RIP - Sassy
Sassy was the first dog I ever owned and I credit her completely with my love of dogs. I can't remember a time of my childhood when she wasn't by my side and it was heartbreaking having to put her down when I was a senior in high school.
She was originally bought to be my dad's hunting dog and the mother was a purebred lab from hunting lines. They weren't sure about the father ... turned out he was the corgi next door. As if that wasn't enough, she was scared of guns and water so her hunting days were over before they even started. Which turned out perfect for me because she then became my companion. We had a bunch of 'barn' cats at the time (who spent as much time indoors as they did out in the barn) who were all unfixed. This led to kittens every once in awhile and Sassy would always lead me to where the mother cat had hidden her kittens so that I could move them inside where they had a better chance of survival. Somehow, the mother cats always trusted her with their kittens and she could often be found watching over the group even when the mother was there. |
Shadow
Shadow is an Australian Shepherd that I found at an animal shelter in California (one with a depressingly high kill rate). I was seven months pregnant and nervous about adding a dog to my household with everything else going on but I was living alone and felt a deep need get a dog. I went to at least a dozen different animal shelters across southern California (even going back to a few a couple of times) before hearing about this awful shelter. I made the hour and a half drive and the second I saw her I knew that I couldn't leave her.
It ended up being the best course of action. She's been marvelous with my daughter (letting my now 1 year old crawl over her and checking on her when she cries). She's great with other dogs, smart, and gentle. Also, she very rarely barks ... but she does howl. |
Max
AKA Maximum. So named because his energy level is typically maxed out at all times. I got him as a companion for Shadow from another shelter in Southern California (with similar high-kill rates) because she loved being around other dogs and after my daughter was born I couldn't get to the dog park as much.
He's been a good dog (even if he is a dumb blonde sometimes). He loves chasing laser lights but his favorite game is to bug other dogs until they chase him then run to people for sympathy ... he's a bit of a brat. No one is really sure what breed he is. The shelter had him listed as a Cocker Spaniel mix. I met a lady who breeds Dachshunds who thought he was part long-haired Dachshund (it's hard to tell from the pictures but he's fairly long). Most people guess Chihuahua mix. I just call him my cuddly little mutt. |
Lady
When I was in middle school I begged my parents for another dog and received Lady as a birthday present from the local shelter. Still the best birthday present I have ever received. She takes all the credit for getting me into dog training because she was a breeze to train (picking up tricks like playing dead and balancing treats on her nose like she had known them her whole life).
Sadly, when I went to the Marine Corps I couldn't take her with me ... luckily my aunt was willing to take her in ... my aunt who lives next door so she's still close. By the time I moved back in, she had firmly become my aunt's dog (while she still loves me and runs over to me whenever she sees me she always returns to my aunt). |
Jezz
Jezz is actually my dad's hunting dog but since I'm currently living in their household I'm going to include her here. The easiest way to sum her up is to say that she's an overly sized lovable lug. She firmly believes that she's a lap dog despite being well over the standard Labrador size.
For the longest time it was just Jezz and my mom's chihuahua Chico before I moved back in. Instantly, Jezz and Shadow became the best of friends (Jezz rejoicing in having another dog at least closer to her size) and the two spend hours running and playing. She loves hunting and gets excited whenever she sees a gun. We have to keep a training collar on her during deer hunting season and the Fourth of July to keep her from running off ... not because she's scared but because she will run towards the sound of gunshots or fireworks (the latter of which she likes to try and eat). |
Chico
Like Jezz, Chico doesn't actually belong to me but I'm including him in here because he's my mom's dog and is in the same household right now.
I grew up with Chico (an anniversary present from my dad to my mom who had been wanting a small dog in our large dog household forever). He's a tough little guy (probably having to do with growing up with numerous large dogs) and loves to cuddle. He's old now and tends to walk with a limp and has lost his hearing but he still has his moments of youth. |
Tucker & Luna
After years of begging, pleading, and listing reasons I finally got Tucker (the chestnut Quarter Horse gelding) when I was in middle school. Two years later, Luna De Mayo (the Appaloosa mare) aka Luna joined the herd and the two became inseparable ... hence why they're put together (although, mostly because it's actually pretty hard to find individual photos of them haha).
Tucker is pushy and grumpy. Although I can ride him without problems, he has a tendency to test new riders and can be hard to control. Despite this, he can be sweet to me and I can ride him bareback in the middle of the pasture without worry. Luna is sweet and dumb. She's the one we can throw little kids on and not have to worry about. She's not always the brightest however (one time she rolled and got stuck under the fence ... we had to remove the bottom plank to get her free). |
Vicious & Phoenix
The story of Vicious and Phoenix starts with their mother - Ghost. Several years ago, my dad kept telling me about stray cat that showed up in our yard but every time I tried to find her she wouldn't come out (I teased him that he was seeing a ghost - hence her name). Finally, I managed to lure her out with food to find this skinny stray. For the next month I worked on taming her and had just gotten to the point where we going to take her to the vet when we discovered that she was pregnant. She ended up having five kittens. The last to be born was Phoenix who was almost dead (yeah ... I have given mouth to mouth to a kitten ...) but they all ended up surviving. Once they were old enough we got them fixed and found them homes but ended up keeping these two. Shortly after they were weaned, their mother took off and we never saw her again.
Vicious is the larger black-and-white male. So named because as a kitten he needed his own food dish or he would hiss and attack his siblings. His newest favorite hobby is chasing Max around and making the small dog yelp. Other than that he's fairly lazy whenever he is inside (outside he actually proves to be a formidable hunter). Phoenix is the smaller grey-and-white female who looks just like her mother. She's a lot more skittish than her brother (I once witnessed her running away from a mouse). Despite her propensity to jump at the slightest loud noise she is a major cuddler and loves to knead you with her claws. |