Hello there, I’m Amy!

I’m a 30-year-old woman who has known since a very young age that I did not want
kids. People would lovingly assure me, “Oh, you’ll change your mind when you’re older,”
or the classic, “Just wait until you meet the right guy.” Well, plot twist: I did meet the right guy—actually, the best guy—and guess what? Still no desire to produce tiny humans.

What I did know from the moment I could walk and pet things is that my true soulmate would always be of the four-legged variety. I grew up with dogs, and after living on my own for a year, I knew I needed my own. At the ripe age of 23, I got my girl, Remington. She is the absolute light of my life—like, I’m talking full-on main character energy. I imagine the love I feel for her is sort of like what parents feel for their children… just without the PTA meetings, sleepless nights, or college tuition.

This page is dedicated to all pet parents—DINKs, parents with little humans, singles ready to mingle and everyone else—who love to spoil, travel, explore, and generally live their best lives with their furry sidekicks.

I’m based in Chicago, so a lot of my posts will be about city living, city living with dogs, and all that comes in between. Plus, I’ll share our favorite travel adventures, must-have dog gear, and all the little things that make life with a pup pawsitively amazing!

And as my honorary bff Taylor Swift once said, “They want those three dogs that they
call their kids.” So grab a leash, a latte, and your favorite furry freeloader—let’s dig into
the world of DINKs and dogs together.

Why did I decide to start a blog?

I am not a writer, I actually hate journaling, but I’ve always wanted a place to share my favorite stories and ideas. Creating this blog allows me to share those thoughts with a community of like minded people. I also feel like my mind has been itching to be creative but I have long ignored that calling to focus on my full-time job. But not anymore! I believe this outlet will scratch that itch and get those creative juices flowing. I hope to provide quality content for all my fellow pet parents out there, keep me in check if I’m not!

My background and why I’m obsessed with dogs

A quick snippet of my background goes like this:

I grew up in a very small farm town of 1,500 people. This meant there was not a lot going on with a lot of space to roam. It took me a while to figure out how to cope with the stresses of childhood, but I soon learned that spending alone time with our family dog was the key. Our first family dog, Misty Rose, was a yellow lab. She was actually a pretty lazy lab that did not play fetch or cuddle too well, but without fail, every night, she would come sleep on the foot of my bed. I do think dogs have a special connection with children, and I definitely found that in Misty.

After Misty passed when I was 16, my parents decided they were not ready to be dogless yet, so they got another yellow lab, Ellie Rose. Now, this dog could not be more opposite of Misty. Ellie was obsessed with tennis balls and could not get enough cuddles. While this was a nice change of pace, I soon learned that needy dogs can be a bit challenging. You get into the separation anxiety, destruction due to anxiety, compulsive behavior and sometimes aggression.

Being the typical 16-year old that knew everything about life and just wanted to move out and be on my own, yet had absolutely no means of supporting myself, I was left to finish out high school in the worst place imaginable – home. Queue the sarcasm, my parents are actually amazing and provided everything for me so all I had to worry about was school. Ellie became my adventure buddy and gave me the escape I needed from the daily stresses. Being alone with her gave me the reset I needed, and set the precedence for my obsession with dogs.

Dogs/animal in general have been proven to reduce stress levels, so this is no surprise. Throughout college, I dog sat and dog walked to make some extra money on the side. I experienced all different temperaments and found that being around anxious/reactive dogs can definitely be stressful and hard at times, but they are still just innocent babies that need love and a little extra work. I do not have any professional experience, but I have worked with enough dogs to figure out some key tips for keeping a dog happy and healthy.

My Life Now