Dog Stories: Bernard

Kyle Holstein writes about his dog, Bernard:

“My name is Kyle Holstein and my best friend is Bernard. He is a 10 year old Shiloh Shepherd. 

I adopted Berne at age 2, and from the moment I met him, he was attached at my side. He hopped out of the ladies truck, came to me, and hopped in my vehicle with no hesitation.  We've been attached at the hip ever since. 

The 3 things that I will most remember Berne for are :

What he's got me through in life without asking much in return. 

He saved my moms life when she was having a stroke. 

All the time we've spent hiking and fatbiking together. We are both so happy in these times. 

I have so many good photos of Berne but this is one of my favorites.”

Bernard - Photo Courtesy of Kyle Holstein

Dog Stories: Lincoln

Marina Cantin writes about her dog, Lincoln:

“I have a 2 year old English mastiff bull mastiff mix named Lincoln 3 things I will always remember about him are...

1. He always loved to shred toilet paper up all over the house and we had to chase around the house to take the rest away from him. 

2. He would always follow me around the house when he was little going in between my legs tripping me constantly. 

3. I will always remember how he was there for me as my first companion and how he would put his head on me when I was sad or having a hard time.” 

Lincoln - Photo Courtesy of Marina Cantin

Dog Stories: Stevie and Cooper

Jen Randall Dustin writes about her two dogs, Stevie and Cooper.

“We just got a new addition to our family in May and her name is Stevie.  She is 8 months old now and she is a greatdane/mastiff, like our boy Cooper.

Some fun facts about Stevie:
1. When she comes to sit beside me on the couch she ends up actually sitting her butt on me, and then sliding down my body until she hits the couch.
2. When she hears my alarm in the morning she comes over and sniffs my face and gives me a kiss to make sure I don't hit the snooze button.
3. She loves her big brother, Cooper so much. She is constantly licking his jowls and sleeps right beside him at bedtime. ( He allows the sleeping part...but not such a fan of the licking-of-the-jowls-part.)

Then there's our sweet boy, Cooper. He is 7. We got him when he was 10 months old from a family in Chiliwack. The husband had developed MS and it was heartbreaking to see their sweet boy go, but they wanted him to go to a family with kids as they had two young children of their own. When we met Cooper, the kids, Ray and I instantly fell in love with his big heart. The kids were climbing all over him and he just layed there like he was in heaven. I laid down right in front of him and looked him in the eyes and I just knew.
They told us that Cooper had got his back up with all the couples that he had met except for us. ( his hair will literally rise up on his back in a line like a rodhesian ridegback)
I guess that is one fun fact about our boy.
2. When we go camping, Coop is always off leash because he will follow the kids wherever they go and never takes off if he sees other dogs. He is teaching Stevie this trick now but ends up herding her back if she takes off. Haha.
3. Coop loves his snuggle time. He will either bury his head in your crotch, lean on you if you are standing so you have easy access to pet him, or he will come up behind you if you are sitting on a chair or at the table and nuzzle your arm up so you can give him pets on the head. And if you stop petting him, he will put his paw on you and look at you with his big saucer brown eyes, so then you have to keep going.”

Coop (left) and Stevie (right) - Photo Courtesy of Jen Randall Dustin

Dog Stories: Toto

Tianna Williamson wrote about her dog, Toto.

“I have had my dog Toto since only March of this year. I rescued him from Korea where he was soon to be killed on a meat farm. He was everything in my life I didn’t know I was missing. The bond we had was instantly electric and we’ve been absolutely inseparable the past 8 months. 
Toto is a 4 year old Yorkie mix, most people say he looks like a little teddy bear and when I’m out at a store or a brewery with him I get constant comments about how freaking cute he is! 
3 things I’ll never forget about Toto are:
-How he taps his 2 front paws aggressively on our hardwood floor when he’s excited or happy. 
-How he truly smiles when he’s happy. 
-How every morning when I wake up, he’s curled in the tiniest little ball cuddling me.”

Toto - Photo Courtesy of Tianna Williamson

Dog Stories: Clover

Jody Rushka writes about her dog, Clover.

“Clover is an exceptionally sweet dog.  I absolutely love how goofy and silly she is.  She wants to be my constant shadow and when she is over 120lbs it sometimes gets in the way.  She also gets people’s attention by bumping her nose firmly into someone... due to her height, frequently she ‘gooses’ us.  She also loves playing with our cats.  She mouths them but not bites... sometimes the cats are a slobbery mess!  Clover is a year and a half.”

Clover (on the left)- Photo Courtesy of Jody Rushka

Dog Stories: Maya

Michelle Colvey writes about, Maya.

“Meet Maya! She is our 5 yr old female Boxer and the rock that helps hold our crazy chaotic house and family together. 

We adopted her as a puppy, when my husband and I first married, and we saw her as a sign of the amazing ways to come that our family would grow - and grow it did! Shortly after, and in quick succession, we had 2 boys, Bretton and Carter join our family, and all along as the time and attention we had left for her waned, she never once complained and I have to say, even all these years later, that has stuck with me.

Having mellowed out from the exuberance of her puppy years, she is happiest now when she’s snuggled up close. She almost even seems to enjoy being used as a doggy jungle gym for toddlers to climb and crawl all over her, reminding me, every day, to not allow the little annoyances get you down, as even those can be embraced.  

Most of all, I'll never forget how her unconditional love never wavered despite all the changes our family experienced. She has reminded me again and again of the powerful connection we hold with those around us and those whom we hold closest of all when time, attention and energy become depleted by the demands of life. 

In short, loyalty, tolerance and unconditional love are the 3 things she will always be remembered for; a legacy even the best humans could only hope to achieve.”

Maya - Photo Courtesy of Michelle Colvey

Dog Stories: Disco

Erin Fennell writes about her dog, Disco.

“Disco Fennell is an 11 year old Lab Retriever cross. I’ve always thought that if he had an online dating profile, this would be his pic. 
Three things I’ll always remember about Disco are:
1. His intense pawing when he wants all the petting
2. The way the he looks annoyed when the cat gets up in his grill, but how his wagging tail gives him away,
3. How he hides his face in the crotches of his loved ones.”

Disco - Photo courtesy of Erin Fennell