Everybody needs at least one good dog in their life,
and so far I have had 4. Sydney was a Golden Retriever that I actually shopped for and “found” in Toone Tennessee. I talked to the breeder and described what I wanted over the phone and she felt she had exactly what I wanted. Even though I was a Veterinarian she wanted references before she would sell me the puppy………. she actually checked my references. Fortunately Paula Hooper, a local groomer and Bulldog breeder, vouched for me and I was able to get her. Her parents were involved in Obedience Competitions, so I hoped that she would have some intelligence. She lived with both of my Border Collies at the beginning and then the end of her life. She was a soul mate to both.
She was a smaller Golden and very, very Blonde; in more ways than just hair color. She walked with an
attitude and the swing in her hips & tail were distinctive. Like most Goldens, she was extremely sweet. She was very easy to train, but I attribute most of that to being brought up by a Border Collie (Gumby) who taught her the ropes. Sure, she chewed up a few chair legs, but I’ll take the blame for that. I later bred her and she had a litter of 8. As those puppies grew up and found homes, I was a bit frustrated that some of the new parents weren’t taking care of them like I wanted. Some others did and one of the puppies ended up having a few litters and I was always happy to see her Grandchildren come in to see us at
Animal Care Hospital. I decided to breed her again to a great looking male with a wonderful personality. After the breeding, she had an accident in the house which was very unlike her. It was easy for me to diagnose what was going on. She had the classic symptoms of Pyometra. She had a recent heat cycle and she started drinking lots of water, which is why she couldn’t hold her urine. (Pyometra is an accumulation of pus in the uterus.) It is more of a hormonal problem than an infection and the treatment of choice is to spay her. The option of medical treatment is available and allows you to breed them, but it’s a bit harder on them…….. Easy decision to make for me, I spayed her. If we were in the big city, I would say that she had an Ovariohysterectomy.
She was great to have for my kids (Finley & Claire). Every family needs a “growing up dog.” I tell my clients that a Golden will let a child drag them around the house by the tail, just because they crave the attention. She learned to go to different school classrooms by going with her roommate Gumby. She was not much of a performer, but she would let any number of kids crawl all over her. Later she taught my dog Tucker how to act. By the way, she was NOT happy about Tucker being brought into the house. She was getting on in years and was very comfortable in her truck and in my house all by herself. Apparently she didn’t remember how she was shunned by Gumby when she showed up at the house, in his opinion uninvited. Things did change, as they usually do, and she and Tucker were inseparable. They each had their spot in the truck and very rarely were out of their “Assigned” area. She actually got healthier after she got a roommate, since she got more exercise and lost some weight.
Every morning, when we got to the hospital, she would go find a technician to remind them to give her the chewable Rimadyl, Joint Supplements and chewable Thyroid supplement……….and whatever else she could talk them into. As she got older, she stopped going upstairs and had to be helped into the truck. She still wanted to go to work every day. She loved being around people, and the hospital was a happening place with lots of activity.
As time went on, she had more and more trouble getting around, but she never lost her SWING. As happens with lots of older dogs, her joints and lower back got the best of her. We kept her propped up with
medications and she opted several times to let Tucker and me go alone. At the age of 15 & ½, I decided that she was not happy being here. It was one of those tough decisions that many of my clients face. Dealing with her last months made me a Veterinarian that is now better able to counsel my clients through
some of their most difficult times. Her favorite place was at the Hospital front desk, where she could visit EVERYONE and get them to pet her and tell her how wonderful she was. Her ashes are now buried within the slab in our new hospital right under our reception desk.
From Clockwise: Sydney's brothers & sisters, Syd as a mere child, she was an expert at relaxing, Gumby taught her everything including some wrestling moves 
From Clockwise: Finley with Sydney, Finley with Syd's puppies, after a hard day at the Hospital, Claire & Finley with the perfect "growing up dog" 
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