Working -- Dog haven

Heather Sruck

He Is:

Providing loving care for dogs that belong to busy and working owners

who want only the best for their pets.

Bed & Biscuit:

If someone wanted to locate some of the most beautiful and

well-trained canines of Laguna, they would most likely find some of them

at Dog Ranch in Laguna Canyon. The warm, California sunshine and lush

vegetation that surrounds the doggie day care facility make it a lovely

place for a dog to play, fetch, sleep in the shade, be groomed and even

receive its daily medication if needed.

For the love of dogs

One of the original employees of Dog Ranch since it opened two years

ago, Todd Jacobs has found himself working at a place that allows him to

combine his love for animals with his work.

“I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I could never bring myself

to put an animal to sleep,” Jacobs said.

A former engineer, Jacobs’ general job description consists of playing

with and caring for the dogs -- including sleeping over with them in the

night care house usually three times a week. He also does construction

work around the property.

Canine mind-set

It seems that the longer Jacobs has worked at Dog Ranch, the more he

tends to think in terms of dog.

He works full time to create surroundings that will make any dog

comfortable, from the fluffy beds and a TV permanently tuned into Animal

Planet for relaxation, to a yard constructed with football-field grass

for playtime.

An important part of his job is recognizing a dog’s destructive

personality traits when a client brings one in for care.

“Certain breeds are automatically turned away, and also those that do

not get along well with other dogs. The safety of every animal is a large

priority,” Jacobs said. “We lose about 30% of potential clients that

way.”

Working with different dogs and their varied personalities is one of

Jacobs’ favorite aspects of working at Dog Ranch.

“All dogs have their own personalities,” Jacobs said. “They react in

their own ways to your body language and what you do.”