Michala Ashley’s aunt and uncle are long-time Labrador trainers and enthusiasts; it’s a running family joke that any dog of theirs lives better and is better behaved than the children of the family. When a ten-puppy litter arrived, one puppy quickly stood out as a “sweet and rowdy little dude.” That’s how the Ashleys came to know Bowser, the three-month-old yellow lab. 

“We weren’t planning on getting a new puppy just yet, but we could not pass up on an opportunity to get one of their spectacular puppies,” Michala says. “We have known Bowser’s parents for years now and if he is a fraction of the wonderful dogs they are, we will have won the pup lottery (although we are already in the belief he is just as incredible, if not more since he is ours).” Additionally, Kyle Ashley turned four in December and has been begging for a puppy of his own. One of Bowser’s brother’s went to Michala’s brother Zack, and another sister of Bowser’s was kept by Michala’s aunt and uncle. A reunion between the three pup siblings is in the near future.

Michala’s aunt started calling Bowser by his name during the whelping period as it was so fitting for his personality. “Our plan before he was born was to name him “Cal”, paying homage to Ben’s favorite baseball player Cal Raleigh, a catcher to the Seattle Mariners and currently on Team USA,” Michala says. “We quickly learned that there would be issues differentiating between our “Cal” and “Kyle” call-outs, given the slight southern accents we have in our household. Therefore, we landed on Bowser Cal, or “Bowser” for short.”

Bowser is renowned for his sweetness. He loves to run and play and is never too rough with the Ashley kids, though he will sometimes catch a case of the zoomies and hound the Ashley’s other dog, Leia. “We were worried at first he may have too much energy, but then we got grounded by remembering we also have a Ben, a Kyle, and a Brooke,” Michala says. “There is a reason this pup already sleeps through the night so well; he is a perfect match to our fun-filled chaotic life.”

Much like the dogs Michala’s aunt and uncle raised, Bowser is already showing his intelligence and drive to please. “He is fun loving and very much a cuddle bug. He plays fetch, will run alongside the kids through the yard, already knows the basic commands, and was fully potty and kennel trained at ten weeks,” Michala says. “Bowser has already doubled in size since we got him three weeks ago, so we are already prepping for the ninety-pound, athletic, chunk of adorableness he is going to grow into. 

Bowser loves tennis balls, soccer balls, and baseballs, fitting right in with the sports-loving Ashleys. Ben likes to hit baseballs off of his tee in the backyard and Bowser will fetch going full bore, which sometimes yields humorous results as Bowser has not quite figured out how to stop, sometimes running into walls or completely rolling over on himself trying to hit the brakes.

Brooke and Kyle frequently play with a Little Tyles roller coaster in our backyard and Bowser on multiple occasions decided he wanted to join in. He will climb down the roller coaster on his own or just jump onto a child’s lap and go for a ride. He is such an adventurous and fun loving pup. Around town, Bowser loves visiting the trails and local ballparks. Outside of the neighborhood, Bowser can’t wait to head to Hot Springs to enjoy outdoor time and hiking with the Ashelys; he just likes to enjoy the company of his people. While intelligence and good behavior are in his genes, there’s a certain sweetness to Bowser that makes him so special and makes him absolutely perfect for the Ashleys.