| Meet Chessa |
After Christie and her husband purchased their first home, they were ready for a dog. They wanted a pet who would share their enjoyment of the outdoors. "We decided on the Labrador breed because of their gentleness and devotion to their masters," Christie says.
The Flying Puppy
When it was time for Chessa to come to her new pet parents, she didn't arrive by car. She took a plane. "Chessa came to us from Nebraska," Christie explains. "The breeder was also a pilot for a commercial airline. When the time came for Chessa to come and live with us, he brought her up on one of his flights from Denver." Chessa slept the whole way in the cockpit. Her new pet parents got their first look at her through the airplane window. "Of course we had to take our first family pictures next to the plane," says Christie.
These days, Chessa still enjoys a good snooze. Christie says that when she returns from work, "Chessa often appears as though I woke her from a deep nap." They take a walk and, "if the weather is nice, she gets to lie in the front yard to chew on her bone. She likes to see the people walking by."
She Can Lick You!
"Chessa has many personality traits which make her unique," says Christie. "One that she is most known for is her licking. She greets people by licking. She has the world's longest tongue. When you meet her for the first time, you are bound to get slimed by that long tongue."
"She has the world's longest tongue.
When you meet her for the first time,
you are bound to get slimed"
Chessa uses her long tongue for more than kisses. "Dinnertime brings the privilege of licking her dad's plate clean," Christie says. "The evening may include sitting by and catching an occasional piece of popcorn as we eat our evening snack together. She loves to sit on the floor next to the counter where the popcorn popper sits. She comes running when she hears me plug it in."
Chessa isn't a bossy dog, but "she definitely lets us know what she wants," says Christie. "She demands certain things with a bark, and follows me until I comply.When I walk to the coat closet, she thinks she is going on a walk and barks to let me know that she is willing to go. She also requests cookies when I am at her cupboard.
Rules Are Made To Be Relaxed
"When Chessa was younger, we were sticklers for following the rules," says Christie. "Now that she is 11 we feel that it is all right to break a rule every now and then. Occasionally, we put a blanket on the couch and let her lie up there with us while we watch TV. She wants to be close to where we are."
But Chessa is no couch potato. According to Christie, she has many interests outside the home. "She absolutely loves to 'load up.' She knows that this means she gets to go for a ride in the truck. She gets the whole back seat to herself.
"She probably should have been
a fish rather than a lab."
"Chessa also enjoys swimming," Christie continues. It doesn't matter if it is her kiddie pool in the backyard or the creek. She loves to get sticks and never wants to stop. She probably should have been a fish rather than a lab."
Lost Keys, Found Dog
Even a natural, experienced swimmer like Chessa can run into problems, something that happened a couple of years ago on one of the last warm days of summer. As Christie reports, "We were at the creek and Chessa had successfully retrieved many sticks from the water. Since she is a little crazy when water is involved, we have to cut her off because she doesn't know when to quit. We told her that this next toss of the stick would be her last for the day. My husband threw the stick, she ran and jumped in and then sank a little and started floating away with the gentle current. She was completely motionless.
"She was completely motionless.
My husband and I looked at each other
in disbelief. He took off and jumped in."
My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. He took off and jumped in and immediately cradled her at which time she came to, apparently startled, and momentarily nipped at his arm. When back on shore it was as if nothing had happened. There was no choking on water and she simply appeared ready to go swimming again. When my husband ran to get her out of the water, our car keys apparently fell from his pocket into the waist deep water. We went back in and searched the best we could. The next day we came back with snorkel gear. We never found the keys."
Chessa Doesn't Get Rattled
Another memorably scary story that Christie tells about Chessa begins early one morning.
"He peered around the dog house and
saw the rattlesnake. She had been
tormenting it and it was very angry."
"My husband opened the door to call for Chessa," recalls Christie. "She came in immediately and then he heard what sounded like our underground sprinklers, but it was too early in the day for that. He peered around the dog house and saw the rattlesnake. She had been tormenting it and it was very angry. Thankfully, Chessa was not bitten. The snake turned out to be 44 inches long with 12 rattles."
Chessa and BLUE
"Chessa had been eating the large breed mix," says Christie, "and I was excited to see that you recently began having the large breed senior mix. She eats twice a day. In the morning, I mix a small amount of your canned food with the dry food. She seems to like the beef stew the best. I think she likes the chunks of meat."
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