Why dog nose print jewellery? It's deeper than you think.

Some may say “well it’s easy money, everyone loves their dog, people love their dog so much they want to forever immortalise their own dog’s nose print in the form of a bespoke piece of jewellery that can be admired for decades to come, long after their dog has gone” or “maybe she doesn’t have the skill to make real jewellery with complex or traditional components, so this is a safe bet”. I got myself a diploma in Jewellery design along with 8+ years experience BTW.

The real answer lies in my early days as a child, growing up in a family who had a lot going on, (insert a very unwell Mum and a Dad who left little to be desired) living in a house in central Victoria along with a couple of German Shepards named Sammy and Molly.

Though my Dad gave me with a lifetime of trauma and an unregulated nervous system, cheers Dad; he also simultaneously and albeit unintentionally provided me with a childhood filled with all things dog.

For the warmer months in the early 90’s - otherwise known as “the good old days”, Dad would volunteer as an obedience trainer on Sunday mornings and I would go along with him. My MO for days spent at the dog club? In no order of priority, pat the “Dulux Dog” (it wasn’t the Dulux Dog, but they had me convinced...at five years old I still hadn’t learned the importance of questioning EVERYTHING), mooch around the grounds chatting to any and every dog and their owner that would listen, watch carefully for the St Bernard who had started turning up and then follow him around endlessly until him and his owners were engaged in their obedience lesson, and inevitably slinking across the dry, dead grass of the oval that was strewn with bindis (Central Vic in the summer time, remember?) and ask Dad for some change for a fizzy drink and some chips. Mid lesson mind you - again at the age of five, I had ZERO qualms interrupting an in-progress lesson of 20 or so people so I could get what I wanted. Where is she and what have you done with her? 

My Dad’s dog Sammy (old Molly was just too old for days at the obedience club) would sit perfectly, by the net-less soccer goal, panting in the shade whilst she waited her turn to demonstrate “heel”, “drop”, “sit” and “stay”.

Sammy’s face always seemed to be smiling and her ability to take any instruction given to her was a testament to the work my Dad put in. I thought she was the greatest and smartest dog to ever exist. 

The dog club was something I looked forward to every week. I was just this little person, roaming free, mingling with dogs of all shapes and sizes without a worry in the world. Inside the club hall, I would look up at the walls, admiring the sashes, medals and photos, while I sipped my can of Sprite. The ceiling fans were always on, blowing around air that was hot and heavy while the sun shone down outside. Heaven!

Core memories were formed and I reminisce about the simple days of being a kid on days like dog club days; the only concerns I had were the ones directly in front of me - A: if the Deluxe dog was around somewhere and if not, where is that St. Bernard? Or B: The vending machine not having any Light and Tangy chips. Little did I know how important the presence of companion animals, particularly dogs would become for me as I grew up and how much refuge I would find in Sammy’s smiling face when things were hard at home, particularly as the "good old days" were becoming a distant concept.

I do wonder if my Dad raising me along side his dogs and including me in the days at the dog club negate the laundry list of issues that he also inadvertently imparted on me? At a fundamental level, both of these things seem to have collided in a  "perfect storm" kind of way which have made me who I am as I stand here today.

My why for what I do started here. In 1992. It was always in me and I feel like it was just waiting to come out in some form. The form is dog nose print jewellery. The meaning is greater than you might think from the outset. I am not changing lives, but I know that being around dogs certainly has changed mine. From the stories I am lucky enough to be told, I know for sure that they change the lives of many others. So, I will keep doing this work, with my why backing me all day, every day. Because it’s too meaningful not to.