Golden Girls

Recently my vet said that our dogs, now that they are 7, are considered "seniors." I have to admit, my heart sank a little when she said that. I can still remember the day I hand-picked each of them from their litters. While they are not litter-mates, they are from the same set of parents, so siblings none the less. They were both very different as puppies, but equally lovable.

We got Ellie a few months after we got married. At around 5 pounds, she was the runt of her litter of 11 and just as sweet as could be. She has always been our more anxiety-prone dog, and certainly not the dominant one of the two. We didn't know it, but she had parvovirus when we got her, and for the first 2 weeks we had her I rarely left her side, shuttling her to and from the vet office nearly every day for more fluid. Till this day, she and I have an unspeakable bond. Her loyalty is most apparent when there is an unfamiliar face at the door, or when Bill gives me any type of affection. She loves a good snuggle and can make anything into a pillow, and she is especially fond of pregnant bellies. She used to bark and cry so much when we left the house, passerby's probably thought she was being tortured. She still carries on a bit when we leave her and when we get home she gives us a good long howl (yes, she can howl) as if to say "Where did you go and why did you leave me?!".

After we had Ellie a few months, we decided we really wanted another one, and it would be nice for Ellie to have a playmate. For everything that Ellie wasn't as a puppy, Lexi was. Ellie slept a lot, probably due to her body recovering from the virus, and was not nearly as active as we were expecting. Lexi, on the other hand was VERY playful and mischievous. The dominant dog from day one, she never hesitated to start a chase/wrestle match, or steal a toy from her big sister. Lexi is the type of dog who is always at you for a good scratch. She feels that if you are going to be sitting anywhere near her, you might as well make yourself useful and pet her. She views everything as a potential meal. It's as if she never gets fed. I would hate to see what would happen to her if she were ever in the wild. No doubt she would get into trouble eating some poisonous plant or ingesting decaying food or animal flesh rotting with deadly bacteria. She is a very sweet girl and has always been very protective and loving towards our kids. If you are a dog-lover, she will relish in the glory, and if you aren't she will do her best to make you one.

These dogs are huge part of our family, and we hate to think of the day we will be without them. They are our welcome wagon, whether we are gone for 10 minutes, 10 hours, or 10 days. When we come home, we are always greeted with wagging tails and a "gift"of a shoe, a toy, or a pillow from the couch (something that is characteristic of the Golden Retriever breed). No matter what kind of day we have had, we can always count on them to give us their unconditional love. Ellie moans and howls, while Lexi stretches out and gives us a playful growl, letting us know she is ready for fun. I think everybody needs a dog.