Hunter was born on May 2, 2011 in Chico, CA. His first family named him Willie. They had an 18-month-old daughter who loved to play with him and his brothers and sisters so he came to us ready for the world of noises, pats, and action.
We picked him up in Chico in the end of June. We had just come home from the wedding and honeymoon and I had a few weeks before starting work to potty train him and get him used to his new home.
We looked all over CA for breeders who had a miniature, smooth coat, dachshund in either black and tan or brown. Only one breeder had one puppy like we were looking for. Due to this, we didn't have much of a choice in picking him but she described him as curious and outgoing and we thought that sounded better than timid and scared and we sent her our down payment. Come to find out 6 months later, that description still fits his personality perfectly. It seems so fitting that we ended up naming him Hunter after we brought him home.
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| Hunter loves his toys |
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| Hunter meeting my nephew Ben. They're pretty much best friends. |
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| Hunter meeting my other nephew, Nathan. It was love and kisses at first sight. |
In the 6 months since I've moved to NorCal I've been sick numerous times and Hunter has always been there to cuddle up, keep me company, and take naps with me.
He loves to snuggle with Matt and I. Usually he snuggles with Matt because he's warmer, but if I have a blanket with me then I am the preferred choice. :) I love his company and companionship. It has been especially great when Matt travels to come home to a happy tail wagging and someone to play with and go on walks with.
I am a water person whether it be the pool, the ocean, the lake, or the bath and I was worried we would have a dog who was afraid of the water. It turns out that Hunter LOVES the water. This is a picture of him during his first bath. He just sits there so calm and waits until we take him out to give a mighty shake and then run around playing.
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| Here is a picture where Ben is helping us give Hunter a bath after his first beach experience. |
Hunter was neutered in November and we think it has really helped to calm him down. He did great with the surgery and wearing his cone for the two weeks following. I actually think he was kinda cute in it. You can see in this picture that his happy tail is still wagging right after coming home from the vet.
As I mentioned before, Hunter is a great companion. Here are some pictures of him doing some of his favorite things:
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| Laying out at the pool with me, watching the kids swimming |
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| Following us around the house no matter where we are. |
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| Playing with towels. He loves to toss them, run with them, and chew on them. I love how his tongue is sticking out in this picture.
Hunter knows his name and responds to it (as well as wiener and puppy). He is potty trained to ring a bell when he needs to go out, and he is working on "sit" and "come." He also knows "leave it" and "off."
He did really well with his first Christmas. We had a live tree and he learned really quickly to not drink the water, eat the tree, eat the tree skirt, or play with the presents. He got quite a few presents from our family for Christmas too, which was fun and kept him busy.
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| He even dressed as a reindeer! |
One of Hunter's favorite toys is his ball. They're from the Chuck-It line and they're the mini ones that are the perfect size for him. He loves to chase them, especially at my parent's house where there is a large stretch of tile that he can run fast and slide on. It's so funny to watch my dad and Matt sit on the floor on opposite ends of the room and throw the ball back and forth while Hunter runs between them.
I thought you might also enjoy a few quick videos of him to better see his personality...
Hunter chases bubbles:
Hunter sends Christmas greetings:
Hunter's first time at the beach, where he ends up chasing a bird into the ocean and learning to swim:
This little 13 pound dog has brought so much joy and love to our new family and we can't imagine not having him. As a matter of fact, it's time for me to go snuggle him right now!
