WHY?
It was 2012, and I had been out of the Canadian Armed Forces for almost a year. I was working at a gym called Beaver Boxing and living with a friend—let’s call him Tony—who also trained there. I’ll never forget the day Tony came home with a small Staffy mix named Sky. The moment I saw him with his dog, I couldn’t help but ask, “Tony, tell me there are more pups!”
Tony replied, “Yeah, but you’ve gotta act fast. They’re going quick.”
Without hesitation, he gave me the contact number, and I called immediately.
“Hi, my name is Randy. My roommate Tony just bought a dog from you for $300, and I’m wondering if you have any left.”
The response crushed me: “Hi Randy, unfortunately, all the pups have been adopted. Sorry, and good luck finding something!”
Disappointed by the missed opportunity to get my first dog, I had no choice but to move on.
But exactly one week later, on New Year’s Eve, I received a text message: “Hey Randy, some people backed out of the adoption. If you’d like to come see her, here’s our address…”
I was ecstatic! I’d loved animals since I was a kid. I related to their wild nature and often imagined myself as one of them—running with wolves, howling at the moon, or singing with bears, just like Mowgli from The Jungle Book. Growing up with my parents, I’d seen what having a dog or cat looked like, but in our family, pets never stayed long. A month or two later, they’d be gone. That always bothered me, but as a kid, there wasn’t much I could do.
Now, I finally had the chance to have my very own dog, and I was fortunate to be in a living situation that allowed it.
The next day, January 1, 2013, my mom and I drove to Quebec to meet and adopt Blueseph.
Blueseph changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. I became so focused on building his cognitive abilities that I stopped showing up for boxing practice and even my front desk job at the gym. As a result, Blueseph and I developed a bond deeper than I thought possible. Looking back, I’m still amazed at how intelligent he was—it truly surprised me.
My partner at the time, though impressed with my dog, wasn’t thrilled about having to pay the entire rent while I was consumed with training Blueseph. This meant I needed a job—but one that wouldn’t cut into my time with him. Quitting wasn’t an option.
Luckily, I discovered a newly opened dog daycare that was hiring for dog walking and grooming positions. I applied, got the job, and quickly became skilled at walking multiple dogs at once. Within weeks, I was handling three or four dogs at a time—until my boss pointed out that I needed to clock in for at least four hours instead of finishing early.
It was then that my mentor presented me with an offer:
“Randy, you’ve got a real knack for this. How about apprenticing under me and shadowing my work?”
I didn’t let him finish his sentence before saying yes. That decision changed my life.
Thanks to canines, I’ve learned more about myself and others than I ever could have in school. I dove into studying and absorbing everything I could about dogs, and that passion continues to this day.
Welcome to Canine Conscious!
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