long time coming...

Yadda Yadda Yadda, I never update, my life has gotten super busy! Whatever shut up you whiner I am here now and I am ready to share. Filling the time between emails is defiantly my calling in life when it comes down to work with the city, Lately work at the pet shop and the city have flip flopped. The pet store has gone and decided to make me a groomer! No, Truly.

Graduation Day, Also Halloween!

They sent me away for this thing called Academy, which was a month long, 40 hours a week hands on training. I learned to do patterns on dogs, manage the operations of day to day tasking in the salon, safety and basic shave downs. The real work started after graduation day when I got into my Field practice called "100 dogs". Its exactly what it sounds like. I have to do full haircuts on 100 dogs and do 5 technical which are completely graded from start to finish! Now I have knocked out 53 out of my 100 as of yesterday, So I am halfway there (living on prayer).

Ready for the "real world"

 After I get out of field practice I become eligible for this wonderful thing called commission. Where I earn 50% of everything I sell. *le sigh* It will be so nice. Now I am still at the city working as a video tech, don't let me fool you. 72 hours a week dies hard and its also a mean bitch, I'm actually here right now trying to schedule my shoots for the week so I have something to work on.



Airshow 2014

There are many days where I consider leaving this job, but my freshly minted and not yet paid for degree screams in my ear for me not to. It is very decent money and its nice to have a second paycheck to do fun things with but honestly I wonder what it would be like to JUST work a 40 hour week. Still it seems like a fun thing to do to dream about having a career in this field where I didn't need the pet store, Yet the pet store step by step has paid me more, and rewarded me more just for putting it first! Its a Sand pit.

None the less, not many can say they love their jobs. I love both of mine, but i also love sleep. Can someone pay me to sleep? Sign me up.


Oh well, That's all you get for now. No promises about the next update!

Happy Yule! Merry Christmas! Seasons Greetings!

A Day of Updating, Going Back.

As you all may or may not have noticed, I haven't been on here in quiet a while. I know that in the great scheme of things my absence would not normally have be felt, and many of you will say oh hey! There's that girl that talks about nothing. Feel free to continue on with your lives as I have returned.

Today is Sept. 11, 2014. And 13 years ago, everyone over the age of 18 remembers exactly what they were doing when they found out the towers had been hit by a terrorist attack. I remember every year, as it was the first months of me living in a new country, a first month of a new school system, the first weeks of being in our new house. It was also the first time that I felt oh so very connected with people I didn't even know. I felt American, I was proud, and willing to lend a hand and boldly be all about the Red, White, and Blue. Today, I feel every emotion I felt then.

Much of what I had before I stopped writing has changed, Yes I am still working 2 jobs, yes I am still a pet care lead, yes I still have crazy friends that I love to death. However I see things differently than I did months ago. I see how lucky I am to be in a relationship with my best friend. I see how blessed I am to have an amazing best friend like Katie, and wonderful friendships with Haley and Sara. I have two amazing dogs, one that loves me to the moon and back and another that loves me when I have food! (Lol) I have great parents that support me, and lead me to be a better person. I have a pretty good life, and I realize now that I have taken much of that for granted.

I have learned the importance of earnest communication, and how distance can make relationships sour. I have learned what true hurt looks and feels like, and how to remove my self from it so I can focus on rebuilding and recovery. I have learned to let go of anger, hate, and distrust...and to just let things come as they may. I want to cont. to rebuild, and grow and make my relationships the best they can be.

I have some big dates coming up.
-> Sept 20th-sept 27th ill be in SC with my bestie, laying around on the beach and kicking it!
--> Oct 6-Oct 14th Ill be with my mommy in NM, enjoying mother daughter time.  (Because I need my mommy)


Holiday has already rolled out at the pet store  I work at, so of course I have already decorated my fish tanks for Halloween. When I come back from New Mexico I am excited to decorate my house for Halloween as well.

My work fish "Betamax"

It has been wonderful touching base with you all, and I wish you all safety, love and reflection today. Hug your family's close and remember those who can not. In the great scheme of things all that matters is what matters the most to you, So think of others today and what matters most to them after all, that's the spirit of recovery.


- Sarah Gooch

The week after the week that sucked...

So i refused to get on and blog last week, mostly becuase i like to put positive things out there and not use my blog as a platform for sadness. However I will sy that because of the last week I have decided to intensely persue registering Molle as my Service dog. We are working to train her to alert to the start of my migranes so that I may take medicine before it is to late. Also, the dog will be trained to get my medicine, turn off the lights and to get help if a migrane strikes and I am unable to walk or stand alone. Because of molle's small size she can not be a stability dog. However she is very intelligent and can help with tasks that are daunting with my headaches.


I am going to start her formal training process, working closely with amber and sara at petsmart, the two 6 month courses that are required will teach them basic leash manners and hand signaling even when distactions are present. Molle has to be able to maintain complete control when in public places with me. She must be able to walk slack leashed and at my side. Her attention must always be on me. I have already gotten approval from my doctor, and will get a written note to keep in a file. Once she is ready and passes her canine good citizen test ill gete her harness and register her.


I am fully aware that there is no test that can say molle is a Service Dog, (SD) her behavior will be proof enough. Thus i am very dedicated to her training, however their are very benifical test out there that can help build molles working dog portofilo.

Im very excited.

Sara Gooch

Long Live Winter, Welcome Spring.

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Thinking of yard work and getting excited about planting flowers, It dawns on me that I am about to turn another year older in April, the start of april non the less. It seems more prudent of me to think about repairing the bald spots in my lawn then it does to think about turning yet another year older. Flower arrangments and southern homes and gardens magazine is more tempting then planing a party.   

I have already moved out my spring decor, the pots are out and Ive already started added compost and turning over the soil. It's far to early to plant anything, but I am excited to have some really beautiful plants this year. John brought up a great idea of turning out little privacy fence into a tomato trelles. The neighbors, (Our buddies) have bought into the idea of installing a in ground garden that will yeild vegi's and fruit, and we are currently working on an idea of putting up a little chain link fence to close off the two yards. (Ein and Molle approve of this idea). I am back to the drawing board on making a guinea pig run, I know this summer they will enjoy being outside and enjoy eating the grass.
As far as events that have taken place, or are about to take place, I have recently come back from the Kennel Club Dog Show in Louisville last weekend, Me, Molle, Amber (our dog trainer) and Murphy (her dog) all went and met some area trainers in KY that are force free, (positive renforcement only) and discussed all kinds of cool things, We watched some confirmations with all differnet kinds of breeds, Saw a herd of really well groomed tiny corgis, and even did well with molle's big dog fear. Ein got his first agility harness, and they both got in training patches. I look forward to learning more about the force free community from amber, and furthering my dogs training this year!

I do get to look forward to seeing my sister at the end of May, till then Ill have to be a little work-aholic to save up overtime and some extra cash to have some fun out there and possibly lay some new ink.

Molle and Ein have started a trend in going to the park with me and our dog trainer and her dog murphy to do agility. We have had so much fun with that and molle takes to it so well. Ein still has a weight problem, but hell so do I. We both start our healty lifestyle change ( not a diet) in April. All and all its been a great year so far, the cat is settling with john well and the guinea pigs are healthy and full of vigor. Looks like john is moving forward in his job hunt and i should be able to safely report some changes soon.

Long live winter, But welcome spring.

Sarah Gooch--

Self Help vs. Vet Help

Okay, so we all know i work at a pet store. Most of you also know that I am a guinea pig enthusist, i have a small herd of pigs, (5 in total) and I moonlight for a guinea pig rescue in Indiana by doing transport for some local shelters. Here is my lil pig family.

Mr. Pibb and John. <3

Tabb, being an ass. <3

Fanta being a goob.

Spite loving her tunnel.

Coke in her Summer run.

Okay, so now that you see my babies, understand that each and every single one, except of one is an adopted pig through the petsore I work at. They where returns, or they where written out because they would never be healthy enough to be vet assured. All except one is healthly as hell and requires no extra vet care.

 

Mr. Pibb is a sick pig, he has reoccuring upper resp issues not limitted to infections and fluid build up in his lungs. He needs a draft free warm house, and close watchful eye to get him on anti-biotics when he has his flair ups.

 

I have 3 males, and 2 females. They live in seperate cages and in separate worlds. The only time they see each other or make contact is when they get yard time in the Summer and communicate while eating grass through slotted cage bars.

 

I will not, EVER nueter them to save me time...or cage space. It is an extremely elective procedure that is costly and very dangerous. So begins my rant.

 

 

<\Rant>

 

A person adopts 2 pigs from a shelter. We will call this person Ira Sponsible (see what I did there). She takes the pigs home happy as can be and soon discovers that one of her pigs is pregnant. (bummer)

 

So she gets on an Facebook Web group to ask about neutering her baby boy pig.

 

Many people posted helpful comments about doing your research and finding the best possible vet, some even suggested avoided in the process completly... Then.. One person decided to open the trash can that is their mouth... and posted this.

 

 Is anyone else screaming? Because I was. How dare you adopt something, take responsibilty for its life and well being and then expect the very place that entrusted you with this animal to pay for its upkeep and fund a completly elective surgury? .... You ass. So I spoke up.... and posted.

 

At this point, I am fed up with the internet pissing match. Oh yes, we know your the savior of those pigs mam. You adopted them to neglect them and you whine to the shelter for money for the pigs they had you adopt. Next time my suggestion is to say no. Animals of any shape or kind are expensive, just as expensive as children. The solution to saving money with animals is to get them preventative care, Not to hit up your nearest pet forum with rash pictures or help my guinea pig cant walk post.

 

I mean goddamnit people. Take your fucking pets to the vet. They went to college for 6 damn years to help you take care of your pets medical issues and care. If you think an internet forum can replace that, well then I fear for your pet.

 

I have since left this internet group, i wanted to be a part of a board where i could look a cute pig pictures and read happy stories or maybe even provide someone with support when they lost a loved one. Not troubleshoot pig alements or tech support for your piggie problems. I get this shit at work all day too. PEOPLE ACTUALLY CALL THE PET STORE FOR MEDICAL QUESTIONS.

Ugh my rat is peeing blood, do you know what would cause that? Ugh no, why dont you TAKE IT TO THE FUCKIN VET.

 

</Rant>

 

 

Sigh. There really is no cute for stupid, I just wish people would leave pets out of the equation.

 

 

-Sarah Gooch