19 Feb 2015 Special Friends – Pets – Hayden and Kristen Johnson

City: Hometown is Searcy, but we are now living in Maumelle.

Job: Hayden, accountant at BKD; Kristen, speech pathology graduate student at the University of Central Arkansas.

Pet: Samson, a 5-month-old Shih-Poo.

Where/when did you meet your pet: I knew Hayden really wanted a puppy, so I searched Craigslist for about three hours with a friend one afternoon and found him being sold by a family in Sheridan. I met them at a gas station to check him out, fell in love and brought him home that night to surprise Hayden!

What’s the story behind your pet’s name: When we originally got Samson, we thought he was going to stay really small. We chose the name Samson based on Samson from the Bible. We figured a little guy could use a big, strong name to help him keep up with all the bigger dogs.

What do you love most about your pet: We love his precious, playful personality. He does the silliest things and always keeps us laughing. It’s like he knows when we’ve had a long day and goes out of his way to make us laugh.

What’s your favorite memory with your pet: We took Samson to meet my parents’ cat, Fatty, the first week we had him. Fatty is not the friendliest cat, and Samson has never met a stranger, so it was hilarious to watch them interact. He would chase her around, whining and begging her to play while she hissed, growled and batted her paws at him. He STILL hasn’t learned that she doesn’t like him and follows her around everywhere when we go to visit.

What activities do you and your pet enjoy together: We love going to the dog park and playing fetch with tennis balls or going on jogs at the local park. He’s very energetic, so he makes the perfect exercise partner!

What’s in the future for you and your pet: Samson is really smart, so we’re teaching him some fun tricks and plan on teaching him many more. He also apparently has decided he doesn’t like being such a little guy and has begun quite the growth spurt, so we’re thinking there are some bigger crates and longer workouts in our future, too!

More information: We are completely in love with our sweet puppy and can’t imagine our lives without him now! He is the sweetest, most playful and cuddly thing, and we are so thankful to have him as a part of our little family! But if you come to visit him, beware. Shoes and socks are his favorite flavor of treats.