There have been countless times where I have been told "don't complain, you get paid to play with puppies all day."

Yes and no.

Not only do I get to play with puppies, I get to pick up their poop, feed them, make sure they play quietly, separate them if they fight, and the physical toll it takes on me is also a factor.

I love my job. I get to interact with dogs. All sorts of dogs: huskies, chihuahuas, labs, golden retrievers, pointers, mixes, and the list goes on. So many kinds put into one yard that I have to maintain. It's great but sometimes I just don't want to do it.

I come home from work exhausted, dirty and scratched up. I want a shower because I feel gross but I also do not have the energy for it. I have bruises in places where people question if I'm being absurd and my response is "I work with dogs."

Working at a daycare is a lot of personal involvement. I have to learn each dog's personality, who they like to play with, who they hate, what their owner prefers they do and how they should look when they get picked up. I have to monitor how each dog poops in case I need to let the owners know that a vet visit is due. I have to learn about 200 dogs individual personalities.

It's a job that really takes time to learn. I know it sounds like I'm complaining but I'm not. I love this place. I love each dog and my coworkers, but I also hate how people treat my job as if it isn't one. Like working with dogs is somehow demeaning.

Trust me, it's better to work with dogs than people.