The circumstances surrounding my dogs ending up with me were both for lack of better words out of this world!
My first Golden Sammie's story goes something like this...I'd always wanted a Golden but with work, *very long hours, and living in an apartment or condo it just wasn't very conducive to owning a dog. * But then a wonderful thing happened, the company I was with for twenty years let me go...so I decided to move to the mountains and spend some time up there.
I also decided this was the perfect time to finally get my Golden and went on quest to locate one. *I was working on a time frame of a month or so because I had to get moved up there and get the cabin ready for winter. *
This was before the Internet, I can't believe I'm saying that...it sounds like my parents saying this was before television, anyway I looked in the newspapers and visited various shelters, rescue centers, back yard breeders and just couldn't find the pup I was looking for.
It looked like I was going to have to spend my first winter in the mountains by myself. *I had my Jeep all packed to make the final trip up to the cabin and decided to stop and spend the night with my brothers family as he was the half way point to my final destination.
We got to talking dogs and he said he had a good friend who had just gotten a beautiful golden pup. *He said let me give him a call and see if any more are available. *I knew it was a long shot but why not. *It turned out all the pups were either spoken for or gone but he did know of a breeder in Eugene Oregon who might have some pups available. *My brother took his number and gave it to me.
So I called up to Oregon and spoke with this person only to find out all his pups were spoken for....but he did have a close friend who he thought might still have some pups available also in Eugene.
I was beginning to lose faith but decided to give it a go. *So I called and spoke with this really nice lady who said they only had one female available and it looked like she might be taken by a couple who were looking for a dog that could be trained to help the hearing impaired...she went on to say however if we don't hear back from them today she would be available again. *She took my number and said she'd get back to me either way.
So later that night after dinner the phone rings and guess what...this breeder says the female is available, the interested couple had changed their mind. *I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!
I was already to drive 8 1/2 hours from Sacramento to Eugene to have a look at this pup!!! *So I asked her for directions and she said she was leaving for a dog show the next morning and would be gone for a week........I thought oh lord this isn't going to work out after all......she knew I was calling from California and asked where in California I was...I told her Sacramento and she said that's amazing.....that's where the show is.....I'll be there tomorrow!
So we made arrangements to meet at the show the next morning and she would have mom and the pups there. *AGAIN I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!
Of course I arrived early and while waiting I keep asking myself is this really possible...is she really going to show up....and finally I saw her van pull in....she opened the door and out pored mom followed by six puppies...the mom was a doll....as they all followed mom over to the grass I asked *which one was Barley the name she had given the female pup...only one of the pups had left the pack and turned around walking back toward us...and the breeder said it must be fate...here she comes now. *And that's how I met my FeatherRiverSam, Sammie. *We spent almost thirteen wonderful years together and my first winter up here couldn't have been any better. *I can't help but think it was just meant to be.
The story behind Woody, my current golden, is almost as incredible but I think I've used up more than my share of space here so maybe I'll tell his story some other time.
How about you all...any stories about your pups that made you feel "it was just meant to be?"
Pete
My first Golden Sammie's story goes something like this...I'd always wanted a Golden but with work, *very long hours, and living in an apartment or condo it just wasn't very conducive to owning a dog. * But then a wonderful thing happened, the company I was with for twenty years let me go...so I decided to move to the mountains and spend some time up there.
I also decided this was the perfect time to finally get my Golden and went on quest to locate one. *I was working on a time frame of a month or so because I had to get moved up there and get the cabin ready for winter. *
This was before the Internet, I can't believe I'm saying that...it sounds like my parents saying this was before television, anyway I looked in the newspapers and visited various shelters, rescue centers, back yard breeders and just couldn't find the pup I was looking for.
It looked like I was going to have to spend my first winter in the mountains by myself. *I had my Jeep all packed to make the final trip up to the cabin and decided to stop and spend the night with my brothers family as he was the half way point to my final destination.
We got to talking dogs and he said he had a good friend who had just gotten a beautiful golden pup. *He said let me give him a call and see if any more are available. *I knew it was a long shot but why not. *It turned out all the pups were either spoken for or gone but he did know of a breeder in Eugene Oregon who might have some pups available. *My brother took his number and gave it to me.
So I called up to Oregon and spoke with this person only to find out all his pups were spoken for....but he did have a close friend who he thought might still have some pups available also in Eugene.
I was beginning to lose faith but decided to give it a go. *So I called and spoke with this really nice lady who said they only had one female available and it looked like she might be taken by a couple who were looking for a dog that could be trained to help the hearing impaired...she went on to say however if we don't hear back from them today she would be available again. *She took my number and said she'd get back to me either way.
So later that night after dinner the phone rings and guess what...this breeder says the female is available, the interested couple had changed their mind. *I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!
I was already to drive 8 1/2 hours from Sacramento to Eugene to have a look at this pup!!! *So I asked her for directions and she said she was leaving for a dog show the next morning and would be gone for a week........I thought oh lord this isn't going to work out after all......she knew I was calling from California and asked where in California I was...I told her Sacramento and she said that's amazing.....that's where the show is.....I'll be there tomorrow!
So we made arrangements to meet at the show the next morning and she would have mom and the pups there. *AGAIN I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!
Of course I arrived early and while waiting I keep asking myself is this really possible...is she really going to show up....and finally I saw her van pull in....she opened the door and out pored mom followed by six puppies...the mom was a doll....as they all followed mom over to the grass I asked *which one was Barley the name she had given the female pup...only one of the pups had left the pack and turned around walking back toward us...and the breeder said it must be fate...here she comes now. *And that's how I met my FeatherRiverSam, Sammie. *We spent almost thirteen wonderful years together and my first winter up here couldn't have been any better. *I can't help but think it was just meant to be.
The story behind Woody, my current golden, is almost as incredible but I think I've used up more than my share of space here so maybe I'll tell his story some other time.
How about you all...any stories about your pups that made you feel "it was just meant to be?"
Pete