If someone had told me a year ago that my dogs would take a selfie in Germany, I would have laughed so hard I’d have spilled my coffee. But life has a way of surprising us—especially when you have two incredibly curious golden retrievers named Max and Luna.
It all began with a spontaneous decision. I had saved up some vacation time, and after watching one too many travel vlogs, I decided to take a trip to Europe. Germany had always been on my bucket list: castles, forests, Christmas markets, and beer. But there was one twist—I was taking Max and Luna with me.
Traveling with dogs isn’t easy. The paperwork alone could make you want to cancel the whole trip. But with the right planning and a few hundred Google searches, we were ready. The flight from New York to Munich was surprisingly smooth. Max snored half the way. Luna watched movies on the seatback screen, or at least stared at it as if she understood English, German, and cinematography.
Once we landed, the fun really began. Germany was made for dogs. Parks, pet-friendly cafes, and even some stores welcomed my furry companions with open arms and treats. We strolled through the Englischer Garten in Munich, admired Neuschwanstein Castle, and shared sausages in a small Bavarian village that looked straight out of a fairytale.
But the real adventure started in Berlin.
We had just checked into a pet-friendly hotel near the Brandenburg Gate. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across the city. I left the dogs in the room with their favorite toys and snacks while I ran down to the corner bakery to get a pretzel. I wasn’t gone more than twenty minutes, but when I came back, something seemed… off.
The door was slightly ajar.
I rushed in, heart pounding, only to find Max and Luna sitting calmly on the couch—acting suspiciously well-behaved. Too well-behaved. I squinted at them. Their tails wagged. They looked innocent. Too innocent.
Then I saw it: my phone on the floor, unlocked, with the camera app open.
My heart skipped a beat. I picked it up and checked the photo gallery. There they were—selfies.
I kid you not. There were at least a dozen photos. Max with his tongue out, Luna with her ears perked up like a model, and a few group shots of the two of them side by side. One even had a bit of the TV in the background, which was playing a German talk show. It looked like they were watching it while capturing the moment—classic tourist style.
But the best one? A shot with the Brandenburg Gate visible through the hotel window. The lighting was perfect. It was centered. It was… artistic. How? I’ll never understand. I don’t know if Max’s paw hit the timer button or if Luna is secretly a genius, but the photo looked like it belonged on the cover of a travel magazine.
“My dogs take a German selfie,” I muttered, staring at the screen. “This can’t be real.”
I posted the best one on social media with that exact caption. Within hours, it blew up. Comments poured in:
- “These dogs have better travel pics than me.”
- “Influencers, but make it furry.”
- “Are they available for wedding photography?”
Max and Luna were overnight sensations.
Over the next few days, people in the streets of Berlin actually recognized them. “Die Selfie-Hunde!” a barista exclaimed when we walked into a café. She gave them free biscuits and asked for a paw-tograph (yes, we dipped their paws in ink—don’t judge me).
A local dog magazine even reached out for an interview—well, with me. But they wanted pictures of the dogs, and they published a full spread titled, “Wuff-tastic: The American Dogs Taking Selfies in Berlin.”
The attention didn’t go to Max and Luna’s heads. They were the same playful, goofy golden retrievers they’d always been. But I swear they started posing more often. Any time I held up my phone, they’d sit side by side, look straight into the lens, and strike a pose like seasoned pros. Luna even started tilting her head just slightly for dramatic effect. Max perfected the “tongue out, one ear up” expression. They were unstoppable.
One evening, as we walked along the Spree River, a couple approached us. The woman smiled and said, “Are these the selfie dogs?” I nodded, and she held up her phone, showing me the same picture I’d posted. It had been turned into a meme, now titled “When your vacation pics are better than your human’s.”
We laughed, took a few more pictures together, and talked about their own travels with pets. The dogs wagged their tails and soaked in the attention like the little celebrities they’d become.
When the time came to head back to the U.S., I was genuinely sad to leave. Germany had welcomed us in a way I never expected. And thanks to one magical, mysterious photo session, my dogs had become the unlikely stars of our vacation.
Back home, the fame followed us—at least for a little while. People at the dog park started calling Max “the Berlin Bro” and Luna “Miss Deutschland.” A local newspaper did a small write-up titled, “Hometown Hounds Take Europe by Storm.” I even got a message from a dog treat brand asking if Max and Luna would be interested in being ambassadors. (We’re still thinking about it—they’re holding out for more bacon-flavored biscuits.)
Now, whenever I scroll through my photos, I stop on that selfie and smile. It’s not just a funny story—it’s a memory of an adventure we took together, something spontaneous and beautiful and a little absurd.
And I’ve learned something important: Never underestimate your dogs. You might think they’re just chasing squirrels and chewing socks, but who knows? One day, they might just become international photography legends.
So next time someone tells you, “It’s just a dog,” show them the selfie.
Let me know if you want to turn this into a picture book, social post series, or add real dog photos with captions!
