By Derek Schlennstedt
They’re our closest friends, and now you can have them with you on what’s considered the most important day of your life.
Ferntree Gully resident and dog trainer, Ruth Elliott, runs formal dogs, a service that specialises in helping to bring your four legged friend to your wedding.
Ruth, who has been a dog trainer for 12 years, began the business venture in 2009 after a client approached her while working at a local kennel.
“One of the customers wanted to have their dogs at the their wedding and approached me about the possibility of it.”
“I went out and did the wedding and then another customer wanted their dogs at their wedding, and from there it just snowballed,” she said.
Nowadays Ruth is kept busy attending weddings two to three times a month, and has bookings up until August next year.
Dogs are often considered a part of the family, and Ruth said that because people put so much time into their pets they wanted them to be at their weddings, too.
“People put a lot of time into their dogs; they take them out for breakfast, family events, lunch, on holidays, and its part of their lifestyle, so on such an important day, they want the dog to be there, they want them to be in the photos,” she said.
Since 2009, Ruth has taken the stress out of weddings by helping couples bring their four legged friends to their special day.
Recent studies have shown that interactions with animals and dogs can decrease stress in humans, and that just playing with or patting a dog can increase the level of the stress-reducing hormone and decrease production of the stress hormone, cortisol.
“I think it’s such a big event that people get nervous, in a good way, of course, but so many times people will come up and give the dog a hug – It’s such a release, you’ll find people just patting the dog without really thinking about it.”
Ruth brings all the necessary equipment including, poop bags, water, and lint rollers to clean up any stray fur left by the dog.
In preparation for the day, Ruth provides a free consultation, and a training plan is put in place to help the dog prepare for any roles it might have on the day.
Often people’s beloved pets will be involved in the ceremony, and at some weddings the dogs have even taken up the ring-bearer role.
Ruth said she felt privileged and lucky to be able to help people bring their dogs to their weddings and be part of such a momentous occasion.
“It’s such a privilege to be a part of someone’s wedding day, to be invited into that moment in such a special way and to be looking after something that is obviously so precious to them,” she said.
Ruth attends weddings all through the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, and to find out more about formal dogs visit https://www.facebook.com/formaldogs/
