Hi all - I just wanted to stop in and introduce myself! :wave:
I'm Ryan, I live downtown Atlanta right near Turner Field. I'm 28, I'm a pilot (although I'm currently laid off and doing other work now), and I just got my second Golden this week.
Jake was my first Golden. We (Mom, Dad and I) got him in 1997 when he was a year old. Since I was the only child, he was pretty much like my brother. He was treated as a human member of our family, and will be remembered as such. He had cancer in his lymph nodes when he was 7 or 8. He went to the University of Georgia and got treatment and was just fine after that. Later on in life, we started seeing his hip dysplasia kick in, maybe when he was around 12. He would get his front legs up off the hardwood floors, but his hind legs kept sliding out from under him and he would usually give up. It was heartbreaking. Finally the day came when I felt the tumors coming back in his throat and I knew I had to make that phone call that I'd been dreading for years. So that's the quick version of Jake's life which peacefully ended on 5/5/2009.
Fast forward to this week - Monday November 26th, I picked up Max who is a purebred Golden that was at a local Atlanta rescue. He and his brother came from a family that would keep them in the basement and let them go in and outside as they please. Finally this couple had a kid (I think that's what finally prompted them to make the right call) and realized they couldn't give the brothers the attention they needed. They were never allowed upstairs anyways... which I find very odd.
Anyways, his brother was adopted the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I saw Max on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. He was the first dog I went to meet after joining two local rescues. I thought it may take a while to find the right match for me - but as soon as I saw him I knew it. He's perfect.
Because he was never allowed in the house, there are many things that are new for him. He isn't sure of a lot of things, especially objects that are freestanding, such as my 5 gallon water dispenser.... and especially my Dyson vacuum. He's not amused by that at all. He's terrified of it, and I haven't even turned it on yet!! hah! I'm working with him very slowly, showing him what things do. It's all new for him.
He's so well behaved, he's a very sweet, kind and gentle Golden. I've never heard him bark (and my Jake only barked TWICE in his entire life... Twice! I thought he couldn't bark!). He's got a very inquisitive personality. He likes to explore and check things out. It's adorable. I mean he even watches TV with me, and I mean literally watching the television!
Anyways, that's just a little bit about myself, my old 4 legged brother Jake and Max, my new special companion. I've already read a lot of great info on here, and I look forward to participating in the future!!!
-Ryan and Max :wave:
I'm Ryan, I live downtown Atlanta right near Turner Field. I'm 28, I'm a pilot (although I'm currently laid off and doing other work now), and I just got my second Golden this week.
Jake was my first Golden. We (Mom, Dad and I) got him in 1997 when he was a year old. Since I was the only child, he was pretty much like my brother. He was treated as a human member of our family, and will be remembered as such. He had cancer in his lymph nodes when he was 7 or 8. He went to the University of Georgia and got treatment and was just fine after that. Later on in life, we started seeing his hip dysplasia kick in, maybe when he was around 12. He would get his front legs up off the hardwood floors, but his hind legs kept sliding out from under him and he would usually give up. It was heartbreaking. Finally the day came when I felt the tumors coming back in his throat and I knew I had to make that phone call that I'd been dreading for years. So that's the quick version of Jake's life which peacefully ended on 5/5/2009.
Fast forward to this week - Monday November 26th, I picked up Max who is a purebred Golden that was at a local Atlanta rescue. He and his brother came from a family that would keep them in the basement and let them go in and outside as they please. Finally this couple had a kid (I think that's what finally prompted them to make the right call) and realized they couldn't give the brothers the attention they needed. They were never allowed upstairs anyways... which I find very odd.
Anyways, his brother was adopted the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I saw Max on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. He was the first dog I went to meet after joining two local rescues. I thought it may take a while to find the right match for me - but as soon as I saw him I knew it. He's perfect.
Because he was never allowed in the house, there are many things that are new for him. He isn't sure of a lot of things, especially objects that are freestanding, such as my 5 gallon water dispenser.... and especially my Dyson vacuum. He's not amused by that at all. He's terrified of it, and I haven't even turned it on yet!! hah! I'm working with him very slowly, showing him what things do. It's all new for him.
He's so well behaved, he's a very sweet, kind and gentle Golden. I've never heard him bark (and my Jake only barked TWICE in his entire life... Twice! I thought he couldn't bark!). He's got a very inquisitive personality. He likes to explore and check things out. It's adorable. I mean he even watches TV with me, and I mean literally watching the television!
Anyways, that's just a little bit about myself, my old 4 legged brother Jake and Max, my new special companion. I've already read a lot of great info on here, and I look forward to participating in the future!!!
-Ryan and Max :wave: