Hi! My name is Kokomo Precious Little Gizmo, but you can just call me Gizmo.  I was born on Halloween 2011. If you ever wanted to know what a Gizmo looks like, well, just check out the rest of my page… I am 7-7/8″ of pure dynamite, wrapped up in an adorable, furry little body!  Mom and Dad say I get my good looks from my parents, Bandit and Taz.  I like to go anywhere with my family. They take me boating with them, and sometimes I get to go fishing or crabbing, but my all-time favorite is puppy camping! I love getting to go places in my motorhome. Mom & Dad think its theirs, but they just paid for it — its mine! The Jeep they tow behind it is mine too! I like to go exploring in my Jeep. We go to the forest, to the beach, and  all sorts of fun places!

Really, I’m just happy being wherever Mom and Dad are, but especially my Dad.  We’re so close, its amazing.  Mom jokes about me having Dad wrapped around my little toe so tight he would have to be surgically removed!  It almost didn’t end up that way though.  If you have a couple minutes, I’ll tell you my story.

When I was about 3-1/2 months old I was the same size as my litter brother and sister, but then we got another vaccination and after that I didn’t feel very good.  I guess I didn’t feel like eating, and being small I didn’t have enough body reserves.  Mom and Dad came home from work and Dad thought I was dead!  I was comatose.  Mom rushed me in to the emergency vet, and as soon as she came through the door with me the doctor took one look and whisked me into another room and started giving me an IV with something in it that woke me up real quick.  In about 10 minutes I was standing up and calling for Mom asking where was I and come get me!  I didn’t grow any more after that either.  Nobody is sure why–but I think that’s part of why I’m so cute!

When I was about five months old my Mom took a couple of my pals, Striker and Britney, to the Papillon Club Of America National Show.  They brought home ribbons and stuff, but unfortunately, they also brought home the dreaded Kennel Cough.  I caught it from Striker.  He got over it, but I didn’t.  It developed into pneumonia.  I fought for my very life for the next year.  I was taking so much medicine, I didn’t feel like eating, which caused more problems, and Mom and Dad had a tough time just keeping me alive and getting me to take my medicine or eat.  I was coughing constantly, and Mom said many times, over almost a year, she would lay awake at night, listening to me struggling just to breathe.  Many times she wondered if I would live to see the morning, but I always did.  Then one day it happened….  We had just come home from a cruise and I fell off the dock cart and landed on my side so hard I was seeing stars!  It was later that night that I really started feeling bad.  I couldn’t breathe and really thought each breath might be my last.  Mom and I didn’t sleep at all that night.  She said I was gurgling and sounded like I was drowning!  Next morning she took me in to see the puppy doctor and had a real serious talk with him and he put me on some really strong medicine.  By this time I had been fighting pneumonia for almost a year.  After another long  go round of stronger medicine I finally started to feel better.  Finally, when I was almost 18 months old I managed to kick the pneumonia!  Hooray!!  I finally felt good again!  And then I started making up for my lost puppy-hood!

 

 

 

I enjoy boating, but the dock parties are really fun.  People bring all sorts of goodies, and sometimes I get to sample them.  My uncle Twix always goes boating with us–he kind of watches out for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also enjoy getting to go for bike rides, and sitting on Dad’s lap in front of the campfire! And any chance to lay in the sun….. Sometimes I enjoy playing in the surf — just enough to get my feet wet… But I’m always on the lookout for bigger waves that might carry me away! My Mom and Dad watch real close over me. They say I’m gold plated!  Well, that’s my story.  Now I’m enjoying being healthy, and taking life by the tail!  Lookout World–Here I come!!