About The Dog Writer

I've been around dogs, dog people, dog shows, and dog stories my whole life. Growing up in Putnam County, New York, my family raised Siberian Huskies and Belgian Sheepdogs. Many times a year my parents, my younger brother, myself, and any number of dogs packed into a motorhome and drove around the country to shows, where we met lots of other dog people. My brother and I loved the adventure. We took a break from the shows now and then to visit historical sites on our travels. I have many fond memories of mountain views, wooded roads, old bridges, diners, truck stops, camp grounds, country music, and dark starry nights.

When we were not traveling, my parents were busy planning shows. Both of them were very active in the AKC. My mother became a judge, and I got used to seeing her in show rings as hopefiul dog owners circled around her hoping their dogs would get one of those ribbons. I showed our dogs sometimes as well. But what I really liked was sledding. We had a team of Siberian Huskies, and each winter I would be out on the trail racing with them. I loved the sensation of the dog team barking excitedly and eagerly pulling the sled through the snow in a race. My mother and I built that dog sled ourselves.

Our social world was quite colorful. Lots of parties, with lots of vividly memorable people. I could tell you some stories!

Actually, when I went away to college at Stony Brook University, I got a bit of distance from shows and traveling, but that's when I started writing about dogs. After completing my MA in creative and professional writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I started publishing articles for various dog magazines. I'm proud of these publications, and the awards they won. You can read all of them here at The Dog Writer.

After my daughter was born, I took a hiatus from writing for several years. But I'm coming back! Watch for future development of this website, as I transform The Dog Writer into an online magazine dedicated to excellent dog writing. More soon.

In the meantime, browse through this site. Send me a message any time to let me know what you think, or to share your own stories: matthew@schenkerstudio.com