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Best Friends: Shelly Isely
Get to know Shelly Isely and her social terriers
BF Shelly Isely
Shelly Isely & Louie & Mako - photo by Marissa Weiher

Shelly Isely talks about her best friends Louie, an 8-year-old short-legged Jack Russell terrier and Mako, a 2-year-old long-legged Jack Russell terrier. 

Isely and her husband Dean always had pets growing up, but decided they didn’t really have the time once they had children. But once their children become teenagers, they brought home a Jack Russell terrier named Jack and shortly got another, Louie, to keep him company. 

“For some reason, we’re addicted to Jack Russells,” Isely said. 

When Jack was tragically hit by a car, they brought home Mako so Louie wouldn’t be lonely. 

Now, Isely said Louie and Mako have a strong bond. 

Best Friends is a weekly feature designed to highlight a local resident and his or her pets. To suggest someone for the series, contact Marissa Weiher, photographer, at photo@themonroetimes.com.

Describe Louie and Mako’s personalities.

Louie loves everyone. He’s very chill and extremely social. He loves other dogs but he’s smart. He knows exactly what he can get away with. He’s a good listener. He usually follows commands pretty well. Mako on the other hand usually needs a couple reminders. But he obeys well and absolutely loves people and dogs. 

Mako is more rambunctious. He loves other dogs but he’s a little nervous when he meets new people. He warms up really quick though. Whatever Louie likes, he likes. He’s a follower. He loves to bury things like his bone. He also love belly scratches. He becomes a hypnotized noodle if you scratch his belly. 


What do you like to do together?

We go for lots of walks and go to the dog park. I’ll take them to the trail and let them run around. They like to go on their little doggy boats and float around in the pool. They’ll float in the pool for almost an hour. They like to go boating. If they see the truck backed up to the garage, they’ll sit and know it’s time to go. Other than that, they like to run and chase squeaky balls. 


What has it been like having Louie and Mako in your life?

It’s the best. It’s just been completely awesome. Seeing them when I come through the door I get the same reaction every time whether I’ve been gone two minutes or two days. They’re so happy to see us. They travel well and are fun to do things with. We take them almost everywhere with us. They’ve also gotten me to exercise more than I probably would otherwise. They’re like wind up toys. They have to be walked every day.