Happy Birthday Precious Poochie

Our puppy is 10 years old today. When our children were 11 and almost 9 we decided it was time to have a dog in the family. Two doors down from us lived a perfect Golden retriever named Chelsea. She needed no leash. No word of a lie....she would pick up her toys and put them away when asked. She knew the neighbours by name and could go to the right one when their name was mentioned. She wore boots in the winter while she pranced obediently beside her master. We decided we wanted a perfect Golden retriever too. (You know where I'm going with this...)
My husband and I visited the breeders prior to taking our kids there and well......NEVER go and look at puppies unless you have decided beforehand you are getting one. We told the kids in November that if they were willing to pool their money from their newspaper routes along with ours, we would be able to afford a puppy for Christmas. They very excitedly agreed and we visited the breeders to choose our Christmas puppy. We chose the darkest in the litter. Nikki had been born on October 23rd 1997 . The breeder marked her head with a dab of red nail polish to signify she was 'taken'. She was still too young to leave her mother.

On December 24th we went to the office of the breeder to pick up our new member of the family. Nikki was peacefully lying on a bookshelf next to a cat. (She'd never admit to that now....cats are the enemy). She would not look into our eyes and she puked in the van on the ride home. We could not leave her alone at that age, so she accompanied us to a Christmas Eve gathering and two family Christmas parties on Christmas day. At my brother's house, Nikki met the cat who was larger than her. She peed on their carpet.

Why is it that mothers get delegated for the all the toilet training in the household? Many a morning (that would be 4 am), I was in the backyard under the big pine tree, with pyjamas, boots, winter coat and umbrella, shivering in the cold drizzle waiting for Nikki to pee. She chose instead (after whimpering to go out)to just lie down and chew sticks.

The first year was full of hair and joy and hair and mud and hair and chewed furniture and hair and diarrhea-plastered cage (I'll spare you that story...shudder), and did I mention hair? But mostly joy. I would watch as Chelsea...the perfect Golden..... with the perfect gait......would prance by our house on her walks.

Inside, Nikki would scout out garbage cans, counters and tables for food, papers to rip up, or other crunchy (eyeglasses are crunchy!), chewy things. One morning we had to send a shredded school project in a plastic baggie to the teacher - the dog really did eat the homework! Outside, she loved to jump up on you and grasp your arm in her mouth ...or try to dig her way to China through the lawn. I remember painstakingly laying down landscape fabric to block weeds along the whole edge of my long garden and I covered it with mulch. Then I let the dog outside.... Moments later, Nikki discovered one corner of the fabric I hadn't quite covered. She took that corner in her mouth and ran the length of the garden with it. All of my hours of labour....ripped up in 20 seconds. What can you do? I had to laugh. She smiled so proudly at her accomplishment!

My husband took her to obedience school (I failed the classes with our last dog), and Nikki passed very nicely and settled down somewhat after that. Unfortunately, those classes do not teach dogs how to use a vacuum cleaner.

I had fun on her first birthday. I had noticed the name and address of the owner of one of Nikki's sisters when we were signing some papers to purchase our puppy. The sister lived on the same street I grew up on so I had found the house and remembered where she lived. We would actually sneak peeks at her from time to time in her yard. On Nikki's first birthday, I snuck a doggie treat bag into the mailbox at this house with a happy birthday note for Nikki's sister along with our phone number. It was not long before the phone rang with a very excited person wanting to bring 'Sarah' over to meet her sister. What a reunion it was! The two stuck to each other like glue and pranced around our backyard together. I hated to see them part, and I regret that we did not keep in touch.

Once we passed the two year period.... as we had been assured by other Golden owners...Nikki settled down quite nicely and has been a wonderful companion. Just don't wear dark clothing around her! If you wear dark socks to our place you will notice lots of hair on them even if we vacuumed right before you came.

And now she has retired...yes she is a senior. Another bit of advice? Put aside money for your pet's pension years....it's going to cost you...big time. On top of the normal care of a dog...shots, checkups... there are special senior check-ups, various medications, senior food, and a charge for urine collection (unless you want to follow your dog around with a small container until she decides she has to go....then hope she doesn't miss and you don't spill it....take our advice...you don't want to do this). Nikki now has arthritis in her back legs and must take pain medication to enable her to manage the stairs. When people see her dart out the front door or take off after a rabbit, they don't believe us....but she really is arthritic. She just thinks she's still that pup with boundless energy. (Mhmmm...I can totally relate).

And so....here's to you Nikki....Happy 10th birthday!! You bring us much joy and loving attention (and hair) and for that we (and the vacuum cleaner) salute you. With much love, fur-filled hugs, and slobbery kisses from your family!