The first thing you notice about Bo and Gunner is their size difference—one could knock over a chair without trying, and the other could disappear under it completely. 

Bo is a 5-month-old Dachshund, and Gunner is a 6-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. One thing they share, among many, is their strikingly similar markings. The tiny and towering pair belong to Kendall and Stephen Hand, and their children—Rhodes, LuLu, Yates, and Spears. 

“Santa made a special trip to the house and brought Bo this year,” Kendall says. Yates asked for a wiener dog for nearly two years and was set on naming him Hot Dog. Ultimately, they agreed on the name Bo, inspired by the donkey in their favorite Christmas movie, The Star.

Size matters seems to matter little. Bo makes up for his diminutive standing with his big personality. “He’s become Gunner’s voice outside,” Stephen laughs. “Half the time he doesn’t even know what he’s barking at, he just barks to bark,” Kendall adds with a grin. 

Gunner knows he’s the bigger of the two, but he lets Bo take the lead. Patient with the younger pup’s nonstop energy, he lets Bo run circles around him, though Kendall says they have to remind Gunner that it’s okay to correct him sometimes.

 

Gunner, a natural-born hunter, catches chipmunks, and Bo happily takes care of the rest. Bo has dug holes in the yard that just so happen to fit his size, and while he may not catch the chipmunks himself, he’s more than willing to point Gunner in the right direction—whether Gunner asks for the help or not.

The boys share a lot in common—they enjoy boat rides, playing with Gunner’s Bo-sized bones, and making life for the Hand family more fun. In the end, the only thing separating them is a few inches and a lot of attitude.