# Sophie... the saga begins



## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

OMG, thanks so much for the picture. They are both beautiful. I wish you luck with the "handful". 

BTW... we are going to require more then one picture.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

Sounds like she's already got you wrapped around her "paw"  Great pic, Sophie is adorable. Give Sidney a pat for being such a good sport....


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## Brinkleysmom (Dec 17, 2005)

First off, congrats on your new pup. She is quite beautiful. Secondly, what a great photo. That is just priceless. I love it. Looks like they will be best buds very quickly. I just love that photo. Thanks so much for sharing and cannot wait to see more. Just great.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

She is *adorable* and yes, very feminine looking!!! It sounds like she may be related to Biscuit. Buckle up, you're in for the ride of your life...LOL!!! No, only kidding, Biscuit is a wonderful dog and he has matured so much in the past few months. 

When I first brought Jack home, my lab would lay herself down so Jack could sort of play on her and this way she could play with him but not hurt him at the same time. Sydney will figure out how to do it before you know it. It's so funny to see how smart they are about this kind of stuff.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

This is a girl,alright!,
Already knows how to manipulate you with her looks and charms!.


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

Awwww.......so sweet!

Sidney will love having a constant playmate. Keep the pictures coming

Don't forget to hide/put away all shoes!


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## ty823 (Feb 7, 2006)

Sounds like a fun time for you Monomer!


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## davebeech (Feb 11, 2006)

Wow !! Sophie looks gorgeous, and Sid looks look pretty comfortable with her being around.
Congratulations on yer new babe !!!


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

What a gorgeous girl..... Looks like Sidney is being a gentleman and showing Sophie the ropes.... More pictures ...PLEASE


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

What a wonderful first picture!!! She's gonna be the Queen of the House in the blink of an eye.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Sophie is very cute. Sounds like a perfect angel too. Please keep the pictures coming.


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

They are BOTH beeeeutiful pups, but Sophie definitely has a little attitude in her posture, doesn't she? Sid looks a little shy, and she is all attention and spunk. 

It's gonna be fun and don't short us on pics and stories, now


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## Sunshine Goldens (Oct 31, 2005)

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH that is one sweeeeeeeeet baby girl!!! Can't wait to see more pix and hear all about her antics!!!!


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Oh they are sweet. i can't wait to see more pics of the 2 of them.


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## desilu (Nov 2, 2006)

Sophie is adorable! Enjoy those puppy days - they pass by all too soon! Keep posting pictures so we can enjoy her along with you.


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

Sophie does look very feminine. What a sweetie!


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## Ella's Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Awwwwwwwww, what a sweet little girl sophie is. congratulations!!


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## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

oh my gosh!!! she's adorable!!! She looks so tiny compared to Sidney lol! He is such a good boy for playing nicely with her. They seem soo smart... they just "know" to play nicely... it's really sweet. I sure hope I get to meet the both of them in July!!

And yup! We're gonna need more than one pic! Probably more than ten


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## Rena450 (Apr 16, 2007)

OH MY GOSH! What a cutie pie.....I love her name. The picture is great . . .I love the way she is looking at Sid. :lol: Sounds like she will keep you on your toes. I know what you mean about a handful. Our Oakley is 9 1/2 weeks and from day one he was into everything and busy, busy, busy. Not at all like our other 2 pups. Just this morning Oakley wanted into the Family Room (we have it blocked off with a folidng table laying on its side and a wooden baby gate because the opening is so large), Oakley sticks his head through the gate, the gate falls, now his head is trapped inside one of the diamond shapped openings, he's hollering and dragging the gate around with his head in it. My son and I finally get it off him. What does he do? Goes back and tries it again. Very determined . . .no fear . . . .alot of fun and very lovable.:heartbeat


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your kind words, praises, and stories...

I feel kinda bad because I've not been very active in either this thread or the forum in general... but a puppy is really time consuming, REALLY!

Our philosophy on puppy/dog ownership is... put in 100% effort and time up front (the first 16-weeks) and reap the benefits of a more manageable and easily trainable dog for the rest of his/her life. Its best from an efficiency standpoint and also allows a more pleasant relationship for all of us. So if we find we cannot interact with Sophie 100% of the time (being watchful and ever vigilant) then she is either place into her crate or if outside she goes into her play pen (a 25-foot long, 2-foot high rabbit wire fencing enclosure using several T-bar stakes... costs all of $16 at Menards). In addition I've fenced in all the openings in our backyard so she can't really leave the property if she is out... and believe me she is fast for an 8-week old puppy. At that age they still do the hobby horse (rocking horse) type of running, which she has that down to an art and though its cute to watch (with her ears a-flying) she can scamper almost as fast as I can run. So far she has me completely amazed... she never went through the wimpering (missing mom and the litter) phase, sleeps completely through the night (9+ hours), if in the house she suddenly needs to 'potty', she will go straight to the back door and sit down... I open the door she scampers out to edge of the stoop and I lift her quickly down the steps (all 2 of them) and she goes to the end of the patio cement and onto the grass to do her business. She is soooo smart, I can honestly say she is the smartest puppy I've ever own... she's almost spooky smart. It will be interesting to see what the coming weeks will bring to her development.

Oh well, I think I will now just post a few pictures and run... got a puppy to attend to you know...

Notice the size of her mouth... she can actually fit stuffed toys almost as big as she is into it and 'throttle' them to within an inch of their lives... she also will walk around with a full-sized tennis ball in her mouth!


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## Denali and Gretzky's Mom (Jun 26, 2006)

She is so cute and Sidney is gorgeous too. It definitely sounds like you are busy with her, but she is going to be a great dog because of your efforts! Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Okay I thought I'd just add one more pic of that gaping cavernous mouth of hers...


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Lego&Jacub said:


> ... I sure hope I get to meet the both of them in July!!...


You remembered!!!!

I will be posting back to that thread near the end of the month here to develop more interest in attending and to get a better 'head count' (and a 'tail count' too I suppose). Yes, both Sidney and Sophie (as well as me and the wife will be there... someone's got to drive you know)... we can't wait to see/met you guys there...


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## justmejanis (Feb 25, 2007)

She is just beautiful! Oh I love the big mouth thing. Spencer could hold five tennis balls in his mouth. Five! 

It sounds like Sophie is an amazing little girl. Please keep us posted with her antics! 

Enjoy that angel!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Well, this evening it seems Sophie had several firsts...

Let me start by telling you Sophie has this amazing jumping ability she uses mostly to get into trouble. She will leap up tall steps, she will leap completely over vegetation to get to dirt piles, she will leap right into the middle of our garden and hostas etc. to immediately disappear from sight... well tonight she went one great leap too far. We have two interconnecting ponds at the edge of our patio with some large old gold fish that always come to the surface smacking their lips whenever anything living appears overhead... as from their point of view the appearance of 'big heads' have come to be a good predictor of food pellets soon landing on the water's surface. Tonight Sophie strolled up to the pond's edge to stared at the fish, which she's done before... but this time she suddenly leaps over a small plant and right into the middle of the pond! I'm watching this from about 20-feet away and it seemed like everything suddenly switched over into slow motion, including myself. I watched in horror as fluffy, furry little Sophie crashed through the surface of the water and began sinking to the bottom (about 18 inches deep)... her fur and big ears were waving in the water and by the time I snapped out of it and when I finally got over to her she had kicked-off of the bottom and was dog-paddling (puppy-paddling?) her way to the edge of the pond with a most bewildered look on her face. As she clutched the pond's edge trying to climb out, I lifted her out while saying "NO! NO! NO!"... I'm sure she didn't hear a word I said. I was amazed at just how much water a puppy's coat absorbs. I guess their coats are designed for max warmth and not necessarily water repellency. So this then naturally lead to Sophie's first bathing experience. She wasn't too bad about it really, though she did manage to make it clear to me that she'd rather not have had the bath... as a couple of times she managed to climb up and over my head/shoulder and down my back. Any way a little puppy shampoo, coat conditioner, and a blow dry later she looks like a whole different puppy... somehow much bigger and three shades lighter in color. It was quite interesting how soon she got back to doing normal puppy stuff... her experience just didn't seem to phase her a bit. I sure hope she isn't going to be traumatize by water from the experience... yet I hope it made just enough of an impression to prevent her from taking daily dips in the fish pond this summer.

Well, as Scarlet O'Hara said at the conclusion of Gone With The Wind, "Tomorrow's another day"...


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Just thought I might include a picture of the accident scene...
The red planting in the foreground is the bush she managed to leap over in a single bound and landed in the pond with the waterfall...


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## davebeech (Feb 11, 2006)

bet yer she's back in that pond before you know it, sounds like you're having a really good ol time with this pup !!!! it's great isn't it.


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## justmejanis (Feb 25, 2007)

So Sophie decided to test the water...literally! Oh my, that must have been scary for you to have to witness. Hopefully she will approach water again with a tad more caution. She sounds like a real explorer. 
I bet it gave the fish quite a startle as well!

By the way, your garden and flowers are absolutely stunning!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Oh yeah Dave, great fun (he says as he rolls his eyes)...

It occurred to me that a fish lives in his own toilet bowl... so I guess you could say Sophie dived into an aquatic sewage pit and got us both saturated in fish pee... are we having fun yet? Yup, I can see this is going to be a loooong summer...


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

OHHHH she is so cute. Hummmm, a handful too.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

justmejanis said:


> ...I bet it gave the fish quite a startle as well!...


Oh yeah, I'm sure it scared the piss out of them... but really, when you think about where they live, how can you tell?

Yeah, gardening is our other hobby... but its made more difficult by having Sidney and Sophie around as they are the true anti-gardeners... and they're really good at it too.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

gold4me said:


> OHHHH she is so cute. Hummmm, a handful too.


Lately I would say she's more like two-hands full... and if she becomes any more lively I will have to borrow more hands...


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## justmejanis (Feb 25, 2007)

monomer said:


> Oh yeah, I'm sure it scared the piss out of them... but really, how can you tell?
> 
> Yeah, gardening is our other hobby... but its made more difficult by having Sidney and Sophie around as they are the anti-gardeners... and they're really good at it too.


 
Of course they excel at it...'tis their job!

Trying to maintain a blanace here between the wildlife and the dogs is near impossible. Sampson caught yet another baby bunny today and did serious damage. It just makes me sick. The one part of having Goldens I can live without!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Speaking of bunnies and wildlife...

Saturday Sophie was intrigue by a garden gnome we have situated right next to the shed's ramp... I thought it too cute, but when Sidney also became spooked I got curious... so I walked over to Sidney and got down on all fours and realized I could faintly hear some kind of scratch or crackling noises that seemed to be coming from under the ramp.... so I picked-up the ramp and see a half dozen black squirmy things under it. The black wiggling life-forms have a U-shaped white stripe on their back... uh oh! I put the ramp back down quickly. So yesterday I was on the phone with animal control... these guys are suppose to bring a live-trap over today and set it up to capture Momma Stinky first before they re-locate the whole family to a land far, far away. Its almost 5PM now and still no animal control guys... hmmm... 

Anyone got any other ideas?


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## davebeech (Feb 11, 2006)

monomer said:


> Oh yeah Dave, great fun (he says as he rolls his eyes)...
> 
> It occurred to me that a fish lives in his own toilet bowl... so I guess you could say Sophie dived into an aquatic sewage pit and got us both saturated in fish pee... are we having fun yet? Yup, I can see this is going to be a loooong summer...


From my own personal experience I know that Golden retrievers just love sewage, Tom managed to find some human crap to roll in and until he had a shake and splattered me in it I didn't know what it was, and you are in for a fantastic summer full of mischief................woooooohoooooo !!!!!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

davebeech said:


> From my own personal experience I know that Golden retrievers just love sewage, Tom managed to find some human crap to roll in and until he had a shake and splattered me in it I didn't know what it was, and you are in for a fantastic summer full of mischief................woooooohoooooo !!!!!


ulp! (he says just as he starts to vomit)


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## ravenchow (Apr 3, 2007)

Oh my gosh. I just want to pick her up & give her a big cuddle! So sweet!

Jody


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

ravenchow said:


> Oh my gosh. I just want to pick her up & give her a big cuddle! So sweet!
> 
> Jody


I don't think you'd have felt that way if you saw her yesterday evening when she was in the fish pond...


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## PerfectlyGolden (Apr 23, 2007)

Aww! So cute!! House broken already!!! JEALOUS!!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

PerfectlyGolden said:


> Aww! So cute!! House broken already!!! JEALOUS!!


You know the funny thing is, its nothing we did... Sophie just seemed to know what to do and where to go... all I can say is she sort of just figured it out all by herself in the first few hours in her new home... I swear its the damnedest thing.

Maybe it was something the breeder did. Their 'nursery' was a wooden pen about 4-foot by 12-foot... with a 2X4 separating out 2/3's of the area. The 4-foot by 8-foot section was filled with wood chips (refreshed daily) and the remaining 4-foot by 4-foot section was their (litter's) play/sleep/eat area. The breeder said natural instinct takes over and they automatically use the wood chip area to potty.

Well, after Sophie got home for the first time, she spent a bit of time 'inspecting' the kitchen and dining room areas after which point I opened the back door and let her 'inspect' the stoop. I then helped her down the steps where she then proceeded to 'inspect' the patio area and finally into the yard. She did her business there and then followed me back to the back door steps at which point I carried her into the house. About an hour later she went to the back door, sat down and just looked up at me... so I opened the door and we did the same routine as earlier all over again. That's it... she memorized the layout and was telling me where she wanted to go... she evidently prefers the grass. I've never had a housebreaking go like this before... on some level I still don't believe it and keep expecting an accident... but so far, that hasn't happened.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Oh wow! How did I miss this thread? That's great news Monomer..... She's very cute!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

So, another week, another entry... or so it seems.

Well several days ago Sophie 'broke out' of her winning streak. In our house my wife is the laxed, softy and I'm the anal, consistent one... not a perfect description of our roles in dog training but close enough. Last week I came home and found my wife asleep on the couch with Sidney on the floor near her and little Sophie was just milling about... I spied a 'wet spot' under the coffee table (it was really fresh... like within the last 5 minutes for sure). Sophie was not supposed to be out of her crate if she could not be 100% supervised AND she isn't supposed to be in the living room anyway (read this as 'carpeting everywhere'... which could be mistaken for grass by an inexperienced puppy)... 'Her areas' are supposed to be only the kitchen and dining rooms, as these have vinyl flooring (read this as "much easier surface to clean-up and disinfect") and so it should feel quite different from grass. However, since my wife was actually sleeping, its quite possible Sophie went to the back door, sat and waited for awhile... and then came back around to pee on the closest ground covering she could find resembling grass... our thick carpet. In any case I just cleaned-up the pee without a word to Sophie (or to my wife, as she really was very tired).

Two days later, a big success in her housebreaking training... we established an audible signal. I was at the sink doing some quick washing with Sophie playing at (with) my feet... normally when she needs to 'go', Sophie will walk around the bar/counter over to the back door and just sit there... I have to go around the counter to actually see her, at which time she will start looking back and forth between me and the door, as if to be saying, "You getting the picture here?" I open the door and she does the rest. Well, this time I didn't notice she was at the back door... suddenly I hear her make a puppy crying noise... Whoopee! All this at just 9-weeks of age! The next big hurdle in housebreaking will come as she is allowed into the other rooms, one at a time, ...will she be able to figure out those areas too are part of our 'big den'? We'll have to wait to see as that won't be happening for several more weeks (and hopefully she can have full "run of the house" and be trusted by 16-weeks).


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## Heart Of Gold (Dec 3, 2005)

Oh my gawd! What an adorable puppy AND a gorgeous big boy!! I love BOTH of them! Sid looks so patient and such a gentle giant. And that little Sophie has the look of mischief in those sweet baby eyes!!

By the way, can I ask which breeder you bought her from? I really do like her light golden coloring and her face. Not to mention her temperament!



monomer said:


> Thanks everyone for your kind words, praises, and stories...
> 
> I feel kinda bad because I've not been very active in either this thread or the forum in general... but a puppy is really time consuming, REALLY!
> 
> ...


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## Heart Of Gold (Dec 3, 2005)

Ewwww... I'm not even sure I want to ask where that HUMAN "crap" was. :yuck: I can't imagine it being in a place where my doggies can ROLL in it.  Ours is usually in the toilet....flushed down. 




davebeech said:


> From my own personal experience I know that Golden retrievers just love sewage, Tom managed to find some human crap to roll in and until he had a shake and splattered me in it I didn't know what it was, and you are in for a fantastic summer full of mischief................woooooohoooooo !!!!!


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## Dilly70 (Oct 9, 2006)

What a cutie! Love the picture of big brother sharing with his new sister!


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## Wrigleysmom (Dec 30, 2006)

She is so absolutely perfectly cute! I was hoping to see her in a pink collar, and you did get one as far as I could tell from the pics! When we got Addison, I told my husband~"I want a pink collar and leash!" Little girl dogs are fun, so are boy puppies, but it seemed like Addison had a little spunk with her sweetness and it sounds like Sophie does too. She actually looks like a Sophie! Very cute!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Thanks all for the replies and compliments. There is soooo much GOOD STUFF to tell about our little Sophie... these past few weeks have been a blast (and a revelation of a sorts for me). Yes, I've been 'off' the forum for a little while but I will try to post more stuff over the next couple of weeks after I can catch-up some. Until then here are some recent pix from our day at the dog park this afternoon... Sophie's coat was wet from "SWIMMING!" Yes, that's right!!! a 14-week old puppy who swims 30 to 40 feet out into the lake! ...to retrieve a tennis ball or stick or tennis ball or stick or... just like a female, she often has a hard time deciding which to get... 

EDIT: Okay, soooo sorry about the giant dog pix... the camera is brand new and I'm still trying to figure out how to do stuff properly. BTW, I also have some video footage of one of Sophie's swimming forays but can't yet figure out how to post it... hopefully I'll soon get some of these things sorted out over the next few days...


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## GoldRocksMom (Feb 9, 2007)

Your saga is sure to be filled with lots of love and laughs!
Great picture, Sophie shows how confident she is, you can see it in the picture with that neck of hers.
Sidney looks like a great, sweet big brother
Congratulations!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Sophie was actually playing with a pup from one of your litters, just this afternoon over at the Muskegon dog park. She was out of the March 20th litter... forgot the guy's name but his pup's a female named PITA (he says it stands for Pain In The A$$... I sure hope she does NOT live up to that moniker). She appeared to be quite sweet in temperament though and both her and Sophie played very nicely together, each taking turns on who would be on top. I'll see about posting a pix or two later...

EDIT: Okay here are a couple of pix... can you tell who is who?


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Wow Monomer she is growing quick! And looks adorable. Sounds like you are really enjoying going thru the young puppy stage again.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Well, its only because little Soph has been a dream girl so far. She actually *wants* to obey and please us... unlike a certain older male dog, who I won't name, that was a pure devil dog at that same age... (hey Sidney, you listening there buddy?) And it doesn't hurt that she is very confident, resilient, curious and extra friendly to everything... oh, and did I mention? she's really cute too. (Actually Sidney gets the most pets wherever we go.)


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Heart Of Gold said:


> ...By the way, can I ask which breeder you bought her from? I really do like her light golden coloring and her face. Not to mention her temperament!


Bear Creek Kennels, just north of Lansing... here's the webpage
Sophie is the off-spring of Kate and Howie. Kate is 5 now and has been bred either 2 or 3 times (I forget) but the breeder says this last litter would be her last and so is 'retiring' her. Though both dogs come from excellent lineage and have all health certs current, I think the breeder is going to 'move on' to breeding other young and up-coming (many are close relatives to Howie) dogs in her program. To be honest here, Kate is a small-ish, sorta homely looking 'hound dog' type, while Howie is big and beautiful... but the part that especially won me over about the two (after their proven excellent health and longevity in the pedigrees) was the marvelously sweet temperament. There really IS something to be said for genetics being a big determining factor in temperament traits. Well, so far Sophie appears to be a cutie-pie... don't know if her 'looks' will hold into adult-hood but in the end, we don't really care so long as she stays as sweet as she is.

BTW, her and Sid have grown into the very best of buddies... I'm soooo happy.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Wrigleysmom said:


> She is so absolutely perfectly cute! I was hoping to see her in a pink collar, and you did get one as far as I could tell from the pics! When we got Addison, I told my husband~"I want a pink collar and leash!" Little girl dogs are fun, so are boy puppies, but it seemed like Addison had a little spunk with her sweetness and it sounds like Sophie does too. She actually looks like a Sophie! Very cute!


Actually her first collar, which my wife picked out 3-weeks before we even got Sophie, was pink patterns on black... with a matching leash... yes, its the collar in the photos. She has since grown out of it and I got my wife to compromise on red as being "Sophie's offical color". Yes, pink can be embarassing at times... trust me here, you really gotta be a guy to understand this one. Red is acceptable... its the color of blood and valor... What can I say? its a guy thing.


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

monomer said:


> Sophie was actually playing with a pup from one of your litters, just this afternoon over at the Muskegon dog park. She was out of the March 20th litter... forgot the guy's name but his pup's a female named PITA (he says it stands for Pain In The A$$... I sure hope she does NOT live up to that moniker). She appeared to be quite sweet in temperament though and both her and Sophie played very nicely together, each taking turns on who would be on top. I'll see about posting a pix or two later...
> 
> EDIT: Okay here are a couple of pix... can you tell who is who?


 
We were at the Muskegon dog beach park last Saturday afternoon. Beautiful beach! The water was _freezing_ My two girls loved it!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

FranH said:


> We were at the Muskegon dog beach park last Saturday afternoon. Beautiful beach! The water was _freezing_ My two girls loved it!


Fantastic Fran! I've been there 3 times in the last 3-weeks... it is nice. Hope you are still coming on the 21st. I will revive *that* thread later today and hope some people (and their Goldens) are still coming.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Oh yeah, Sophie is a smart one all right...

A couple of days ago we 'instituted' the doggie door flap that leads from the back yard into our garage. We'd been keeping that door open until Sophie got big enough to negotiate the bottom height of the opening. She picked it up right away... only a few tries and some coaxing... of course it helped with big old Sidney dashing on through each time to get to me first.

Well, just a little earlier this morning I put both of them outside to do their 'tussling' in the backyard and I noticed my wife had left the door from the house to the garage open for some air through the screen door. So I was upstairs cruising the GRF when I could've swore I hear a dog lapping up water downstairs in the kitchen... I go downstairs and see little Sophie now attacking her stuffed rabbit!??? When I look at the back door to the garage I can see the bottom of the screen is now a doggie door flap. Clever little bugger!!!


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

It's been a hoot reading and following Sophie's progress over the last couple of months--and yes--sometimes they're smarter then they should be!!


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## justmejanis (Feb 25, 2007)

Sophie sounds like pure joy. She is bright and beautiful. What perfect Golden charm she is. She certainly has grown in the weeks since I last saw pictures. She is simply lovely. I enjoy reading about her antics. You do indeed have a smart little girl there.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Looks like you found a winner there in Sophie. She is a little spitfire by the sounds. What a lucky break on the sleeping through the night and the housetraining. That really eases the pressure of the first week home. Keep those pictures coming and don't forget to take lots of them at this age.


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## GoldenShamus (Feb 26, 2007)

monomer said:


> Thanks all for the replies and compliments. There is soooo much GOOD STUFF to tell about our little Sophie... these past few weeks have been a blast (and a revelation of a sorts for me). Yes, I've been 'off' the forum for a little while but I will try to post more stuff over the next couple of weeks after I can catch-up some. Until then here are some recent pix from our day at the dog park this afternoon... Sophie's coat was wet from "SWIMMING!" Yes, that's right!!! a 14-week old puppy who swims 30 to 40 feet out into the lake! ...to retrieve a tennis ball or stick or tennis ball or stick or... just like a female, she often has a hard time deciding which to get...
> 
> EDIT: Okay, soooo sorry about the giant dog pix... the camera is brand new and I'm still trying to figure out how to do stuff properly. BTW, I also have some video footage of one of Sophie's swimming forays but can't yet figure out how to post it... hopefully I'll soon get some of these things sorted out over the next few days...


Sophie is one adorable puppy!! She looks like a total joy...


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## Wrigley's Mom (Nov 6, 2006)

Sophie is adorable! You're gonna have to fight off the "boys" as she gets older--what a little looker!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Sophie is just a smart little cookie. I am enjoying her progress reports and cant wait for the next installment.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Okay, this is my first try at YouTube and only my second video with our new camera.... lotta firsts here.

Here's hoping this all works. :crossfing
BTW, don't expect anything greatly entertaining out of this... remember its my first.





So, how do you guys get the video embedded into the posting? I'm clueless... I'm going to go eat some spaghetti and think about it...

GOT IT!!!!!! I think...


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## goldenluver (Feb 26, 2007)

What a great video. They both are having a great time and they sure enjoy swimming. That was too cute how she dropped the ball for the stick. I like how she follows Sidney around.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

goldenluver said:


> ...I like how she follows Sidney around.


Thanks... actually they do everything together. After eating dinner together, Sophie follows Sidney out the door and when he drops down to roll and drag himself through the grass she does exactly the same thing. Whenever Sidney starts to poop within seconds Sophie assumes the position too. She really watches Sidney and tries to imitate what she sees him do. But that goes both ways too... Sidney is starting to do puppy things like crawl into laps, etc. I'm soooo happy we got Sophie... I've learned so much about 'dog pack' behavior and how they bond (dog-dog bonding)... in some ways its sooo different from dog-human bonding. They both have been soooo good for each other... I highly recommend TWO Goldens over just one.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

That is so sweet. I love the dropping of the ball for the stick. I see another Oakley in training. They sound so sweet together. Great video.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

I laughed when I heard you call Sophie a goofus. That's exactly what I call Rookie when he's desperately trying to pick up 2 or 3 of his toys at once.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

mdoats said:


> I laughed when I heard you call Sophie a goofus. That's exactly what I call Rookie when he's desperately trying to pick up 2 or 3 of his toys at once.


But really, doesn't that describe all Goldens?

I remember several years ago when I started a thread on another Golden forum entitle, "You know your Golden's a goofus when..."
At the time it was Sidney... so I said "You know your Golden's a goofus when... he tries to retrieve the little painted-on fish from the bottom of his little plastic kiddie wading pool."

Anyway... I've got the YouTube fever burning me up...

Here's one with both Sidney and Sophie... actually not really doing that much. Oh and just so no one gets the wrong idea... they REALLY LOVE each other, but just like some couples, they can have a strange way of showing it sometimes.


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## KatzNK9 (Feb 27, 2007)

Oh my goodness! How did I miss this thread? I'm so glad all is going well with the dog family & that they're such great friends. How very beautiful they are!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

KatzNK9 said:


> ...How very beautiful they are!


Thank you...



Well, its been a long, loooong time since I last posted to this thread and I guess its time I updated it... but soooo much has happened with little Sophie since my last post, I will just have to start with yesterday...

Yesterday we went to Mackinac Island (its pronounced Macki*naw*... yeah that's weird, I don't get it either). Its an island off the coast of both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, out in Lake Huron. Its only accessible by a 'people' ferry and what's neat about this place is its olde-timey feel. NO motorized vehicles of any type are allowed on the island... *can you say, "Horses, carriages and bicycles"? I knew you could*... (that's a popular phrasing from Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood, for the uninitiated). The hotels, houses and shops on the island are all from another period in times past. This is to be Sophie's first of many times (because many more are sure to come) to ride the ferry and see/smell horses up close and personal... She did spectacular! She had actually missed seeing the very first horse she passed... a big black draft horse hitched to a 'tourist' carriage that was just waiting by the curb for some passengers... but that 'big guy' did notice her as he turned and lowered his big head trying to see past his 'blinders'. The next one she definitely saw coming as his "clip-clopping" hooves announced his presence. She scooted to the other side of me and made a couple feeble attempts at a 'big' dog's bark. This was followed by a second team of horses which she quickly got use to. After that I took her and Sid over to 'horse central'... an intersection where 3 different tour routes coincide (not to mention dozens of single horse riders and then the pooper-scooper guys with their aluminum shovels scraping the pavement). We three just stood on the corner (while my wife went off to satisfy her shopping addiction)... in just 30-minutes time Sophie must have witness over 50+ horses and got to the point of barely even noticing them anymore... however everyone riding in those carriages did take notice of her and Sid. Funny how those things go.... these tourists pay good money to go on these carriage tours of this remote island and a driver who is constantly trying to direct their attention to the beautiful and stately old homes and historic sites steeped in island and state history only to be upstaged by two ordinary Golden Retrieves just hanging out on a corner. I swear every carriage as it approached us was fill with sounds of "Oooo" and "Look! Oh how sweeeet" emanating from them. I would then turn to see the people in the carriage pointing at and waving to Sid and Soph and hollering out compliments... (I did wonder about how the driver must have felt being up-staged by two brown dogs ). Anyway, we met over 100 strangers in the short 4-hours we stayed on the island... it was amazing to us how some strangers will cut through crowds and cross streets and track us down just to pet and hug a Golden. BTW, that number of 100+ is no exaggeration. On the way home the wife and I got to talking about it... its absolutely amazing to us how people will drop their guard, lose their inhibitions and become soooo open and trusting of us because of our Goldens... several women gave into their urges and began kissing Sidney on the head and snoot! ...think about it, they were kissing a strange dog!!! Several parents had their toddlers hugging these two strange dogs!!! If we had not had the dogs with us I can guarantee you these people would never have even paid us any mind let alone approach us from afar. Some of these people began telling us intimate details of their lives within minutes of meeting us (telling us exactly where they lived, talking about personal battles with cancer, the losing of a loved one, etc). We barely had any time alone to ourselves... even on the mainland while waiting for the ferry, adults and kids came over to pet and 'talk dogs'... and during the rides on the ferry many people found Sid and Sophie more exciting than the boat ride past the scenic Mackinac Straights and the Macknac Bridge. Its no wonder soooo many commercials and magazine ads include a Golden (or Lab) in them... its been shown that the mere presence of these dogs can cause certain people to lose their inhibitions, drop any resistance and trust sales pitches from strangers. These Goldens are powerful marketing and psychological tools... I'm surprised salesmen and psychologists aren't using them more in their jobs...


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Oh my she is just adorable, keep the pictures coming.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

I know the feeling with all the compliments and such by others, it happens here all the time with me. Even if I am on a street corner waiting to cross, they roll there windows down to compliment me on my goldens training, as well as beauty. 

Sounds like yours had a good day, and made a few friends along the way, don't get no better then that does it. I've been over to the island many times, it is gorgeous isn't it.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Here's some pix of the island...


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Goldndust said:


> ...I've been over to the island many times, it is gorgeous isn't it.


I think everyone who lives in Michigan should visit the island at least once a year... beyond its sheer beauty, I just find it sooo very different from 'ordinary life'... I wish I were rich enough to be able to just live there (and keep my yatch in the harbor ).


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## KatzNK9 (Feb 27, 2007)

So precious! Thanks for sharing your pics!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Just a few more pix...


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

What beautiful pictures! You have two lovely dogs there.....and boy has she grown since that first pic!!

The Island is gorgeous!! I doubt I'll see it in person....I don't get that far NW too often (like never), but thank you so much for sharing the photos!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

OMGoodness, Goldens, Flowers, Horses and water! What a beautiful place to be!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Double post. Having major problems with the quick reply.


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## Faith's mommy (Feb 26, 2007)

i've had a few double replies this morning - i'll blame the site, not user error 

and, what a difference in the first pictures to the more recent ones - they still look great together.


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## Phoebe (Feb 8, 2006)

Beautiful pictures! No wonder you got so many compliments with such beautiful, friendly goldens! 

I haven't been to Mackinac Island for several years now. My DH's college roommate used to drive Ferry's to the Island, he worked for Shepler's, so when the kids were little, he'd let us ride to the Island for free, the kids got to sit in the cabin with him and they loved that. It is so expensive the take a family of five (typically with kid's friends, we end up with about 7 people) on the ferry, that we haven't been there since Dave retired.

Jan, Seamus, Gracie & Phoebe


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## Scorpio118 (Jul 9, 2007)

OH MY OH MY OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sophie is growing up BEAUTIFULLY!!!!!!!!! (yup - new word - feel free to use it!!) 

I cant believe HOW CALM Sidney AND Sophie stood there getting pets!! IM SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!! Maddie would be drooling uncontrolably!! :bowl:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What an awesome job you are doing!!

That island IS beautiful - I have had a few friends go there and the pictures and scenery are just OH SO GORGEOUS!!!


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

Beautiful photos!

We haven't been to Mackinac Island yet......but maybe next year. I can't believe how fast Sophie is growing. Seems like yesterday we saw her in Muskegon. Great looking goldens That water had to be cold!


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

In several of your beautiful pictures, Sydney appears to be looking out for Sophie -- especially at the shore. 

And isn't it amazing how people open up when you are attached by leash to two gorgeous goldens!


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## Rena450 (Apr 16, 2007)

Great pictures. Sophie is just beautiful. Both your dogs look so good together. 
I agree with you in regards to people coming over to say "Hi" to your Golden. Whenever we have Oakley out and about we have lots of people coming over wanting to pet him and talk. I think my 15 year old son looks at Oakley as a "chick magnet" sometimes. By the way, we took my son to Mackinac last year for the first time, rented bikes and toured the island. He loved it! Wants to go again this year. I don't know why we don't get up there more often, it's just beautiful, especially in the fall.


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

Congrats on you new baby, shes's a cutie


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Thanks for so many nice responses...

Yes, Sophie has grown up really fast... she does look quite different from her bitty puppy days... though I think two things have remained constant with her 1) her big ears and 2) her stocky build (we affectionately call her "the little Tank" ) I guess it just goes to show you can't really tell much about what an individual puppy will grow up to look like when its just 7-weeks old... that's why its probably always best to see and meet both the dam and sire to see if there's an attraction there for you. Though her personality is quite different from Sid's, it too has a very sweet component to her temperament.

And for those of you who are Michiganders... this really is the best time of the year to ferry on over to the island. The summer crowds are gone, the weather is nicely cool (great for the dogs), all the flowers are still blooming (and there are a LOT of annuals planted everywhere), and the trees are soon to be turning all the shades between red and golden. Its $21 round trip for each adult and dogs are free... small price to pay to be in a place like no other. Maybe next year we could organize a GRF Meet-up on the island...?

Sophie and Sid have become the very best of buddies... and if I'm walking with them off-leash and one is lagging behind (to investigate a smell, etc) the other one will stop half-way between and keep looking back until the 'lagger' catches up. And in many ways Sid does his best to teach Sophie the 'ropes'. I highly recommend everyone with only one Golden rush out and get a second one... 

As for "Babe magnets"??? that's what my male students had to say and I can't really disagree with them as the great majority of admirers of our dogs are female. Goldens certainly are conversation starter pieces for strangers besides bestowing instant trustworthiness upon whoever is attached to the other end of the leash.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

what a sweet picture. How nice of your old dog to welcome the new one so nicely.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Oh my, you baby has grown up so nice. Both your dogs look great in those pictures. I have not been to Mackinac Island, but I have been to Door County. 

Beautiful dogs in a beautiful surrounding.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Nora... Thanks for the compliments...

I take it Door County has lots of horse and carriage action? I know the whitefish from there is the best out of Lake Michigan.

I remember you from the "bicycle" thread.... what did you ever decide on with Samson? I was curious after you'd posted but you never posted back....


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

We have a Sargent's crabapple in the backyard... every winter hundreds, perhaps thousands of little apples cling to the branches awaiting hungry birds (usually Cedar Waxwings) of early spring to devour... well, I think they got beat this year. 

BTW, Sophie was able to remain upright on her hind legs balancing like that for a minute at a time...



*********************************************************
And speaking of birds... don't read any further if you really like baby birds...

Today I had just let Sid and Sophie out the back door and watched them through the picture window. Sidney quickly ran over near the bird feeder where his ears perked up and his neck stretched high and then he just froze. He was a couple of feet from a baby bird. Sidney has shown in the past he would never hurt anything living... including baby birds. Well I quickly ran and got my camera and took several pictures when Sidney came up closer, meanwhile Sophie noticed the goings on and also approached... just as I snapped another picture the baby bird tried to take flight but only managed to flit about 3-feet and to my horror Sophie leap into the air and pounced upon the bird and ate it... I dropped the camera and ran out of the house and into the snow in my bare feet and grab Sophie's mouth and pried it opened to reach down her throat to retrieve that bird... too late! What the hell happened to that retriever 'soft mouth' of hers? I scolded her and then threw the dead bird into the trash. Its a good thing my wife didn't get to see that, she would have been tramatized... like the time the in-laws were visiting from Germany and we were all out back sitting in deck chairs, leaning back and watching a bright red male Cardinal in the tree straight above us... suddenly a BlueJay came down out of nowhere and peck the Cardinal hard in the head just once (it made a "thunk" sound) and the Cardinal died instantly as it fell and plopped down right in on top of my mother-in-law... who considers herself a real nature lover... good grief...


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

Poor little bird Rosie caught a bird in flight once......I was horrified.

Sophie is all grown up. It seems like yesterday......she was the cute _little _pup at our Michigan meetups.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Fran you WILL be surprised when we meet up again this year... 'little' Sophie has filled out and her proportions have really started to come together nicely. She's about 60 lbs now! I can just imagine how much more she will fill out in the next 4 months... I figure by May we should be back to arranging more Michigan meet-ups... it will be fun seeing everyone again and Rosie and Holly...


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Just read another thread about how a younger pup can make and older dog 'sharpen up' their skillz... this made me reflect upon Sid's "awakening" since we've gotten Sophie...

Whenever I would try teach Sophie to "Sit", "Down", "Stand", "Shake", "Come", Sidney would make it almost impossible. I would be working with Sophie in the foreground with the commands and she would be thinking and trying to figure each one out... meanwhile I could see big, ole Sidney in the background (just in my vision's periphery) get up from his lounging and be performing each command instantly as I'd say each and to perfection too... and Sidney NEVER does commands 'instantly' if treats are not involved. It was (and is) so comical that no matter how hard I try to ignore him, I'd eventually bust out laughing as does my wife.

This summer I plan on separating the two so I can work specifically with Sophie as Sidney is always getting into the act and he's just too good. The flip-side is that when I try to do agility with Sidney... little Sophie runs along beside him and tries to bite his legs and play with him... poor Sidney but as they say "Pay-back can be a bitch"... however this has got her now doing the A-frame and the tunnels, so I guess its not all bad.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

My niece's dog is here with me for a few days and I don't know if he knew down, but he does now! LOL He copied...

They sure do make you smile.


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## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

omg Monomer... I just read your thread from Feb. How horrible!!! Sophie has grown up soooo much!!! In that photo of her getting the apples she could pass for Geds.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

I doubt she will be quite as tall as Geddy... if I remember correctly Geddy is about an inch or two shorter than Sid and Sophie appears to be at least 3" shorter than him and I'm pretty sure she's done growing... up-wards that is, I think she's still going to get a little wider. So compared to Geddy, I think Soph will still look like a 'little tank' but we shall see at our next meet-up... which will be??? May 25??? or Memorial Day weekend? I'll have to get a thread up on it. Hey how is Sawyer's puppy bumps coming along? Think he will be ready by the end of the month?

About the baby bird... I actually have pix of Sidney looking at the bird (I think it was a chick-a-dee) and then a pic of Sophie diving onto the snow with a swirl of snowflakes all around her, then the final pic is totally black when I dropped the camera. I decided not to post those. The strange thing is when I got the poor thing out of Sophie's mouth it was slimed by otherwise unmolested... no broken skin or bones... the best I can figure is it must have had a heart attack, could you blame it? I think I would have had a heart attack too if I'd had been swallowed up. The funny thing that occurred to me at the time was... where does a baby bird come from in the middle of winter? We have bird houses all over the yard and a full bird feeder all winter long... but fall or winter just seems like a strange time to be breeding... dunno.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I just read through this...your dogs are wonderful. I know what you mean about the little bird. I doubt that bird would have survived being how it was snowy and cold. 

Lucky has a truely soft and sensitive mouth, but he's proven himself untrustworthy around birds and baby squirrells.


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## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

You know I hadn't even considered that it was winter when this baby bird was about... I was just thinking of the poor little bird going down. But that does sound better knowing that she didn't chew at least!! It's all instinct... what they would do... but it's hard to know it given how soft natured they are.

A couple of Sawyer bumbs are quite large now... just waiting for them to fall off. From what I've read it lasts 5-8 weeks and then you have two more weeks before you can go out and socialize again (per the vet). So at minimum, we're probably looking at about 5 more weeks before we can go to a get-together. =( This has been really devastating to his social calendar... thank God he has Geddy to play with or he would be really miserable!!! I did just find out tho that Geddy can still play with other dogs... so I'm trying to set up a date for her and Alex. Anyways... all in all, if it's the first of June we *might* be able to make it!


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## M_Michelle (Apr 30, 2008)

Okay, that picture is SO SWEET! And both doggies are beautiful .


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

In the very first post,it seems as thought Sidney is greeting his new baby sis with his best toy. She is SOOOOOO pretty and little, and he is so big. I bet they are evening out.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Oh she is more than a match for big ole Sidney... he's such a push-over... literally, she knocks him over all the time. And he gives her everything, all the toys, even his food if I didn't stick up for him. The one thing he doesn't give up too easily is his tennis ball... at least anytime the ball is in play.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

monomer said:


> Nora... Thanks for the compliments...
> 
> I take it Door County has lots of horse and carriage action? I know the whitefish from there is the best out of Lake Michigan.
> 
> I remember you from the "bicycle" thread.... what did you ever decide on with Samson? I was curious after you'd posted but you never posted back....


Ah yes! Way back when I first found this forum I posted about wanting to bike ride with Samson. Of course Samson was only weeks old and I quickly learned they need to be much older before getting that kind of exercise.

And also since that post of long ago, we discovered that Samson had hip issues. Which of course have since been corrected with surgery on both hips. He is still very weak in the back end. So for this summer, biking isn't even a thought with him. I think we will stick to swimming, walks and just typical young dog playing....which he is getting better and better at every day.

I apologize for not posting back about the bike thread. I haven't really visited that forum in a long time.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Hey, how is Sophie doing?


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I hadn't seen this thread. Love to see pics of both of your babies now!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Ljilly28 said:


> Hey, how is Sophie doing?


Funny you should ask today of all days... as something really interesting did happen just last night.

I teach and so I have my summers 'off'. During the 'off' time I tend to go to bed quite late sometimes. Last night I watched a movie (the Blu-ray version of Hollow Man) and at the end of the movie (around 3:30AM) I let Sophie out to "go pee-pee", however she was soooo slow in wanting to come back in, I finally had to end up hollering for her out the back-door to get her to show herself and finally come in. Well, her light Golden form emerged from out of the dark reaches off our patio... she was coming from somewhere near the edge of our patio pond (the one in the pictures that can be found much earlier in this thread). Well she came in and then made motions for me to follow her back outside... I said "Are you nutz? The mosquitoes will eat us both alive. No way, Little One." ...then I go upstairs to read some before going to bed with Sophie reluctantly following behind. My wife was already in bed and fast asleep, so I went into the Sidney's bedroom (Yes, he really has his own room complete with a real human's bed... queen-sized actually)... and I started to read. Normally one or both of the dogs will jump into bed and literally pile themselves on top of some part of me as I try to read. Last night Sidney went to sleep near my wife and Sophie began bugging me... she was so restless... she kept whining, then grunting and even barking at one point. I kept telling her to shut-up and lay down... which she complied with for like about a minute before starting back up again. This was definitely not like her... it was just plain weird. Eventually I got up and went to bed with Sophie following me with a toy in her mouth and whining all the way and her tail furiously beating against everything in the dark, wham! wham! wham! In bed I tried to pretend I was asleep as Sophie kept going from one side of the bed to the other whining and throwing her head around... finally my wife had had enough (~4:30AM) and lets Sophie out the back and then goes right back to bed... so about 15-minutes later I went to let Sophie back in... again, she comes from out of the dark near the pond's edge... and again, she is trying to lead me outside with her, whining and worried. Nope! I order her inside and we go to bed. Sophie keeps up her worried act 'til morning's light. My wife gets up and let Sophie out as she makes her coffee and sits at the large picture windows that look out over the patio and the pond. Suddenly she comes to get me... There's a Goldfish out of the pond and it looks dead! I get up all blurry-eyed and in my underwear go outside and proceed to pick up the fish to toss into the garbage... what? I see the faintest movement of the mouth and gills... I mean this fish is in REALLY BAD shape... drying-up (no sheen or slime-coat left) after laying flat on the cement for hours and covered with dirt and muck dried to parts of its whithered scales and fins. I pick it up and put it back into the pond... poor fish can't float properly and so I have to keep it upright with a net and am trying to push it through the water to force water (oxygen) into its mouth and through the gills. This fish cannot swim and is freaking all the other Goldfish out... amazingly after about 20-minutes of holding the fish upright in the water, it begins to be able to stay upright (sort of) on its own... okay so it still tilts maybe 20-degree to one side or the other but its better than floating upside-down. Eventually it slowly recovers 'til this evening it even started to eat with the other fish and appears to swim normally. I was soooo amazed. We theorized that Sophie must have seen the fish out of the water and knew it wasn't right and was trying desperately to get me to put it back where it belongs... the only place she has ever seen these creatures in our backyard, in the pond! I remember reading somewhere that Goldfish are one of only a small few ornamental fish that can breath air directly besides obtaining oxygen through their gills (betta's and grourami's can do this too) ... that's why they can so easily survive being kept in just a bowl (you know, the infamous 'goldfish bowl') without pumps to circulate the water for gas exchange. During the breeding season (which is now for our fish) Goldfish go crazy and will splash sideways along the plants at the margins of the pond to lay eggs and fertilize them... it isn't so unusual for one to end up outside the pond but most often their are able to 'flip' their way back into the water. So I figured this fish must 'flipped-out' (literally) during some kind of fish sex-orgy and was laying outside the pond for maybe 3-hours last night but because it was very cool (~55 degrees) and dark it somehow survived being completely dried out. BTW, something very similar happen to another Goldfish of ours a couple of years ago and it too had managed to come back to life and that one is still living in our pond today.

We are just sooo amazed that Sophie even cared about the welfare of a fish, let alone not eating it... or licking it to death. So I guess this proves she is definitely a real sweetheart.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

norabrown said:


> ...I apologize for not posting back about the bike thread. I haven't really visited that forum in a long time.


Glad to hear Samson is doing well... he will now be able to live a long and pain-free life with you . I think you will be surprised at just how fast he does develop his strength/muscles... give it about a year.

No need for any apologies as no one who has a real life can possibly read every posting on this forum... not even close. We all miss stuff directed at us all the time... its part of being on a forum.

Debles... I will try to post up some new pix soon, as Sophie has changed since those last ones posted in this thread. She really has come 'together' quite nicely... for a while there, she was all 'whacked out', with nothing seeming to fit very well, proportion-wise... you know, the teenage thing?... now she has a more mature look and we can see the adult dog has emerged... she is very feminine looking and also in her behaviors as well.


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## Angel_Kody (Feb 27, 2007)

Wow! That is an amazing story about the fish! Good girl Sophie for being so concerned about another creature and I was glad to read that the fish seems to be ok...amazing!


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

Nice happy ending Mine would have brought me the fish


Can't wait to see updated pics of little Soph. She was just a sweet little pup last summer at the meetups.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Just thought I'd update this thread with some current pictures of Sophie, who is now 3 years old. For the most part we rarely take pictures of the dogs... but the few times we do get the camera out, we make up for it by taking a heaping helping of pictures... and so, this set of pix was taken on the shores of Lake Michigan at a little known dog beach call Butterville and we had the place to ourselves. As you can see by my wife's get-up, it was a rather chilly and windy day... and since it was still the first week of March, you can see some snow in places but the weather was not cold enough to keep the doggies from constantly wading into the water like Hippos down at the old watering hole. Since this is Sophie's thread I started by posting some 'glam' shots of her from the day... the big ears and shorty nose wouldn't win her any prizes in the show ring but it gives her the 'forever-a-puppy' look. Then come the action shots... it may be hard to tell but she is over-weight coming out of winter and though she just 22" at the whithers she tips the scales at a staggering 82-lbs.... shame on us, we have now reduced her food intake but she appears to be having a hard time shedding some of those extra pounds as today she is still ~80-lbs.... if she can lose say 5 more pounds by mid-summer I'm willing to call it good, we'll just split the difference and say she's a little 'big boned' at 75-lbs. Even though this is Sophie's thread, I just couldn't resist slipping in those three last action shots of Sid doing the three things he does best... retrieving, retrieving, retrieving.


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## MillieSadie (Dec 30, 2009)

Great photos - they are having so much fun. Wish I was there!


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## MyJaxson (Jan 5, 2010)

great photos


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

MillieSadie said:


> Great photos - they are having so much fun. Wish I was there!


Wish you were there too... I enjoy the company of other dog lovers. It was too bad there were not any others out that day but in all fairness, it was a little windy and probably some would say too cold... however I've found out over the years that retrievers seem to have an insulating layer of skin fat all over that allows them to brave icy waters without risk of hypothermia, also having a proper water-proof double-coat helps. The more consistent the exercise a Golden gets, the better conditioned and active s/he becomes... and our dogs get pretty active. A sandy beach is a lovely place to exercise Goldens... I sure hope you have one nearby for your doggies to run and play in.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

MyJaxson said:


> great photos


Thanks... I can tell by the photo in your signature that you too enjoy taking action shots. Its not easy to do but I probably don't have to tell you that... you probably took a hundred photos to get that one with 'the flying ears'. I love flying ears photos!


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Great pictures of the "kids" it's great to see Sophie all grown up. She is still the cutest thing and does still have that puppy look. My new job is making me cut my regular vacation a little, so we are looking at doing a few long weekends here in state. So you just might see us over your way at some point this summer.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

marshab1 said:


> Great pictures of the "kids" it's great to see Sophie all grown up. She is still the cutest thing and does still have that puppy look. My new job is making me cut my regular vacation a little, so we are looking at doing a few long weekends here in state. So you just might see us over your way at some point this summer.


New job eh? that's a great thing to have in this down Michigan economy where it mostly seems like everybody's losing jobs. Thank goodness for looong weekends (like Memorial Day, July 4th and whatever weekend it usually attaches to, and Labor Day). Anymore we ALWAYS vacation in the state. If you get over on this side of the state we can all meet-up at Buttersville for a day at the beach after which we'll show you the very best place in Ludington (and perhaps all of Northern Michigan) to eat... they have the best food and brew their ales and lagers right on the premises and unlike so many micro-breweries, these guys actually get each style true to form... and get this: their prices are actually normal!


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