Stories

Christine and Puka have been part of the Lasso family from the very beginning, back when we where making the first Lassos from our own apartments! Needless to say we found incredible joy in reading the story of how Puka learned to swim!

Puka has been fascinated by water ever since she was a puppy. I remember she would always want to play with the sprinklers in the neighborhood and wrestle with the hose in the garden. She would even jump into the shower without being prompted. One summer afternoon we were invited to a friend’s house for a pool party. Puka was running around the pool with her dog friend, Dolly, while Dolly was chasing balls and doing belly flops into the water. Puka would cry as she watched in excitement. A friend at the party had a fun idea to put Puka in the pool too. “Let’s see if Puka will swim with Dolly!” she said. I didn’t think twice about it because all of the dogs I had growing up naturally knew how to swim. My friend scooped Puka up and put her in the pool. It was like a cartoon! She didn't even float. We stood looking over the edge for one second, maybe two, and I quickly realized bubbles were coming up but she was not. I dunked my hand into the pool and pulled Puka out as fast as I could and she ran around the pool like nothing even happened. That day I realized as much as she loves water, she cannot swim. Not long after this failed swim attempt I bought Puka a life vest to help teach her how to stay afloat. I used treats and toys to encourage her. I took her to the beach often. She would splash around in the ocean and even though the waves came crashing down on her and clearly she had no idea what she was doing, Puka loved every minute of it. But progress was slow. For whatever reason, Puka could not figure out how to kick her legs to stay afloat when she was in the water.

One day we were driving up the coast of California with my boyfriend, Davis, and we came across a beautiful lagoon. We pulled off so we could explore the area and let Puka play in the water. The sky was clear and the weather was warm; it was the perfect day to play on the shore. Davis started skipping rocks out onto the lagoon when all of a sudden Puka got a wild idea. Davis tossed a rock and before we knew, Puka was following the skipping stone straight out into the lagoon! She had no idea that the lagoon got deeper the further she went out. As soon as her legs no longer touched solid ground, her instincts kicked in and she started swimming for the first time. Davis and I were elated! We were the most proud parents watching our kid awkwardly staying above the water and screaming on the shore “COME ON, PUKA!” She made a smooth U-turn and doggy paddled her way back to us. That was Puka’s first time swimming on her own and it was one of the most exciting moments I’ve shared with her. Puka has never been afraid of water and I don’t think she ever will be.

Rylee & Lenox, a pitbull terrier mix and a rottweiler/labrador mix, are the perfect duo. These ambassadors love the outdoors and can be seen in many trails of SoCal. They have us hooked with their gorgeous looks and incredible adventures seen on their account @rylee_lenox. Here are a few things to know about them. 

Hi Hannah! So where does your story with Rylee & Lenox begin?

I am currently a college student majoring in photography and I have had a love for dogs all my life, and photographing them is what started my interest in photography. I got Lenox long before Rylee back when I lived in Arizona. My mom was actually at Target when she saw a lady with a basket full of puppies she was giving away. They were only a few weeks old and Lenox and 3 other puppies were the only ones left. Lenox was the only one who had a cropped tail on account of being stepped on by horse on accident which is why his nub is a bit longer than the traditional Rottweiler tail. She also said that he was an ugly puppy and they were going to take him to the pound if no one took him, so we took him, plus my mom thought he was the best looking and he has turned out to be a handsome dog. The moment she brought Lenox home he was attached to me and he is one of my partners in crime (Rylee is the other). Rylee was quite a different story. After having lost my first dog of 10 years I wanted to get another dog not only for me but for Lenox as well. I knew I wanted to rescue one but it took me over a year to finally decide to start looking. I went to the local shelter and Rylee was the first and only dog that caught my eye. She was a very happy, spunky 2 month old puppy when I saw her, and while playing with her the shelter staff told me her story. She was just barley a month when she was brought to the shelter after being thrown out of a moving car. A good samaritan saw the incident and brought her to the shelter. Despite this Rylee was and is great with dogs, and loves people, and is a happy go lucky girl and I knew I couldn't leave her there.

My two accomplices...

Well, having one dog is entertaining in its self but having 2 is even better. Lenox is a Rottweiler, Labrador mix, he will be turning 8 this year already but according to everyone who meets him, even the vet, say he acts like a 3 year old (he has lots of energy). Lenox although acts young has a very wise and gentle soul. He loves kids and is extremely patient with them. Lenox is also obsessed with water, he enjoys playing at the beach, playing frisbee, swimming, dock diving, rolling in the sand, and his new favorite obsession is hoping on the paddle board with me and enjoying the ride. Lenox knowns lots of tricks. He knows German commands and has K9 training (although I have never had to use it). One of my favorite tricks he does is "give me kiss" which is where he jumps on my shoulders and kisses me (he is 85 pounds and just about matches my height on his hind legs and I'm 5'10"!) Lenox is off leashed trained but doesn't like to stray more than 10-15 feet from me. He loves any toy that squeaks and tug toys.

Now for Rylee. Rylee is a 3 year old American Pit Bull Terrier (she might have some hound in her). I like to call Rylee my smiley girl and also my bomb proof dog. She is extremely dog friendly and gets along with all dogs no matter the size or personality. She has lots on energy so one of her favorite things to do is hike with me. She also loves going to the river, dog beach, going on big 13-20 pack hiking with her dog buddies, anything outside she's game for it. Rylee is also trained in agility, dock diving (although it's not her favorite) and knows all her commands in German and English. She is absolutely obsessed with squeaky toys which is what I use to train and motivate her. Rylee knows lots of tricks just like Lenox but my favorite with her is she is trained to mimic mouth moments. She has also recently been fully off leashed trained, although she still needs some practice but I always use Lenox to help with that. I have been thankful that both dogs are so friendly and so they get along perfectly. In the 3 years of owning Rylee her and Lenox have never fought, been food or toy aggressive, nothing. Both are very patient and tolerant dogs so they are a perfect match. 

They light up my life...

One of the biggest lessons they have taught me is to be patient and love more, and to be open to accepting or more so willing to learn about others. The biggest reward in having them is the joy they bring me each day, even after they get punished they still run up to me with tails wagging and tongues flying (both are big kissers). They both have helped me through some very rough times and they motivate me to be a better person everyday.  

They say laughter is the best medicine...

My Lasso accessories...

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @rylee_lenox !

Murphy and Sissy stole our hearts from the moment we laid eyes on these duo. They are both gorgeous & rescued bully mixes with a lot of love for each other and their family. On a mission to promote adoption, these pair will steal your hearts. 

So, where does the story of Murphy and Sissy begin? 

My husband (Michael) and I got married on November 2008 and by the spring of 2009, we had decided our house just wasn’t a home without a dog. Since it was just a few months after we got married, we've always referred to Murphy as our “marriage dog.” He’s been there since the beginning and has taught us so much. The SPCA believed him to be an eight week old lab/pit bull mix. It didn't matter what he was mixed with, we just fell in love with this little dude who had a terrible case of kennel cough and was left in an alley with his litter mates to fend for themselves. As people started asking us about his breed, we started hearing all of the crazy myths surrounding pit bulls. We couldn't believe it. It was then that we started educating ourselves and began realizing how misunderstood pit bull type dogs are. We knew from then on that we would be lifelong advocates. We adopted Sissy from Rugaz Rescue in New Port Richey, FL in 2011. She was also an abandoned puppy who was left in a box on the doorstep of a vet’s office one night. We have them to thank for opening our eyes to not only the alarming number of animals in shelters/rescues but also to the stigma and abuse pit bull type dogs face every day. We will forever be on a mission to change the hearts and minds of those who don’t understand our beloved block heads.

As siblings, how do they get along? 

Murphy and Sissy constantly make us laugh. Sissy will whine and bark in Murphy’s face when he doesn’t feel like playing and Murphy will take things off of the counter and give them to Sissy so she gets in trouble. She’ll charge him when he’s pooping and he’ll wave a toy in front of her face to lure her off the couch so he can take her spot. They are two totally different dogs! She loves cuddling, digging holes and rolling around in the dirt. He loves riding in the truck, playing ball and swimming. They snuggle, they wrestle and occasionally make each other mad. They are the definition of siblings!

What challenges have you faced with them?

While these two are hilarious and the loves of our lives…they challenge us every day. Sissy is sensitive and has terrible separation anxiety. She isn’t the best on a leash and even after trying several methods of leash walking, we’re still not quite where we want to be. And Murphy is always on a mission for trouble – he gets into everything including cabinets and drawers! He is too smart for his own good and often finds himself with an upset tummy because of his shenanigans. But they teach us to be patient and to enjoy the simple things in life. They make us want to be outside all of the time; whether that’s playing for hours in the backyard, taking long, leisurely walks amongst the trees or hiking up a mountain. Every day is an adventure and our hearts and lives are fuller because of them.

Now to a funny story!

There are so many funny stories but one of my favorites is when we were visiting my parents’ house a few years ago and my dad had planned to grill some really beautiful steaks. He spent hours marinating the meat and during this process, I happened to notice Murphy was missing (never a good sign). I found him in the dining room looking awfully suspicious so when I reached into his mouth all I could feel was something warm and squishy. He is a notorious counter surfer so I knew what had happened. I pulled out an entire, half-chewed steak and thanks to him, I ate salad for dinner.

Which Lasso do you love the most?

We love all of our Lasso products but one of our absolute favorites is the Slip Lead Leash – it is so convenient for road trips and quick potty breaks!

Don't forget to follow them on Instagram @murphyandsissy !