Being an entrepreneur is a wild ride—meetings, deadlines, conference calls, and more caffeine than I’d like to admit. But amidst all the chaos, one thing keeps me grounded—my stunning, majestic, ridiculously photogenic Husky. Seriously, if beauty had a four-legged form, it would be him. The piercing blue eyes? The perfect fur coat? The undeniable main-character energy? Yeah, my dog is a supermodel.
Now, while I hustle through endless Zoom meetings, hopping between in-person conferences and virtual calls, my Husky? He lounges around, watching me with judgmental curiosity. If I’m laughing with friends over a video chat, he gives me the look—you know, the one that says:
“Wow, must be nice to have friends. Couldn’t be me.”
And when I try to involve him—“Hey buddy, say hi! Look, it’s Aunt Sarah!”—he immediately turns away like a dramatic soap opera character. If dogs could roll their eyes, he’d be doing it on a daily basis. Some days, he even tries to physically block the screen, as if saying, “No more human nonsense. Go touch grass.”
What’s My Dog Thinking?
One day, mid-meeting, a thought hit me—what does my dog think about all my video calls? I imagined something like
I imagined him sitting there, arms crossed (if dogs had arms), judging me.
“Ah yes, another pointless human ritual. Talking to a glowing rectangle instead of giving me belly rubs. Fascinating.”
“You mean to tell me, Hooman, that you have hours to gossip about your day, but you don’t have five minutes to chase me around the living room? Priorities. Fix them.”
And honestly? He was right. I mean, fair. If I were him, I’d be annoyed too. But then, the guilt crept in—he deserved friends too! Dogs are social creatures, and here I was, living my best social life while he had… well, just me.
Where Could He Make Friends?
Now, here’s the problem. I adore my Husky, but let’s be real—none of my business colleagues, clients, or even close friends are lining up to have a Zoom playdate with my dog. “Oh sure, let’s discuss quarterly sales projections… but first, let’s chat with your Husky about his thoughts on the global economy.” Yeah, not happening.
So, I did what any overthinking, guilty pet parent would do—I went on a deep dive, juggling a hundred open tabs, looking for a way for my dog to socialize, but virtually. And that’s when I found Offleash’d.
Enter Offleash’d
Offleash’d is a community where pets (and their humans) can connect. And the best part? Video chats— for pets. I figured I’d give it a shot. Worst case? My dog ignores it like he does my FaceTime attempts. But oh, was I in for a surprise.
The first time I set up a video call with another pet parent, my Husky did his usual routine—glanced at the screen, sighed dramatically, and prepared to exit the chat. But then, he saw another dog on the screen. A REAL. LIVE. DOG.
And suddenly—game changer.
His ears perked up. His tail wagged. His head tilted like he was trying to decode this mind-blowing new reality. “Wait… that’s not a hooman. That’s one of ME.” Within seconds, he was engaged, barking excitedly, bopping the screen, and straight-up acting like he’d just made a new best friend.
Now, he gets genuinely excited when I open the Offleash’d app. He sits in front of the screen, waiting. It’s like he has his social calendar now. Meanwhile, I’m standing there like his unpaid personal assistant, setting up video playdates
Final Thoughts
I used to think video calls were a “hooman-only” thing. But Offleash’d proved me wrong—dogs deserve their own social life too. And honestly? Watching my Husky interact with his new virtual buddies is hilarious, heartwarming, and worth it.
So if your dog is tired of watching you chat away on Zoom while they sit there judging your life choices—give them a taste of Offleash’d. Who knows? Maybe they’ll end up with a busier social life than you. Now excuse me while I go set up my Husky’s next video call.
So, I did what any overthinking, guilty pet parent would do—I went on a deep dive, juggling a hundred open tabs, looking for a way for my dog to socialize, but virtually. And that’s when I found Offleash’d.
