Apollo & Kia, The Matchmakers

People always talk about how couples meet through mutual friends, work, or blind dates. In our case, it was two German Shepherds that made the introduction and probably sealed the deal before Susan and I even realized what was happening.

I had Apollo, a 120-pound German Shepherd who was originally supposed to become my search-and-rescue dog when I was a volunteer firefighter in Baltimore. Apollo was smart, loyal, protective, and honestly a little too smart for his own good. After two years of training, we discovered he had epilepsy, which changed his career path, but not his personality.

Susan had her German Shepherd, Kia, and from the very beginning, the connection between all of us was instant. Susan grew up around German Shepherds, so she immediately understood the breed, the loyalty, the intelligence, and yes, the stubbornness that comes with them. We bonded quickly over our shared love for animals, especially these beautiful dogs that become much more than pets. They become family.

Our very first date was actually just taking Apollo for a walk. Nothing fancy, just two people, one very large German Shepherd, and a conversation that flowed naturally from the beginning. After the walk, we decided to grab dinner at a sushi restaurant. Apollo was still actively working as a service dog at the time, vest and all, so we sat outside on the patio with him stretched out beside the table like he owned the place.

For nearly three hours, we sat there talking while people constantly came over to admire Apollo. What I remember most is how quickly Susan stepped right into “dog mom mode.” People would ask about Apollo, and before I could even answer, Susan was proudly telling them his story, explaining his training, and talking about his personality like she had known him forever. This was our first date, and somehow Apollo already belonged to both of us.

Meanwhile, Kia fit right into the story as well. The two dogs became part of our relationship from day one. Walks, outings, conversations, funny dog stories, and life revolving around big German Shepherd energy quickly became normal for us. Looking back, it really was our mutual love for animals that fueled everything else. The dogs opened the door for trust, companionship, and eventually love.

Our son Dylan always joked that Apollo was such a handsome dog that he was a “chick magnet.” Turns out he wasn’t wrong. Apollo may not have become the search-and-rescue dog we originally planned for, but he did end up rescuing something pretty important, my heart.

And between Apollo and Kia, I’d say Susan and I never really stood a chance.