I’ll go home to a quiet house tonight and I won’t like it. My puppies are at their all-inclusive resort. No, there is no swim-up bar, no eternity pool, no buffets or unending supply of fruity alcoholic concoctions, but they actually like it. They can bark until they’re hoarse, get lots of attention, shed fur by the bagful without having their mom chase them around with a brush and they don’t have to put up with those snarky cats they live with!

Tom Gunlicks has been a businessman in this area for a long time, an animal lover forever and an animal behaviorist for about 8 years. He is very skilled at helping dogs and their owners learn to live in peace. He owns and operates Precious Pets Country Resort and the first time I considered taking my dog Bella there, I was consumed with concern.

Bella is a beautiful German Shepherd with a very contrary personality. She is smart, extremely territorial, very protective and extraordinarily stubborn- -in other words, she’s a lot like me! Would she behave or would she eat someone and break out of her kennel? To allay my fears Tom met with us here in Sioux Falls at the doggie daycare his wife Sarah and her sister Julia run.

Facebook photo of Tom & Sarah Gunlicks
Facebook photo of Tom & Sarah Gunlicks
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I walked in the door and Bella started barking immediately. I froze in fear while Tom casually strolled over, talking to me and took Bella’s leash out of my struggling hands. He threw the leash over his arm and continued chatting, ignoring Bella completely. In less than thirty seconds she quit misbehaving and sat at his side. Yup this was a guy that could handle her! And Bella loves him, because he gets her.

Don’t misunderstand me, Bella is still a completely incorrigible delinquent, with me; but with her buddy Tom- -she’s an angel. Tom thinks it is because I don’t work with her as much as I should. He’s right of course, he often is, but he also knows that is not going to change and he doesn’t harp at me. He just makes sure both Bella and my other German Shepherd Zeus, who is now a very fragile little old man; get plenty of love and care, while they are away from their mom. And their mom is very grateful!

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