Kelly Rutherford's Pet Was "Good Practice" For Parenthood

Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford got some practice at parenting before her kids Hermés and Helena arrived thanks to her beloved pooch Oliver.

The single mom says that Oliver is a member of the family: “[The kids] love him,” she tells OK! “It’s perfect timing because he was a little bit older when I had kids, so he was much more calm. He got so much attention when he was a puppy – he was kind of my first child. It was good practice. Now, he’s calm, he gets it, and his pace is the same as ours. I used to throw the ball for hours for him. For hours. He had a lot of energy. Now he’s at our pace –good with the kids. He’s great. He sets boundaries. He doesn’t let them jump all over him, but he is totally sweet with them."

"He protects my kids, he’s with us all the time," Kelly adds of their now 15-year-old pet. "He keeps the house calm and loving.”

In other news, Kelly recently treated her son Hermés to a special night out, bringing him to Dolce & Gabbana's Fashion's Night Out event in New York City this month. The big draw for her 4 year-old? Justin Bieber!

"I thought it would be a cool opportunity for him to meet Justin,” says Kelly, who adds that she'd love it if the Biebs did a guest spot on Gossip Girl.