How to Share a Dog

      Once upon a time two sisters lived together and adopted a dog named Roxy.  Then one day the sisters decided to live apart.  Neither of them wanted to give up Roxy, so they decided to share her.  This is the true story of how I came to share a dog.

     Whenever  I tell people I dog-share, they chuckle.  It seems like a cute idea, but it is actually a very practical idea. My sister and I split the costs to care for Roxy (vet bills, grooming, flea & tick prevention medicine, etc).  When I go on vacation,  my sister watches her and vice versa.  You get all of the benefits and half of the responsibility.

     Roxy has two homes.  She stays a week at my house and then a week at my sisters. We trade-off  custody on the weekend and spend time together to help Roxy transition homes.  At each house, Roxy has (numerous) beds, blankets and toys.  We keep similar schedules for walking her and feed her the same food.  Establishing the "rules" up front is key.

     However, not everything is the same. Different houses can also have different rules. For example, my sister allows Roxy to sleep on her bed, but at my house Roxy is not allowed on the bed.  Sometimes Roxy tries to plead her case with sad eyes, but she does respect the rules of each house.

     One unexpected benefit of dog sharing is staying connected with my sister. Roxy's  trade-offs ensures we see each once a week. We text pictures of Roxy through out the week with updates on what she is up to. I miss Roxy dearly when she is with my sister, but it allows me to be out and about without worrying about her.

     We are not the only ones who share a dog. Google dog sharing and your will find several articles on how neighbors and families are successfully sharing a dog.  Here are two stories of neighbors and cities successfully dog sharing:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121789604499712031.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/07/local/la-me-dog-share-20130107

     I grew up with dogs, but once I started college I knew I didn't have the time or money to have my own.  Dog-sharing has made it possible for me to enjoy the companionship and love again. Roxy gets a much better quality of life with two mamas to spoil her.  I'll end with a Edith Wharton's quote, "My little dog- a heartbeat at my feet."  That's my Roxy!

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 I'll be posting some of my favorite Roxy pictures all week!