Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog

In order to have any sort of home based business on our base here in Japan, you have to have base approval. The application you submit says that you will abide by base and local policies and procedures, your sponsor's (spouse or parent) command is aware of what you're up to, and your business doesn't compete with those already provided by the base. This applies to any goods you may sell or services you provide. It's not terribly complicated, but it has to go through multiple channels to be fully approved and then you're allowed to advertise your business and actually ask for money in exchange.

Couch snuggles - Malcolm (left) and Stella (right) and me

I decided that since I already have to walk Malcolm, he likes having friends to play with, and we are allowed to have up to two pets in our home at once, I would get base approval to take care of other pets so I could bring in a little extra cash. I was able to secure that approval and Malcolm became the CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer) of my little pet care business.  I've watched some cats and one hamster, but I primarily take care of other dogs - sometimes in their home, sometimes in ours.

Malcolm doesn't look very sure about Parker, but they actually got along just fine

Every dog has their quirks, but we find we usually enjoy giving Malcolm a new buddy to play with once in awhile. I always meet new clients with Malcolm ahead of time, to make sure everyone gets along, so we really haven't had any problems. Virginia still holds the title of Malcolm's best friend, but we've made some other good dog friends along this journey as well.

Virginia stayed with us for six weeks this summer while her family went to the States. Two big dogs in the bath was extra adventurous.

It's time to re-certify my approval (it's only good for one year), and I filled out my part of the paperwork before writing this post. I'll send it with Blake on Monday to route through his chain of command and then we'll go from there! I've enjoyed this little business opportunity, especially when more formal work that I'm both interested in and qualified for has been rather elusive. We're good either way, but I like being able to contribute and feel like I'm accomplishing something, and being helpful to my neighbors and friends at the same time!

I checked on Parker at his house while Virginia stayed at ours. I can handle three dogs on a walk at once, but it's always helpful when Blake joins us.