free entertainment for you and your pet

When I was growing up, our little dog, Chipper, loved lights and reflections. I don't even think the pet laser pointer for pets had been thought up, yet. Instead, he had a collection of flashlights in a designated drawer, and he was so obsessed, he would bark in anticipation if we even approached the drawer. Eating dinner was an issue because we had track lighting that bounced light off the silverware. We'd have to take a bite and then quickly bury the silverware under the plate or napkin or food. Nevermind the large serving utensils. Pizza night, with that spatula, was an event.

I still haven't figured out why some animals "see the light" and some don't. Or maybe they do and don't care.

I've always been entertained by animals who do border on obsession with this entity that can't be caught, and this week, I accidentally found one in a client. We were enjoying the cooling weather outside, and my watch shot a beam of light into the grass. Piper pounced. The game was on. Her big sister, Ava, couldn't be bothered. What a great form of exercise for this pup! And what a great way for a little sister to pester her big sis–just part of the job.

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So grab that flashlight you have lying around, or just use the sun and something reflective. Free entertainment for the whole family!

is this service dog legit?

The topic of fake service dogs is hot right now, and I feel a personal attachment to the debate. I have cared for a handful of service dogs, and though I'm far from being an expert on the subject, I think I understand the basics of what makes an actual service dog. The other day I was in COSTCO, and I saw the cutest little Boston Terrier. He had a handsome red vest on, embroidered smartly with the words "SERVICE DOG." Of course, my eyes are immediately attracted to the animal in any situation. I wanted to kiss this little guy, and then I noticed that everyone else did, too. And they were.

As much as I like to make out with just about every dog I see, I resist my temptation with service dogs and keep my distance. They deserve the proper respect to do their jobs with minimal distraction. And I'm a good doggie kisser, so I can be a distraction. I observed this particular dog in COSTCO with his owner on a regular leash (okay) at the hot dog pizza counter tables. His man was feeding him bits of hot dog and pizza, and several people were coming up to them and showering the dog with affection. The owner just let it happen and didn't explain that the dog was on duty, or anything of the sort.

The dog, himself, was not behaving in the fashion I know to be service dog behavior. He was begging for food (hey, stick with what works) and he was wandering around to the extent of his leash, even getting a bit tangled in the pole that held up the bench seat. Hmm.

I then was particularly confused when the owner took the dog toward the restroom (one of my littles had to go, too, coincidentally). He tied the dog to a sample cart that was being prepped to hit the floor while he went to the restroom. Huh?

Are service dogs typically just tied to things? I don't think I've ever seen this in my life.

The sample person had to completely disinfect the cart after the dog was untied (I know this because my other little timed a bathroom trip just perfectly after the other, so I got to go back).

This all just seems a bit odd to me. It's not the New-York-diva-lady-with-a-fake-service-dog-in-a-purse scenario that we've been hearing about in the media, but it's questionable to me, nevertheless. And my emotions are at the heart of the problem. I didn't DARE question the man. Nor did anyone working at COSTCO. That service vest seems to command as much respect as a police officer's uniform. I would never want to insult the man with the dog by questioning him. What would I even say?

So is this dog the real deal? If not, what do we do about this?

dog redecorates again

I hope you didn't miss the shocking footage from this canine's last project. Well, she's been at it again, and this time, she's really turned the design world upside down! Check out her proud face as her sister surveys the scene.

HGTV, here she comes!"Designer Doggie" or "Doggie Designer"? You decide.

dog redecorates house–shocking footage

One of the greatest things about being a professional pet sitter is that I get to hang out all day with all kinds of animals. I get to know most of them pretty well, so it's like having tons of pets that don't all have to live with me. What could be better? Though I do see my share of excrement and misbehavior, most of the time we have a complete blast. Some of my favorite pet sitting moments are the ones that make me crack up, such as the one I captured today.

This senior pooch has not lost any of her character or dazzle. She's one of my regulars, and I love her so. She has this little house inside the house, and today she decided to redecorate!

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i want to pet sit for Sizzles

Don't pets in books, movies, and on TV always steal the show?

I have quite a few favorites, but my current celebrity doggie crush is on Sizzles, from the Charlie & Lola books and TV series. My littles introduced me to the Charlie & Lola books by Lauren Child, and soon after, we saw the characters come to life on the small screen, much to our delight. Honestly, it's the only kids show I actually enjoy watching with them.

For me, the books and episodes shine because of the dialogue and the illustrations/animation. And it's quite impressive how closely the animation keeps with the books' illustrations. The characters are charming and adorable and creative, and they make the most mundane thing seem like an adventure. Every book and episode starts the same way in Charlie's voice (he's British, so don't forget to imagine the accent):

I have this little sister Lola. She is small and very funny...

Charlie is the sweet older brother, and all of the stories are told in his voice. Lola is his adorable (and small and funny) little sister, who he often must rescue from one thing or another. Nothing too dramatic. Things like not being able to find her favorite book at the library or spending all her money at the zoo so she can't purchase the seal bath toy she had her heart set on. Charlie always makes things right for Lola.

So what about Sizzles? Sizzles is their friend, Marv's, dog. Lola loves Sizzles, and so do I. Sizzles is part mischief and part love, and has a knowing look almost all of the time, though he doesn't seem quite as smart as Lola thinks he is. He appears in only some of the books and episodes. Just enough to get you to fall in love and beg for more. And his bottom is just the cutest!

My favorite Charlie & Lola book is We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog, so, naturally, my favorite episode is We Do Promise Honestly We Can Look After Your Dog, which is, of course, based on the book. I won't debate which is better, but I will say I love to see Sizzles in action. Lola, and her BFF, Lotta, beg Marv to let them look after Sizzles. The girls are in a bit over their heads, but it's jolly good fun, and *spoiler alert* Sizzles makes it out of the experience just fine. If you are a dog lover who wants to smile right now, please click here and watch the episode. I completely absolutely promise you will love it. Watch with your dog-loving kids, too. Okay, go ahead...let me know what you think, and let me know how madly in love with Sizzles you are.

But you can't have him. He's mine. Sizzles can do anything.