"11 years with Kacia, 1.5 years with surprise Lusia. The dogs who taught me loyalty, forced breaks, and why staring at code all day needs balance. A dev's real story."
My Two Best Teammates Have Four Paws
And they keep Me sane while coding some teammates don’t write code.
They don’t join standups.
They just sit next to you, breathe, and remind you that life isn’t all screens.
Kacia has been with me for 11 years.
She didn’t just grow up with me, she basically raised me when a lot of people walked away.
She was the reason I left the house when I wanted to rot in front of a monitor.
**Always ready for a walk, a stupid trick, or just to poke me until I took a break. She even swam with me.
I’d go 50-100 meters from shore,
and she’d follow right beside me. No hesitation. Just trust.
These days I swim less (too much screen time), but she still reminds me to step away.
Now she lies next to my desk while I grind on PC_Workman and HCK_Labs stuff.
**She **stares.
**She **nudges.
**She **basically says: „15-minute break, human, or I’ll start chewing cables.” My first (and only so far) tattoo? Her paw print.
Pressed in safe paint straight on my skin.
That’s how much she means.
And then… surprise **teammate *number *two**: Lusia
About 1.5 years ago, during winter, a tiny ankle-high dog ran up during our walk.
Joined like she was invited. Chased Kacia, tried to keep up, full of joy.
After the walk she followed us home. We said goodbye at the gate.
At 10 PM - scratching at the door.
Cold. Shaking. Begging for a home.
We let her in. Food. Water. Cardboard box turned bed.
Next morning, worms and jumping **fleas**.
Kacia caught them too in hours.
Bath. Careful checks. Release the next day.She didn’t leave for hours.Then she kept coming back.
Again. And again. Hungry. Freezing. Fleas.
We bathed, fed, released… she came back.
After the third or fourth time we realized:
She already chose her home. So we stopped sending her away.
Now Lusia’s been with us over 1.5 years.
She has her spot.
She sometimes bosses Kacia around (I always protect the old queen).
Kacia’s the one who’s lived longest she gets the most respect.
I’ve never believed in "replacing" an old dog with a new one.
Hate how attention shifts just because something younger appears.
World without animals is empty.
They have clean intentions.
(Okay… sometimes food-driven intentions.)
Previous owners?
Lusia didn’t even have a health booklet after over a year with them.
We registered her in 5 days.
Inside the house. Not outside. In 1.5 years, no one ever asked about her.Once on a walk Lusia saw her old owner.
Ran to greet her, tail like helicopter.The woman looked…
and walked away without a word.That said everything.Back at the desk.
Both girls lie near my desk now.
I’m careful with the chair, no tail accidents.
They interrupt my focus.
They force breaks.
They save my eyes, my back, my sanity.They remind me there’s life beyond the screen.Honestly?
**They’re the most loyal **teammates I’ve ever had.
If you’ve got a dog (or had one) that kept you going, drop your story below.
I’d love to read it.
And if you ever feel like tossing a coffee to the „dogs’ treats fund” while
I grind on PC_Workman
Ko-fi link is here: Coffe or Threat?
Thanks for reading to the end.
Means more than you think.
Dogs #BuildInPublic #PersonalStory #IndieDev #Python
Kacia, 9 years ago :)
About the Author
I’m Marcin Firmuga. Solo developer and founder of HCK_Labs.
I created** PC Workman** , an open-source, AI-powered
PC resource monitor
built entirely from scratch on dying hardware during warehouse
shifts in the Netherlands.
This is the first time I’ve given one of my projects a real, dedicated home.
Before this: game translations, PC technician internships, warehouse operations in multiple countries, and countless failed projects I never finished.
But this one? This one stuck.
700+ hours of code. 4 complete UI rebuilds. 16,000 lines deleted.
3 AM all-nighters. Energy drinks and toast.
And finally, an app I wouldn’t close in 5 seconds.
That’s the difference between building and shipping.
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