Golden goalies

Golden goalies

Ed_Zeppelin
10/23/01
8:58:27 PM
152.163.213.214

I just came in from playing in the backyard with my two 11-month-old Golden Retrievers. I haven't started the formal training yet (other than sit, stay, lay down, fuck off and the basic stuff), so it's really interesting to see them play because they're still puppy-ish. Yoda has retrieval mode engaged pretty much all the time. I throw it, he gets it. Goldens are different than other breeds in that they don't bring stuff to you and bug the shit out of you waiting for you to throw it. I've never had one yet that did that. They always sort of "click on" when they see something flying through the air. They see a bird, go "ooh" and then look at me as if to say "you want that?" It's in their genes. That's where Carvin, his twin brother, is really cool. He could give a shit. He wants to play goalie. He's only good for two or three trips down the length of the yard, trying to stop Yoda from getting the stick, then trying to take it away from him once he has it. The thing is; he has never succeeded. Not once. But he still does the same damn thing every time. Yoda races down the yard with Carvin hanging off his back, biting his tail and trying to hump him when he slows. Then Carvin gets tired of all that running and just sort of hangs out by me, running interference. (Kinda like Gretzky used to do, hanging around the goal waiting for the puck to come to him.) As soon as Yoda arrives all bright-eyed and breathless, Carvin leaps on him, takes the stick and gets about three feet before Yoda is all over his ass and I have to say "STICK!" and they both stop what they're doing and give me this "Oh yeah! STICK! I forgot about that!" look, and we do it all over again. I sort of have a deal with them that I NEVER fake them out by acting like I'm going to throw it and then don't. I made that mistake with one of my first dogs and the sonofabitch just stopped chasing sticks. He had an obnoxious "Fuck you!" attitude his whole life, like a Republican or something. I really hated shooting that dog. (Just kidding, goddamn it. I can hear the PETA asswipes kicking the door down already.)

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