Blog Entries ( golden retriever )

We talked about getting a dog for years. We could never decide on a breed--should we get a hypoallergenic dog in deference to my father's allergies? Should we get a lapdog to carry around? Should we get something fierce to protect our corner of suburbia? The discussion raged on, but we could always decide on the name: Fang. In 1998, we decided ...

Stuffed toys are to my dog like chocolate is to some people. When she knows it's somewhere near, she has to have it. And once it's in her mouth, she has to destroy it. Like a typical Golden Retriever, Tasha first holds a stuffed toy with a "soft mouth." This breed usually holds their prey tightly, but without too much pressure, so as ...

After the publication of "Finally Home," Buddy was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Once the unthinkable happened, and Buddy's precious life was cut short, his family was left heartbroken and devastated. At the same time, in another state, poor economic conditions forced another family to give up their golden retriever. As fate would have it, his name was Buddy. While they were mourning the loss of their beloved dog, ...

A few weeks ago, I fell down a flight of stairs in my house. I didn’t fall because Tasha, my four-year-old golden retriever, was in the way. I slipped and was lucky to have her at the bottom of the stairs, licking me and encouraging me to stand up. Once a frenzied puppy that I had rescued at eight-months, Tasha had settled down to become ...

Photos and video from the last few weeks of Susanna’s life portray her as a playful—if aging—golden retriever. The vet had assured me several months prior that she was in good health, except for a mild case of arthritis. When she had difficulty walking up the stairs one July evening, I assumed that the arthritis was slowing her down. But this evening was different. Susanna was ...