We adopted Graham, our Golden Bond 4-year-old XL Golden, because we were looking for a younger playmate for our girl, Mabel; a young, rambunctious lab, and because our old guy, Bud, just couldn’t keep up with her anymore. Graham became the perfect mix of playmate and calming influence for Mabel (and for us). He and Bud also became fast friends, as Goldens often do, and we often found them side-by-side during their naps. Unfortunately, only 2 weeks after Graham became a member of our family, our precious Bud passed. We said it was as if once he knew that once Graham was here for Mabel, Bud said “It’s OK for me to go now.”

 

As with many rescues, we had no background on what Graham had been through before making that long trip across the Pacific and into our home (and hearts). We were told he didn’t like anyone reaching into his kennel and had nipped at a couple of the Golden Bond volunteers during their trip from LA Airport. We were cautious but never hesitant after hearing about those issues. We have worked with rescues as fosters and knew that these pups often bring a lot of emotional baggage. Because we got that heads-up from Golden Bond, we took our bonding with him very slow, and since that first night, he has become Velcro dog to both me and my husband, snuggling on the couch, laying at our feet, or trying to climb into our recliner with us, because like most pups, he has absolutely no regard for personal space, and has no idea how big he is.

 

Graham came into our lives at just the right moment. He is a mixture of puppy and laid back Golden, which is the perfect balance to our wild Mabel girl. They play and snuggle, and he sometimes lets her know when enough is enough. He’s smart as a whip, has discovered a love for strawberry tops and my homemade doggie treats. We are thankful that he came into our lives and are looking forward to many wonderful, happy years ahead.