This story of dogs has a long history in my family. I am a firm believer that pets have limitless value in the lives of both children and adults. My first recollections of canines was Suzy, a German Shorthair that my father owned when I was 4. We progressed to Pookie the Cocker Spaniel, and an Elkhound that I forgot the name (we didn't get along.) After moving into my own digs Mickey Finn, a crazed version of Tramp in the Disney movie came along. He was joined by Colonel a 130# mixed Shepard. After that came Buck, my first Golden Retriever and the impetus for our new arrival. After Buck passed away at 13, I got Duke from a shelter. He now guards all the couches in the house. Here are some pictures of the current canines.
****OZZY***** ****DUKE****
Unfortunately Duke has no parentage available since he was a shelter dog. Ozzy, however has the full package. Here are some of his friends and relatives.
***Dave with Ozzy********Amanda with Ozzy***
Ozzy's dad "GORDON"
Before going further I would like to mention the breeder we obtained Ozzy from. Mitchells Gold Mine just west of Rockford is where we picked out Ozzy. Sherri Mitchell and her husband were outstanding in their kindness and help. We would highly reccomend them if your interest is in the Golden Retriever. E-mail us for their particulars.
Ozzy arrived here on Thursday night Jan 21st at the tender age of 49 days old. He was about to enter a new world filled with new people and animals. He was amazingly calm about the whole incident. The Brittany soon explained to the pup who was in charge through the use of intimidation (ie snarling and posturing). It worked like a charm and everyone has begun to settle in. We have opted for crate training which has been recommended by several authorities and it is working well. The whining only goes on for a short period of time before Ozzy accepts his fate and goes to sleep followed by the rest of us. He, of course is the "cutest puppy in the world" as they all are. He seems to be fairly intelligent and very inquisitive. But when you are 49 days old most things are pretty new. He is now learning the use of collars and leads and will be off to puppy school next week. My 24 year old son has done an admirable job thus far and I can see he will be a devoted owner. He is an animal lover by nature and has all the new father actions in place minus the cigars (I think!?) More to come along with pictures.
Ozzy is growing rapidly and learning new things by the hour, some good and some not so cute. His big brother Duke is undergoing a second childhood and is now given to wrestling with the puppy and always winning...so far. He has no concept that the fuzzy little sparring partner is going to surpass him in size within the first year. They are definitely forming a partnership that will become a lasting bond. Ozzy has nearly mastered housebreaking at about 10 weeks, knows how to get human attention ( whining, barking or scratching the door), sitting, and coming to us but only if we shake the dog biscuit box. I wonder if this was Pavelovs inspiration.
Ozzy at nine weeks
Ozzy at 13 weeks
This last photo is evidence that even a computer challenged person like me can make a video capture system work if they try hard enough.
In the interest of loading time, I will provide links to other pages for pictures and continue the text here. It has been 4 1/2 months since his birth and he is definitely turning into a Golden Retriever. He has grown a nose, his adult coat is filling in and he is 40#. He is almost exactly the darker golden color we had wanted and he has the typical wavy pattern to his coat. He also appears to be growing into a large speciman. His puppy habits of chewing, tug of war, harassing Duke and of late retrieving anything that isn't nailed down are still going strong. He loves my flower bed for a resting place, excavates the sandbox at every opportunity and loves to play in the rain. He was introduced to the lawn mower two days ago. After several attempts to attack it, he decided it was too loud and threatening and retreated to the house. More Pictures!
As we fast approach Ozzy's first birthday the memories of the furry little puppy have faded. We still have the above pictures as evidence but we also have a 70# rompin stompin Golden Retriever who has enough energy to fuel the space shuttle. He still chews on stuff be we are able to leave him roam unless we are at work. He then goes in the crate which he perceives as his den rather than a cage. He has surpassed his senior partner in size and weight is about even since Duke is a bit overweight. As I write this they are both curled up on the bed behind me like they are bosom buddies. In minutes from now they will be involved in their version of the WWF complete with fake snarling, flailing paws, and chewing on the opponents neck. Duke has learned that his best defense is to roll on his back so he is able to chew and kick and scratch in comfort with the least amount of exersion. Check out the 1st year picture. It is a real dandy in his favorite place....my bed. He has all the looks of the adult Golden save the fact that he still has not attained the girth. Still lanky but has lost his clumsiness and has really turned out beyond our hopes. He is a beautiful animal with a heart of Gold. The two are inseperable but at times you would wonder how they survive in the same house. But if you could see them curled up together asleep on the couch it is obvious that they are truly brothers under the fur. Loyal to a fault and full of love. This is what pet ownership is all about.
We have some new photos of the additions. The first is a family photo of the kids and dogs. Ozzy is now a 5 year old Golden, Eve is a one year old Rodesian Ridgeback, Murdoch is also a Ridgeback at 12 weeks and Bosco is the Chocolate Lab pup also 12weeks
