Dog Suite Dog

It was a great idea before bringfido.com/: Dog Suite Dog: We’re a five-star canine resort equipped with a pool (if the dogs want), hot tub (if the dogs want), regular beds, steps to get on and off the beds, and other luxuries. They can sleep in the beds with the other dogs they live with and their masters can then go on vacation guilt free. We’re here twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and if there’s an emergency, we have the owners contact number, a vet number, and a twenty-four hour emergency vet number. We tuck the dogs in at night, serve them gourmet dog meals (with the owner’s permission), we play fetch, and pet the dogs. The dogs love it so much some times they don’t want to go home. When this happens, I remind the owners the owners probably didn’t want to come back home from their vacations either.

But then the website www.bringfido.com/ came along. This website shows hotels/motels that allow owners to bring their dogs with them. So, the owners feel good the owners are on vacation with their dogs and the dogs feel good they’re with their owners which means, due to sales, this could be the last Christmas Dog Suite Dog is open. Even the quirky celebrities who will spend thousands of dollars on a doggie wedding would rather have their dogs with them when they travel.  

It’s 5 am so I need to go to rooms 107, 129, 215, and 384 to walk the dogs. I grab my cup of coffee, take a sip, and start heading to the rooms. I knock on room 107 and Corg, a miniature poodle, barks loudly, just like yesterday, so I open the door, show him the back of my hand (so he can smell It),put the leash on, and start heading to room 129. 129 is Ruby. Ruby is a Maltese. I don’t even have to knock on the door.  I just open it with the room key, she licks my hand while I put her leash on, and we head to 215. 215 is a Great Dane. Her name is Yodil. I have to knock on the door. She’s old so it’s more difficult for her to get out of bed, so, after bringing the other dogs in and shutting the door, I lift Yodi off the bed and put her on the carpet. I then put Yodi’s leash on her. The last room has Zeus, a miniature chihuahua, who, after I knock on the door, barks her head off and when I enter and tries to fight Zeus. I have to be careful, too, because female dogs tend to pee when they’re excited.  

So, after lifting up Yodil in my arms, we all take the elevator outside and Coramand Zeus pee on the trees and Ruby and Yodi pee on the grass. Zeus also defecates on the grass beside Ruby. Then, we all go in, I pick up some milk bones at the front desk and return each one to their room. I put each one on their bed and give them their milk bone.  

In ten minutes, it’s time for breakfast so I need to start getting the room service ready for the doggie’s first daily delivery of food. Dogs prefer meat and other proteins. So we serve them meat omelettes, bacon, chicken, and a sausage. Most dogs prefer water and we can’t serve them coffee because it’s poisonous to dogs.  But, we do sometimes serve them flavored water, which they enjoy. After breakfast, unless they’re sleeping, they get one on one play time. Some dogs like fetch, some dogs like smell exploration (a room filled with hundreds of different scents), some like being petted, some like making love with stranger dogs, and some prefer to sleep in. We always keep a sweaty t-shift of the owner in case the dog whines because they’re homesick.

Lunch consists of cole-cuts, small bits of meat, regular dog food, and some treats.  This is served in their rooms. We also give the dogs any medication they need. Sometimes we video tape the dog on our cell phones so the owner can see how much fun they’re having , but again, due to bringfido.com/ there are less and less doggie’s here each day. Besides, we charge $400 a night, but for what we offer, it’s a bargain.  

Most of the dogs take a nap in the afternoon. The mail comes and all the dogs bark at the mail woman. But today, there is sadness in the mail. The bank sent a letter saying we’re behind on our rent and if we don’t give them the rent, we’ll be evicted. I know I shouldn’t have, because we’re supposed to serve the dogs not vice versa, but I went up to Ruby’s room and cried. Ruby looked sad too, but licked the tears off my face. Damn you bringfido.com/. Damn you. This could be the last Christmas at Dog Suite Dog and all I wanted for Christmas was to keep this hotel. Damn it. Goddamn it.