Our Golden Christmas Present
 

     "Here, take your pick," the breeder laughed as she dumped six balls of fur onto the floor. They scurried in all directions but one ran straight to me until he bumped into my leg and I reached over for him. Then he climbed up my body and latched onto my earlobe and licked and chewed and snorted . . . . until I said I would take him or her, without even knowing what sex he was. Mutual love at first sight!!! The breeder said we could pick him up in two days. That's how easy it was to add such an important new member to our family.
     Before that I had said no, not now, that I was really too tired out to train another puppy after our other dog died. I had wanted to wait until my husband was feeling a bit better so that there would be more time available to spend with a new puppy. Ed was elderly, quite ill, had a bad heart, diabetes, and more, and was mostly confined to a recliner in the living room. We had always had a dog or two, and our last one had died about two months before.
     Then Ed had a mild stroke and wound up in the hospital. His progress was slow, he was very depressed and finally told me he couldn't picture coming home to a house with no dog . . . . that all his life he had a dog . . . . he was so sad. Hmph, so much for being tired! It was a Sunday and I found an ad for pups in the classified. The owner let me come immediately when she heard about my husband wanting a pup so badly.
     Can you believe it? The news that we were getting a pup was enough to make my husband improve sufficiently so that he was released from the hospital two days later and he came with us in the car to pick up his new friend. And it was love at first sight all over again!
     My husband is now gone but we all feel that this little ball of fur extended his life for over two years. He would climb gently into Ed's lap and kiss him, and get kissed in return. He taught his Pop that when he put the tennis ball next to him on the recliner, that he should throw it. Then Nicky would run and catch it and return it to the chair for him to throw it again. This would go on for hours, with Ed throwing the tennis ball from the recliner back down the length of the hall, which was good exercise for both of them. If Ed were to call me when I was at the other end of the house and did not hear him, Nicky would run to me to let me know his Pop wanted me. He knew and understood to treat his Pop gently and he was a very good and caring friend to him.
     Nicholas was born on Christmas Day 1995, thus his name. (I considered Rudolph, but Nicholas won.) He is three-quarters golden retriever and one-quarter cocker spaniel. He looks like a golden with soulful eyes and is a very beautiful dog with hair that is a flowing golden-honey color . . . . a shade that many women would give anything to have. His intelligence and disposition are unbeatable.We have a large family . . . . he loves them all . . . . kids, grandkids, dogs, cats . . . . and everyone loves him.
     Nicky has the run of our large fenced in backyard and twice each day I go out with him and sit on the back steps and throw one of his tennis balls. He chases it and returns it right to my feet for me to throw it again. If the ball rolls out of my reach, he jumps on it and pushes it back to me. He takes care of me too. Nicky doesn't bother me in the morning to go out to play until I have both socks and sneakers on. If I leave my slippers on, he waits patiently. One sneaker on, he watches me. Second sneaker on, he grabs a ball excitedly and runs to the back door. This means he can count to two, at least. If I keep my slippers on too long, (in order to try to get something done) he walks behind me and circles me and keeps staring at my feet, trying to tell me to put my sneakers on.
     This large dog thinks nothing of sprawling on my lap and if I feel badly about something, his head goes right on my shoulder and he nuzzles my neck. There is a special spot right in the middle of his forehead where he collects people kisses . . . . he has quite a large collection.
     He understands so much of our conversation that it is sometimes eerie. He knows so many words. And he is successful in making me understand so much from him. He lets me know, of course, when he has to go out, when he wants fresh water (twice a day), when he wants biscuits, when he wants to go out to play ball, to go out in the car, to visit one of the family. He checks every basket of clean wash that is brought up from the laundry, and sometimes does find some of his tennis balls that have been washed. When a grandchild sits on the floor and rolls a ball to him, he uses his front foot to push it back to the kid.
     I sometimes wonder if he is happy that I can understand him or if just takes it for granted that he should be understood.
     I have four grown children and five grandchildren and have always felt my dogs were children that I did not have.   Nicholas fits that description perfectly . . . . he is my devoted friend, companion, protector, playmate, sometimes bedfellow, my retriever of tennis balls, and my responsibility. Needless to say, he is loved very much.