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Chris and Karen DeCou with their adventurous little dog Izzy. Danielle Puleo photo

Courtesy Chris DeCou

Courtesy Chris DeCou

Three year old miniature dachshund Izzy. Danielle Puleo photo

Courtesy Chris DeCou

Courtesy Chris DeCou

Courtesy Chris DeCou

Izzy, a 3-year-old miniature dachshund, loves spending time with her owners, Chris and Karen DeCou. She has loved being with them so much that she has been willing to try just about anything.

The Coastland Times sat down with Izzy and the DeCou’s on a recent morning to talk about their adventures. At only 8 lbs., Izzy is smaller than most dogs. Nonetheless, she is strong, fearless and has proven she can hold her own.

“I was actually looking at getting a cat,” shared Chris as he sat watching Izzy grab a toy from her basket and begin to play. “Karen finally said that if I was going to get something, I need to get a dog.”

Chris hopped on Facebook one day and noticed a litter of miniature spotted dachshunds for sale in Plymouth, NC. By the time he called the girl who was selling the puppies, Izzy was the only one left.

“We got her when she was six weeks old,” said Karen. At that time, Izzy was a mere one pound.

Since coming home to Kitty Hawk, Izzy has joined the DeCous on countless adventures. The couple has a camper which they use frequently to travel. Everywhere from the Florida Keys to Woods Hole, Massachusetts to the local Home Depot and Lowe’s, Izzy is right by their side.

“She’s been in the water a lot,” said Chris. “All the places we go camping, they have a beach.” Given her exposure to several bodies of water, Izzy has become accustomed to playing fetch in the waves and riding on a boogie board in the couple’s home pool. One day, however, Izzy did something many other dogs would shy away from.

“This one day, it [the ocean] was real flat and there were small waves, so I took the board out there and carried her [Izzy] in and put her on the board,” Chris explained. From there, Izzy rode the waves in on the edge of the surfboard.

Chris shared photos of Izzy joining the couple on boats, coming face-to-face with an alligator or two and said that the cashiers at Home Depot now know her when she comes up to the counter to check out.

“The cashiers all give her treats now and I watch the line get backed up,” Chris chuckled.

Whether it’s going to get ice cream from Dairy Queen or sailing the seas, Izzy is always up for her next adventure.

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