Chee Chee

Meet Chee Chee.  Look deep into her eyes.  She is telling you that you WANT to shell the peanuts for her.  Chee Chee is a miniature Chihuahua that her family found and fell in love with through a friend.

Chee Chee might be a little bit of a Diva and is comfortably spoiled.  She loves to walk on her front legs and also go for rides in the big Dodge truck along with her other doggy siblings: A rescue Min Pin, and a pair of labs adopted from a family that just moved.

The most unexpected thing about Chee Chee is that she is so loving.  If Chee Chee’s family could give any advice to pet owners, it would be to Truly love your animal and they will love you right back!

Billy

I didn’t get Billy until he was six years old, so he was already a Billy and used to it when he came into my life.

Billy is a Chocolate Labrador Retriever.  I’ve had seven dogs over the course of my life, but only three that were really “my” dogs.  Tucker was my first and a Great Pyrenees; Duke was a Black Lab, and my first hunting dog; and finally Billy. 

Billy is really a unique guy.  He is AKC Senior Hunter titled, and a really good hunting partner.  He is also the sweetest dog I’ve ever owned.  He really has an affectionate personality, and not a mean bone in his body. 

 

I found Billy through an online ad on the Retriever Central website.  I lost my Black Lab, Duke unexpectedly at only 10 years old.  Two months earlier he was making 100+ yard water retrieves on Canada geese.  I keep all my dogs physically fit, with a high quality diet of only dry dog food (no people food); exercise; and good veterinary care.  Duke developed a fear of thunder storms at an age of about 8 years.  He passed from what the vet diagnosed as an aneurysm during the first thunder storm of that year.  I was really crushed by it.  I was recently divorced, and that made it harder.  I was determined not to get another dog.  That soon passed when I began waking in the morning, and expecting to see his head on the side of the bed looking at me when I woke up.  So I decided to just poke around in the classified ads.

I was looking for a started or finished hunting dog as I did not have time for a puppy, and really wanted a dog I could hunt immediately.  The first ad I came to was for Billy.  It must have been destiny.  I read the ad, and it sounded very promising, but I waited a few days before calling.

 

I finally called Sharon Hanson Potter at Red Branch Kennels in Wisconsin.  I asked her some questions about Billy, and as she finished answering she said that she was not going to let Billy go to just anyone.  She said she would not sell him to a trainer.  She wanted him to go to a hunting home where he’d be loved and get to do what he loves…hunt.  Now it was Sharon’s turn to ask me questions.  She asked why I was interested in Billy?  As I told her about my dog Duke, I started to break down.  She immediately said that she wanted him to go to me.  Sharon was so good to work with.  She really wanted me to come up there to meet Billy; train with her; and make sure that he was a good fit.  It didn’t work out, but I knew from talking to Sharon that he was perfect for me.  So Sharon put him on a plane, and he flew by himself from Wisconsin to Maryland.  I first met him in the cargo pickup warehouse.  He was just as happy as can be.  I still smile when I think about it.  He is just the happiest dog I’ve ever known.

 

Billy had always lived in a kennel environment until he came to live with me.  That made for an interesting period of adjustment.  It was hilarious to watch him learn how to use steps inside the house, but he stumbled through it.  Pardon the pun.  He is not one to be left alone in the house though.  A typical lab, he is a big time chow hound.  It was a hard lesson.  He managed to get out of his kennel about a month after I got him.  I wasn’t home, and he went on a chow hunt.  I had lots of supplements and protein bars that were within his reach unfortunately for both of us.  He ripped open a new container of a greens type supplement….on my leather couch.  That was fun cleaning up.  He ate 10 low carb protein bars.  He even ate some melatonin capsules.  All I can say is that the look on his face the next morning as he squatted in the yard made up for all the cleaning I had to do.  It was explosive, LOL. 

One of the things I love most about Billy is his happiness and goofy habits.  He does this thing called the “Billy Flop” that is hilarious.  He comes over and leans against your leg; puts his front end down with his butt in the air; twists sideways; and eventually the backend flips over so he can get a belly rub….his favorite thing.  He is not ashamed of exposing himself for the belly rub.

Billy has made me a happier person with his happy-go-lucky personality and funny habits.

Billy is not always suave; he has embarrassed me.  We went to a pool party where dogs were encouraged.  Steamed crabs are a Maryland tradition, and everyone was crowded around a big picnic table in the yard eating.  Billy was running around, and I was concerned he would get into some food or other mischief.  What he did was prance over in front of everyone eating, and squatted right in the middle of the yard.  Then he went on his merry way.  He is too much.

 

I did find out that I cannot leave Billy alone in the house.  He is like one of the Bumphus hounds from Christmas Story.  He would devastate the kitchen, and anywhere else he thought he might find food.  I also came to find out about his like for bourbon when I had a friend over and we were sitting on the couch talking.  He had a glass of bourbon resting on his knee.  The next thing we know, Billy has his entire snout in my friend’s glass getting himself a nice swig of Woodford’s Reserve.  Then he really started sneezing! 

 

My favorite thing to do with Billy?  Duck hunting is definitely our favorite activity, especially from the boat.  Billy loves to ride on the boat and is a good passenger.
He makes me laugh daily and really makes me proud when we hunt. 

Sometimes I talk goofy with him.  I alternate between calling him Billy, Bill, William, and sometimes “Young Man”.  It’s just like some parents with their kids.  They call them by their full name if they are serious or the child has misbehaved.  He is like my son. 

Billy is a good traveler; he always travels in the kennel.  He is good in the truck.  I have a two hole full kennel that he rides in during hunting season.  He is a good traveler.  He is a very well socialized dog.  There isn’t much that bothers him or that he is afraid of- that is a testament to Sharon as a breeder and trainer.

If I had any advice to people looking to add a pet to their life, it would be to pick a pet that will compliment or enhance things that you already enjoy.  They will make them even more enjoyable.

 

Kai

Kaiyah aka: Kai, Booboos, Pooper, Das poopantor

She was born May 16, 2012 and came to me early into my first summer of marriage. She was tiny and only 7 weeks old when the owners let me take her home. From the moment she and I were together we were inseparable. Within her first month home she attended a 4th of july party where she was in her carrying case strapped to me, and my sister-in-law’s wedding where she was the guest of honor. I had never had my own puppy so I read a lot on how to train her and within no time at all she was well potty trained and learning all of the basic tricks.

You could say we were two pea’s in a pod.

I have never owned my own dog before and was at a loss for what to name her. I read a lot about labs and how they respond to names. They like one syllable names so I google’d black female dog names. Kai in Swahili means Loveable and in Cornish it means dog. In Burmese it means Strong or Unbreakable. I just really liked the name. And I only call her Kaiyah when she is in trouble and mostly goes by Kai.

My husband worked over seas at the time and Kai really was my life saver. She is my closest companion. She gets sad when I’m sad and so happy when her dad comes home just like me. That first summer I tried to teach her to swim a little too early. I couldn’t help it! She’s a lab and at 12 weeks I threw her in the water with me and she hated me for it. I was SO worried I had ruined my water dog. However, I’ll never forget that fall when she finally went in the water with her best friend Riley! Now we can’t keep her out of it.

She makes life so much better as my best friend, my constant companion. She gets me out of the house and off of my butt to take her to play and walk. One of her favorite things is fetch. It doesn’t matter where we are, she will find a stick, small, medium or large and bring it to you, including entire fallen trees at times!

Kai was purchased for $20 from a friend’s sister.  I had wanted to adopt a pet from the shelter, but I also wanted my first dog to be a puppy to raise and teach and train myself and Kai was it for me once I saw her.  The mom was a full yellow lab and dad was ½ black lab, ½ golden retriever. She is black with a white diamond on her neck and some white hair on the under side of her paws. Her ears are and face are golden to a T, and so is her bushy tail, but everything else is Lab. I was drawn to her because of the tests my dad had taught me about dogs. She was middle of the line when it came to dominant v. passive, and liked to play.

Like most labs, she is a friendly lover of a dog. I haven’t met anyone yet that doesn’t fall for her. She’s a lot like her momma in that way. She loves hunting with her dad for birds, bears and gophers. She has a good nose, but is still learning the art of being a bird dog without proper training. That doesn’t stop her dad from taking her though. She sits on the middle console and her nose is basically against the windshield, at full attention as he drives slowly looking for grouse.

Like Kai I love the water too and learning to kayak has become a favorite thing for us to do together. She is learning to sit in the proper places and trust her legs, but this trip, she liked sitting right by me the most. She is my shadow…and likes being with her mom a lot.

Kai makes wookie noises. She talks a lot to her dad and I when she wants something or needs something. We call it wookie language because it’s not a normal whine or bark. It sounds something like Chewbaka. A bad habit I got her into was eating pieces of toilet paper. When she was little to keep her occupied I would throw tiny pieces for her into the air while I went to the bathroom. Every morning we still do this ritual much to my husband’s dismay.

Kai and I have driven across country together twice! She flew to Chicago with me and drove back to Montana with my mom and brother at 3 months of age.  Then,  again at 6 months we went to Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Illinois and got stuck in a snow storm in Wyoming. It was – 3º, snowing and so windy that when I tried to take her outside for a walk, she could barely take a step without blowing away. It was crazy! I think that these adventures are why she is so well socialized. On this trip alone, she met over 35 different people and hung out with 6 other dog and cats. I miss those adventures and long for another road trip with her soon!!!

Another favorite thing that Kai, Buck and I do together is snuggle. She is a crazy snuggle bunny. She rarely goes to bed with us, but by 2 am she has found her place at my feet. I thought I might be more harsh about that, but when Buck was gone all of the time, she was so comforting it ended quickly. She loves to find her way between the two of us and lick us until we wake up and rub her belly. She loves belly rubs and having her ears massaged. They are the softest ears on the planet.

The only thing I regret is not having Kai put into more training when she was younger. She is SO smart and I would have liked to see her get more advanced tricks and bird doggin’. Maybe we can still make this happen!

If you are following along, Kai now has a new friend from the local shelter: Boone!

Quin

Today Michelle shares with us about Quin and their adventures in the wilderness of Oregon.

Quin is a pit-bull/great dane mix.  She is a clown but also has a gentle loving side. I named her Quin because of her harlequin coloring.  Her nickname is Quinny-Bo -Binny

Quin was around 3-5 mos. old when i got her and did a lot of sleeping at first.  She outgrew that and went through  a clumsy "china in a bull shop", non-stop-action phase. I found Quin by looking everyday on the Linn County Dog Control site.  She was found by animal control as a stray on the streets of Albany, OR.  I wanted to help rescue a dog; important to me because too many dogs are put to death in dog shelters.

I had just lost my beautiful girl Isha (boxer/sharpei mix) to a mystery illness and was feeling such a void in my life that i was actively searching for another dog to share my life with.  I saw Quin on the Linn County dog shelter site and her funny face is what drew me to her.  She has one eye that is half brown and half blue  and she looked very mischievous.

The most unexpected thing about owning a pet is the way that they so quickly win your heart and become a part of your family.  They are such good companions and like nothing more than going for a hike or bike ride whenever you ask them. 

Quin has taught me patience and acceptance.  she was very friendly to other dogs when she was a puppy but, when she came into her own, at two years of age; she began to be dog reactive.  i had to learn to accept this part of her personality and we continue to work on this.  i would never give her up because of it; kind of like you don't give up on your teenagers when they hit a certain age. 
 
She has taught me that a dog does not have to be perfect in order for me love them.  She doesn't get along well with other dogs so it has been hard to schedule our activities around this aspect.  She does eventually come to accept and like other dogs that belong to my friends and family.  I hope that i have taught her that people are, for the most part, kind and gentle and that she can trust me to take care of her and never hurt her.

Quin and I do a lot of hiking and Bike riding.  I bought a Walkie Dog attachment for my bike and she loves to run alongside my bike; sometimes she actually pulls me if i don't pedal fast enough.

She makes me smile just by being her.  She likes to wake me up by rolling around on the bed, making noises until i get up and feed her.  I am proud that she is such a loving dog to all people as she helps to change people's attitudes and their perceived notions about what a pitbull is.  No-one can walk away from her without knowing how much she loves people and just wants them to be her friend.  I have never regretted my decision to adopt Quin. 

If I were going to give advice to people thinking of bringing home a dog it would be to not adopt a dog with preconceived notions about what you think they will be like by looking at them.  I would suggest that you go and visit the dog and take them for walks and spend time with them and get to know a little about them before bringing them home.  Remember that they will not always be the cute little ball of fur that they were as puppies.  Love and kindness is the key to a happy dog.

We couldnt agree more, Michelle!  Thanks for giving Quin such a loving home!

Bolt

Meet Bolt.  Bolt is a Boxer/Wolfhound mix.  He is only two years old, but has a lot of gray hair and a sort of "tactical Beard" which makes people think he is much older.  He's a very laid back puppy with an old soul.

Bolt is a rescue dog, which is extremely important to us.  Bolt was 4 month's old when we adopted him from "A Forever Home Rescue Foundation."  He was born in a hoarding house prior to being rescued.  We've vowed to give him a much better life than the one he was born into.   We get a lot of joy knowing we've given him a second chance at life, in a good home.  It was love at first sight ;)

Bolt gets his name from a component on a firearm, particularly a rifle.  Our family business caters to firearms enthusiasts, so it's a very fitting name that our customers enjoy. We also call him "Baby Boy" from time to time.....because he's our baby boy ;)

Bolt is in a unique situation being a "Shop Dog."  He is always with us, at home and at work.  There have only been a few times when we've had to leave him alone for a little while, and when we return he acts like we've been gone for years!!!  Bolt is around people all day, and around children a lot.  He is extremely gentle with kids, allowing them to pet him, play with him, and he'll give them puppy kisses all day long.

Bolt is our friend, our protector and a wonderful addition to our family.  He has a unique face and personality that attracts people instantly, which works well because he is in the public all day as a "shop dog."  We always say, Bolt brings us balance.  No matter how long or stressful of a day we're having, Bolt can make everything better with just one hug.  He loves to hug ;)

Bolt has the ability to curl his upper lip, we call it the "Elvis Lip" or "War Face."  Even though he's perfectly calm, his curled lip looks like he's ready for battle.  We give our customers and fans on social media a new "War Face" picture every week on "War Face Wednesday."  Bolt loves to lay in the grass outside.  As long as you curl up next to him, he'll lay there for hours, just sniffing the breeze and watching the birds.

Bolt rides to work and back home with us every day.  No matter how cold or how hot, he prefers to have his whole head out the window.  Only when it's raining will he sit inside.  Even then, he ONLY rides in the front passenger seat, we don't even bother trying to sit in that seat anymore. ;)

I always like to remind new pet owners that pets are not toys or accessories.  They are members of the family.  Being a dog owner all my life, I can tell folks that any love and affection they give their pets will be returned ten fold.  That kind of love is unconditional ;)

You can follow Jimmy and Bolt on the F3 Tactical Inc Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/F3-Tactical-Inc/194913677278897?fref=photo 

CJ

I don’t know if I would say I own him.    

Am I his keeper? Yes.  Will I do whatever it takes to keep him healthy and happy for however many years he has? Yes. When I think of ownership I think of something I could buy, enjoy and then sell. He won't ever be sold or given up.  I don't have any biological children but CJ is a lifetime commitment. 

Biggest surprise? He is silent!  Only the tiniest little woof if he is startled by a loud noise.  Either that or the fact that he was never a chewer as a puppy.  He never really destroyed anything in the house.  CJ loves his stuffed animals.

In was December of 2009 and my ex-wife pointed at a computer screen with a few pics of puppies on it and asked which one I thought was cuter.  I pointed at the black one which turned out to be CJ.  She said ok, I’ll get him. I said, “No way.  It is the middle of winter with temps hovering around -15F. No one else except me will ever take the time to go outside and house train him.  Let’s get a pup in the spring.”

The pup I didn't want showed up a few days later and I will forever remember the date December 12th 2009. I was right. I was the one who took him outside, but he was a quick study!  He only needed to go outside at night about 2-3 nights and then he could make it through the night.

During the day he was small enough to go with me everywhere as he just slipped right into the hand warmer pocket on my hoody.  His first name was Diesel but it just didn't fit well and so I got to thinking about another name.  With permission from the parents, I ended up naming him CJ – the initials of their youngest son’s name. He took his own life a year earlier on December 12, 2008.  That quiet little dog showed up exactly one year to the day later to remind us not to forget those that are no longer with us.  It worked! It's been almost 6 years and not a day passes that I don’t think of CJ and smile.

CJ doesn’t know anyone that isn’t a friend.  He is almost 5 years old and I'm still trying to break him of the habit of jumping all over who ever might show up. It probably won’t happen until he is an old dog and no longer wants to greet people that way. 

I dread the day I have to make the decision to have him put to sleep. Actually, I hope he just passes in his sleep.

Trooper and Gunner

In 95’, I had been home from the Army for about a year and to say I was not adjusting well would be an understatement. I was having trouble fitting back into civilian life and just seemed to be angry or on edge all the time.  

I had grown up with dogs and pets and enjoyed my Parent’s dogs. A partner that I shared a beat with as a Cop had a boxer named Jake. He was a funny dog, a little wild, but a seemed to be a great dog. Jake was my first time learning of this breed and I was sold. So a short time later around Feb. 96’ I got my first boxer. He was a cute little guy, full of energy, and a typical “fawn” type boxer. I named him Trooper, because I had been a Paratrooper in the Army.  

Troop grew into a muscular, big boxer, going way over the typical male boxer weight scale, so I would often refer to him as “Muscle Boy”. At the time he was a bit aggressive, stubborn and pig headed, much like I was. I had trouble training him and could not have him around other boxers because he was overly aggressive to them. Dealing with him and trying to get him to be a better dog, helped curb my tendency to have those same traits. He always knew when I was not feeling well or dealing with something, which always calmed me down and kept me from “blowing up.” He was my buddy for almost 13yrs. Without him, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to get past the anger issues and stress I was feeling. 

In 2010, my then wife was preparing to deploy to Iraq for a year. While we knew about this and were preparing for it, it was going to be a tough go for our little family. I had been without a dog for a while now and desperately wanted another one. Also, my 9 year old step-daughter had been asking her mom for years to get a dog. So we discussed it and decided we would look for a boxer pup. 

As I was looking I found a little brindle that immediately caught my eye. I showed the photos and bio to my wife and she approved so we went to go take a look. On the day we got him, he came bouncing into the room.  My wife  looked over at me, took one look at my face and knew we were going home with him. We chose the name Gunner, because of our military backgrounds. 

He immediately took to my wife and step-daughter and is still a full-on “ladies’ man”.  Unfortunately my marriage did not last and I soon found myself moving and taking Gunner with me. It has not always been easy and at times, I felt very much alone….until he would come over and do that thing that, boxers do….wiggle. He, like me has, no poker face. You can read him very well. My ex affectionately named him “wiggle butt” and it’s stuck. 

I’ve had Trooper for 4 years now and along with his new sidekick Bubba (a Boston terrier) I never feel alone. He helped me through a tough time and made me understand a saying I’ve come to love…. “You have never known unconditional love, until you’ve owned a dog.” 

Without my two boxers, I’m not sure where or how I would be. At the very least it probably would have taken me much longer to deal with those inner turmoil’s than it did.  Our pets can be helpful in many ways and how mine have pushed me in so many ways to be a better person all around.