Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted a golden retriever. I don't know how I got the idea of a dog in my head, but I remember fervently searching for the perfect dog breed for me and my family. Based on my very limited research and understanding, (I was like, 8? 9?) I decided I wanted a golden, and hounded(heh) both my parents for a dog for what must've been months. I eventually gave up on my dream when I was given a golden retriever magnet at the store and was basically told to treat it as a replacement. I wasn't a very responsible kid, so I understand why, but it broke my heart for awhile until I moved on.
Years later though, i'd get my wish. My dad found someone on facebook selling puppies and I was given a choice based on descriptions of their personalities- the dog that would become Athena was a girl who was the friendliest, so I chose her in a heartbeat.
I've had her for almost three years now and love her still. She gets along well with Tiny, "my" cat, the best, and has really helped me when I didn't feel up to getting out of bed when I was at my most depressed. She's quite a smart dog, but she makes a lot of really goofy dumb looking faces, so whether or not she fits the god of wisdom name is... Up to interpretation. I think, for a first dog, I got very lucky to get one as good as her.
More relevant to you, she also models a lot for my art. A lot of the art of Fenrir done for this website was either referenced from, or directly drawn on top of, photos of her, as you can see in this page's header, featuring my very real hand and not just my fursona's hand drawn on top.