We approached a breeder about getting a puppy. The breeder told us they did not have any but could “get us one”. We got a lovely 8 week old puppy with papers showing she was obviously of Welsh origin. Names like Gwaun Princess and Gondre King spring to mind. She was a lovely girl but suffered from terrible hip problems.
We can still remember a small puppy chasing a Pheasant twice her size.
One of Jessie’s walks was along Savick Brook in Preston, and upstream was a Golf Course. This Course seemed to have attracted many poor golfers because Jessie would patrol the Brook and collect many golf balls, we had bags of them and keen golfers would always request her finds.
In 1989 a relation in Liverpool told us of a Golden who had been abandoned in a Liverpool Park. By all accounts a car drove up to the Park gates and the poor thing was let out and the car drove off. This poor thing then spent the day befriending other dog walkers if she could get their attention.She was taken to the RSPCA and was in a terrible emaciated state. You could join your thumbs and fore fingers and get it round her body behind the rib cage. We gave her a home and began feeding her up. She had been shut up for a long time because her paws were pink , she had no fur on her stomach . She could not walk on stony ground at first at first and she would cry pitifully if we were eating. Nobody knew her name so we called her “Orphan Annie”. She had a strange habit of throwing her head back and howling like a Wolf if an emergency vehicle passed with its “blues and twos “going.
Jessie accepted her and firmly put her in her place if she went anywhere near her food bowl. It was not clear how old “Orphan Annie “ was when we got her , the Vet thought 12 to 18 months. She quickly realised the hierarchy and as Jessie was getting on now she would regularly give her a wash.
In 1994 we lost Jessie very suddenly due to Liver failure and Annie missed her but she was very comforting to us and soon found an interest in sailing and loved sitting up in the back seat of the car like a duchess. By 2000 Annie was slowing up and unfortunately suffered a heart attack and we lost her. We found life empty without a dog and so we found out about NWGRR and thanks to Jan we got “Jazz” .
Jazz was 2 years old when he came to us, he was a bit under weight . We took him to the shore and on his first walk he was let off the lead and he just ran along the shallows and leapt across gullies like a gazelle. You could tell he would not leave the water. However he would come when called ( sometimes !!!).
His fishing talent came after a few months with us. He stood on a Flounder in some shallow water and instead of the fish heading for deep water it beached itself and Jazz picked it up. This fired him with enthusiasm and his talent for holding his breath underwater was slowly developed. At first having used his paws to find the fish he would put his head underwater and come up coughing and spluttering.
Candy came to us 5 months ago having seen her photo on the web site and finding a space for her in our hearts for her. We took her home because they are both 10 years old and there was no fear of any domination of Jazz by a younger dog. She has done Jazz some good and he is now more assertive. We do make sure though he is top dog and Candy accepts this. Poor Candy has not got a lot going for her she has a pretty poor coat and a miserable tail, but she is always busy and a great character. Thorny bushes are supposed to prevent animals eating them, not so with Candy she loves pulling brambles out of hedges and chewing them up.
Was it “ Nous 1 “& “Belle” who started the breed well all you can say is all Goldens certainly have a lot of nous .
Some photos of Goldens that we have had the pleasure of their company and presence.
Jazz at all that is left of Guisachan. It all started here.
Jessie our first Golden
Orphan Annie
Candy
Pat , Syd , Jazz . Candy.
Thanks to all who have given a Golden a better life.
