08/10/2026
There is something about getting your first dog. It leaves a mark on your heart and starts a succession of dogs that come after. Here are some photos and stories of mine.
My first dog was Abby, followed a few years later by Maxine. They were starkly different in personality. But both amazing dogs that I was very close to.
Abby was the best. She was very much the epitome of her breed - stoic, very levelheaded and sensible. She actually thought things through and made decisions based on the situation. She was friendly with people but never intrusive or pushy. Always on her best behavior. Abby was the perfect dog. She never did anything wrong. I got her when she was 8 years old. A retired show dog. She lived to 12 years old.
Maxine was outgoing and friendly. A friend helped me pull her from a pet store at 5 months old. A ragamuffin of a puppy folks shopping in pet stores didn't know what she would grow up to be. We spent lots of time together training for obedience and we did a little agility. She was such a great dog, sweet and loving. She was my first puppy, and she taught me so much.
I put these two together because they marked a huge chapter in my life. Abby is the reason I became a groomer - because no one knew how to groom a Bouvier. Maxine is the reason I learned how to train - she loved to do stuff with me and training was one of them. My daughter taught her to play dead, and she would lay there wagging her tail because she knew she did such a good job.
Tell me about your first dog and share a photo if you have one.
