Who knew a dog could be an accessory?  It seems that more and more people today are carrying their dogs around.   Can you blame us?  Being a on the go with a canine companion means we want to enjoy our loyal furry friends as well as maintain our super busy and fun lifestyles.   The trouble is now that the weather is getting warmer, my calendar is already starting to fill up with social events, travel and lots of outdoor dining.  Yet, I feel torn.  What do you do when you have a dog and an active life?  I needed to find out how to make it work, so I asked my friend, Kelly E. Carter, freelance journalist, celebrity reporter and New York Times bestselling author, who is a world class jet setter with a dog, how she covers the red carpet, travels around the world and hangs out at the Laker games while being good pet parent to Lucy her 10 year old longhair Chihuahua?

“I’ve had Lucy since she was eight months old” said Kelly.  “I knew I had a busy lifestyle, but I wanted a dog that could fit into a bag and that didn’t bark.  I did my research, spoke with some breeders and found the perfect dog for my life.” Kelly, gleefully shares this with me at 7:00AM, while Lucy sleeps in.  “Lucy is great with me everywhere I go because she is willing to stay out of sight and quietly sit in her bag.  Lucy lets me know if a guy is right for me, she breaks the ice when I am interviewing celebrities and she keeps me company when I work all night filing stories at my computer.”

Of course being a hot chick with a diva doggie, Lucy also has her own passport from Italy and Mexico and because she is so well behaved, she gets to where Kelly goes.  “We have visited Spain, Germany, Mexico, Martinique, France, Amsterdam and Monaco – where Lucy always gets the royal treatment.”  And the duo lived in Italy for two years. Whether Kelly is traveling by “plane, train, helicopter, bus, scooter, car, boat — and never in coach” Lucy the longhair Chihuahua enjoys life with Kelly, the jet setting hot chick of all times.
Unfortunately for me, my dog, Konga, a five-year-old Yorkie-poo, is not as refined as Lucy.  She barks and always makes her presence known.  It is hard for me to take her places and enjoy my fast-paced lifestyle with her and my friends.  So to take this one step further, I reached out to New York’s favorite dog expert, Dennis P. Owens and asked him for tips on how to get my dog to act right, so she can go more places with me?

Tip One: Basic obedience and behavior training is necessary, as well as crate training. If you are thinking about a smaller breed dog, many of them have anxiety issues so the training will go a long way.

Tip Two : Make sure that you’ve seen to his or her basic needs (food, water, physical exercise, mental stimulation, and social interaction) well before Fido goes on-stage.

Tip Three : Adequately prepare your dog for the types of settings you want them to attend. If it’s a gala with a fireworks display, that type of excitement should not be the first time that Roxy is exposed to the flash and bang.

For those of you who want a dog, but need help deciding on the right breed that would fit into your active lifestyles, Dennis adds, “Consider the breed or mix carefully.  If you aren’t living the most [physically] active lifestyle, you may want to steer clear of enthusiastic, canine athletes, like the Jack Russell Terrier, Border Collie, Siberian Husky, Dalmatian to name a few.”    Dennis also suggests that for a calmer dog, or first time dog owners, a Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Toy Poodle, Mini Schnauzer and breeds of a lower maintenance temperament would work best– just make sure you do your research.

To see Lucy jet setting around the world and, please visit her web site at www.everybodyloveslucy.com
Francyne Ellison is the founder of The furLifeLiving Company.  She can be found anywhere dog lovers gather with their friendly canines.