Let's talk Golden Retriever OK???

Question:
 1 Attachment(s) Ok so I have Jesse, actually my husbands dog.
What is with Goldens???? Jesse is really smart, but let him get excited and zip, zing, no brains all bling!
Jesse is very smart, we can teach him a trick in about 5 or 10 minutes and he has it for life. He sits, downs, stays, waits, backs, waves, head down, crawls, etc. My husband has taught him to sit and open his mouth for a pill, no kidding, he will sit there with his pie-hole open so you can stuff a pill in, silly boy!
I also have a question about Golden noses, why do they turn pink????? Jesse does on occasion play woodpecker and tamp dirt over something he has buried, did that do it?
Also, what is with the pain response in goldens? Is Jesse just different or do they all have a high pain threshold? Jesse sprained his patella and he hopped around, didn't whine when they vet was wrenching on it. He gets stung by a bee and walks off????

Answer:
 Yeah! A Golden Retriever thread!
I had been dog-less for almost 10 years when we got Ozzy & I was convinced I'd have another Akita or one of several breeds I've always wanted to own. Mark has always loved Goldens so when a friend's sister had Golden pups, our future was set with a Golden pup coming our way. What a wonderful twist of fate it has been so far.
I've trained a number of dogs over the years & never thought I'd actually ever have a Golden. I've always worked with the working dogs (and some herders) & really love dogs 80+ (or even 100+) pounds. The sporting dog mind had me a bit baffled at first & I'm not quite sure I've got it all figured out yet but I'm working on it.
Ozzy is proving to be the best dog I've ever had in terms of motivation, speed of learning, and proud-prancing style. I've had some enthusiastic obedience dogs (and a few 200 scores many years ago) but I believe that Ozzy has far more promise than any of the other dogs I've trained. I don't know if it is particularly a breed trait or if I just found the right dog with great potential.
He was going great guns in obedience training & then hit a bratty stage where he turned on the "I'm a goofball & you can't make me do it" when inside our training building so we haven't made it to competition yet. He never acts like that outside the training building & seems to have turned the corner back in the right direction. (Now @ 17 months so that might explain a lot).
Ozzy is the same way with new behaviors — 5 or 10 minutes & he's got it & looking to find out what's next. I think this is very typical of Goldens.
His natural scenting ability recently surprised me as I've never worked with him on that at all.
Ozzy recently had his first hotel stay. We checked in the hotel around 12:30am & after loading in, I took him out for a potty break. We came back inside & I said, "Ozzy, where's your Daddy? Find him." and I could hardly believe my eyes when he lead me down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall & stopped directly in front of the door at the right room.
I told Mark about it & he sorta believed me but I could tell there was a bit of an eye roll attached to that. So, just for that twinge of disbelief, it was his job to take him for the next potty break when we got up in the morning.
He took him outside, came back in and said, "Find your Momma" ... and he lead Mark straight to our door.
I was VERY, VERY proud of him. I never questioned the idea that a hunting dog would likely be good at scenting but I didn't expect it to happen sheerly by accident.
Often the pink noses are called "winter nose" as they can turn pink in the cold winters or it is often a result of feeding from plastic or porous food bowls. The lack of pigmentation is considered an immune deficiency but the color is often able to be restored (sometimes it is just a matter of time).
My Golden, Ozzy, is only 17 months old & I don't know that he has actually felt pain so I can't comment on that.
Here's my gorgeous boy. As you can tell, I'm more than just your typical proud Momma. Did I happen to mention, I have a really great dog?

Answer:
 2 Attachment(s) Aww Ozzy, what a beauty you are too, or I should say handsome! He's still in the goofy stage, but this too shall pass. I bet he'll do fab. in obedience, they want to please soooo much. I think from now on you'll never be without a golden....their like potato chips!
We had a 8 year old rescue Golden named Taco who was 98 lbs (fit) (moment of silence). He passed on and we just couldn't get another golden because we were afraid nothing to stand up to Taco. We rescued a 4 year old Bernese Mt. Dog Molly, she was amazing and the love of our lives, unfortunately they do not have a long life expectancy. When Molly passed we were dogless for awhile. Then we started looking for our next Golden, took three years to accomplish.
Jesse's nose seemed to turn pink in bits, I thought it was from burying things and tamping them down with his snoz. I'll have to do some internet research though I think.
Isn't it amazing that Ozzy can tell who you are talking about? I swear I can just talk like Jesse was human and he catches on. It may sound mean and I don't do it very often but when I get ready to go somewhere I'll ask Jesse, "wanna go?" and he gets all excited, then I say "I think I'll stay home" and he melts to the ground. LOL, but he always gets to go in the end.
Here's a picture of Taco. Ajd of course, Molly McButter. I'll tell you, if you've never experienced a Berner you don't know what you are missing!!

Answer:
 YES! Goldens!
I am the proud Mom of one very special girl! She is almost 10 and my love bug. I am also the proud Mom of one errrrrrr Duke. LOL If you check out my pics, you will see both.
In answer to your pain tolerance, it is very high, yes. My Tyler <gone to the Bridge> and Dusty both had and have very high tolerance levels.
I remember just before Tyler went home, he was very ill with a terrible cough. He never made a whimper, whine, or any other signs of pain. My poor baby only coughed.
Dusty had a toe removed in December of 2006 due to a malignant growth. After surgery she acted like nothing happened. I was having a breakdown watching her run around and trying to keep her calm. In May of this year she was diagnosed as being diabetic. Through all of her tests, injections she has never shown any signs of pain. In July of this year she also had a malignant growth removed from the same foot as the last. Again, she showed no sign of pain. Dusty is amazing. Very intelligent, loving and the best girl anyone would ever be blessed to have.
Pills are a problem though. She hates having to take them. She is so smart she knows when there is a pill hidden in anything. LOL So she simple spits it out.

Answer:
 Thank you! You must be psychic;) as I'm already looking for our 2nd Golden. I hope to get a pup in the next few months.:D
:( So sad that they have to go so young. I'm sorry for your losses. It never gets any easier to lose those we love so much. I've only known one Berner that was in one of my classes years ago. Lovely dogs!
Oh yes, Ozzy knows lots of the "goodie or fun" words that mean all good things are coming (Daddy, Momma, go, ride, car, truck, dog school, petsmart, petco, bank, home, kitty, leash, collar, bones, treats, etc. and I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of them along with the standard training words, of course).
Beautiful dogs! Thanks for sharing their pics!

Answer:
 Hope you don't mind DD, but I had to copy this picture to the thread from your gallery. How cute is this!! I just think that when Goldens were made they added an extra large scoop of kindness and love.

Answer:
 Loved seeing your pics in the photo section. I hope you'll post them on this thread too to so we can get a great collection of Golden pics all on the same thread. Would be wonderful to see them all lined up in the same spot.
Editing: Thanks Bosley Slave! I love seeing all these beautiful Golden pics all on the same thread.

Answer:
 Thank you for posting BS & thank you Katz

Answer:
 2 Attachment(s) Ok so, here is a testiment to the temp. of the golden. Mr. Jesse with devil dog (bosley). These pictures are really bad, it was before I got my new camera.