Dog owners generally refer to their little ones as puppies. No matter their age, we think of them as puppies and call them puppies. They behave like puppies, Coco, at twelve years old, is still my petite puppy.
Coco entered my life eleven years after Baby died. Baby was only two when I had to put her down. She was a big girl, a mix of golden and lab who thought she was a puppy. She had an immune disease brought on by a tick bite while she was at the pound and which eventually turned into leukemia. I vowed never to get another dog…until I saw Coco, the
most beautiful little puppy I’d ever seen.
We became instant pals. She followed me everywhere and wanted to sit with or be next to me all the time. She didn’t particularly like sitting on the floor. When Covid hit and I started to work from home, life changed. She insisted on sitting on my lap when I worked or ate. She wanted my attention. If I held her in my lap, she would constantly switch positions or paw me to pet her. Or if she sat on the floor, I could feel those big black Havanese eyes looking up at me.
There was no clear solution but I knew that if our lives continued like this, I had to find one. I googled doggie highchairs, elevated seats for dogs, dog furniture, but there was nothing that existed. It was no surprise that this problem was not uncommon. We live in a community filled with small dogs. And when I raised the idea of an elevated seat for our puppies, it was enthusiastically received. “Noodles can sit next to me while I work” or “Sonny doesn’t have to sit on the floor begging for my attention.” It was as if lightbulbs were going off in their heads thinking of all the ways the seat could enrich their puppies' lives.
My best friend, Maria, and I have an entrepreneurial nature so it wasn’t surprising for her to respond to my call for help. “Let’s do it, let’s make the first mobile elevated seat,” she said. Starting a new business is daunting but Coco was my love and I dared not fail her or all the other petite puppies in this world.
Science tells us that small dogs have a unique need to be near their owners. Dogs, especially small dogs, love luxury. They will find the most luxurious places to lay down, whether it’s a bed or a couch or a pillow or a blanket. And they love to be elevated. By nature, dogs are curious creatures. They want to know what is going on around them and they want to be close to the people they love to get their dose of attention.
After reading a lot about dog behavior and researching existing small dog products, Maria and I dove head in. Maria created the prototype. We wanted a seat that would be comfortable, safe, and secure using the best and most luxurious components. Our priorities were that the fabric would be plush, washable and would fit in with any upscale home decor and that the wheels would be sturdy and glide easily over any flooring and most of all that the puppies would be happy sitting in, what we would name, the Dream Seat. So, at last there would be a way for a petite puppy to sit next to you in a luxuriously appointed seat at table height…and the puppy can be wheeled from room to room as you move through the day’s activities.
As fate would have it, we met a wonderful manufacturer of products for small dogs who has been in the business for over twenty years, and after seeing the prototype, agreed to produce it for us. Her enthusiasm for the Dream Seat gave us additional confidence in our product. We wanted to produce the Dream Seat in the U.S.A. and we wanted a manufacturer who shared our belief in excellence. Fortunately, we found both.
What we have learned from this journey is how puppies are no longer “pets” they have become humanized and an integral part of our families. COVID changed the dynamics of pet ownership when people started working from home and our puppies became very accustomed to having us around. They wanted to be with us and not just on the floor.
The Dream Seat has changed how our puppies view their surroundings. Coco and all the other Cocos love sitting in the Dream Seat. It allows them to get your love and attention while feeling relaxed and secure in the lap of luxury.
We invite you to share your stories of transformation. How has the Dream Seat changed your puppy’s life…and yours?
My Petite Puppy is dedicated to the love and luxurious care of puppies and small dogs.
Related Posts
