Dog Mom Talk: Be Your Best Dog Mom Self With Candy and Boogie the Pug

2021 is here! Anyone else getting serious wanderlust? Don’t get me wrong, living my best dog mom life at home with Henry all the time is GREAT, but I’m definitely looking forward to our next adventure.

Today, we chat with world-traveler, blogger, pet business owner and dog mom, Candy, from (my favorite city!) New York! She’s been to over 40 different countries and counting. Candy is dog mom to two adorable rescues, Boogie the Pug, adopted from Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue and Marcelo the Chihuahua, rescued from a puppy mill by Dutch Country Animal Rescue. After realizing how much more fun it was to travel with her dogs, she started to take them on all her adventures—because, as we know, everything is more fun with dogs!

Her blog, Boogie the Pug, has absolutely everything you need to know about traveling with your pet: from budgeting to airline fees and rules, from accessories to pet-friendly accommodations. Perusing her blog is giving me major wanderlust. I can’t wait to be able to travel again to visit some of the pet-friendly places she recommends.

Our next road trip is most definitely going to be New York City. I’ve already bookmarked Candy’s Guide to the Ultimate Road Trip to prepare, and will be booking one of the dog-friendly hotels she recommends!

BUT, the pandemic has halted a lot of our travel plans, so we’ve been forced to stay home. With so many of us home, I’ve noticed this brought a surge of new dog moms. So today, Candy shares with us helpful advice for all these new dog moms and ways you can be your best dog mom self in the new year! (Step 1: shop her adorable line of fun dog-themed accessories and apparel at dogcandyshop.com!)

Let’s have a dog mom talk!

“Spread love, it’s the puggy way.” – boogiethepug.com

Check out Candy and Boogie The Pug’s blog here: boogiethepug.com
Follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
Shop their store: dogcandyshop.com

henry the smol

“The best advice I could give any dog mom is find a dog that fits your lifestyle” – Candy

What were your first few days as a new dog mom like?

Super exciting! I grew up with dogs, but having your own dog, that’s not a family dog but only yours, is very different.

The shock of going from family-owned dog to just mine was lessened by the fact that I fostered first. I fostered a dog, got used to the idea of having my own personal one, and then adopted. For me, it was a great way to transition.

What advice would you give new dog moms?

The best advice I could give any new dog mom is find a dog that fits your lifestyle.

Both Boogie and Marcelo are adopted, but I did a lot of research to ensure I was getting a dog that would complement me and how I live. I knew I wanted an adult dog (puppies are so much work!) that was low energy, and compact enough to travel on an airplane with me.

If you’ve got a clear sense of what type of dog you want, it’ll make the process much easier than just going in blind. In the end, keeping your lifestyle in mind will be beneficial to both you and your dog.

If you’re going to be a dog mom, you NEED:

I would say it comes down to three things:

Money: we don’t always realize it, but dogs are an additional expense. Think of all the dog toys, food, treats, clothes, accessories, vet appointments, etc. you’ll need to factor in.
Time: dogs require a lot of time and attention. You’ll need to arrange your schedule to train and walk your dog, but also to spend some time playing with them, giving your dog pets, kisses, and all the extra love and attention.
Space: along with needing a space to call their own, you’ll be sharing a lot of your own personal space with them like your lap, your bed, your couch and any other place where you’ll sleep, cuddle and sit!

Who is your dog mom inspiration at the moment?

Definitely Oprah! haha. She lives in a huge house, has a bunch of different dogs, and seems to have a lot of fun with them. Who wouldn’t want to be Oprah?!

(It’s true! These Instagram photos of Oprah and her dogs are goals!)

Where was the last place you traveled with your dog?

We haven’t traveled much due to COVID! We miss the days of travel, but are happy to stay put at home until things are safe again.

Our last big adventure was living in Brazil for over a year! We were in Rio de Janeiro for all of 2019 and into 2020.

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A post shared by boogie the pug ? (@boogiethepug)

What is some advice you can give dog parents travelling for the first time?

Be organized! Make a list of what you’ll need to bring, and need to get done, and check things off. As long as you have time on your side, and are organized, the rest will be a piece of cake!

We love to travel and share lots of tips on our travel blog. We’ve got checklists and interviews with friends who also enjoy traveling. For more details on how to prepare for your next pet-friendly trip check out our blog!

What are you working on now?

I sell fun, whimsical “dog stuff, for dog people” over at dogcandyshop.com They’re all inspired by my pets and my love for them!

My love of dogs also recently inspired me to start an Instagram account where I share stories and fun facts about dogs throughout history. If you love dogs and history follow us @ahistoryofdogs !

Big thank you to Candy for joining us on the Dog Mom Talk blog interview series! I can’t wait to travel again and will definitely saving lots of your posts to my travel Pinterest boards! Find lots more travel tips on Boogie the Pug’s blog here: boogiethepug.com

In case you missed our last Dog Mom Talks, you can read them all here! We chat about everything from puppyhood to allergies, from dog-friendly places to pet blogging and from Instagram to pet photography.