Waggleview® with blogger Katie Clooney

Dog Owner name:  Katie Clooney


I write a blog called Preppy Empty Nester.  I am in my 40’s, give or take a decade or two, living the dream on the South Shore of Massachusetts.  I have been married to the Mister for 26 years and have two daughters – one is a Marketing Executive in Dallas and the other one is in graduate school at Duke.   I consider myself a supermodel, trophy wife.  It doesn’t matter if nobody else does.

I have two spoiled pups that do their best to love me with all their hearts one minute and work together to drive me crazy the next.

Dog Type:

 

Chowdah is a Goldendoodle that is struggling with the terrible two’s.

                   Chile is a rescue.  We think she is a maltipoo.

We don’t know how old she is because she lies about her age just like her Mama.

Why did you choose these dogs?

  

Four months after we moved to Massachusetts from Texas, my beautiful rescue, Gypsy, passed away of cancer.  I was heart broken.  She was the sweetest dog I had ever had.  I could not imagine my life without a dog, so immediately I started my search for a rescue.

I contacted many rescue groups on-line and stopped into a couple of shelters.  Nothing seemed to click.  My husband contacted a Goldendoodle breeder and suggested we take a ride and look at them.  My sister had a Goldendoodle pup and loved her.

I told the breeder that I wanted a female.  She brought about four of them out, and we played with them.  I then looked back in the pen and my eyes locked with the cutest little boy pup.  It was love at first sight.  Before I knew it, we were driving home with this little boy on my lap.


We were told that Chowdah would reach a maximum weight of 50 lbs.  Last time he was at the vet he weighed in at 98 lbs.


A few months later, I decided that Chowdah needed a playmate.  I found this precious girl, Trisha, on Shaggy Dog Rescue in Houston’s site.  Shaggy Dog Rescue is a wonderful group and put me in touch with Trisha’s foster mom, Tilani, and arranged transit to Connecticut which is where we met our new family member for the first time.


Here I am holding Trisha in my arms for the first few minutes.  Rescue Road Trips, the transit service, encourages the new moms and dads to make signs to welcome the pooches.


We changed Trisha’s name to Chili to pay homage to her home state of Texas.

Do you talk to your dogs and if so, what do you talk about?

 

I talk to Chili and Chowdah all day long.  I usually ask them for their opinions on my blogposts.  At times they are overly critical, but I usually let it pass.  They are both sticklers for good grammar.



If they could talk to you, what would they say?

They would tell me that I talk too much.

If your dogs had a job or career, what would they be doing? 

Chili would be an Uber driver because she loves the car.


Chowdah would be an archeologist because his favorite thing to do is dig.



What lesson in life have your dogs taught you? 

 

 

It is better to be overdressed than underdressed.


How do your dogs inspire you?

 

They have taught me that sometimes you have to make your own fun.




Where is your dog’s favorite place to go with you? 

 

Every evening we go into the sunroom for treats and to watch the News.  Mommy gets a well-deserved glass of wine and Chili and Chowdah get chewey sticks.  We refer to it as Yappy Hour.



Who or what do your dogs find most interesting? 

 

They both like to work on projects together.  They have an unending curiosity about how things are constructed. 

What is the most annoying thing other dog owners do? 


The most annoying thing is when pet owners don’t clean up after their pet.




What does being a responsible dog owner mean to you? 

 

Obeying the rules, keeping the dog current on shots, making sure that they are well fed, and spoiling them rotten are essential characteristics of a responsible dog owner.



Do you ever dress up your dogs?  If so, as what? 

Halloween is the only occasion that Chowdah and Chili choose to dress up. 

 

 

This year, Chowdah chose to be Ken Bone.

 

 

 

 And Chili opted to be ice queen, Betty Draper.





How have your dogs changed your life?

 They have enhanced my life to the fullest.

And I also have to be more careful about where I step in the yard.

Do your dogs have a philosophy of life?

 

Chowdah’s Philosophy:


When getting in trouble, close your eyes and Mom won’t see you.

 

 
Chili’s Philosophy is:


It’s HIS fault!

I love my dogs because they fill me with love and laughter almost every minute of the day.

WAGGLEVIEW®: These interviews are focused on leaders in business, the arts, the community, or at home. My hope in doing this is to present remarkable and respected people in their community with their beloved pets. Who can resist reading about pets and what these people do? This is a platform for people to display their talents; their own business, a new book, a deeply loved passion for a charity or their own job. It also shows their love for their pet!

Thank you Katie for taking the time to participate in the Waggleview®.

What lesson in life have your dogs taught you?

Please comment below.

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To read other waggleviews, click HERE for one with award-winning author Beth Teliho or HERE  with writer Carol Cassara.

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