About Us

Learn about the author, her dog, and its breed.

About Mommy

Mommy’s name is Katy McQuaid, and I love her so much. She takes good care of me and likes to go on adventures with me. I also like to go on adventures with her.

She has her own company called McQuaid Corporate Performance, LLC. We spend our days together now that she works from home. I make sure I am very quiet when she is working or on the phone.

Before that, Mommy worked in an office. She was a Senior Executive in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). I am not sure what that is, but I know it is an important government agency and Mommy was very busy when she was working there.

Mommy went to Penn State University on a full athletic scholarship. She is a good swimmer and likes playing in the water with me. I like dogpaddling around the lake with her. Mommy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

Mommy is also a graduate of the Vanguard Executive Development Program at Duke University and the Pinnacle Executive Leader Program at Kellogg’s School of Management.

I do not know what these fancy words mean, but I think they mean she is smart! All I know is that she is my best friend and really loves me.

About Grace

I grew up on a farm located in the beautiful and snowy mountains that were far away from the city. I was a mom to two litters of 20 puppies who looked just like me.

Mommy found me when she was looking for a friend for Tinto, who quickly became my big brother. He was older than me and showed me the ropes around my new home in Denver. You’ll learn more about him in my book.

I love living in the city because I get to meet different types of people and have new adventures every day. Letting everyone pet me makes both of us feel good and it makes Mommy smile.

Mommy likes to have friends over for a book club or when she cooks Thai food. I like to meet them and give some love to whoever needs it the most. When our friends leave, we walk them to their cars and say good night.

I love living with Mommy. She is my “light in shining armor.”

About My Breed

I am part of a breed called Finnish Lapphunds. We were originally used to herd reindeer in Finland. Yes, I said reindeer, just like the ones who pull Santa’s sleigh.

Many say that we are smart and that we love people. That is true—I love everyone I meet! Because of this, we become members of the family very quickly.

We like to keep family members and other pets together. That is why we are also known as “herding dogs.”

One of our favorite things is exploring outside. We are perfect companions for people who like to walk, hike, camp, or go mountain biking. We are also very good at staying focused and watching what is going on around us.

The most important trait of our Finnish Lapphund breed is that we know how to look into someone’s eyes and let them know they are loved. This is what I do best!