Chicago Urban Pets

07/28/2025

Hey there 👋 I’m Stephanie! Former pet care pro, now sharing city pet care tips through my blog.

Tell me if this sounds like you…

🌆 City living + fur-babies = your whole vibe
🫶 You’re all about giving them the good life
🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Mom life is part of your daily chaos
😛 You love mixing things up and trying new stuff
🥱 Some days, life just feels… a lot
📖 You wouldn’t mind a little “cheat sheet” to make life easier

If you’re nodding along, you’re in the right place 💕

07/25/2025

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I had to share.

ps.I may earn a small commission from Amazon if you buy through this link. It helps keep my coffee warm and this blog running ☕🐾

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07/22/2025

We often talk about dogs’ personalities in terms of their breed, but every dog parent knows that even within a breed, each pup has its own soul, quirks, and needs.

Roxy, true to his Yorkie roots, has never been shy about letting us know exactly what he likes.

Over the past year that he’s been with us, Roxy has brought so much joy into our home. He’s been a comforting presence for my son, who struggled with his mental health. He’s become a sweet companion to my elderly mother-in-law, who moved in after my father-in-law passed away in January. He even helps my husband get up from his desk more often than not.

And me?

I’m the lucky one Roxy follows around all day; he fills my animal loving soul after making the difficult decision to close my dog walking business.

Dogs (and cats, birds, all animals….) bring so much love into people’s lives, and they deserve the world. That’s why I make it a priority to create intentional moments around the things he truly loves.

Here are three of his favorites:

1. Breakfast playtime
Every morning, Roxy waits eagerly for me to throw his breakfast kibble so he can chase it down. It becomes a whole game involving food fetch, running around, and tug-of-war with whatever squeaky toy has his attention that day.

2. Bean bag lounging
Roxy always wants to be near me, so if I know I’ll be sitting down to rest, watch something, or work on my laptop, I’ll sit on the bean bag so he can curl up beside me. It’s one of his favorite spots to relax.

3. Chewing in connection mode
One of Roxy’s top activities is chewing on his stuffies or bones. His absolute favorite version of this is when I hold the toy for him while he chews. If I’m also watching him while he does it, it’s the ultimate bonding time for him. It’s like we’re perfectly in tune.

There are more, but those are the top three.

What special things does your dog absolutely love that you do for them? I’d love to hear—share in the comments below!

07/15/2025

🐶 When we brought our pup Roxy home, we weren’t even sure if we’d need a crate.

But pretty quickly, we realized we needed some kind of containment to help with food routines, potty training, and giving him a sense of structure.

Eventually, we added a playpen for longer stretches—but even then, I constantly worried:
How long is too long to leave him in there?
What’s fair? What’s normal?

As a dog walker, I’ve seen a lot of dogs crated for most of the day... but it hits different when it’s your dog—and you’re the one making the call.

Sure, there are general potty guidelines based on age—but in real life, there’s no perfect formula. Even now, with Roxy over a year old, he still does better with more frequent outings than the “standard” chart suggests.

That’s why I put together a quick-reference Crate Time Cheat Sheet. It’s not a one-size-fits-all rulebook—but it is a great resource if you’ve ever caught yourself wondering:
“What are other people doing?”

👇 Grab your free printable here:
https://deft-originator-9333.kit.com/2e69a0197c

Because you do know your dog best—but it’s always helpful to have a little backup when you’re figuring it all out 💛

You love your pup like family (because they are family). But when you have to leave for work, the guilt hits hard. “Is this too long?” “Will he be okay?” “Am I doing this right?”