by: Anna Schneider

My first golden, Jamie born in 1988 was perfect in every way (except that she loved to dig in the yard). She was sweet, smart, calm & confident. Even her digging inspired me to master the art of gardening. She was a loyal & loving companion. She developed lymphoma when she was 9 1/2, went through chemotherapy but she did not do well. We gave her rest in March 1998.

Then came Jasmine. I researched pedigree after pedigree, interviewed 12 breeders, read volumes about bloodlines. I finally found who I thought would be the perfect puppy. Well, she was the perfect puppy until we brought her home. She was mouthy, bossy, smart, fast, clever and believed it was all about her all the time. She was always one step ahead of us in everything, difficult to train, challenging to live with. She noticed everything: a bug on the ceiling, new curtains in the windows of the house next door, a light bulb that had burned out. She became noise and thunderstorm phobic but I worked with her for years to help her cope with these issues. She did well. She loved attention, loved to steal things, she gave us a run for our money. But she was the best dog, the best friend I ever had. She lived ten years and died very suddenly of a brain tumor. She was a gift in my life, taught me more than anyone I've ever known. She is gone two years and I still miss her every day. Death ends a life but not a relationship. I love you, Jas.

by: Polly B.

My husband just had emergency surgery, so I wasn’t ready to get a dog just yet. I had been just sick for getting one since my Collie, Porshia & my Reteiver, Ottis passed away.

Twenty-four Golden Retrievers arrived in Vancouver BC Canada from the USA for a Snow Buddies Movie. The production company placed them all on Craig’s list for free. I was in heaven & I wanted to help rescue or foster 1 or 2, but was told they all had homes. Four days later someone from Vancouver emergency called us and asked if we wanted the last Golden Snow Buddie. YES!!  7 days after hubby had surgery he drove at 7 at night in the pouring rain to go and get her!

Her given name was Maude, but we named her Reese after Reese Witherspoon - blonde and beautiful. She was very sick for months. I had to sleep with her in the laundry room and I had no rest at all. I contacted the Golden Retriever Rescue of BC, to walk me though some rough spots. They knew a lot about the breed and they helped me to learn about her. I rarely left her alone that first year.

I did feel overwhelmed a few times but when I looked at her she would smile and I just fell deeper in love with her. She is bonded with me and I some times wonder if this is at all a good thing, as she will not go any where unless I ask her too. She goes outside but wants me there too. She gets this look of fear if she loses sight of me.

Her recall is very good. She always loves to come back because I make it a big fuss for her. Her very favorite thing is water & she has to be near it on walks.  Every day twice a day we go swimming, walking and running -just her and I. Reese has good manners and the thing that really blows me away is how loyal she is. She has a sweet personality and is said to be the Hostess with the Mostess, as far as having her puppy friends over!

by: Erica

I've only every had Golden Retrievers, even in childhood. So when my husband and I were ready to get a puppy to befriend our aging golden, it was a no brainer: we were Golden Retriever smitten. Those expressive eyes and dopey smiles, c'mon. So we bought a puppy through a reputable breeder and waited three months on pins and needles for him to be ready to come home. We chose a name for him the first time we saw him. He was a Chester, through and through.

The day we brought Chester home, he was already showing signs of having health issues. After a vet visit on his first day home, he was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder that caused him to have allergies to grass and/or other pollens. The vet declared him "Bubble Dog" and insisted he should remain inside all the time. Over the next two months we took him outdoors a few minutes at a time each day. Eventually, Chester was able to stay outdoors for longer periods of time until it stopped being a problem for him altogether. All the time indoors and having to completely reinvent potty-training caused Chester and I to bond in way I never had with any other dog. He became my surrogate child: following me from room to room, pushing doors open with his nose to check on me. We developed our own secret language/understanding that befuddled my husband. I would interpret Chester's needs for my husband like I could read his thoughts. The most distinct memory I have of Chester is that when he wanted my attention he would rear back on his hind legs, in the sitting position with tail extended backward, and put his front paws on my leg and nip at the air. I was a sucker for this. I would almost always drop what I was doing and give him full attention. We had a name for this position, we called it "roo-ing" because he looked like a kangaroo.

Then, at nine months of age, Chester began vomiting daily. Taking him back to the vet, he was found to have juvenile lymphoma and we had two fleeting days with him before his short time on earth was over. I was devastated. We erected a small memorial to him with paw prints, favorite toys, and pictures. Oh, the pictures. Hundreds of them.

For two years I thought nothing would ever replace Chester. Then, in the late spring of 2009 a friend that fosters golden retrievers for a golden retriever rescue said she had just the perfect golden for me. Hesitantly my husband and I drove the sixty miles to her home to check out this "perfect dog". He was hyper and slightly neurotic, but she was right, Casey was perfect for me. :) We decided to rescue Casey who had had a terribly unstable and sad past. When we brought him home he fit right in. We noticed right away that so many of his mannerisms were very similar to Chester's and loved Casey all the more for it. Then, about a week after we had him and Casey began settling in, we returned from a walk and I was relaying the events to my husband. I felt a set of paws on my thigh and looked down to see Casey nipping at the air and roo-ing just as Chester had done so many times. 

So while Chester's story may not have ended with a happily ever after, Casey's certainly did and he daily reminds us of why we will forever be sold out for golden retrievers.

by: Heather D.

When I was a kid, I moved in next door to a family that had two Goldens and a St Bernard. I wasn't particularly interested in dogs, but I wanted to meet the Goldens. When I got the chance to, I was introduced mostly to Happy, a beautiful light colored Golden with the longest, thickest tail feathers I have ever seen. The other Golden was called Bucky, but I bonded the most with Hap. 

Happy was crazy about being brushed. As soon as I showed him the brush he would be so happy and lie down to be brushed. And I brushed him for hours. With each stroke, I bonded more with him. 

I also trained him, though looking back he trained me more. He taught me how to train a dog--he was so patient and wise. He taught me to not get angry, he would just ignore me if I was frustrated with him. And he wasn't afraid of anything. 

Happy loved fetching in the water, not so much on land. I remember throwing water balloons in the stream for him to fetch, and he never broke one, he had such a soft mouth. Once he accidentally dropped one on a rock, and was shocked when it disappeared.

I got to enjoy Happy for a year and a half, then my family moved far away from him. I was heartbroken, but a year later I got to visit my boy again for two weeks.

He remembered me. I was so happy to see him and he was to see me too. He remembered the days we spent together, me brushing and training him, and teaching each other. I spent those two weeks loving Hap, not knowing they would be the last time I saw him. I cried hard when I had to leave him.

Months later he stopped eating, and the vet found an obstruction of porcupine quills in his stomach. They took those out but he still didn't improve. Happy died 2 months later, from an unknown cause though the vet suspects cancer.

It hurt me to hear that he died, that I would never again see the dog that introduced me to the incredible love that is dog. I miss you and love you dearly, Hap. Thank you for all that you taught me, you are an incredible dog!

Claire

by: Amy Vervoort

Our Golden Retriever, Claire, was a long awaited member of our family. After waiting years to adopt her, when I knew last year we were settled enough to have plenty of time for a dog. She was born on November 6, 2008, and came to us on December 30, 2008. 

She has brought so much fun and joy into our lives, and we would not be complete without her.

I was a single mom, with my now almost twelve year old daughter, enjoying working at our local university in the English Department. I had pretty much given up finding a partner, and had been quoted as saying, "who needs a man when you can have man's best friend". That was when I decided to adopt Claire, and made arrangements with a local breeder for a female puppy from their next litter. In the time between making those arrangements and when the pups were born, I met the most adoring man, and Australian living in northern Canada - who happened to love dogs. Not long after we started dating, I sent him an email with pictures of a new Golden litter and told him one of them was mine. 

My daughter chose her name. She said, "a beautiful dog should have a beautiful name". By the time Claire came to us on December 30th, everyone was excited for her arrival. Everything revolved around our puppy's schedule and needs. My partner and I would walk her every evening, and every morning she would join us in bed for morning coffee. 

At first she couldn't jump up on the bed, and would have to be lifted, but soon she was able to make a run for it and jump to the top. There were a few spills along the way, but once she got up she was Daddy's girl, and enjoyed her morning belly rub. Her love for Daddy was evident every time he was out of town, when she would sulk when he couldn't be found, and when he returned was greeted with the most enthusiasm.  

We all live together now, and Claire has been the center of it all. She has a new dog run in the back yard, her own ottoman in the living room, and takes priority in the bed. Recently, we decided to adopt a baby brother for her, a Basset Hound named Gromit. She's not too sure what to make of him, but he makes her bounce on springs. She's started a blog to follow her life with Gromit, and tell all her stories of dog parks, tree farms, and stuffy ducks.

We all look forward to a long life with Claire. She makes every day a joy, and is the sweetest soul I have ever known.

Editor's Note: Amy is new to the blogging community, so please help us give her a warm welcome! Here's a link to Claire and Gromit's blog.

Crue 

My Best Friend, Crue

by Lainee Greeson

I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that he was the one. I spent all of my money I saved up and tried the hardest in school to get him. He was lightest one out of the litter and by far the one that caught my eye. We got to bring him home one week early because the breeders where going on a camping trip. His nose went off as soon as we stepped into the house.

It took me a couple of days to figure out what I wanted to name him. My parents wanted to give him "a horse like name" but I wasn't for that. The name came into my head Crue, like you never leave your home without your crew. He is the smartest, clever, most beautiful dog I know. And I know a lot of dogs! He acts as if he is human. When he jumps up on the ledge to look out the window, to see if anyone is coming. And when you say get the bunny, or the birdie he knows what your talking about, as he gets real still and looks around. When you ask him where his duck is or his bone he will search high and low until he finds that toy. He will lay right over the vent where the cool air comes out, because he knows what that does.

Today Crue is 3 years old  (he is a boy) I love when you wake up he follows you everywhere like a shadow. And like a human stretches when he wakes up. He takes up most of my queen size bed and loves to bring you socks. Its a pride thing for him. My favorite thing about him is how he poses for the camera. I want to become a photographer and he is the perfect dog to take pictures of. Crue is my best friend and I take him everywhere with me. If its the store or if I am just going out front, he is always by my side.

 Charlie

by: Anne Kohlstaedt

It all began 10/26/2004 with email from our good friend, Karen, in Indiana: "Look! I am going to call about this litter. I don't know how old they are now, but there are 4 females and 4 males. They said the father was the same color as the mother (whose name is Abby). :-)"

Many years ago Karen, a vet in Indiana, had saved the life of our golden retriever, Lindsey. Karen had loved Lindsey's "you are my slave, give me what I want" personality so much that Lindsey made a litter just for her. We had each kept a puppy, but after long and wonderful lives, they had both passed on, and it was time for another.

Charlie is on the top of the pile!So we'd previously enjoyed having golden siblings, and when Karen sent her email, you could just feel where things were headed. She liked the looks of the new litter and selected a puppy (Sophie) herself. We asked her to pick out a Lindsey-like one for us, too. There was one puppy (called Bailey at the time) that stood out to her: "Wasn't it cute that Bailey was always on the top of the pile?"

From there things progressed pretty quickly: "I told the puppy people that you have dibs on Bailey". The puppy people's response was: "We won't have to mark his nails, his personality says it all; he tried another escape after we raised the board." And as they grew: "Bailey, aka. Charlie Jr. is starting to 'pounce' when he plays...very cute. He is the first to eat and the last to sleep. Get ready... ;-) "

So Karen is the reason we have Charlie and all of us here want to say a big Thanks!

Honey Love...

by: Kristin and Dave Haaf (in Dave's words)

I waited until I had settled into a new life in California, a transplant from the East Coast, and was sure I could have time for a fuzzy dog.  Never in my wildest dreams, did I imagine that the sweetest little golden girl would come into my life.  

Honey captured my heart in 1995, accompanied me everywhere and brought me so much joy.  Honey’s sweet snore under the boardroom table at office meetings; her charming look that granted her treats from most humans who crossed her path; her snout that worked overtime on hikes that only took an hour but which became all day sniffing adventures; her paw pulling my hand back to her belly when I lapsed a few seconds on belly rubs while driving across the United States…she was my support through rough times and my joy at all times.  This little red golden stole my heart.  

Honey and I met my future bride in 2003.  I am sure it was Honey that first captured Kristin’s heart, and I had much to live up to.  Our first ‘date’ was a road trip around the western states, and that was that!  We became our little threesome.  

Honey accompanied us on frequent trips to high Sierra lakes, where she would be Kristin’s kayak navigator and chief stick retriever, and every winter to our favorite ski area, where Honey made snow angels and joined us on x-country ski adventures.  She was patient, loving and fun even at home, where she tolerated us with jobs, errands, and local town parks.  She was always willing to go wherever we were going!

Honey enjoying a stick in her snow boots!By later winter 2009, Honey had incomprehensibly slowed down.  X-rays showed that cancer had attacked her little body, and was creeping into many of her major organs.

The ultimate sad day came on April 25, 2009.  We will never forget that day.  Honey’s love will last forever and she is always with us in spirit.  Miss that Honey Love!

Thank you to our friend Elizabeth, a.k.a. Luna's Mom, for helping us to keep rolling with the 1000 Goldens Project. We are so excited to share her story of her family dog Sasha. It seems extra special to share this story near Mother's day, as it is very clear how dear Elizabeth's Mom is to her. 

by: Elizabeth Bergesen

I have never known a dog that enjoyed the pleasures of ‘being a girl’ like Sasha did. Sasha loved getting ‘dressed up’ and my mother found simple amusement in dressing her up in various clothes. Halloween, Christmas, birthdays, or just for fun, Sasha was always sporting a hip look and enjoyed posing for the camera.  

In January 2009, Sasha was diagnosed with Histiocytic Sarcoma/Malignant Histiocytosis, along with splenic erythropoiesis. The doctors told my mother Sasha had six months to a year to live; she managed to fulfill only one of those months. On March 13^th, 2009, just nine days before her seventh birthday, Sasha passed away. She died in her sleep, at her old home in Brier, WA – where she had brought us so much laughter, and shown us so much love. She had fought bravely against the sudden onset of her cancer and the resulting splenectomy, but it had all been a bit too much for her body to take.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of having such a close companion knows what it’s like to lose that friendship. Sasha was a wonderful companion, a true friend, the consummate loving Golden Retriever. She was brought into our family as a young, vivacious puppy and had grown into a beautiful adult. Sasha loved to be with her family, and her family loved to have her close to them. Whether it was on the couch, on someone’s bed, or just in our arms, Sasha would be there – happy as could be.

There has always been a special connection between my mother and Sasha and it was always known in our family that Sasha was ‘her’ dog.  I think my family was very lucky to have had Sasha as part of our family. Sasha had unique, individual, loving relationships will all of us and she will be missed dearly.

This is dedicated to my mother.

We are happy to introduce you to Cameron and Ferris! We are putting them into one story, because they are family. Not only are they family, they are rescued Goldens from Tennessee, who were adopted by the parents of Fenway. Here is their story in Bari's words...

by: Bari Boisvert

I received the call to rescue Ferris about 3:00 in the afternoon the day we put Fenway down. I couldn't believe it. We had put in to rescue long before, thinking that would be the medicine Fennie needed, but it wasn't meant to be. I am not one who is into signs, but there ever was one, that would be it.  When we heard about Ferris, we were also told about Cameron. Ferris was abused and Cam was a stray with a broken front leg.  Something in my gut told me to take Cam too, although my husband was not so sure two dogs would be a good idea.
 
Ferris' original name was Kyle and we had changed it to Ferris (the F for Fenway). I woke at 3am about a week after the call and woke up Scott and yelled, "We have to take Cameron in too!! Cameron is Ferris Bueller's best friend in the movie!!"
 
Certifiable I am!
 
Ferris is our cowardly lion, but has grown so much in the 2 1/2 years we have had him. He has just learned to use his bark (not sure if he knew he had one prior to his abuse) and is definitely a mama's boy. Cameron is our evil little gnome; getting into everything...including our hearts.  They both needed us. Cam has horrible allergies and is on meds and shots.  I am not sure how many people would take in a dog like that. A lot of hard work got Ferris to be the boy he is today...again much paitience. And, they love each other. They both would not be the dogs they are without one another.
 
Our home and hearts are full once again, but we'll always have a piece for Fenway.