“My dog would destroy that toy in a second.”
I hear that quite a bit these days, and I totally get it. The adorable donuts are no match for the average toy-crazy lab. But my canine shoppers come in all shapes and sizes …
There’s stuff here for everybody!
Remember a few months ago, when I was dealing with that horrible, crippling back pain? The back pain that had me crying every time I blinked or breathed? What I didn’t report at that time was that we were also in the throes selling our house, while at the same time trying to negotiate the lease for the brick and mortar LOTL.
Stressful? Just a tad.
In the midst of all of that drama back in May, a bright spot; The Bark magazine contacted me, said that they “quite liked” my book, and asked me to write a short piece based on it. But I only had a week to turn it around. Could I do it?
Could I? I rallied through the pain and wrote the article while on bed rest … and here it is!
“Is it a toy store? Is that kid’s stuff? It says “Dogs welcome” … ohhhhh, it’s a dog store!”
I’m trying to make sure that people understand what Life on the Leash is all about, but perhaps I’m missing something.
I mean, there’s this:
And this:
And this:
And even this, just for giggles:
I’m still not sure that it’s clear, though. Suggestions?
I’ve been hearing about Doylestown’s “First Friday” for ages. On paper, the first Friday of each month is a celebration of the arts in Bucks County, complete with musicians, magicians, theater troops and other entertainment in participating shops. The reality, according to my retail neighbors, is WALL TO WALL PEOPLE ON THE STREETS!
I was nervous for our first First Friday – it felt like I was preparing for a party with an endless guest list. No one could quite figure out how the night would go, since the first Friday of July also happened to fall on the weekend of the 4th. Would town be empty? Or would we be flooded with vacationers?
Things started slowly. I was nervous. (Who, me?) We had the sample dog treats ready to go, goodies for people (thanks to my landlord, who owns a bakery – you rock, Chris!), the musicians were jammin’ in the front window … but where were the people?
I didn’t have to wait long. The people came. Loads of people, and better yet, load of dogs! It was great!
We stayed open until 10:30 that night – a whopping 12 and a half hour day – and by the end, everyone was tired!
My canine customers can’t get much more adorable.
I mean, c’mon.
And may I introduce my neighbor and new best friend, the perfect-in-every-way 9-week old boxer, Penny:
Penny gets walked past the store at least once a day, and I won’t let her people pass without stopping in to say howdy. If they’re not careful I might dognap Penny and turn her into my official shop dog.
