I don’t know what you have heard, but Piko and Bear are the real beach boys. All they are missing are sunglasses, though Piko is known to wear some from time to time, as you can see on the Summer 2011 cover of Island Dog Magazine. Oh yes, Piko is also a cover boy, and he rocks those glasses!
Piko is a cool German Shepherd, he is a fast runner and can catch any stick any time. His best buddy Bear is an also cool Labrador-Retriever who, with that ancestry, is pretty good at retrieving any stick or ball you might throw in the ocean for him, though he seems to have a penchant for soccer.
Bear and Piko are not brothers, as they have different human parents, but they are definitely best buddies. Every Saturday (early) morning their humans get together, hop on the truck and drive to Kailua Beach all the way from Pearl City just to give their dogs a great time. And beach time is the best of times! There is a lot of ball and stick throwing going on, with lots of running and splashing. And if their humans are momentarily distracted and you are sitting nearby, they will come and ask you to throw the stick for them.
I photographed these fun beach boys at Kailua Beach, possibly the best beach on O’ahu, one very windy and very early morning. The ocean was choppy and there were a lot of kite surfers out. Piko and Bear were bummed they could not ride the paddle board that day, so they made up for it with lots of swimming, splashing and stick chasing, or ball, or coconut husk. Oh yeah, anything goes: the stinkier, the better!
It is really fun to watch how they feed off each other. They are a lot like kids: inexhaustible! You get tired long before they do. But if you are up for some energizing frolic, swing by Kailua Beach Park, in the part of the beach where the kite surfers get in the water – which is also the main parking area, around 7:30-8:00 on Saturday mornings, and you will get to throw sticks and balls for them.
They will love you forever!
October 2016 update on these Beach Boys: Piko and his family have had to move to the Mainland, so Bear has had to say a hui hou to his buddy. An extra reason for you to go find Bear and play with him on the beach.
Here are more Tales of Tails for you to enjoy:
And these are my Boyz:
Hi Monica, we are leaving Hawaii as well and are moving to Kentucky to live with Sharons dad and take care of him. He turns 80 this month and we always wanted him to come live with us here, but it is what it is. We plan to travel the states with Piko and Grandpa and see what is left of our great country. We will definently stay in touch with you. Have a blessed Christmas and New Years and we look forward to seeing you somewhere on the mainland. Aloha for the blog, very heart felt.
Hi Sharon, Brett and Piko: wonderful to read from you! Would love to keep in touch, especially since I am also planning to travel around the country with my dogs. Maybe we can meet somewhere, maybe even Kentucky!
Piko and Bear will miss each other, and Piko will miss the beach, as will you, I bet.
Warmest Aloha to you both and a hui hou. M