History of Dogs
This is a little history of every dog that's been part of my life — starting with the very first one, who wasn't even mine.
Lady
Lady was my dad's dog. She was two when I was born, and she looked after me like I was hers. She died the day of my Catholic confirmation. I chose my father and my dog over the church.
Carmen (1st — ~1988, she lived 12 weeks)
When I finally decided I was ready for a dog of my own, I found a Rottweiler breeder in Woodside and scheduled a Thursday pickup for my very first puppy — a little girl named Carmen. The breeder said to come Thursday because the litter was getting their parvo shots on Wednesday. So I showed up Thursday and took my girl home.
She was so sweet, but within a week I knew something was wrong. I took her to my vet and he said she had parvo. I told him that was impossible — the breeder said they'd gotten their shots the day before I picked her up. After I called the breeder, her daughter fessed up: she hadn't taken the dogs in on Wednesday like she was told. She went Thursday — after I'd already picked up my puppy. The breeder was devastated, and it was my first loss of a dog since Lady. There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing a puppy. The breeder offered to pay the vet bills, which I accepted, and a new dog, which I did not. I wasn't ready. - I don’t have any photos of her.
Gretchen (~1990 – 2004)
About six months later I found a new breeder and got Gretchen. Gretchen would live fifteen years. She lived with me in my first shared house in Los Altos, came with me to my first shared house in San Francisco, had her first litter of puppies on the back deck of my house on Corbett Ave, and moved in with me and Eric Martineau when I bought the house at 423 27th Street in Noe Valley. She moved with us to Mountain View in 1997, and when I realized my job carried a huge amount of travel, I decided I needed another dog to be her companion.
Alt (adopted 1999 – 2004)
I didn't have time for a puppy. So I started looking and found a five-year-old male Rottweiler named Alt — a retired police dog whose owner-handler had to give him up because of a divorce and a move from a house with a yard to a condo with a small terrace. The interview process to become Alt's new handler was impressive. What I realized is that a police dog is no less a weapon than a gun, baton, or taser. After a background check, the trainers accepted me and I took Alt home. He and Gretchen became the best of friends, well dog friend, Larry Hern was his best human friend…
This is how my life with dogs began.
Gretchen & Alt together
Carmen - my first show dog
Kiera - our first “french bulldog”
actually she was a French Bulldog & Boston Terrier mix
Lilly - our first AKC “french bulldog”
Lilly came to us through Perry Payson. After the little alien’s insident and realizing Kiera was actually not a french bulldog, Perry started sending us photos of puppies, the first a boy, I sent to Luke while he was at work, and he said “NO” no more dogs, so I told Perry pass. - When Luke got home from work, he said maybe we can have one more dog, so I reached out to Perry and he said, sorry that one already is taken. — The next puppy was a little fawn puppy.. — I said YES, and Luke and I went to pick up our new little girl. We named her Lilly. She was born July 9 2007 - lived an amazing life and passed away Jan 15, 2022. - She is the matriarch of the amazing line of winning french bulldogs we have today.
Lilly & Ringo - Breeding Number 2
Alex and I agreed to breed them again… Strangely enough we ended up with the exact same litter. Two fawns, one male and one female, and one female brindle. — This time Alex was very specific she placed both girls with long-term well known show homes. — Theses girls Evie and Daphne would become the basis of our entire future of the most winning AKC french bulldogs in history!
We agreed it was the last breeding as it is tough on Lilly, so Alex recommended that I keep the boy — who I named Roman. — we went out to show and quickly became a Grand Champion. — One day I came home from work and found Carmen limping, and Lilly and Roman covered in blood. — I knew in that moment I could not keep Roman. — Boys will be boys and he attacked Carmen and Lilly went into break it up (photos below) — One of my long-time friends always wanted a french bulldog, so I reached out to Simeon Meyer and said do you want to be Roman’s custodian? — he said yes. - I don’t photos of the litter, as it was handled in LA this time. — I do have photos of Roman, his mom and Carmen after their fight.
These are some professional photos of Lilly
A big thank you to Flint Beamon and Barkin Creek and the amazing Animal Photographer Kristopher Rutherford
Lilly & Ringo - our first “french bulldog” Breeding
Alex Vorbeck owned Ringo, and asked if we would breed Lilly. The answer was of course YES she got me out of that horrible situation with Devian. The 1st breeding gave us 3 puppies, one male fawn, and one female fawn and one female brindle. — We lost the male (it was my first time whelping a litter of frenchies.. I fell asleep and Lilly accidentally rolled onto the boy and suffocated him. (the boy is present in the 5 photos in the beginning) we were left with two female puppies. Alex placed her girl the brindle with a Ballerina out of LA, and I placed my fawn female with my two friends Chad and Palmer, who lived in the East Bay — Both owners who signed showing/breeding contracts, knew they were buying show dogs that required showing, and breeding. Both refused to show or breed their dogs. - so This litter was a complete loss. — we were stuck.
Roman - 2nd Breeding only Male “french bulldog” - Grand Champion
Roman after the fight he got into with Carmen, and his mom Lilly had to break it up, I had to place him. So Roman went to live with one of my oldest friends Simeon Meyer. He lived to 15 years old.
Coco - “Brindle french bulldog”
With Roman placed, and Lilly and Carmen doing ok, when Luke left the US and Kiera went to live with my cousin Katie Borrego I reached out to Alex and she said Lilly’s daughter Evie had a little brindle girl - if you want her. — I took her and named her Coco. - Lilly grandmother, Evie mother.
Pearl - “fawn french bulldog”
Alex called and said, we have a beautiful fawn girl, she is a Lilly great granddaughter. The Pedigree: Lilly - Evie - Paris - Pearl. I said yes, this would bring my dog count to 4, Carmen, Lilly, Coco and Pearl.
Dita - “french bulldog” - Coco breeding.
When it was time to breed Coco, she had two puppies, one brindle girl and one fawn boy, I decided to keep the little brindle girl and named her Dita.
Fynn - “french bulldog” - Pearl breeding.
When it was time to breed Pearl, she had two pups, both fawn. So we named them Huck & Fynn. I decided to bring Fynn Home. She lived with us until we moved to Austin, she went to Arizona for a bit but ended up with my dear friends Nathan Winkel and Michael Berl. — She now lives in NYC! - Pearl daughter - Biscuit mother.
Biscuit - our top AKC female french bulldog
Biscuit was a Fynn daughter. - I remember meeting Alex and Perry at a dog show and seeing the litter. I saw her and it was immediate. Alex this is the one… I named her Biscuit because she literally looked like a buttered Biscuit. - She spent her first 3 months with Perry getting show ready. — Once she went on the road, she just kept winning. She was on her way to the famous Westminster dog show but a dangerous infection caused us to pull her from showing and had to have her reproductive organs removed. This ended her show career. As of this writing, Biscuit is still the top point earning female french bulldog EVER. - July 2025, Pearl and Biscuit came to live full-time in Mexico. - Biscuit loved her grandma Pearl and would try and play with her all the time.
