Photo of Debbie D. hugging a black dog.

Unreal Longings Books n Vid + Canine Inn Tales/Tails by Debbie D.

Posted on by da-AL

Do you long for “the good old days, when times were simple”? How we perceive events and eras in our lives fascinates me. My theory is that we romanticize the past because, as kids, grownups rightly shielded us from what was real life. Saudade, in Portuguese, means nostalgia for something that resides only in the soul. In Welsh, hiraeth describes a desire to reach a place akin to the proverbial home we can never go back to. From a very young age, I was curious. About e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, be it printed, spoken, or enacted. The gaslighting of my ongoing family experience led me to dedicate far too much effort on second-guessing what I think, feel, and do. That’s why I’m spellbound by anything from bygone days that clarifies how people genuinely thought and lived. Since I’m a novelist (about my soon-to-be-published books here), any wickedly intelligent storytelling I encounter along the way makes hope my stories will give others that same “aha” satisfaction.

Most recently, I’m swooning over Norman Lear’s genius by way of his clay-footed feminist goddess, Maude, the protagonist of his same-named 1972 sitcom. A staunch supporter of separation between church and state, Lear fearlessly addressed hot topics galore in all of his spinoffs from All in the Family. Here he tackles the right to abortion by having Maude become pregnant at the age of 47…

“Travels with Charley” is John Steinbeck’s thoughtful non-fiction account (though some say it’s more aptly categorized as creative non-fiction) of his 1960 road trip across the U.S. with his standard poodle, Charley. In it, he ponders the political climate of the upcoming John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon elections and racial segregation of schools. His account makes me wonder if we’ve evolved significantly in the ways that matter. Back then, like today, many citizens worked for justice and compassion. Like then, our political climate of today is mired in bigotry…

Cover of Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck.

Now for a totally unrelated subject. Today’s guest blog post is by blogger/writer/photographer/digital creator Debbie D. who hosts THE DOGLADY’S DEN website out of suburban Toronto, Canada. Multilingual and a German/Canadian bi-national, she’s also known as “The Doglady,” in honor of her status as dog mom and retired dog sitter. Her passions span animals, music, travel, history, literature, cinema, hockey, and soccer.music, travel, history, literature, cinema, hockey, and soccer…

Photo of Debbie D. hugging a black dog.
Debbie D. with one of her besties.

Unreal Longings Books n Vid + Canine Inn Tales/Tails by Debbie D.

6 dogs lounging on Debbie D.'s huge couch.
Dogs get the royal treatment at Debbie D.’s!


From 1996 to 2021, I operated a boarding service for dogs in my home (with a lot of help from my husband, when he wasn’t working). Many people thought this was an undemanding job, but in truth, it was a lot of work. Dogs can have accidents, get sick, pick fights with others or be destructive, just like children. 

They may need constant grooming, require special diets, or have complicated medication schedules. Then there’s the mud! Rain is the bane of all dog sitters’ existence. Imagine having to clean six or seven muddy dogs all at once. 🐕

🐾🐾 Regardless, it was a labour of love! 🐾🐾

The dogs mostly had free rein (except for some who were crated overnight), and made themselves comfortable, as you can see in the top photo. That’s a lot of dog hair! 😆 

They would follow me around like the Pied Piper’s mice and I always had to close the bathroom door, but what a cute entourage! 🥰 Sleeping arrangements could be tricky, depending on how many jumped on the bed. 😏

Debbie D.'s dogs sit attentively and calmly.

Meal time, or, as I liked to call it, “feeding time at the zoo” required a little orchestration. The bowls were spread out in the back of the kitchen and I stood guard to make sure everyone behaved. 💂‍♀️

Once, a Dalmatian named J.J. sidled up to a Jack Russell’s bowl and tried to steal a morsel. The Jack growled, and J.J.’s response was to lift his leg and pee in the water bowl! We howled with laughter, all the while trying to scold him. What a definitive statement! 😂

Over the years, we hosted small dogs, large dogs, and all sizes in between. As with humans, each personality was unique. I had three stipulations: must be spayed/neutered, house-trained, dog and people friendly. Some people lied (which is why I bought a steam cleaner), but mostly, life at our little “Canine Inn” was harmonious.

Debbie D. with many dogs on leashes, all of them sitting nicely!

We gave many of our charges nicknames to suit their personalities. 😃 Harley, a German short-haired pointer, became known as “The Brat Prince”, for his habit of barking at us when he wanted attention. Bailey, a golden retriever, became “son”, while Cody, another golden, we called “grandson”. After the water bowl incident (see above), J.J. became known as “The Clown Prince”.  


Several of these house guests vacationed with me most of their lives, and I mourned each loss. Some clients stayed through two or three generations of dogs.

In 2012, I started writing about them, intending to (eventually) publish a book. That hasn’t happened, but in 2014, three chapters were published in an anthology, titled “Read For Animals”. This was a charitable endeavour, meant to raise funds for animal rescue organizations. A second book came out the following year, but both are now out of print.

I opted to continue documenting my “Adventures in Dogsitting” [sic] on the blog, and there are 10 chapters so far. Although stalled at present, there likely will be more in the future. Click here for a listing of all episodes:

Debbie D. walking many dogs on leashes.

In 2020, when the pandemic grounded everyone’s travel plans, there were no more boarders. My beloved Dalmatian had passed away in 2007, and the guests had filled that void in subsequent years!

I couldn’t stand the empty, depressing house, so we adopted a black lab mix from a local rescue. The following year, when my husband retired, I did the same. Now, we’re a happy threesome! 😀

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Published by da-AL

Happiness Between Tails speaks to and from the heart. It connects lovers — of pets, authors, books — and of my still-unreleased novels, “Flamenco + the Sitting Cat” and “Tango + the Sitting Cat.” The stories are my love letters to all who fear they're too odd, too damaged, too old, too whatever to find happiness. ContactdaAL@gmail.com • BuyMeACoffee.com/SupportHBT

66 thoughts on “Unreal Longings Books n Vid + Canine Inn Tales/Tails by Debbie D.”

  1. Aww, I’ve got a lot of respect for Debbie after reading her story and love for dogs. I’m 66, and dogs have been a part of my life since I was a toddler. I can’t imagine life without them.

    I volunteer twice a week by reading to seniors in assisted living. One of the sweetest things is they allow the residents to have dogs and cats. (Usually they stay in their rooms, but occasionally I’ll see one wandering down the hall.

    While I was reading your post, da-AL, I thought of a book I read a couple of years ago that Debbie and you might be interested in. It was about a lady who rescues lost dogs. She uses her own dog to assist her in these rescues. It isn’t something I normally pick up, but I saw it at the Dollar Store and picked it up. Here’s the link if you think it’s something that might interest you: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Lost-Dogs-Go-Reunion/dp/1328995054

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you so much, Pete! 🙂 I can’t imagine life without dogs either. Your volunteer work with the seniors is a wonderful project, and it’s heartwarming to know they are allowed to have pets. Many senior facilities don’t, and I feel sorry for those residents. It’s a well-known fact that pets enhance quality of life considerably. Thank you for the book link. I will have a look.

      Liked by 3 people

  4. I think you are right. Grownups shielded us from what was real life when we grew up. However, growing up in northern Sweden our issues were different from those in the US. I remember the Maud series very well.

    I know Debbie D. very well and I have enjoyed her colorful blog posts about dogs, rock n’roll, travel and hockey and more. I love looking at dog pictures.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. I would love to hear more about those sorts of cultural differences. The way US TV become a shared childhood memory is amazing to me, for better and worse. Even my husband was raised in Iran with US TV and cinema.

      Debbie D. is indeed a wonderful blogger, generous with her candor and fun. I never tire of dog photos especially when her black one reminds me of mine who we still miss.

      Does Swedish have any interesting words not found in English?

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Yes there are several Swedish words that don’t have an equivalent in English as well as Swedish words that need to be translated using a phrase.

        A classic word is “lagom”, which means not too much and not too little, just the perfect balance or amount, or you “got it just right”. Another common one is “Fika”, which is coffee break with a cookie or bun that you take 2-3 times per during the day. At work everyone takes “fika” at 9-10AM and again 2-3PM. You talk to your collegues for 10-15 minutes and then you go back to work. It is a pretty mandatory break. It is not the same as a coffee break. It is much more than that.

        The word “dygn” means 24 hours. It is not the same as day. It is the specific time period of 24 hours. Two dygn is 48 hours. “Badkruka” is a person who has a hard time getting into cold water. Gubbe means old man but endearingly and it is often used for young boys/kids as well. Gumma means old woman but endearingly and it is often used for young girls/kids as well. Somebody innocent whether they are very old or very young. “Eldsjäl” (fire-soul) is an activist or hard working volunteer but it has endearing meaning. You call someone you admire “eldsjäl”. But there are hundreds of words that are difficult to translate.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Interesting, Thomas! Every language has its unique words. My favourite one in German also has no direct translation: “Ohrfeigengesicht”, means a face you just want to slap. We need a specific word for that in English! 😆

          Liked by 2 people

        3. Btw in some Spanish speaking countries, though not Spain and Argentina of my parents, in a similar way mami is used endearingly for little girls, sexy ladies, and women who are loved. Language as beautiful as it is a blunt instrument 😂

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      2. German television in the 1960s also had some U.S. TV shows. They are internationally reknowned, it seems. 🙂 Of course, here in Canada it is the same, and where I live, we also get many U.S. TV channels directly.

        Thank you so much for those kind words, da-AL! 💖 And I’m so sorry your lovely dog is no longer with you. 😔 Sincere condolences! 🌹

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Your kindness is much appreciated dear. Our Pierre and Lola are still missed many years later. Thank goodness we have K-D to remind us of the joyful part of adopting furry family ♥️

          Liked by 2 people

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