I'd like to introduce you to a new twist on "Happy Hour." Meet the five happiest dog parents and the five coolest four-legged kids in town. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday I thought it would be a real treat to introduce you to our yappiness happiness. Buster & I never thought life could be so happy when Yappy Hour rolls around.

There is no doubt when the ten of us are together, no matter what's going on with us or the world, we truly realize how blessed we are that our 4-legged children have brought us together. As you read below you'll see how much we've shared together, our age ranges from 53 to 94 so there's a lot of wisdom and life experience between us all. One thing we have in common for sure besides our pooches... we love to travel, eat great food, drink fine wine, get a fine education on scotch and enjoy a perfect margarita that only Doreen can serve up. Meet our Yappy Hour Gang.

Our happy place is Doreen and Joe's home, their door is always open, so much so we just suggest "why don't we go to Doreen and Joe's" Occasionally we'll jaunt up to Shorty's house for a beautiful sunset, cocktails and discuss our "pawsitive" attitudes. Almost every day we meet at the same time, and like clockwork, when we begin to chime in with our texting, the kids are ready to go. Literally, if we're not out the door the stare-down begins, the toys are dropped at our feet and an occasional whine begins.

Meet five reasons why you might want to begin your own Yappy Hour

No leash needed, these kids have no interest in leaving each other's side. We do have rules, stop at all corners and No Street!

Let's meet the gang

Tony Williams & Shorty

When Janet asked me to jot down a few thoughts on our puppy playgroup I recalled the words of Stanley Coren, the famed chronicler, and author of many canine books. He writes: "In the thousands of years since humans first domesticated dogs we have genetically manipulated them to socialize easily and to show friendliness almost indiscriminately.”

How true these words are about our four-legged friends, yet that same willingness to "show friendliness almost indiscriminately" cannot be said of us, the two-legged human beings. Deep and meaningful friendships and true compassion for others sometimes get lost in today’s hustle and bustle… Yet somehow, some time ago (I think 6 years now!) our little group of dog lovers managed to find each other in a small park on the edge of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Our dogs linked us. Sweet Sadie, abundantly generous with her affection. Beguiling Bizou, deceivingly seductive and loving. Classy Collette, extraordinarily exquisite and elegant. And Beautiful Buster, a living teddy bear full of wisdom and passion.

Each day with a wag of a tail or bark from the mouth, our dogs express their gratitude for their afternoon play time. This blog allows me to express my gratitude for our magical, loving and supportive group of friends - all connected initially through our dogs, yet now linked inextricably for life. In this season of gratitude, we all have a long list of items for which we must give thanks… but know that my Yappy Hour friends sit at the top of my list.

Hugs and licks to you each… and my best wishes for an amazing season of Gratitude to one and all!!!!

Meet Keith Cox & Sadie

YAPPY HOUR! What a concept, right? When I took a risk to take my beloved four-legged Spiritual Offspring, Sadie, to the unofficial park at the corner of Doheny Drive and Santa Monica, I never expected my life to be changed, enhanced, blessed, and enriched. The risk was because it is not unusual for the dogs to run and play off leash there. This “park” is adjacent to a very busy and congested intersection. The reward has been the familial relationship that has been created for both me and Sadie. What has now been dubbed “The Yappy Hour Crew” is, in fact, a coming together of 5 individuals (and occasional spouses) that share a deep bond? When we converge, (which we attempt most days) at what is HAPPY HOUR in most social settings, we are indeed happy. Yes, there is the occasional traditional concoction of an adult beverage, but the emotion of happiness transcends that. It is a result of our open and honest sharing, our mutual love of food, drink, and social activities. It is the result of our unconditional love for our canine family members, and it is because we are conscious, transparent, honest, loving, and even sometimes dysfunctional with each other. Familial, in other words. We have shared many highs and lows with each other. There have been birthdays, holiday, and even memorial celebrations of both humans and canines, moments of sitting vigil as a loved one is passing on, countless hours of discussion on food and drink, and great enjoyment of the attempt to perfect the margarita. And the consensus is that Doreen (or The Lady Doreen, as I call her) has the winning recipe. From a spiritual sense, the Universe brought us together at the perfect time and in the perfect setting. From a human sense, we have tended to the healthy nurturing of this familial bond and I believe we are all the better for it. Many have said it is the hardest club in Beverly Hills to get in… and that is true! Not because we are snobbish and exclusive, but because of the reverence for the beauty, love, connection, and sacredness we share as this little YAPPY HOUR family!

Meet Harvey Slosburg & Bisoux

For so many years I've had the privilege and the joy of spending time with my Yappy hour friends. Our friendships developed so organically over the years while sharing common interests, not just our dogs (kids), but so much of our lives. It seems we are all grateful for each other and the time we have together. When we are all together it makes this big city feel like a small town. While walking together or throwing the ball, we share our daily lives, our joys, challenges, health, family, politics, and of course the “must try” new restaurants or cocktails. It seems what we share the most is gratitude for our friendships and the unique way we found each other.

Meet Doreen, Joe & Colette Wallach

We are 5 people that met accidentally at a small park that we made into an unofficial dog park. All of us came from different backgrounds, different religions, different sexual orientations, the only thing we had in common was that each of us had a friendly dog. Yet, we combined perfectly. Each of us brings a different outlook, wisdom, and sensitivity to our daily discussions.For example, just yesterday, our discussion started with: How do you like to eat your corn on the cob? On the cob, roasted, cut off the cob, mixed with mayo and parmesan, how about combining corn with sun-dried tomatoes? Then the discussion continued to Astronomy, and how huge the universe is. Did we know that a Black Hole is a dense material that nothing can pass through? Our sun is 93 million miles away. The light from our star (the Sun) reaches us in 8 minutes. Light from the nearest star in the sky takes 4 years to reach us. How we are not even a grain of sand when compared with the size of the universe. And on to religion...

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We love to eat, drink and laugh and share our Netflix favorites. We spend hours chatting about the newest restaurants, the coziest bar scene, are we staying in or going out for dinner. These discussions continue while our dogs are chasing the ball, eating mud, digging in the sand, eating bees, or just relaxing.

We love being together and making dinner, or just cocktail parties. For example, one member made a birthday party for his four-legged son and featured different food courses named after each of our pets. Colletuce cups (minced chicken lettuce cups) for my daughter, Colette. Split Bizoup (pea soup) for Bizou, Frozen Ice Cream Sadie-witches, and finally Chilled Buster Custard. Not all of our gatherings are for fun. When my mother was passing, everyone came over to my home (my mom lived with me) not just to help me but also to help my mother pass to the other side. We chanted by candle-light, and our metaphysical minister guided her through her passing. This was a magical experience. Then we all had drinks and dinner. We laughed and cried. We had the best time. My mother did not die that night as the doctors had predicted, (we all felt she enjoyed the party too much didn’t want to leave). She held on for another couple of days. After my sweet Sophia passed (almost 18years old) immediately we celebrated her life with tears and champagne. We are just there for each other. I really can not express how I feel except to say that I love each and every member of our Yappy Hour Family. Every single day is better because of you.

Thank you, my dear friends, for your generous hearts and taking friendship & family to another level. The world's a better place because of you. Here's to more walks, more talks and a lot of Yappyiness!

Happy Thanksgiving, I'm so grateful these spiritual pooches formed our tribe. In some way, on some level, I think they all knew they had a job to do with forming our "gang". May we continue to grow young at heart and wiser together. Happy Thanksgiving, with gratitude...xoxo Buster & Janet

Got a dog? Why not put a group together, and create your own Yappy Hour. Getting outside walking and enjoying the company of your 4-legged best friend and making new friends can change your life. Pets create joy and bring people together, they can build communities, break down barriers between people and pave a way to a friendship you could have never imagined.