Happy Birthday Lucy!

My sweet Lucy is 9 years old this month.  I can't believe it's been that long since I was on vacation in Colorado and my brother called me wanting to know if I'd like to have a Golden Retriever.  In conversations, I had mentioned that I might get a dog sometime.  My brother had bought a small dog at Petsmart for his daughter and it had died in 3 days.  At the vet, she showed him Lucy and said they were looking for a home for her and that she was AKC registered etc.  He took her but his family vetoed the notion of having a big dog some day so... He calls me and I take the bait.  So when I return home from vacation the first week in July in 2003, I have this little red fur ball in a big cage sitting in my dining room.  My home, my backyard, and myself would never be the same. I named her Lucy because my name is Rick.  Well, actually because of her red hair and I like saying "Lucy I'm home".

There were a lot of changes around here those first few months.  First, I thought potting training was going to be a big issue.  Amazingly, despite my long hours at work it wasn't.  My brother or my niece would come by and let her outside 2 or 3 hours after I had gone to work to avoid her being locked up for 10 hour days.  This routine was getting old so I put in a pet door after about 6 weeks.  I never thought Lucy would get used to the pet door either.  I'd go outside and offer a treat yet she was fearful of the flapping sound of the pet door I suppose.  Then one day I heard her go outside on her own and I was relieved.   This creates more issues with her access to the back yard all day..  Neighbors complaining of excessive barking.  Lucy finding every opening of the fence to get out.  I think there were three instances before I had a new fence installed.  Oh and no more cascading beds of periwinkles and hostas.  She made her bed in the hostas and either ate or pulled up every periwinkle. No more potted tomato plants either because they were destroyed as well.
The inside of my home was never the same as well.  There were covers of some kind thrown over the furniture, yes I thought it was cute seeing my new baby trying to get up on the furniture, and I had gates up inside keeping her in or out of certain areas making it look like some kind of child care facility.  Within 6 months my guilt of leaving her alone so much would take over and I would get Sable for her companion.

Of all the changes in my life and surroundings I have no real regrets.  Lucy has never been real affectionate.  She wouldn't let me hold her much as a puppy.  I suppose I wanted more of a lap dog.  She is such a guard dog and to this day so protective of me though. 
Happy Birthday Lucy girl!