Sleeps with Dogs: Tales of a Pet Nanny at the End of Her Leash

by Lindsey Grant

Go behind closed doors and discover the secret lives of some of the most devoted pet owners, whether they're serving their dogs filtered water or leaving Animal Planet on all day to keep their pets company.

As a round-the-clock animal nanny, Lindsey Grant spent her nights with countless dogs, prepared custom meals for exotic birds, broke up brawls between animals and spouses alike, weathered end-of-life care for beloved companions, and catered to the often obscure needs of her charges--and the bizarre demands of their owners. She offers a hilarious inside look at the pet care industry and the lengths people will go to for their furry friends.

With a cast of unforgettable characters, from a toast-loving cockatiel to a gassy greyhound, Sleeps with Dogs is filled with tales of pets and those who love them.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Memoir, Dogs

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2014

Reviews

[Nur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hayvanları seven biri için bazı noktalarda keyifliydi, bazen ağladım, bazen güldüm ama bir noktadan sonra biraz meslek tanıtımı gibi olduğunu söylemeliyim. Belli kronolojik sıralamada roman tarzında olsaydı ve sadece daha farklı anıları dahil etseydi hoş olabilirdi. Hayvanları sürekli para olarak görmesi, yaşadığı sıkıntılara vurgu yapması da okuma zevkini düşürüyor.

[Samantha B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to the library the other day, and came back with 11 books that were not on my TBR. I regret nothing. *hides*

So, this was the first book in the stack, an entertaining story of the adventures of a professional pet-sitter. I enjoyed the anecdotes, but it was definitely "light reading", nothing especially edifying. I did think the writing was good (the author did work for NaNo...) and the descriptions of people and their pets were on point. But there was some innuendo (nothing especially inappropriate) and swearing.

A nice light read after two non-fiction books in a row.

Three stars.

[Neile B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was glad to get to the end of this book; just didn't hold my interest. I quickly became bored with the stories.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have paid more attention to the subtitle. The writing is good and the memoir honest, fair and engaging. But the stories are grim.

She's trying to support herself by doing pet sitting for rich people. I like her, but I don't like rich people. Or at least not the kind of rich California idiots she was stuck working for. They were the dog owners who give dog owners a bad name.

And since she desperately needed the money, she felt like she couldn't turn down a job offer or refuse an unrealistic demand. And she had problems saying 'no' to people in general, but the time or two when she finally did were cheer-worthy!

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to Love the book. I did like the Nanny of these pets and some of the antics she went through with the more hyper ones. But there are a couple of snobbish Fancy wealthy pet owners in this book who need their butts kicked and their fur babies given to families who would truly and devotedly Love their pets than these snobs. Still This pet nanny had a compassionate heart that I don't think she knew was there until she had to take this pet sitting job. For in the care she realizes she has the best job.

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the author was trying to come across as funny, but to me it was just a lot of whining and complaining. It seemed like the author didn't have any jobs taking care of dogs where the dogs were likable and well-trained. It also seemed a little strange that almost every story tells us about the pet's bathroom habits. If I ever thought about being a dog walker, I think this book would make me change my mind.

[Audrey Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt, humorous, and deeply relatable journey, Sleeps with Dogs is a beautifully written tribute to the unconditional love, chaos, and comfort our canine companions bring into our lives. The author’s voice is both witty and warm, making this a must-read for every dog lover.

[Karel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love dogs but the stories got boring and I just didn't care anymore.

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleeps with Dogs: Tales of a Pet Nanny at the End of Her Leash is a hilarious account of Lindsey Grant's launch into the pet care industry after she finished college. I found myself giggling out loud at the comical imagery of this young woman untangling herself from a variety of predicaments that emerged during her nascent dog-walking and pet-sitting career.

Drawing upon her natural inclinations as a child to play with both her pet dog and office supplies, the author leveraged those experiences to start her own business.

Yes, office supplies. Lindsey Grant admits to enjoying playing with memo pads when she was young, to which she attributes her affection for her first business endeavor. Turns out in the pet-care business there are lots of notes to be written, and figures and information to be tracked. Her background of taking writing classes apparently contributed to her success in this endeavor, as well.

The amusing descriptions of her job, meeting adorable mutts and taking them for walks or staying with them overnight, for a moment sounded like an enviable enterprise. Her clients were located in the San Francisco Bay area and, after all, some of the homes were quite lovely. Having a place to housesit when you are a young college graduate and don't have a place to live can be a good thing.

However, after laughing at all the things that could go wrong on the job and did, I realized, like the author, that the glamour of this position would likely be short-lived. Caring for dogs requires picking up messes and lots of cleaning up after them. Inevitably, they are going to get the upper hand and escape. No two dog-owners are alike. How does one manage any social life when you are on call to take care of other people's pet problems? Lindsey Grant tells about all these drawbacks to this line of work.

All good stories must come to an end. This one is a fun, easy read that held my interest through humor and an approachable writing style. If you have been around dogs, you will appreciate her depiction of the ones she encounters. Even if you are not a dog-lover, you may end up being one after you laugh out loud with this book.

by Martha Meacham
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

[Wilson Trivino · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Thinking of something warm to snuggle up to? Then to most pet owners, a warm furry friend serves as the perfect companion. In her book, Lindsay Grant writes about her dog sitting business and the many observations and experiences taking care of her furry friends. Most of these anecdotal tales are full of love and hope. In her book lecture on November 18 at the Georgia Center for the Book in Decatur, Grant gleefully connected with the room full of both book and dog lovers.
She surveyed the crowd and awarded a “sleep with dogs” plaque to a woman who claims to sleep with 3 dogs. She read excerpts from her book that included one when she had to go down below a fence to recover a ball, getting stuck along the way.
As to the next book, she plans to parlay a blog from her years as an expat in Switzerland. Asked I she currently has dogs, she sadly answers no. However that day she brought a whole collection of items from her dog. Making a makeshift memorial at the lecture. However for the time she has 2 cats that were an experience to get. The rules there make you have two cats, so she traveled all over to find two compatible cats. She soon hopes to move to a bottom flat with a yard and get a dog.
This book is sure to celebrate the beauty and joys of man’s best friend.

[Jeanne Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another dog book, and I liked this one a lot. I think I picked it up because of the dog sitting thing, which we have done for close friends (who have a lot of big dogs). I didn't know there were that many needy and troubled dogs, as Grant reports. The college graduate falls into subcontracting as a dog overnight sitter and struggles to pay the rent, keep the dogs in order, deal with their various neuroses and quirks, and handles a whole lot of ... poop. Since it's set in the Berkeley area, I was unfamiliar with the routes and towns she mentioned, so I didn't really understand how far apart the "gigs" were or how long it took her to get there. She was also dealing with personal issues, reporting on her depression meds. Besides the canines, the other characters are interesting: the loopy dog owners, the strange roommate, the dates, her enabling activities with the pups. The author has an MFA and is the former director for NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month (November, when writers are challenged to pen the draft of a novel). She lives in Switzerland and blogs about assimilation, according to flap copy, which sounds like it would be worth looking up.

[Lynne Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a fun and relaxing read about crazy pets and their owners--which it totally is--but it also turned out to be was an inspirational (at least for me) coming-of-age story. I am in my early 20s, suffer from depression and anxiety, and am trying to iron out my own life, and Lindsey Grant's recounting of her similar struggles was deeply encouraging. In short, I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to both animal lovers and people lovers.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindsey made the decision to move to California to attend graduate school as a resident. She crashed at friends' of her parents and looked for job. She ended up working as a pet nanny with overnight stays with dogs being especially lucrative for her. This humorous book tells the stories of her times with the variety of dogs she cared for, as well as, her hand to mouth existence. I thought I was a fussy "dog mom" until I read about some of the really over the top requirements owners had for their dogs. This book is bound to make you chuckle!

[Astrid Yrigollen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got so excited when I found this book only to be disapointed. Yes , the author loves animals. Yes , the author had various jobs pet sitting,sadly though, I didn't really find any one in particular interesting, insightful or hurnorous. I did find myself impatient to get to the end though since I felt as though I was stuck at a table with a person I hardly knew drone on and on about their job. A little torturous.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected but an enjoyable read, especially once it hits its stride a few chapters in. Very relatable to anyone who remembers your first years out on your own!

Full review here: https://amandasbookblog.wordpress.com...

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book ... Not just the odd, quirky, sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad tales of the animals and their people, but Lindsey's own journey through the tumultuous time of establishing your own footing and finding your own way ... something so many of us can relate to. Definitely recommended for animal lovers. :)

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really really wanted to like this book much more than I did. It's kind of a neat premise, fun interesting endearing dog stories.... Sadly though, outside of a few memorable incidents and personalities, it becomes kind of a hot mess if indistinguishable anecdotes, mixed in with tales of self-loathing.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable book of anecdotes about the author's life as a pet sitter. It is cozy, humorous, and wholesome. She had big successes, many struggles, and some failures, as we all do, yet her deep love for animals makes it all likable. She was a featured author at the Decatur Book Festival, and is a charming and enjoyable speaker as well.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dog lovers, especially those who dream of working with dogs, will love this book. Wonderful descriptions of dogs, their personalities, and their living conditions. Plenty of humor, but also a look at how challenging it can be to try to make a living loving other people's pets.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read that offers wonderful insight and behind the scenes look into the world of pet sitting. Funny and moving. I finished it in one sitting on a rainy Sunday with my dogs curled up next to me on the sofa.

[Regina Kammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only four stars because the ending was a little abrupt!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

College graduate moves to California to begin the next chapter of her life. Being close to broke, she begins pet sitting. The main take away is that people hiring pet sitters are really weird.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of this book, I don't think I want to be a pet sitter when I grow up!

[Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, but not memorable.