This is Whizzer's story.

Whizzer and his thirteen brothers and sisters were born on November 18, 1996 in Granger, Washington. Of the fourteen pups, only four survived. Whizzer was the biggest of the litter, and the cutest, of course!

I first met Whizzer when he was five or six weeks old while visiting my aunt and cousins for Christmas. I took him home with me, not knowing what I was in for.

Whizzer is not a bad dog, just misunderstood. In Portland, Whizzer's puppy months (or years) were pretty typical: lots of chewing, destruction of furniture, a couple of run-ins with the law, and some adventures in traffic. He has been hit by a car on two occasions. He is perhaps best known for the enthusiastic way he guards my front porch and my neighbor's porch. Whizzer has put the fear of God into a few souls. He was almost pepper-sprayed on one such occasion.

Whizzer injured his knee in December '99, which required surgery. The injury has forced him to slow down his pace and settle into a more mellow lifestyle in Cannon Beach.

In June of 2000, Whizzer's mother Kona developed some kind of a degenerative bone disease, and was put to sleep. Whizzer has a half-brother, Griffey, and a brother, Hunter, who reside in Granger. His three surviving brothers and sisters are reportedly doing well. He also has a dad named Kramer.