My Life With My Golden Retriever

Buddy was the name of my beloved Golden Retriever. I have written about him a few times in my blogs. This blog is all about my life with Buddy, a Golden Retriever that brought much joy and love in my life and a whole in my heart and a lifetime of wonderful memories when I lost him.

Deciding On A New Puppy

It was July in 1993. We had just lost our dog, Smokey, a mixed breed, in May. I was so upset that I couldn’t imagine getting another dog. My sons had been asking for another dog and finally I gave in. They promised that they help care for our new dog. (ha-ha)

The owner of the company I worked in had a Golden Retriever he would bring to work every day. She was a sweet dog and I became attached to her. So naturally, I wanted a Golden Retriever.

A friend of mine, who always had healthy pure breeds recommended the breeder she bought her dogs from. He dealt with two or three different breeds. So, my husband, myself and my three sons piled into the car to shop for a new puppy.

I remember walking into the breeders’ and saw all these beautiful puppies, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers and German Shepherds. We looked around, honestly I could have stayed there all day. I almost bought a German Shepherd puppy, my second favorite breed.

Then we saw this twelve week old Golden Retriever. My husband picked him up and that was it. He wouldn’t stop licking my husband’s face. When he put the puppy down, the puppy immediately ran to my sons jumping on them and biting their shoe laces. Our choice was made.  This puppy was coming home with us. So we bought our new puppy. We
also bought a crate, collar, leash, food and a couple of toys. The breeder gave the puppy a soft doll type toy that became the puppy’s favorite toy.

We really weren’t prepared for the ride home. When adopted Smokey, he was ten weeks old and sat on my lap the whole ride home. This puppy was a different story. My sons sat in the backseat of the car with the puppy. The whole ride home he was jumping on my sons, nibbling and licking them. My sons were laughing and screaming. They loved every minute of it. That was the beginning.

The Puppy Stage

I really don’t remember whose chose the name or why we named him Buddy. Buddy was an adventure we never experienced before. This beautiful puppy was a bundle of energy that tired us out. He wanted to play constantly. When he would finely settled down and take a nap we didn’t dare disturb him. We needed the rest. Like a baby, he sometimes slept over an hour.

Remember my sons promising to help care for him. Well, that never happened. The truth is a really didn’t mind. I was becoming so attached to this puppy I couldn’t believe it.

He was easy to housebreak. Every evening we would go for walks around the neighborhood. He loved being outside. When he saw us walking toward the house to go inside, Buddy would throw himself on the floor and not move. I would have to pick him up and carry him in the house.

We bought a crate to help train him and to keep him in during the night until he was housebroken and when we were out to keep him safe and out of mischief. The first night in the crate he cried a little than settled down. The second night I went to put Buddy in the crate and couldn’t find him. I thought he was playing with my son in his room. I found him sleeping in my bedroom snuggled under the drapes. That’s where he slept every night.

The crate became Buddy’s private room. When he wanted to be alone, he went in the crate. He kept his toys in the crate. If you took his toys out of the crate, he would carry them back in one at a time.

After The First Year

Then we met Henry, a yellow Labrador Retriever. They became best friends. Chris and I would meet every evening to take the dogs for long walks to the park or dog run. Sometimes we would go to the dog park where dogs could run off leash. Buddy and Henry loved it. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, we would take them to the beach. Playing fetch and swimming in the ocean was one of their favorite forms of exercise.

Golden Retrievers are creatures of habit. Every evening after our walks, we would go in my bedroom. I would lie on my bed and watch and Buddy would lie next to me chewing his favorite bone. If for some reason I didn’t go in my bedroom, Buddy would sit and stare at me as if to say “Well aren’t you coming”.

Nothing Lasts Forever

I had to put him down about a month later. I promised him I would not let him suffer and I didn’t. The veterinarian thanked me for taking such good care of him. I held him as he took his last breath.

It was my last act of love.