Wednesdays Are Golden Too

We celebrated more than Independence Day on Monday.  July 4th is also Lucy's birthday.  Quite appropriate we think.  In truth we don't actually celebrate canine birthdays except for a few extra hugs and much thanks for another year with a best friend.

Without a doubt, Lucy is the smartest dog we have ever owned.  We caught a glimpse of this when she was just a puppy.  She was watching television with me.  The show was a sheep herding contest.  (I just love to watch sheep herding.)  When the sheep dog ran across the screen from left to right and disappeared, Lucy got up and went to the right side of the television and looked behind it to see where the dog had gone.  Lucy knows the path the deer will take around our house.  She will watch the deer from the porch downstairs.  Then she will run to the door and wait for the deer to appear on that side of the house.  She then runs upstairs and looks out the dining room window.

If you ask Lucy to find her blue tug for example, she sits and thinks, then runs to the place she last saw it.  She knows when we are driving to a fun destination.  She is a bit anxious in the car until we pass a certain spot.  That means we are not driving to the veterinarian and her disposition changes completely.

I believe Lucy would have made an excellent search and rescue dog because of her intelligence, persistence, and sheer joy of being praised when she accomplishes something.  She has a little prance that indicates she is proud of herself.  Her hero, by the way, is Bert.  Read his blog here

When we become a bit too proud of Lucy's intelligence, she grounds us by doing something stupid like eating rabbit poop which invariably makes her sick for a day or two.

Here she is during her first week with us.  The roly-poly puppy loved the roly-poly hard ball.

 Resting in the shade, her happy smile already developed.

 Lucy was such a little thing.  Here she is with our Ellie who was two at the time.  You may want to click to enlarge the photograph.

 She is a great guard dog.  Here she keeps careful watch on the deck for those beady-eyed devil squirrels.  (When we were in obedience training, the instructor said that all dogs no matter what the breed would protect their owners and property.  Then she looked straight at us and said, "Well, except for Golden Retrievers.  They will wag their tails and show the intruder where you keep the silver.")

 She loves to hike, but most of all she loves to run free in the wind.

 She smiles as much as any dog we've ever had.

 And she looks so peaceful when she sleeps.

Why am I doing Goldens on Wednesday?  Because we are having guests and I won't be posting for a week or so.  So stay safe and happy.