By Heidi Clayton
I was very excited to team up with my friends Ryan and Marie Harp for their inaugural K9 Easter Egg Hunt at Working Dog Farms on Friday, April 18. It was a huge success and the start of many dog-friendly adventures to come. After a long and dreary winter, it was so much fun to see all of the dogs that came out use their noses to find Easter eggs filled with treats. I was delighted to see so many former clients and their dogs having fun and showing off their good manners.
Marie and Ryan are dog people. They are owned by their chocolate lab, Nova, and two Greater Swiss Mountain diva dogs, Kahlua and, my personal favorite, Roo. They came upon their farm, located at 243 South Odessa Avenue in Galloway, in 2021 while looking for their forever home. Marie and Ryan have always had a passion for growing their own vegetables and wanted to raise chickens. They took the leap into becoming farmers and bought the property. The name “Working Dog Farms” comes from their belief that all dogs need a purpose to thrive; Ryan and Marie believe their dogs’ purpose is farming. Together with their dogs, they spent two years fixing the farm up and started selling produce in 2023.
This year, they have ventured into hosting dog-friendly events that started with the Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt was organized to perfection, so that all of the dogs coming had space to sniff at their leisure. Dogs who were prone to anxiety didn’t have to worry about other dogs! The walking trail was filled with eggs stuffed with dog treats, and the dogs had a blast hunting them down. I think the owners had equal, if not more, fun guiding their dogs through the maze and getting excited when they found an egg! There were Easter-themed photo ops along the way, and, of course, the Easter Bunny made a special appearance. Renee Lynn Photography was on hand to snap family photos that included the dogs. I had the best time seeing so many different dogs using their brains and noses! I always enjoy seeing the bonds formed between humans and dogs.
Working Dog is currently hatching more dog-friendly event ideas like a Halloween costume contest and trick-or-treating for the dogs. I love the idea of the walking trail being manned with people giving out treats to the dogs for performing tricks! Santa will be coming to the farm to visit with the dogs, and regardless of being naughty or nice, the dogs will go find hidden presents along the walking trail. Since the actual working dogs of the farm, Nova and Roo, participate in Fly Ball and Fast Cat, Marie is also currently working on fitting in a doggy fun day for other dogs to come and try both at the farm during the summer.
Working Dog Farms sells starter vegetable plants for those looking to plant their own and a variety of seasonal vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and pumpkins. And, of course, their chickens produce fresh eggs daily. Keep an eye on Working Dog Farms Facebook and Instagram pages for dog-friendly event announcements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
