In certain corners of the internet, the floofy, gloriously round Corgi named Maxine needs zero introduction. Her total social-media reach? An absolutely bonkers 5.5 million and climbing — in a world gone crazy for influencer pups, she's the reigning queen. Now the little superstar has locked her sights on a brand-new frontier: a children's book set to drop from Random House. Her pet parents? Overflowing with pride — and totally floored.
Bryan Reisberg, Maxine's proud dad, credits her skyrocketing fame to her “adorably rotund shape” and off-the-charts personality — though he's fast to clarify it's all fluff, not excess pounds. “It's mostly fluff, because we keep her at a healthy weight. For the record, she LOOKS chonky, but we're super diligent about it.”
By bottling her one-of-a-kind quirks — “There's so much character in everything she does. She's basically a living cartoon, with a wildly vibrant personality” — and letting them sparkle across social media, Reisberg and his partner Alexandra Garyn built an audience utterly bewitched by the tiny dog and hungry for more.
canine totem — The spark for the children's book actually came from Maxine's fans. “As her fame exploded, we started hearing from tons of parents about how their kids watched Maxine's Instagram stories daily — and that some families even made it a bedtime ritual,” says Reisberg. “To us, it was a no-brainer that a kid's book could be a fantastic way to spread even more joy to families who already adore Maxine.”
Honestly, the entire wild adventure still feels like a nonstop “pinch me, I'm dreaming” moment.
“None of this was ever part of the plan. It happened completely by accident,” admits Bryan, who originally posted Maxine online as a creative outlet. “Back then, I'd just wrapped my first feature film and was hustling as a commercial director, but work was drying up. Maxine became my muse. I literally couldn't stop photographing her and had an absolute blast creating stuff with her. We'd just toss it online with zero expectations.”
But year after year, even while juggling a full-time advertising gig, they watched her fanbase balloon — and keep ballooning. “It's been beyond surreal. Every single day we're absolutely gobsmacked that Maxine is this famous, but we — and, obviously, Maxine herself — are cherishing every second of it.”
Obsessed with this story yet? Then buckle up, because there's a whole kennel of tail-wagging, heart-pumping adventures waiting in every issue of Modern Dog magazine. Smash that subscribe button RIGHT NOW — you definitely won't want to miss a single paw-print!