When Miranda Cosgrove's family decided they wanted a dog, they did their research, finding an ad in the paper for toy poodles from a breeder. "We went to the person's house, and I went in and went straight to her," Miranda says of now-10-year-old toy poodle Pearl. "She's just really sweet."

Miranda recently sat down for a pet-themed photo shoot with PEOPLE, and PEOPLE Pets was allowed behind the scenes to chat with her about Pearl.

Check out what else Miranda has to say in this exclusive video!

See Miranda, Lance Bass, Billy Ray Cyrus and other celebs with their dogs and cats in our Stars & Their Pets gallery!