Origins

When I was a kid, we would eat family meals in the kitchen by the front window. Whenever a dog walked in front of our house, I jumped up from the table, ran out the front door, and asked the dog owner if I could pet their dog. I never got my own dog, partly because of family members with allergies and partly (and understandably) because my mom did not want to deal with a dog in addition to four boys!

To compensate for not having my own dog, I walked and trained neighborhood dogs, dog sat, went to dog adoptions, and just generally tried to be around dogs. Technically, my longest job held to date (I'm now 40!) was walking the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier show dog who lived around the corner from 2nd to 12th grade.

Me, my brother, and Hercules.

Fast forward 20 years and I had lived in Russia for two years, gone to college (Go Bears!), served in the military, gone back to college (Go Bears again!), worked in agriculture, and started a family. But still no dog. I remember thinking at one point, “Wouldn’t it be crazy if I never got a dog!?”

And then one day on a farm, I met a Vizsla and was again bit by the dog bug. I got home and went down the rabbit hole researching Vizslas and getting a dog. I called a breeder, put down a deposit, told my wife, told the kids, and two weeks later we drove down to San Diego, to pick up Lupin , a Vizsla puppy. And it has been one of the best decisions of my life!

But why Doggo Sessions? I wrote an article just on that! Check it out here.

John and Lupin: Day 1