Member Spotlight: Seema and Casper
We sat down with one of our members, Seema, and talked about being a dog parent in the Bay Area, the story of how she and Casper (her dog) met, and her experience with Louie’s Club so far.
Can you tell us about you and your family?
We’re in Cupertino and we’ve been in the Bay Area for 11 years now. We’re a family of 4 including our Labradoodle, Casper. My husband is an engineer and I work in marketing. We have a son who is in the 5th grade.
Can you tell us about your experience with dogs?
I’ve had dogs my whole life. My parents had dogs while I was growing up and had my first dog when I was a teenager. The only time I didn’t have a dog was when I went to college, and right after college when I lived in apartments and smaller spaces. They just weren’t adequate spaces for pets. But when I finally owned my home, I said, “Okay, time to finally get a dog!”
I love pets. We had a dog before Casper and he was a Komondor (a.k.a Hungarian sheepdog). I love him and he was an amazing dog. He lived to about 12 years of age and passed away 4 years ago. I was without a dog for a couple of years and it takes time to get over it emotionally. But my son kept asking for a dog. We waited until our son was 8 so he could share some of the responsibilities.
We’re sorry to hear that. But we totally understand why you wanted to wait. So when did you and Casper meet?
We got Casper from a Labradoodle breeder a few hours from Sunnyvale. A lot of the breeder’s dogs are therapy dogs. We got Casper when he was 8 weeks old.
So what is it like juggling work, a dog and your family?
It’s been a really interesting experience having a child and a dog at the same time. It’s a lot to have at the same time. It’s challenging.
Casper is by far the worst when it comes to our training experience. Don’t get me wrong, we love Casper and we all think he is very smart. But all my previous dogs were well-behaved and were easy to train. With Casper, whatever I train him, my son, reverses it. We have this constant struggle but Casper is such a good dog and well behaved.
What do you and the family like to do with Casper?
My son loves to play with Casper. They are basically best friends. Casper has a basket of toys and he brings a toy or two to my son when he gets home from school so they can play.
On a daily basis, Casper and I love to go on walks, morning, afternoon, and evenings. I mostly work from home so am at home with Casper all day. He gets a lot of his exercise by chasing the pool cleaner every morning!
Is Casper a mama’s boy?
Most definitely! He follows me around all day. He’s glued to my hip. People have told me that he’ll go against the front door and wait for me. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing, he’s just waiting for me. When I’m gone, he usually just hangs out. He wants to sniff everything, be cuddled and petted.
What do you love most about Casper?
It’s pretty rewarding. In a way, philosophically, they are very at peace. There’s a lot that you learn from meditation that dogs already know by themselves. They just live and breathe it. I admire that about dogs and see it in Casper. They have a very peaceful, loving approach to life. They have an amazing world view. Us, human beings can benefit from even a fifth of that. It’s a constant reminder to be more kind, open, loving and accepting. It’s also a good lesson for kids growing up, around the house that is constantly loving and giving. Such a good dynamic to introduce to your home.
What is Casper’s special trick?
He has great recall — and is the one impressive trick I can do with him. Doesn’t matter where we are, or how far he is from me, when I call him, he’ll come running back.
We’ve taken him to puppy classes, obedience training classes. He passed with flying colors. He can sit, stand, heel, walk next to me. He’s a very smart dog. When he thinks no one is looking, he’ll cruise the countertops looking for treats. But if someone is watching, he won’t even attempt it. It makes us laugh each time.
We wish we can say the same for our dogs. What is the hardest thing about being a dog parent?
Living in the South Bay is difficult for pets and pet parents. It’s not the most dog friendly area. Finding outlets for a dog’s energy is a battle. I don’t really like putting Casper on a leash. It’s so counter to their nature and to what they want to do. It’d be great to be able to let them off a leash so being able to find an area where I can do so is great.
The second challenge is leaving them when we travel. In the past, we’ve had close friends nearby and we would exchange pet care frequently, and it worked out beautifully. But when we moved here, it became a little challenging. Finding someone to trust my dog with is difficult. I’ve used other dog sitting sites and then I joined Louie’s Club.
How as your experience been with Louie’s Club?
We tried Rover and it’s great. It’s still an option. But I like using Rover and Louie’s Club together.
What I love about Louie’s Club is that it’s more affordable, and filled with dog owners that truly know their way with dogs. The price is well worth it.
Because the dog owners on Louie’s Club are hoping to find someone that will watch their dog as well, they are more vested in taking care of other people’s dogs.
We were gone for almost three weeks and that would have costed us thousands of dollars on dog sitting, but Louie’s Club allowed us to find new friends that we trusted to leave Casper with and it was a great experience.
Before Regina watched Casper, we set up a meet and greet. We had an instant connection. Regina gave me updates on Whatsapp. She sent pictures and videos of Casper and even a “report” of what Casper ate that particular day.
That’s awesome! What tips or advice do you have for other members?
My advice would be to be as clear and upfront about your dogs and don’t sugarcoat. Let other dog parents know your availability, your preferences and you’ll be sure to have a smoother experience. And to also be patient. If you don’t get a response right away, don’t give up and be flexible with timing and location.
