How Two Dogs Changed Everything — The Story Behind My Little Dogs Collection
By Kerstin Hertz
Some businesses are born from spreadsheets and market research. Mine was born on an afternoon when a trembling little dog climbed onto my arm — and refused to let go.
This is the story of Curro and Flocke. And why I believe small dogs deserve to be celebrated.
A Dog in Need, a Home in Waiting
In February 2023, I got a call about a Mini Pinscher Mix named Curro. He had come all the way from Spain, spent a month waiting to be placed in a loving home — and then everything went wrong.
His future owner fell seriously ill. The placement fell through. Curro was moved to a temporary foster home, but the resident dog made his life miserable. She bullied him, bit him, gave him no peace. He was in constant alarm mode, never able to rest.
Within 24 hours, he was on his way to me.
I had been a foster carer for rescue dogs — a temporary safe harbor for dogs in need while they waited for their forever homes. When Curro arrived, brought over by another volunteer from the rescue organization, something happened that I will never forget.
She handed him to me. He settled onto my arm. And he simply did not want to come down again. He pressed himself against me, completely still, and I could feel him exhale — slowly, deeply — as if he had been holding his breath for weeks. He knew he was safe. And in that moment, so did I.
Nose to Nose — The Friendship Nobody Expected
At home, I have another dog: Flocke. She came to us from Bulgaria as a six-month-old rescue puppy — a tiny, uncertain little creature who had no idea yet how big her life was about to become. She is a herding mix, and she grew into exactly what that suggests: a big, confident, independent soul who knows her own mind and takes up a room.
Where Curro is small enough to fit in a handbag, Flocke is the kind of dog people notice when she walks in. Side by side, they could not look more different.
I was not sure how she would react to this little stranger.
The first meeting happened on the couch. Curro was on my lap. Flocke came over slowly, carefully, the way dogs do when they mean no harm. She sat down on the floor beside me — and because she is big enough to do this — she was nose to nose with Curro without either of them having to move. They looked at each other. Curro stayed calm. Flocke stayed calm.
Then I let Curro down. The terrace door was open. There was one more round of sniffing — and then Flocke did something unmistakable: she dropped onto her front paws. Play bow. The universal dog invitation that means: you’re one of us now.
Curro responded immediately. And the two of them shot out into the garden together. That was the moment I knew everything was going to be fine. Flocke had decided. Curro had a protector.
The Big Man and the Little Dog
My husband Alexander was traveling for work when Curro arrived. I texted him: “There’s a dog here who needs us. What do you think?” He said yes without hesitating — even though small dogs had never really been his thing.
When he came home, he was cautious. Alexander is a big, strong man — not the kind of person you would immediately picture with a tiny black-and-tan dog who weighs almost nothing. He needed a moment to find his footing with this new situation.
Curro did not need a moment at all.
From the very first minute, Curro sought out Alexander’s closeness. And when Alexander picked him up — this small creature in the arms of a big man — Curro licked his ear. Thoroughly. Enthusiastically. With complete conviction.
That was it. That was the ice breaking. Curro had decided: this one is mine. And Alexander, whether he admitted it or not, was already lost. Today, if you ask him, Curro is his dog. Flocke will always be her own dog — independent, dignified, on her own terms. But Curro? Curro chose Alexander. And Alexander chose him right back.
Alexander and Curro. It took one ear-lick. That was that.
From Foster Home to Forever Home — And a New Idea
Curro never left.
And somewhere in the weeks that followed — watching these two completely different dogs fill our home with so much personality, so much love, so much presence — an idea started to take shape.
I had always been creative. I paint. I sew. I love design and color and the feeling of making something with my hands. And I had always known that small dog owners are a very specific kind of person. They don’t just own a dog. They are Frenchie Moms and Dachshund Dads and Chihuahua People. They belong to something.
I wanted to make something for them — for us. My Little Dogs Collection started as a simple idea: beautiful, breed-specific apparel and gifts that celebrate the small dogs who make our lives so much bigger. Every design is made for people who understand that a tiny dog can take up all the space in your heart.
What They Taught Me
Curro taught me that the smallest creatures are often the bravest. He traveled far, survived a difficult situation, and within days had rebuilt his trust in people completely. He chose us. And we chose him right back.
Flocke taught me that a rescue dog carries gratitude in their whole body — in the way they follow you from room to room, in the way they decide, without hesitation, to love someone new.
They both taught me that small dogs are not a lesser version of a big dog. They are their own magnificent kind.
I painted this. It says everything. — Kerstin
Welcome to My Little Dogs Collection
If you have a small dog — a French Bulldog, a Chihuahua, a Dachshund, a Yorkie, a Pomeranian, a Mini Pinscher, a Maltese, a Shih Tzu, a Papillon, or a Toy Poodle — then you already know what I’m talking about.
This collection was made for you.
Curro's story is what started it all. If you share a special bond with your Mini Pinscher, explore our collection made just for you and your dog.
Every piece in the shop exists because of two dogs who reminded me what matters. I hope something here makes you smile — or makes the perfect gift for the small dog lover in your life.
With love,
Kerstin, Curro & Flocke 🐾