Ready? On Set!

Sadly, having an adventure every weekend was stymied by that thing called a job. As on every production, once the camera starts rolling, my days in the office get longer and my off time is reduced to sleeping, snacking, and more sleeping. Tucker spends the majority of the days and nights in the office like this:

This is frequently interrupted by co-workers who take him up on his offer to play Tug or by crew members who come in to get snuggles from him. Tucker is stuck behind the gate in our office the entire day, and the only people he meets are those who happen to stop by. However, this time was a little different.
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LA Center Studios has to be one of the most dog friendly studio facilities in Los Angeles.

Although the grassy park is often closed for shoots or events, it does exist. And dogs are allowed everywhere—out on the streets, in the offices and halls, and around the stages.

Not only did Tucker make friends with crew dogs from our show,

​But he met other crew dogs and office dogs while on his afternoon walk—which ultimately turned into play.

Although fun could be had any day of the week, I deemed Thursdays to be Payday-Playday.

First it was because it was our weekly playdate with Pete.

But when we started working too late into the night for playdates, play meant carrying out his duties as the Payroll Pitbull: bringing good cheer and paychecks to the crew.

​Wardrobe offered up their red wagon for Tucker to get wheeled around in should he need a break from all that walking.

​Tucker climbed every set of stairs, at basecamp hopeful they’d lead to some new land to explore.

Using his extraordinary sense of smell, he found the most frequented location of any set: the craft service truck.

​There he waited patiently and was soon rewarded with gifts of food and love: bacon, scraps, and the best of all: hotdogs.

​After eating, Tucker and his hot dog supplier commiserated about set life…

…the long days, the endless nights, and how their jobs were basically the same: to bring happiness to the crew. Craft service brought it in the form of hot dogs and pancakes and freshly baked cookies; Tucker brought it with his games of tug and his big dog hugs.
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After a snack, he headed to the make-up trailer to get the star treatment.

​He even tried out what it was like to be a rigging grip one week.

Tucker took a few minutes at the smoking section, hoping to catch some set gossip. Unfortunately for Tucker, there aren’t as many smokers in production as there were twenty years ago. He usually came up empty for visitors there.

Regardless, it was quite clear that Tucker loved being on set:

​Of course he only saw the fun side: the talking to people, giving them money, seeing them smile and take a moment out of their day to say hello. He didn’t spend 14 hours standing around with no comfy bed to lay on, and then be ready in a moment’s notice to do his job.

The office isn't as exciting as set, but I did try to make it fun for him. Tucker loves to learn new things and feel a part of it all, so I had one task I was determined to teach him before the gig was up. 

The gate at my door was to keep Tucker in and make sure he didn’t run off with another crew. However it had the additional effect of keeping many people out—simply because, like Tucker, they couldn’t figure out how to open it.

The task for Tucker was to run information between my desk and the gate where people couldn't get in. People could put documents in a briefcase I had hanging next to the door, hand it to Tucker, and he would bring it to me at my desk. I would empty it, give it back, and he would return it to the person at the gate. 
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Four months later, I’m not sure who’s more proud: him or me.

Tucker loves to be in the middle of everything and everyone. He makes an indelible impression on everyone he meets. So much so, that people have started rendering him in artwork.  My boss made a Tucker-doodle on a Post-It:

And the barista at the coffeehouse drew him in my morning mocha:

​Tucker became so popular, he was even invited to a dog party. He hung out with new friends and old.

Our attempts for a group photo weren't much of a success, but it was clear from the outtakes who had humans who took a lot of photos of them. Like a leading lady who can always find her light, Tucker and Bartock always found the camera lens.

Tucker is all professional when we're at work, but when he's off the clock, he's all play. And he plays as hard as he works. 

Production wrapped up at the end of June, leaving Tucker no one to visit on Payday-Playday. Instead he wandered the streets in search of his pack.

He sniffed the empty parking spots where the trucks had been and refused to leave. He hadn't ever been so attached to--and so involved with--a crew before. As much as it made me happy when we were shooting, it made me equally sad when it was over, unable to explain to him why everyone had left.

​Back in the office full time with no crew to visit anymore, Tucker the set dog expressed his disappointment in not being able to return to the bustling activity of production.

Now that adventures weren’t had in the office, we needed to have them outside of work—once I could get some time off.

On the hottest day of the year with my house baking in triple digit degree heat in the Valley, I packed Tucker up and we headed south. I had to meet with a contractor in Escondido, and figured we'd make a day of it, spending some time at the beach near San Diego. 

There are a number of dog friendly beaches in and around San Diego. Dog Beach is the most known, an off leash mecca of sand and ocean. It was still warm at the beach, and I didn't think Tucker needed a full-on romp among other dogs. We just needed the sea breeze to cut through the heat. So I chose one a little more north that required leashes, hoping it wouldn't be so crowded.

​Tucker is happy to be anywhere new, but he didn’t seem to like this beach as much as he did Point Conception. I guess he and I are just Northern California beach people. The beach down here is flat and crowded with swimmers and sun bathers (not pictured.) 

Up north, there are dramatic bluffs and cliffs. There are surfers and hang gliders, and birds sitting on rocks as waves crash against them. 

Perhaps it is the rocks that make all the difference. At the northern border of the beach area designated for dogs, outside an extremely expensive restaurant, Tucker enjoyed his favorite aspect of the beach: climbing on rocks.

The sea breeze only made a tiny slice into the heatwave, and with no trees for shade, we needed to seek shelter under manmade edifices. The restaurants on the beach weren't quite our style, but across the street was a  little bar that I could have a cool beverage and snack, and Tucker could lie on cold, slightly wet slate.  Looking down at my loyal companion using my backpack as a pillow, I was filled with gratitude for whoever or whatever had brought Tucker into my life.

When I signed Tucker’s adoption papers almost five years ago now, it wasn’t just a contract to a rescue saying that I would feed and house him and meet his basic needs. It was a contract with a living, breathing soul who came in the shape of a dog stating that I would be his partner through thick and thin. I had to do my human part to create a life for us as he did his canine part creating obstacles, opportunities, and bringing his boundless love to the process.

Somewhere in the fine print it stated was that my main duty was to be his chaperone and chauffeur on his Tour of Joy (giving and receiving) in this world. I don't always think I'm living up to that duty. I know not every day can be a hike in the woods or a walk on the beach (Northern California beach, that is.) But I do feel like we need more of those than we've been having lately.

Life is short--especially if you're a dog. I imagine the contract he signed that adoption day stated that his main duty was to lead me on this Tour of Joy. After all, it isn't just his life or my life, it's our life.

If you’re doing it right, it’s not the dogs who come along for the ride with us; it’s us following their lead.

I can't wait to see where Tucker's Tour leads me next.