Monselle- The Dog Sitter

When Brian and I were preparing for our trip to Luxembourg and Paris we each have some anxieties.

Some of mine were...
Will our luggage get lost?
Will the European hair dyers blow dry my hair alright?
Will the clothes I packed be cute in my pictures?
Will I be able to read the menus and order my food?

Brian's were more like...
Will it be too hot?
Will there be hoodlums trying to steal our belongings?
Will we not be able to get enough sleep and adjust to the time change?

Even though ours were pretty different, we did have one fear that was the same... What will we do with our Sophie Girl? Who will keep her?

We did not feel comfortable asking anyone except our immediate family to help us out and keep Sophie. Sophie is the cutest, sweetest, best puppy in the whole world. But she is also the most hyper, not completely potty trained, still bites, baddest dog in the world too. We love her to pieces but we are not naive in thinking she will be easy for someone else to watch her. Our families were not able to watch her this trip, for one reason or another. So Brian and I visited two different Doggie Day Cares/ Boarders to see if they would be okay for our baby. Lets just say I left the first place balling, saying I would rather not go than to leave her there. The second place was a bit better, but Sophie had never been in a situation similar to that before and it was killing me that her first go at it was going to be for 8 full days.

At work on the Monday the week we were leaving to go on our trip I was explaining how hard of a time I was having leaving our sweet puppy at a doggie day care and several guys encouraged me to find alternative arrangements and even told stories of their past bad experiences. Enter Freak Out Moment. Brent at my office suggested a dog sitter who he knew of. He had never used her but she was a friend of a friend.

Long story short, I called her that afternoon, talked to her for 30minutes on the phone Monday night, went over to her house at 8:00pm to meet her and let her meet Sophie, signed papers Monday night and dropped Sophie off at her house Tuesday night. She is amazing!! Definitely an answer to prayer. While we were meeting her Monday night Sophie was running around like crazy- not the impression I wanted her to give. But Monselle thought she was precious- thankfully. While we were on our trip Monselle sent us regular email updates. Some are pretty funny so I wanted to share them with you.

WEDNESDAY
Hello Meghan and Brian! It took a day, but Sophie and Holly are like the very best of friends. They are sleeping together on the couch right now. There was a lot of barking last night. I had Sophie in the laundry room with all her things and Holly came upstairs with me. When Sophie barked, Holly barked. It took a while, but there was finally silence. Tonight I am going to try both of them in the bed. Holly is leaving tomorrow evening. Then it will be just Sugar and Sophie. Sophie is just the cutest, sweetest dog. She is eating well and doing her business like she's supposed to. She really likes investigating the yard. All is well in Atlanta. I hope you have a great time on your fabulous trip! I'll write again in a few days. Monselle

The above email went to my junk folder so I sent her an email Thursday to check in and here was her reply:
Meghan and Brian ... it sounds like you are having a wonderful time! I sent an email last night, but you may not have received it. Sophie slept with me last night. Yes, I had Holly and Sophie in the bed. Sophie sleeps on her side or back with legs everywhere and very close. It's hard to tell which end is up! We are having a good time. She likes the backyard and investigates everything. I just love when she does her little dance. Sophie is doing well and enjoying her vacation, too. Holly is leaving tonight for home, so it will be just Sophie and Sugar. Have a great time on your trip!! Kisses and hugs from Sophie!

FRIDAY
Hello from Atlanta! I have to say that Sophie is the best sleeper. She basically collapses and sleeps all through the night. Last evening Holly left and Sophie sat by the front door and cried for a little while. She quickly recovered. Holly will be back on Sunday night, so her friend will return. She is eating well and likes the yard. She also like to eat paper and everything I have is put up. Sugar's bone is one of her favorites. It's very big, but she is not daunted. Everything is good here, and I hope you are having a great time on your trip. Will check in tomorrow. Monselle

SATURDAY IN ATLANTA
Sophie had such a good time tonight! My neighbor, Janet, and her terrier mix, Beau, came over tonight for a while. Janet and her family are leaving for California on Monday. It's not a vacation, it's permanent and I am going to miss them. Especially Beau. Sophie went crazy when Beau came in. They played for so long, we were amazed. Right now, Sophie is in my bed, very much asleep. She'll have more fun tomorrow, because Holly will be back for a couple of days. She is becoming more socialized with other dogs. She is eating and doing her business. I have put up everything I can, including the wastebasket in my bathroom. She sneaks Kleenex out of it whenever she gets the chance. My house is officially "baby-proofed!" She's having a great time and I hope you are, too. The very best from Atlanta! Monsell

SOPHIE!

Here she is! She spent a lot of time outside this evening playing with Beau, from next door. They ran around the yard so many times I got dizzy! She has so much energy! She's eating very well and I just love when she sleeps. Legs and fur everywhere. So, that's it for now. I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly. I will see you both on Wednesday. Sophie can't wait to see you. Monselle


If anyone is looking for a dog sitter we highly recommend Monselle. Here is her website and contact # 404-259-9520. You can say Sophie recommended her ;-)