I wasn't looking for a Mudi.

In fact, I was supposed to get a Border Terrier.

I had plans! I wanted a dog to show in conformation, compete in Barn Hunt with, maybe dabble in some agility, and generally be my little versatile partner in crime. I was on a breeder's puppy list, had been waiting and planning, and pickup was only a few weeks away.

Then, right after my birthday, everything changed. The breeder decided I "wasn't excited enough" about the puppy and pulled the offer.

I was devastated.

Honestly, after that, I couldn't even look at Border Terriers without thinking about what had happened. So I went back to the drawing board and did what any reasonable dog person does when their carefully made plans completely implode:

I asked Facebook.

I posted asking my friends for breed suggestions. My wish list seemed simple enough: small-to-medium sized, easy coat maintenance, LOTS of drive, versatile enough to do multiple sports, and capable of holding its own in the conformation ring.

Enter my dear friend Jessica Kelly, who proceeded to tell me approximately 100 times:

"You need a Mudi."

A what?!

Eventually, Jessica convinced me that I at least needed to meet some. That led me to a local-ish breeder in North Carolina named Yvette Piantadosi.

Yvette heard my whole sad Border Terrier story, apparently decided I was exactly crazy enough for a Mudi, and offered me something I never expected: her pick puppy from a litter she was importing from Hungary.

And then a little Hungarian spicy meatball stepped off an airplane and completely changed my life.

That spicy meatball was Gryffin.

I thought I was getting a dog to show and play sports with. What I actually got was a passport to an entirely different life.

Gryffin has taken me all over the country. She's brought me onto some of the biggest stages in conformation, taken me places I never imagined we'd go, and—more importantly—introduced me to lifelong friends and an incredible community of people and dogs that I never would have known otherwise.

And then there's her sister, Wednesday.

Wednesday may very well be the most versatile dog I've ever met. Whatever I ask her to try, she's ready to play. Between these two girls, I've gotten to experience exactly what drew me to the breed in the first place—and so much more than I ever knew to ask for.

Somewhere along the way, the breed I had never planned on owning became the breed that completely stole my heart.

Every Mudi I've had the privilege of meeting and working with has given me another reason to love them. They're brilliant, quirky, driven, challenging, ridiculously fun, and endlessly versatile. They have opened doors, taken me on adventures, and brought people into my life who I now can't imagine not knowing.

And now the adventure is coming full circle.

As we look forward to raising our own litters at Two Brooks Farm Mudis, I'm excited about more than producing the next generation of these beautiful dogs. I'm excited to see where they take their people.

Maybe they'll lead someone into a sport they never imagined trying. Maybe they'll take someone onto a stage they never dreamed they'd stand on. Maybe they'll introduce their owners to people who become lifelong friends.

Maybe, somewhere along the way, one of our puppies will completely change someone's life the way a little spicy meatball from Hungary changed mine.

All because I apparently wasn't excited enough about a Border Terrier.

Funny how things work out.