JJ: It is so much fun being a toddler! I get all the benefits of being a lunatic puppy + more freedom! The freedom to go outside by myself. The freedom to be out of my crate for many hours at a time. The freedom to be a DOG with less restrictions! It is like a teenager getting his driver’s licence.
Alanis: And just like it is with many teenagers getting driver’s licences, there world will never be the same with JJ being allowed to do more things.
JJ: I chewed off a piece of the HVAC insulation!
Alanis: As I said, the world will never be the same. You are the fourth Golden Retriever to enter this house and the first one to even approach that system, never mind rip off a piece of the foam. What gets into you, dog?
JJ: Nothing! I am a Golden Retriever!
Alanis: If anyone broke into our backyard and tried to do something stupid, they would be in deep trouble. No, not because we are vicious – because JJ has set booby traps with all the holes he has dug.
JJ: Hahahaha! I love to dig! And I can dig a big hole in less than two minutes!
Alanis: Trust us, we know.
JJ: How about Mommy’s pillow? I casually just rested by her pillow, nobody suspecting a thing…next thing you know, the pillow has been torn apart.
Alanis: It is pretty remarkable how complete destruction of everything appears to be your motivation.
JJ: What do I care?
Alanis: So what are you learning in class?
JJ: I am an expert jumper and I can do weave poles! I have also learned so many tricks.
Alanis: Have you learned anything that will make you less of a pain in the butt?
JJ: If I have, I just tune that stuff out.
Alanis: Of course.
JJ: A few weeks ago, I was especially crazy – asking Daddy to put me out every five minutes when they were watching TV in the middle of the night. Testing patience is one of my favorite activities.
Alanis: When I first entered this house, I didn’t really understand life much and I did my share of naughty things. However, for every one naughty thing I did, JJ has five.
JJ: That is a generously low number.
Alanis: My favorite moments of the day: When JJ goes into his crate for a while.
JJ: Shut up. You get so excited when I come out of my crate!
Alanis: I am a dog – I don’t understand what I am getting into until it is too late.
Me: JJ is the Golden Retriever who walks by the kitchen table and gradually grabs a coupon and runs away with it. You often have no idea what this dog is doing until it is too late. The pillow incident was one such thing – I thought he was just taking a break from another insane play session, only to find out he was up to something much more sinister.
If you are new to this blog, my intention is not to scare you away from owning this wonderful breed. They require attention, exercise, and being allowed to do their goofy things. The other night, JJ was outside running around with a big tree branch hanging out of his mouth. He has taken apart a broom and run around with the stick. It is so insane that you can’t help but laugh at his antics.
JJ is a jumper. I am 6’0″ and comes close to clearing me when he does a “bounce.” One person who saw him walking towards them on a walk told me that he actually DID clear me with one of his bounces. He jumps over gates in class with ease. He often does that from a sitting position. Not all Golden Retrievers are like that – JJ came from an athletic agility line, and he shows that off every chance he gets. We have a VERY HIGH backyard fence, and I am convinced that if he ever had the right motivation, he could probably come close to clearing it….and he is the type of dog who wouldn’t be scared of failing to do so.
Our history includes four Goldens, and he is the first one with these traits. Josh had “show dog” qualities. Jeter had extreme obedience. Alanis loves to run around sniffing for treats and is very good at nosework when she puts her mind to it. JJ is our extreme agility dog with the most energy. All of them have/had many of the qualities you read about with Golden Retrievers – they just express those qualities in different ways.