I grew up in a family that always had pets and working dogs mostly mixed breeds and some purebreds. I have had two dogs (one at a time) in the last thirty years. My first dog was a registered black Labrador. My wife gave her to me on our second Christmas together. Her name was Genoa - after the Italian city I studied in as a grad student. She passed away at nineteen years old. I now have a Maltese - Shih Tzu. He loves to play fetch even though he is eleven years old.