This is Buddy Aaron Murphy, a male Golden Retriever of eleven years owned by Justine Murphy. Also known as Buddy, Bud, or the Bud Man, this hundred pound Golden has lived with Justine since he was only six weeks old. Justine was happy to allow me to interview her about Buddy while I was petsitting him.
So how did you get Buddy?
“Our previous dog had to be put down, and our son was devastated. I told him he could get another dog, any one he wanted, and we ended up having to drive out to Graugres, MI to get a Golden Retriever. Buddy was the one who kept coming up to us, and we knew he’d be the one we’d get. He came home with us a week later and has been with us ever since.”
What kinds of quirks does he have?
“He circles around a lot before he’ll lay down, and he’s a messy drinker. When you sit down, he’ll put his head on your lap. When he’s outside, he likes to roll on his back a lot, like he’s itching it on the grass.”
What's your favorite story about Buddy?
“When he was a puppy, he’d have bursts of energy, then times where all he’d do was sleep. Right after the kids would go to bed, he’d wake up and start running all over the place. He’d run around the living room, under the kitchen table, then under a chair and he’d poke his little head out. Sometimes he’d just keep going and hit a wall. He always used to take the kids’ things, too.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“Golden Retrievers are just really good dogs; they’ve got a good temperament, they’re good with kids, and they’re really laid back. They like to play, and they love attention. They can entertain themselves, too, but they love the company of people. They’re just really good people dogs.”
After the interview, in typical fashion, I researched the breed online. Golden Retrievers are a relatively new breed, having been developed as guns were becoming more accurate. Here's what I found about America's fourth most popular breed:
The Golden Retriever is a gundog, originally developed for retrieving waterfowl and other game birds that had fallen into water or fields far from the hunter’s reach. As such, they were bred to have an innate love of water and a soft mouth that will not harm the quarry as it is brought back to the dog’s owner. Their temperament is typically very friendly, which makes them a poor guard dog but a very suitable animal for a family pet. They are very patient with children, and are ranked fourth for intelligence among dog breeds. Their athleticism and need to please their owners makes them especially trainable; Goldens easily lend their talents to agility and obedience trials. Dock jumping is another sport the breed excels at, due largely in part to their size and love of water.
A male Golden Retriever should stand between 22 and 24 inches at the shoulders, weighing about 65 to 75 pounds. The dogs are acceptable in any shade of gold, though a very dark red or very light cream can be disqualified. As they age, their fur can either become darker or lighter, with a noticeable whitening of the muzzle. There are three variations on the breed, each with their own subtle differences: the British type, the American type and the Canadian type. The American type is lankier and less stocky than the British type, but lighter than the Canadian type. Golden Retrievers have also been proven to be good surrogate mothers, nursing kittens and even tiger cubs without having been pregnant or nursing in the recent past.
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