Puppy Baby Mama: Paige
Doods before dudes, right?? Doodles are taking over the world one puff ball at a time. And we are kinda obsessed with it! Some of our favorite doods are the famous Charlie and Sawyer in New York City! And we are even more in love with their Momager Paige! This Upper East Side #dogmom has turned her two rescue doods into everyone's happy place on Instagram. Paige is giving us all a look into her love story and life with her two sweet girls!
How did you and your pup find each other?
I first found Charlie on Petfinder. I had been looking for a dog to rescue for months. She was located in Indiana. The rescue organization had claimed that they made transports of dogs to the East Coast once a month, but cancelled on me at the last minute. It turns out that they were actually fronting as a puppy mill. After they cancelled, Charlie was still in Indiana and now had been moved into a "foster home." The only way to still adopt her would have been to go pick her up. So I did. My mom came with me for the ride and we drove overnight 12 hours to get to Muncie, Indiana from New York. When we arrived to the location, it was a home that was literally in shambles. Once they opened the door I was actually scared. There were about 50-100 dogs living in this house, all of them running around loose and in pretty bad condition. This "foster home" needed to be reported. Once I had Charlie safe in my arms, we actually called the authorities and they were raided several days later. All of the dogs who were living in these awful conditions were taken to the nearest no-kill shelter and given medical attention. The "organization" was shut down and fined. It's very scary to actually see what goes on in other states when it comes to animal welfare and the conditions in which they are born and raised to make money.
When I was ready to adopt a second dog, I actually reached out to a rescue organization in California where my mom had previously rescued her dog. They already knew our family and I felt comfortable talking to them about the process. I told them that I wanted any kind of poodle mix and asked that if they ever came across one to let me know or put me on a waitlist. 8 months later they reached out to me with a puppy who was being re-homed because the family could not handle the responsibility. I didn't even have to think twice about it. Somebody else may not have wanted her but I did. They allowed me to adopt her even though I was across the country because we had already had an established relationship. And that's how Sawyer came to NYC!
What are your top 3 favorite dog brands and why?
This is a tough one. My dogs wear and use a LOT of different products daily. Definitely don't want to hurt anyone's feelings!
-A daily staple in our home would have to be Nyla Bones. Both of my dogs are big chewers, so they have a special bin filled with just bones that they play with every day. The quality of their products is great because the bones really last forever!
-As far as clothing goes, we love the brand Fabdog. From coats to sweaters to accessories, we own a lot of their products and get compliments on them wherever we go. They also fit both dogs really well which is rare.
-When it comes to toys, the funniest and most creative toys are made by this brand Haute Diggity Dog. I'm sure you've seen them: they take designer goods, Starbucks drinks or your favorite alcohol brand and change the name/label to a funny dog pun like "Starbarks" or "Chewy Vuitton." We have way too many of these!
What is the perfect day date with your pup like in your city?
The perfect day goes pretty much like this: wake up early (usually around 6am) and head to Central Park for off-leash adventures. Charlie and Sawyer pretty much know every inch of the park by now and love navigating through their favorite spots or looking for some familiar friends. We get coffee and walk around, maybe even go for a run. I always see a lot of my own friends there in the morning so it's a great adventure for all of us.
How did you build your dog's account?
I always tell people that their account grew because people really enjoyed seeing their life on a daily basis. I try to keep it as real as possible. I don't really dress them up or use props (maybe just for holidays). Our followers enjoy seeing them running off leash, playing in the dog park or just snuggling in the bed at home. It's always in the voice of Charlie, so a lot of our followers get a kick out of hearing what she would be saying or thinking in a given situation. It's kind of like a daily documentary of what they are doing or where we are going.
Make sure you do yourself a huge favor and follow their Upper East Side journey! You will NOT regret it, because these two doods will bring a smile to your face more than once a day, or you money back ;)!