Little Dogs Big Dogs was born from a lifelong love of pups—even before I was allowed to have one of my own. My first “official” pet was a goldfish, thanks to my mom’s allergies, but my heart belonged to the dogs I met everywhere else.

At nine years old, delivering newspapers at sunrise, I “borrowed” my first pups: Springer, a Golden Retriever, and Scamps, a Lab/Golden mix. Every morning they slipped out to join me, running alongside my bike for three miles before trotting me back to my driveway. It was the best start to any day.

Life moved on—college, apartments, pet restrictions—but my love for dogs never faded. I greeted every Good Boy and Good Girl I passed until I finally welcomed my own: a wonderfully wise, endlessly loving Golden Floof, now eleven.

Those early mornings with Springer and Scamps taught me this: the world is full of incredible dogs, whether or not they live in your house. And the joy they bring is always worth sharing.