|
Tributes
Barney

My husband and I are devastated
over the loss of our sweet Barney. We adopted Barney from
Golden Retriever Rescue Resource, Inc. on May 30, 2006. He died
on October 29, 2008 from hemangiocarcoma, a type of cancer that
I now know plagues Golden Retrievers.
Our vet estimated Barney to be
about eight years old when he came to live with us in 2006. We
wondered about adopting a dog that had already lived so much of
his life . . . Would he adapt to us and the Golden we already
had? Would he have bad habits? How would we figure out his
likes and dislikes? But adopting a senior dog turned out to be
one of the most rewarding experiences of our life, really
because of Barney’s eight years of life before us. He came
to us full of manners and skills that were a surprise and a
joy.
For instance, Barney was an
expert with all basic commands, plus he was polite in a
way that we had never been able to achieve with a dog. Barney
always waited to cross a threshold until we had gone, and he
never jumped on furniture until he was invited. He also never
entered our bedroom or bathroom without permission. Our other
Goldens have always wanted a front row seat when we are in the
bathroom! Also, Barney spent the first night we had him in a
crate, and he was never in the crate again; he was that
trustworthy from the very beginning. Barney was so well-trained
that we called him the “turn-key dog”!
There were other traits that
Barney brought with him when he became part of our family. Like
his athleticism. Barney was faster than any dog at the dog
park, and he looked so powerful and beautiful as he ran down
tennis balls. And he could swim like no beast we’ve ever seen!
We took him to my parents’ home on the lake frequently, but
always worried he would swim away – he was that strong in
the water. Finally we learned to tie him to a ski rope and the
end of the dock and he would swim at the end of it for as long
as we would let him. Barney was also quite a hunter, very
interested in all the wildlife in our yard and on walks. It was
evident that at one time Barney had been taught to hunt.
Though someone else taught Barney
his impeccable manners and athletic prowess, we were lucky
enough to adopt him with all of his talents. Barney showed us
how worthwhile and wonderful it is to adopt a senior dog with
life experience and tons of personality.
What we gave to Barney was
simple: food, shelter, and all the love in our hearts. But
what Barney gave to us was so much more: huge, soft, dark brown
eyes that looked at us with adoration, a tail that wagged every
time we spoke to him, a soft body to cuddle with in good times
and bad, and unwavering love and devotion. We did not raise
Barney from the tender age of eight weeks old, instead meeting
him when he was a worldly eight years old. And though Barney
was only with us for two and a half years, we could not have
loved him more if we had known him his entire life. We miss
Barney more than words can say, but are so grateful that he came
into our life.
|