If you could do anything

[LostAndConfused]

Obviously the store is too far from our house and Ben and I get into the strangest discussions. This is kind of a spin off of the thread I started the other day, 'do what you love.'

In today's discussion, if you were independently wealthy and could do whatever you wanted, what would you do? Ben is trying to figure out what he would do. I told him that I would start a fuzzy-herdy dog rescue. But in reality, I would love to own a large(ish) dog sport complex. Have a dock diving pool, a heated/indoor area for winter training & events, an outdoor area for Barn Hunts, another outdoor, grassy area for summer, outdoor events, maybe some pens to do herding. I would, of course, have to bring in outside trainers for any training events because i'm a terrible trainer. So, what I really want is an old horse farm and turn the arenas & what-not into dog things.

So what would you do? Would you open a soup kitchen? Maybe start a wind-farm? Maybe you'd just buy a yacht and sail around the ocean. Or become a hermit and live in the mountains.

 

[PWCorgi]

Hire a trainer to live with me and enforce the rules I try to set for my dogs :rofl1:

I would move to a house with land, get a couple horses, have a huge indoor training area just for me. I'd stop working and just take classes forever. Buy some ridiculous cars and other motorized vehicles.

And build Megan her own house on my land, but I think that would be a given?

 

[RBark]

I would hike the entire world, with a dog by my side. As he got older, and in between hiking trips, I'd retreat to a large hobby farm with hired hands to help keep it operational while I'm away.

 

[sillysally]

I would have lots of land. I'd leave part of it wooded and cut horse trails through it, and the rest would be devoted to horses, livestock, and homestead style farming.

I would have a 10 to 15 stall horse barn for my own horses and board horses in what stalls I had left. There would be an outdoor arena and plenty of turnout. I would like to raise a variety of heritage breed livestock on pasture, and have a largish "market garden" in addition to growing my own hay.

 

[LostAndConfused]

I would like to raise a variety of heritage breed livestock on pasture

I'd totally have a few goats (breed still up in the air), dexter cattle, and a few chickens.

 

[iriskai]

I told him that I would start a fuzzy-herdy dog rescue. But in reality, I would love to own a large(ish) dog sport complex. Have a dock diving pool, a heated/indoor area for winter training & events, an outdoor area for Barn Hunts, another outdoor, grassy area for summer, outdoor events, maybe some pens to do herding. I would, of course, have to bring in outside trainers for any training events because i'm a terrible trainer. So, what I really want is an old horse farm and turn the arenas & what-not into dog things.

I like your idea.. though I'd like fenced, mildly hilly, grassy fields for lure coursing, racing and free running, an indoor complex for agility, an area for barn hunt, and a heated indoor pool for therapeutic swimming and dock diving!

Also, in a non-dog related dream, I'd like to have a winery with acres of locally grown vines and a gorgeous venue with an old (but updated inside) barn for weddings and events.

 

[BostonBanker]

Build my dream house (not huge, but nice and set up the way I want) on 15 or so acres. Add in a gorgeous indoor agility ring with indoor turf footing and climate control. Full set of new equipment. Bathroom, dog grooming room, locker room with labeled lockers for my friends. Small kitchen, cameras in all four corners so you could tape and review training sessions without help or moving tripods.

Little two stall barn for Tristan to retire in, and I'd get him a grey pony for a friend, thus fulfilling both his fantasy and my childhood dream.

Small guest house a bit away from my house with its own fenced in yard and dog door, small kitchen, washer/dryer. I would use it to entice a few of my favorite trainers to come a couple of times a year and do lessons with a small group of people. It would also have a big parking area with room and hookups for an RV for those who prefer to travel that way.

The house would have a great set up for my dogs, with the downstairs dog room opening to a large covered outdoor kennel, which in turn would open to a large fenced in yard. The other side of the downstairs would have a smaller dog room with a similar set up outside, so I could foster dogs for my friend's rescue but keep them separate from mine while I was out of the house.

I'd also buy a nice, medium sized RV for trials.

And the best part? My friends would all have keys to my training building, and a lot of people would very distinctly not have keys

 

[crazedACD]

But in reality, I would love to own a large(ish) dog sport complex. Have a dock diving pool, a heated/indoor area for winter training & events, an outdoor area for Barn Hunts, another outdoor, grassy area for summer, outdoor events, maybe some pens to do herding. I would, of course, have to bring in outside trainers for any training events because i'm a terrible trainer. So, what I really want is an old horse farm and turn the arenas & what-not into dog things.

This, pretty much . Along with carefully thought out boarding and daycare. Somewhere warm.

 

[AmberD]

I would love to run a cat rescue/sanctuary in a big, beautiful old building with hardwood floors and a fairly open floor plan. Crazy shelving units, cubbies, and walkways... There's a place like this in Michigan, and I think it's the most incredible house I've been in and/or seen.

On a smaller scale, I'd like to have a doggie hospice in my own home. In both cases, I'd be able to afford to support a vet and vet care... and hire regular caretakers/cleaners until I had a good volunteer base.

I've also always wanted a burro and a few goats, so I'd have those. And hire someone to clean up after them.

So really, my dream is to play with animals all day without having to be responsible for the dirty work.

 

[Beanie]

But in reality, I would love to own a large(ish) dog sport complex. Have a dock diving pool, a heated/indoor area for winter training & events, an outdoor area for Barn Hunts, another outdoor, grassy area for summer, outdoor events, maybe some pens to do herding. I would, of course, have to bring in outside trainers for any training events because i'm a terrible trainer. So, what I really want is an old horse farm and turn the arenas & what-not into dog things.

This is pretty much exactly what I would do: Canine Sports Center.
Ideally I would want room for at least one full agility ring including the ability to host trials, both indoor and out. A pool for Dock Diving and general swimming. And of course if there's room for an agility ring, I would have room for disc training and flyball too - and pet/obedience stuff.
Also a small area for DIY bathing and grooming. Potentially a small retail space for some higher quality foods and a handful of training toys and gear.
No daycare or boarding though. Just a training center. Group training, private lessons (I'd need a staff of trainers in a variety of sports), and ring rental as well for working on your own.

 

[AllieMackie]

Honestly, I would probably wind up like Penelope in The Brothers Bloom. I'd have this huge house and I'd live in it and teach myself all sorts of ridiculous hobbies.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I would be involved part time with taking OTTB's and making them into ranch horses. I would most likely move back out west or down south and go to school for rangeland and focus on controlled grazing and open spaces.

I would invest a bunch of time in herding lessons and reined cowhorse. I'd get a small homestead going and probably do a little co-breeding with ACDs and some small rescue work. My ranch dogs would follow me all the places and go on tons of trail rides and cattle drives.

One can dream.

 

[Torch]

I would own at least a couple of 'dream' homes of unique and highly functional design. I'd like each home to be private and on acreage.

I would probably own a few more dogs and would have excellent kennel set ups, kennel rooms, and plenty of areas for the dogs. Lots of dog friendly furniture and whatnot. Definitely a professional cleaning service lol!

My dream job would be owning/running a largish book store, with used and new books, DVDs, video games, etc. I'd like to have a neat coffee shop adjoining it and bring multiple dogs to work everyday. I always thought that reading therapy dogs (like Aimee's Grant) were so so cool and I would definitely train some of my dogs like that and have some sort of outreach program with the local schools. I have very fond memories of being a child, cuddled up in my bed, reading aloud to my dog. I'd love to recreate that for others.

 

[Locke]

I dream of building a moderate sized dream home on 10-15 acres, and having a small hobby farm with dogs, ducks, rabbits, a goat or two, and a pony. I'd bake and sell my goods at the farmers market, and take special orders for events. I'll keep dreaming!

 

[Elrohwen]

I would build my dream house on some acreage, probably in upstate NY. I'd love to have 100 acres or something ridiculous with a lake or lake access. I'd have a small barn, indoor and outdoor arenas, and plenty of pasture space so I could own a few horses, and maybe some assorted livestock (I'd love to have sheep and a mule). I'd spend my time taking care of the animals, gardening, and doing stuff with the dogs. Sounds perfect!

 

[AmandaNola]

Have a house on the beach in FL
Travel anywhere and everywhere (with Nola, of course)
Have a house in Cape Cod
Have 300 acres fully fenced for Nola to run off leash
Get an agility course
Get several cameras and dozens of lenses
Grow my photography business

Aside from that, I don't know what I'd do. I'd like to do transport for rescues, and some sort of visual arts thing for underprivileged kids, but I'm not 100% certain on what.

 

[ruffiangirl]

I would buy the land and build a dog sports complex up here to increase interest in dog activities in this area.

I would also like to build a mall for mom and pop stores with reduced rents so the can make it in this city. Even some of the chains to survive. They raised the rent in the mall so we are loosing hallmark now, their rent went from $19,000 to $29,000 a MONTH. It's just so sad that we have nothing but Walmart and Canadian Tire to buy small appliances at, we are a city of 80,000 plus! We seriously I couldn't buy a breadmaker in town for korys birthday, a breadmaker!

I love my city, but loosing stores is sad, we should be growing not shrinking.

 

[Saeleofu]

Volunteer at a zoo. Whatever zoo I happened to be near.

Have a nice house with dog-specific stuff like attached kennels and agility equipment on an acreage. Also horses and the stuff that goes with them. And goats. And a nice RV to travel in.

I'd spend most of my time traveling to dog shows and Doctor Who conventions.