The Untold Truth Of Dog The Bounty Hunter's Kids

Television star Duane "Dog" Chapman can definitely relate to Steve Martin and his dozen! That's right, the Dog the Bounty Hunter star is father to a rowdy wolf pack — 12 kids to be exact. While fathering a brood as big as his is no easy task, we know Dog is always up for a challenge, and with Dog's big heart, there is plenty of love to go around.

"I started when I was 15, having children... and so, my kids are my life," Dog told In Touch Weekly in November 2020 while gushing about his upcoming nuptials with his fiancée Francie Frane. The couple got engaged just 10 months after Dog's late wife Beth Chapman's long battle with throat cancer and tragic death. Dog has been very vocal about dealing with grief after Beth's death, but he said Francie has been fundamental in helping him and his children heal. 

"I just needed a Francie next to my side to help me make it," he told the outlet the previous month. As for his kids, "Francie is there for them. She's not their mom, but she's helping a lot because she is a mother. Every day, you know, I try to talk to every one of my kids... and some days, it's tough for them and some days, it's less tough," he explained. "If we could make her come home, we would all do that whatever it costs." Keep scrolling for more details about Dog's 12 pups.

In addition to Duane "Dog" Chapman's 12 kids, he will become stepfather to two more sons from fiancée Francie Frane's previous marriage. Luckily, he told In Touch that the boys are "avid hunters," so it looks like they have something in common. With Beth Chapman, the couple shared two children together, Bonnie and Gary. Dog also adopted Beth's daughter with her ex-husband, Cecily Barmore-Chapman, per Page Six.

Before Francie and Beth, Dog was married to Tawny Marie Chapman but the pair didn't have children together, according to his 2008 book You Can Run But You Can't Hide. Ahead of his marriage to Tawny, Dog was wed to Lyssa Rae Brittain and they shared three children: Barbara, who died in a car accident, Tucker, and Lyssa. Additionally, Dog was married to Ann Tegnell for a matter of months in 1980. During that time, they welcomed two kids, Zebadiah, who died shortly after birth, and Wesley. They briefly reconciled and welcomed a third son, James. Dog's first marriage was to La Fonda Sue Darnell in 1972 and over their 5 years together, they welcomed sons Duane Lee and Leland. Lastly, Duane had his first child Christopher Michael Hecht with his high school girlfriend Debbie White, but the boy was adopted and raised by the Hecht family. While it sounds like it can be tough to keep track of all of his children, Dog said he tries "everyday" to "talk to every one of my kids."