Interview Wednesday - Working Long Hours and Having a Dog

 We are very lucky to have landed an interview with The Goldbergs Co-Producer, Sandi Hochman! She took time out of her very busy schedule to answer some questions for us about life with her gorgeous rescue dog, Maddie.

One of the top reasons pets are relinquished to the shelter is: Owner doesn't have enough time for the pet.

Sandi is here to tell us that if a Hollywood producer can make it work, so can YOU! Let's find out how she juggles her schedule with the light of her life (and even manages to foster a senior dog - the woman is nothing short of AMAZING).

      How did you and Maddie meet?

I was looking to adopt a dog from a shelter.  I had gone a couple of times but the dog just wasn’t there.  I knew I’d know her when I found her. (I was looking for a girl)  I woke up one day and realized I hadn’t visited the shelter in a while.  I was looking for a dog who was a year or two old… was not looking for a puppy.  I saw Maddie (who was 10 wks old) and decided I wanted to see her and another, older dog.  They brought Maddie out first.  The other dog never had a chance.  I fell in love with her immediately.  So much so that it was a Saturday and they couldn’t let me adopt her until she was spayed which couldn’t happen until Monday morning.  So, after filling out the paper work, I ended up visiting her two more times at the shelter that day.

What's her personality type - is she laid back California or high energy California? 

She’s definitely high energy.  At 15, she’s still going strong.

What do you love most about her? 

This is impossible to answer.  I love everything about her.  She has the most independent personality and makes me laugh all the time.  Yet, she can be such a little sweetheart if she gets scared.

Where is her favorite spot to sleep? 

She’s always loved going under my bed.  It’s her domain.  But, she has beds all over the house and, of course, my bed is her bed.

 

Does she have a favorite toy? 

Her favorite toy is a die (single dice) that you fill with treats.  It’s in the bedroom on the 3^rd floor and she will go up there on her own and start barking when it gets stuck under something or needs to be filled with treats.

Not enough time/attention for the dog is one of the top reasons given when they are relinquished at a shelter. You work in television production and have a very demanding job that sometimes requires long hours. How do you make it work? 

It truly takes a village to coordinate Maddie’s schedule.  I have been lucky enough to have the same fantastic dog walker/sitter for the past 6 years.  I couldn’t do it without her.  I’ve also used doggie daycare and have dropped her off to spend the day with friends.

Walk us through a day in the life of Sandi and Maddie when you are working. 

Unfortunately, when I’m working, there’s not much life to our day together.  She’s with me when I’m getting ready for work in the morning.  We go for a walk and then I don’t see her for most of the day.

The highlight of my day is walking in and seeing that cute little furry face.

 

A day in the life when you're on hiatus or a weekend when you're not working. 

That’s another story.  We take a little longer walk in the morning and I spend as much time with her as possible.  I take her on errands if I can and just try to give her as much attention as possible.  When I work from home, it’s sometimes very difficult to get things done. She stares at me and is very distracting :-}

 

Any final thoughts you would like to share with us? 

I’ve heard a lot of people say that they live in an apartment and don’t have a yard.  I used to feel the same way.  One day I realized that I would rather give a dog a great home without a yard than not give a dog a home.  As long as you love them and take care of them and are able to give them enough exercise, that’s all that matters.  Personally, I don’t think there is anything better in this world than a dog.

 

 

Thank you so much for your time, Sandi!

As if being an amazing dog Mom, fostering seniors, and producing a hit tv show isn't enough for one plate, Sandi also has her own business - Lucky Puppy. Click here to shop her adorable clothing line (she donates a percentage of her monthly sales to charity!).