He's Such A Golden

If you know nothing else about Golden Retrievers you’ve probably at least heard they are wonderfully loyal companions, family friendly, easy to train, and highly intelligent. 

I bet if you’ve never had one there’s another trait common in Goldens you might not know about. It’s not a secret really, it’s just not something they include in the breed resume. As it turns out, Goldens are big old chickens! 

Not all of them of course, but in general we find Goldens are pretty timid when facing new challenges or high-stimulus situations. They may be perfectly capable of handling what’s in front of them, they’d just rather not find out!

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When I met Teddy he was taking an agility class with my Tucker. His bond with his person, Amber, was just fine, but when it came to tackling anything more than walking on a flat surface he just didn’t see the point. Jumps, a-frame, tunnels…  each obstacle Amber asked Teddy to try was met with a very common avoidance maneuver: plant your feet and look away! That’s when I became familiar with the phrase “he’s such a Golden”. Rather than critique, it’s a phrase of endearment particularly to those of us who own one. I suppose you could say that timid nature is part of their charm.

The story doesn’t end there of course. Teddy eventually did all the agility tasks. I may have personally crawled through the tunnel with a piece of steak to coax him, and as I recall it took all of a couple of classes and four trainers and coaches to get him over that a-frame, but eventually he did what we asked. Once he did, he was a pro. Now he knows those challenges are no big thing, but there were times we weren’t sure he was going to muster up enough courage to get through class.  

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Teddy’s person comes with some challenges of her own. In November 2013, long before Teddy joined her world, Amber was involved in a serious car accident. With 33 broken bones and multiple serious injuries, her road to recovery has been a long one. She spent more than a month in the hospital and when she finally returned home her mobility was severely limited. Initially she used a wheelchair, then gradually transitioned to a walker, and finally a cane. 

Today she gets through most days without the assistance of these tools, but they’re still a necessary part of her life. That means they’re also part of Teddy’s life. I would expect a Golden to be a little uncertain around walkers and canes, but Teddy grew up with them. It was important to Amber that he always had positive experiences with these items, so even when they weren’t needed she still used them in the house occasionally to keep Teddy acclimated to them. 

Recently Amber’s knee, a lingering injury from the accident, made walking nearly impossible. She had to resort for a short time to using her wheelchair again. Teddy had only ever been around it in the house, but she had taught him to play a game with it. While sitting in the chair, she holds his tug rope. When he grabs and pulls the rope, he also pulls her and the chair forward. She rewards him for doing so, and as a result he has a positive association with the chair. 

The test came when they finally left the house for the first time — Amber in her chair and Teddy on a leash. Amber wondered if he would revert to the game they played and attempt to pull her along, but his reaction to the outing couldn’t have been better! Rather than holding his leash, Amber hooked it onto the handle of the chair. This means Teddy doesn’t have much space to move away from the wheels and has to navigate the walk carefully to avoid an incident. It also means if he takes off running, Amber is going for a ride!

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Amber sent me a video of that first outdoor experience and I mean it when I say I had tears in my eyes. Teddy walked right beside her with perfect manners like he had done this walk his entire life. He was poised and confident and the perfect companion. 

When I asked if he tried to play the “game”, Amber said it didn’t seem to cross his mind. She attributes his calm energy to the work they’ve done in our classes. She remained calm, cool, and collected so Teddy did also. She kept her voice level and her verbal cues consistent and Teddy responded beautifully. When she picked up the pace he was able to jog along beside her, and when she spoke to let him know they were slowing down he quickly slowed his gait. 

Because of all the work they’ve done in our Confidence Builder and Agility classes, Amber trusts Teddy to stop when she asks him to and not to be nervous and unpredictable around the wheelchair. This makes the rest of the training she plans to do with him much more comfortable. The bond they share makes communication smooth and natural. “He gets me, he just knows me”. 

When asked if she’s ever considered letting Teddy do formal therapy dog work she said it’s a long-term goal, but he still has a few bad habits to work through. As for being a great helper for Amber he’s already perfect. 

Now there’s a bond that’s truly Golden. 

~Becky