ADOPTED

Buddy... A Good Samaritan rescued Buddy from an area of San Antonio commonly used for dumping unwanted animals. A visit to the vet indicated that Buddy was underweight and his coat was in shambles but otherwise healthy. His rescuer wanted very much wanted to keep Buddy but already had a large number of dogs. After tearful goodbyes, they surrendered Buddy so that a forever home could be found for him.

I knew the moment that we met Buddy was truly golden. He is energetic, very friendly and has a wonderful personality. Buddy can best be described as a family dog. He instantly made friends with my four children and two other dogs. Like our two dogs, he ignores our cat. Our cat has a rather sour disposition when it comes to dogs. When she hisses and spits Buddy shows no aggression and just walks away. I’m sure he would like to lick her from head to tail if he could just get close enough.

He absolutely loves to play and craves attention. However, he’s not demanding. When he wants to play he will bring you his ball. If the ball is thrown, he will retrieve it and drop it on the floor or in your lap. If you ignore the ball, he will pick it up and take to another family member, play with one of the other dogs or play by himself. When he tires he will simply lay on the floor and the ball rolls from his mouth. It is a wonderful sight to behold with him sprawled flat on the floor sleeping with the ball a few inches from his nose.

Buddy has been a great house guest since he has been with us. He has not chewed or taken anything inappropriate. He loves to carry toys in his mouth but doesn’t mangle them.

Like my other dogs, Buddy likes to be in the kitchen with the family when we are preparing meals. Though he has run his nose along the counter, curious of the smells, he has not jumped on or taken anything off of the counter. He absolutely loves carrots and apples. He is learning to take treats carefully and is gentle most of the time.

We have been working with Buddy on basic obedience, leash and kennel training. He is eager to learn and he is beginning to walk well on lead. In the kennel, Buddy stays quiet and calm. Like with our other dogs, we have him in the kennel for brief periods during the day when we’re out and sleeping in the kennel at night. I’m sure he would do just fine with the run of the house if we let him. Though Buddy has not ridden in the car much, he stays quite and behaves well. Buddy tends to follow the good examples of my other dogs so he has been a snap to train.

The best home for Buddy would be a family with kids and other dogs that like to play. He responds very well to lots of love and attention but he’s not overwhelming. Although he is a young dog, has tons of energy, and can go, and go, he can lie down and stay quiet when needed. Also, because he is a young dog, he also needs a family willing to provide structure and routine. He picks up quickly what is expected from him by redirection and the example of what’s going on around him. If you want a watch dog, it’s not Buddy. He may bark at an intruder but he would also want to play ball with the intruder as well.

 

07/03/2006:

DASH NELLE
aka “Buddy” 04-045

After our 16-year-old Golden passed away, we found that having only one Golden made the house feel much emptier than we had ever imagined it would. We had heard about breed rescue groups, and decided to look for a Golden who had suddenly found himself unwanted and discarded. We wanted to give one of these wonderful dogs another chance at being part of a family who really wanted him. Then, while going through GRR’s application process, we suddenly lost our younger Golden. It was into this unexpectedly dog-less family that Dash arrived.

Dash was found by a Good Samaritan in an area of San Antonio known for dog-dumping. He was very friendly and very skinny. His fur felt like a Brillo pad, and he looked like someone had given him a very short haircut. But whatever he had experienced in his short 9 months of life, his personality and spirit were undampened. He had a wonderful “I love life” attitude. And, as his foster dad told us, Dash could play fetch until your arm almost fell off from throwing the ball.

It,s been 2 years since Dash became a member of our family, and he still plays fetch with that same gusto. Whether he’s chasing a ball, pursing a bird, or trying to catch a spray of water from the garden hose, Dash runs and jumps, twists and turns, and will nearly flip over backwards in the attempt. He’s added 25 lbs to his no longer skinny frame, but he’s never quite got the longer coat normal to Goldens. A mix? Maybe a little, but pure Gold through and through. Even though we don’t know his past, Dash has always been extremely gentle with our three kids (currently ages 6, 7 & 8). Every night you’ll find him on the foot of our 6-year-old son’s bed, listening to bedtime stories and staying there until our son is fast asleep. Over the years, Dash has also been a brother to several GRR foster dogs, teaching them the ropes of living indoors with a family for the first time. Then last year, we added that second dog to our family by adopting another GRR pup. Now Dash and sister Trixie play together, fetch baseballs when the kids practice batting in the backyard, and camp out in front of the TV for a nap. And of course he loves what has to be every Golden’s favorite hobby: cleaning up food dropped accidentally from the counter or table.

One day, about 4 months after we adopted Dash, I heard him at the window barking at the neighbor’s dog across the street. It made me smile as I realized that his barking meant one thing: this was his home and his family, and he wanted the whole world to know that he was here to stay.
 

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