Canine Campus celebrates 12 years in business on August 9, 2011. We are proud to say our very first customer has enjoyed the “ride” with us. Cina, a beautiful Siberian husky, came for doggie daycare the day we opened that sunny August day in 1999. Cina still comes for daycare to this day!
She quickly bonded with our Mastiff, Saede Mae. It was a joy to watch them toss and tumble all day long. And when Saede Mae (a mastiff who LOVED her nap-time) would lay down for a snooze, Cina dive-bombed her continually until she rose again (literally) to the challenge of keeping up with a husky pup.
Cina actually taught us what doggie daycare is really about. She was a great role model for our new four-legged customers. She would meet the newbies with a proper canine greeting, then engage them in rounds and rounds of wrestling and chase. As she grew older, Cina was a phenomenal alpha female in our pack, gently correcting the wild puppies and letting me know when more dominance was needed in the pack.
Cina also helped interview our potential new employees.
She had an uncanny way of knowing which people would be great leaders in the pack and which ones probably wouldn’t make it. I would watch Cina’s body language closely as we brought the person into the pack. If Cina completely ignored them, I knew they were not going to be a good fit for our playgroup. If she paid a bit of attention to them in her cool, collected way, I’d usually hire the person on the spot.
It’s been a blessing to have watched Cina mature into such a wonderful animal. Cina is truly a family member which is such a testament to what we do here at Canine Campus. In fact, some of Cina’s original playmates those first few months in 1999 still come to Canine Campus to this day as well. Cleo, Orion, Jessie P., just to name a few, still pound the pavement at Canine Campus, frolicking in the fun and games we provide for our k-9 co-eds.
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