Our Healthy, Happy Boy

Here is our beautiful dog, Happy Boy. At 30 years old, I’ve had a love for dogs ever since my dad brought home our first rescue when I was in seventh grade. We named him Charlie after the little boy in "The Santa Clause" movie, which starred my favorite actor, Tim Allen. After years of begging, Charlie was the first, but Happy Boy is the star of our lives now.

We decided to get Happy Boy for mental health reasons. We felt that the routine of caring for a dog can be incredibly grounding, and we wanted that positive, consistent presence. Plus, the unconditional love and companionship dogs offer can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. And let me just say, we were right! Happy Boy has exceeded our expectations.

First of all, he’s the epitome of a mommy’s boy. My husband and I have even created our own voices and world that revolve around Happy Boy. We both work as creatives, managing our brand Create.Repeat and our mental health brand, Season of Sunday. We share his daily routines, like our morning walks and cuddle sessions, to highlight the calming and therapeutic benefits of having a pet. We’ll feature our Saturday afternoon long walks with Happy Boy, either in the mountains or on the busy streets in LA to greet people. He’s the friendliest, and incredibly well trained and well behaved. His favorite spot is Fryman Canyon in Studio City because of its stunning views overlooking the city. Nothing beats watching him trot along between trails and streets, meeting new friends.

But given how much he exercises (and greets people!), we wanted a food that would maintain his weight and wouldn’t stain his mouth and make his breath smell; we noticed previous wet food options were doing that. We also noticed that they were leaving him less than satisfied between meals.

Switching to Ollie has been a game-changer for us. We opted for the mixed meal plan, and love Ollie’s dry food option because it keeps Happy Boy’s mouth clean. Happy Boy gets so excited when he sees us opening an Ollie box – he knows it’s for him! His favorite recipe is chicken and carrots, and he’s obsessed with his lick mat. We love giving him veggies like cucumbers and apples as treats that we’ll sometimes add on top of Ollie, and he goes crazy for lettuce – something about that crunch!

In general, Happy Boy truly has the funniest personality. He’s the sweetest boy who never wants to be left out and acts just like a little human. Mealtime is no exception. His true quirkiness (and probably ours) comes out during mealtime. When Happy Boy gets hungry, he cries and talks to us from the kitchen. We have a fun mealtime routine where we chant "who wants OLLLLLIEEEEE," and he sprints out of bed. Before eating, he gets super excited and wags his tail.

Part of the reason we switched his food was his health challenges. Happy Boy historically has needed more exercise and so we’ve been watching his weight. Ollie’s pre-defined portions have, helped us manage his weight really well, because I know exactly how much I’m feeding him, what nutrients he is getting, and I can better gauge how full he is based on a more regular feeding interval. Despite occasional ear infections due to allergies, he’s thriving on his new diet. I think they’ve actually even lessened in frequency. Our vet is pleased with his progress, in terms of his coat, his weight, his teeth, and his lack of allergy-related inflammation. He’s less hungry throughout the day, which means less begging for more food and more satisfaction after meals.

It’s been incredible as his owner to see him so full of joy, healthy, and feeling great. But of course he’s full of pure joy – that’s why we named him Happy Boy! With his boundless energy, quirky habits, and that ever-wagging tail, Happy Boy brings sunshine into our lives every single day. He’s our little sunshine, our content star, and our family’s heart. Thank you Ollie!