Maxine Gets a Job

Bryan Reisberg is Maxine’s dad. He chalks up her appeal to her “adorably rotund shape” and personality-plus, though he’s quick to set the record straight that it’s fluff, not extra pounds. “It’s mostly fluff because we keep her at an appropriate weight. For the record, she looks chonky, but we’re very diligent with her weight.” 

By capturing her quirks—“There’s so much character to everything she does. She’s really like a cartoon character, and she has an incredibly vibrant personality”—and allowing them to shine on social media, Reisberg and his partner Alexandra Garyn found an audience enthralled by the little dog and eager for more. 

The inspiration to write a children’s book came from Maxine’s fans. “As Maxine’s fame grew, we heard from countless parents about how much their kids love watching Maxine’s Instagram stories every day and that some families watched them together at bedtime,” says Reisberg. “To us, it was obvious that a kid’s book could be an amazing way to bring even more joy to families who already love Maxine.”

For the most part, the whole wild ride is still a “pinch me” experience. 

“We never expected any of this. It was all by mistake,” says Bryan, who put her on social media as a creative outlet. “At the time, I had just finished directing my first feature film and was working as a commercial director, and there wasn’t a lot of work coming in. Maxine became my muse. I truly couldn’t stop taking pictures of her and had an absolute blast making stuff with her. We would just put it online, not expecting much.” 

But over the years, while working a full-time job in advertising, they watched her following grow—and grow. “It’s all been truly surreal. Every day, we’re so gobsmacked that Maxine is as famous as she is, but we—and, of course, Maxine—are loving every minute of it.”

This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!