DOGS OF LOS ANGELES (THE BACKSTORY) PART ONE
Dogs really are like potato chips. How can you only have one?
Hello Dog Lovers! My first blog post. Welcome to Dogs of Los Angeles. I am beyond happy you are here and hope over time, this site will become a place where you find some inspiration from the dog stories, solutions to common dog issues and questions (like what should I feed my dog and is my dog food good), product recommendations focused on our favorite toys, food, treats, dog necessities (like poo bags and yes, I have a favorite), health and wellness supplements for dogs, and finally, some ideas for YOU to enjoy life like a dog without working like one.
I want to share how you can have more enjoyment in your own life and life with your dog. I created this site for busy working professionals, who do not have time to cook for themselves (let alone for their dog), do not want to run all over town searching for products, and who are looking for quality products but do not want to break the bank. You are obsessed with your dog/s. You have an interest in holistic health for yourself, (which you balance with western medicine) and are either just starting on your own holistic path (or may be there) and now are turning to your dog and his or her life, and want to bring more healthy and holistic products to your dog’s life. You think your dog can talk and if he or she could, the dog stories we share, are what he or she would say or if not, can maybe understand and relate to. If this is you, you have come to the right place.
My goal is to share the beauty and “humanity” of our dogs by telling their stories; hence the blog (they often seem more human than we are and frankly during these times, we can all learn a thing or two from how to act from watching our dogs), to show their lives have as much depth as ours, to share what makes them tick, happy or sad, and to show how in their stories, there is life, love, happiness, sadness, new beginnings, redemption, and last but certainly not least, fun.
I like to approach holistic health for dogs (and myself) in what I call a “semi-holistic” or holistic-ish approach. I work a lot of hours during the day and do not have time to cook for myself many days, so cooking for my dogs was out of the question. I am guessing you are the same. Accordingly, about eight years ago, I started on a path to figure out what I should be feeding my dog, what “people” food was ok to give dogs, what supplements does a dog need, what is a good treat, and how can I get all this from one place, without having to run all over town?
I wanted to be able to rely on certain products as the base, without cooking, and take it up a notch with holistic supplements, and treats and that is what I have done over the past eight years. I do not cook for my dog but have found some healthy pre-made products like these here for homemade treats for our dogs. I will share with you in an upcoming post. But don’t worry, you don’t have to bake them but can rest assured they are homemade thanks to Bella B’s Barkery!
This blog will answer many of these above-referenced questions, and I will share what I have learned from holistic vets, vet techs, vet specialists and my own local vet in Los Angeles who I love and my local vet in Delray Beach, Florida where I now live (I go to LA for my day job when necessary and still have a deep connection to the city even though I do not live there.) I do not pretend to be an expert and nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat or cure any illness or issue your pet may have. In fact, I encourage you to work with and find a local vet you like and trust. The info I am sharing is what has worked for my dogs and me, and every effort is made to bring you the most accurate and truthful information, based on science and based on being dog tested and Dog Mom approved.
SOME INFO ABOUT ME
I spend my days working with actors for a national organization in the entertainment industry, working as Co-head of their Entertainment Contracts group. I oversee the television and new media side of the organization, and about eight years ago, started a side business with a company working as a rep or petPro as the company calls it, focused on holistic products for dogs. I started as a customer of their’s, and liked the products so much because of what they did for my dog Quincy, I decided I would like to be a rep for them. In the process, I learned a great deal of what dogs could benefit from in the health and wellness space, and started studying and learning about dog health, dog wellness supplements, and learned about toys too!
I no longer do that business as I stopped being a rep so I could focus on my day job, and on building out the idea of Dogs of Los Angeles® . I also had to unexpectedly move across the country in 2021 to South Florida to help my parents who were suffering from some serious health issues. That being said, I still use many of those original products and have expanded to learning about some of the best health products for dogs from my vets that I will share over the coming months on this blog.
In Part 2 of this post, I will share the backstory of how I came up with the Dogs of Los Angeles idea. If you made it this far, you are PAWSOME, and please know I am grateful you are here. I would love it if you let me know more about you, your dog/s, and what your dog’s favorite thing is about you and your favorite thing about your dog/s!