Focusing on the mission

If you've noticed a change in direction here at the GollyLog lately - you're right. We've tightened our focus to become more useful.

Being helpful to owners of small dogs was the original reason we started our shop - Golly Gear. As small dog owners all of our adult lives, we knew it was difficult to find the "right" stuff for our dogs - harnesses/collars/leashes that fit, toys our dogs could carry, treats that weren't larger than their meals, etc.

We may have wandered off that tight focus for a while - 2012 was a difficult time for us, as well as many of you. We've gotten back on track - reaffirming that original mission for ourselves and our shop.

Our focus at Golly Gear has tightened - emphasizing the needs of people like us, whose dogs are companions, partners, and family members - not accessories or fashion statements.

With a new website and renewed focus, we have a new energy to serve our Golly Gear community even better - finding and offering fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs.

Dogs are integral parts of our lives - both professionally and personally. We like spending time with them, training them, playing with them, and holding down the couch with them.

And one of the best things our dogs have brought us is the connection with other "dog people." We are members of the North Shore Dog Training Club - the oldest AKC-member obedience club in the U.S. And we're proud to be part of the "All Fours Agility Team" - even though we're not the most experienced or skilled team-members and we'll never be asked to play for the softball team, we're just that awful at throwing toys or treats.

GollyGear.com, NSDTC, and All Fours have brought us wonderful friends, people who we never would have had the good fortune to meet if we weren't all "dog people."

Dog people are among the best in the world. We've found, as a community, that most dog-lovers have a wonderful compassion for others - perhaps because we all know the real meaning of unconditional love. We may all be incredibly busy - most have jobs in the "real world" and make time for "dog stuff" when we can, but there's always seems to be time for dog people to lend a hand, or answer a question, or provide a shoulder to cry on.

We're lucky enough to know very few people who would say "It's just a dog." And we feel sorry for anyone who would.

There's all kinds of people in the world

I was talking to a business acquaintance the other day - someone I haven't seen since we closed the bookstore and took Golly Gear out on its own. He was amazed and astonished that we could actually have a store with just dog stuff. And small dog stuff at that.

It made me realize that we're proud members of a global sub-culture: Dog People. There are people in the world who have dogs, then there are us Dog People. We're the people who know that the movie Best In Show had too many glaring errors to be funny. We're the people who know the AKC groups, and that the beauty pageant aspect of dog showing is "conformation" with an "o" not an "i."

We know what "performance events" are and we're the ones who take the online quizzes about "what breed of dog is right for you" and invariably wind up with the ones we already own.

Most of our friends are "dog friends" - people who enjoy spending time with their dogs and the people who "get it." We can talk about disgusting things during cocktail parties and not worry about offending each other. We even have "can you top this" disgusting dog stories.

Dog People are a breed apart, if you'll forgive the expression. We remember your dog's name before yours and we don't mind when you're the same.

So, I'm Roc and Dax's "mom." And I recognize your face from the last match or trial where I saw you. But please remind me of your name, because I only remember your dog's.