Chief Lickum Alot

by Bryan Hayes
(Sweeny Texas USA)

Chief asleep at my feet

Before we adopted our Red Merle Aussie we were raising 13 horses and a female Catahoula rescue. The Aussie became to be the only male animal on our place. The horses and the other dog all had Native American Indian related names. As dog names are generally best kept short and crisp, he became known as "Chief".

He was 8 months old when we rescued him due to one blind eye and partially deaf in one ear both on his left side. He quickly grew into his name. I raise all my animals with the firm belief that they don't care how much you know and try to teach them until they know how much you care.

Chief has always had a small problem of licking myself and my wife to a point of drowning us. We were talking one day about this problem and I said that if he were registered, he would need three names. From that point on, even though he is not registered, he became known as "Chief Lickum Alot" with Chief being what he knows as his name.

Even though he has a sight and hearing defect he does not lack in intelligence. We have the old type wood frame, spring pull screen door and if the inner door is open, Chief can come and go as he pleases. He has figured out by watching people, how to go through the door in both directions and has taught the Catahoula the same.

Chief and Patches, (the Catahoula) are my pride and joy and both were rescue dogs and have turned out to be the most loyal and most loving dogs by far that I have ever had the pleasure of having in my life and I have had dogs since I was a kid 40 years ago.

I am dad, doctor, manacurist, hair stylist, message therapist, physical fitness trainer and everything else I can be to these dogs and they return every bit of that attention and then some to me. When I am home, both are very seldom more that an arms distance away from me at any given time and are usually touching me in some way. It is an honor and a blessing to have such loyal loving dogs.

Bryan Hayes
Texas Police Officer
Firefighter
and EMT

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