GOLDEN CHAPTER 3

It's Buddy . . . I'm back! Oh boy, oh boy, oh, boy, I've had another great week and can hardly wait to tell you all about it! This week started out with me getting to spend more time in the house with Mary and Butch. I was really good this time, I didn't even have one little accident. :)

Let me tell you about the Haunted House Party. This house thing is pretty big and overwhelming for a little guy like me. There's all this stuff just waiting to attack me. For instance, the stuffed Teddy Bear that sits on a corner table . . . I just know he growled at me! And then there was this big Golden Retriever-eating plant that kept watching me wherever I went . . . Eek! It was about that time that Mary invited me to have a "haunted house party." Hey wait, parties are supposed to be fun . . . uh, oh.

We marched around the house while Mary opened and closed squeaky doors, turned radios on and off, turned the volume on the TV up and down, slammed cupboard doors, flushed those big water dishes, and banged pot and pan lids together all the while yelling and talking really loud. I'm not sure, but between you and me, I think she's been into my drugs. It's obvious to me now why they don't have many neighbors around their house, they'd all be wondering what those crazy MacQueens were up to this time! You know what, that haunted house party really was fun! It was like going to a parade! Every time I wagged my tail and checked things out, I got a biscuit. Wow, houses are cool!

Later that night, I got to lay on the floor in the living room with Mary and chew a nice big rawhide bone. She kept taking it out of my mouth and giving it back just to see how I would handle that. She obviously doesn't know what a real gentleman I am. I love to share with her, she's my new bestest friend now. Please kids: don't ever try this with a new dog cause it can be very dangerous, I just happen to be an exceptionally nice little boy . . . and humble too!

After I ate some of my bone, Butch took me out to go potty before bed. Now don't laugh at me, I really didn't want to tell you all this, but Mary and Butch said I have to face up to my fears. So here goes. I'm just a little bit afraid of the dark. :(  Stop making fun of me you guys! It can be scary out there beyond the lights when you're in a new place you don't really know yet. Anyway, Butch was really gentle and walked me all around the yard to let me explore. It wasn't so bad after all, and nuthin even ate me! That night, I got to stay in a crate in the living room so I could get used to things more. I was really good and didn't even cry at all. I am liking my new adventure more and more every day!

This week's training was really fun. My obedience is really coming along and Mary says I'm a perfect little gentleman on a leash now. Not that I need one mind you, I just like to show off how good Mary is doing when I take her for walks.

My drug detection work is really coming along. Uncle Steve hid real cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in boxes and suitcases this week and I found all of it. Sometimes it was even up high off the floor. The heroin was the easiest for me to find, but Steve says I'll be excelling at all of it in no time at all. Whenever I made the find and scratched this week, my towel came flying down from the sky in front of me instead of being in the box or suitcase. They didn't want to take any chances on me being sick from getting into those nasty drugs. Speaking of which, did you know that uncle Steve has a special first aid kit in case any of us drug dogs did get into the drugs by accident? He's pretty cool, he thinks of everything!

By the way, Steve and I have this really cool game we play. He teases me with my towel and gets me to tug on it while he sits in his wheeled desk chair. Then I get to pull him all around the room! It's really neat and it doesn't scare me a bit!

Thursday we all got to go to the Kane, PA Police Dept. and play with a real honest to goodness drug detection dog named Shadow. He's my hero. He can find drugs no matter where they hide them. When I grow up, I wanna be just like Shadow!

While we were there, they hid either real drugs or my special towel in various places in the maintenance garage, and I had to go find them. It was really fun. I found some in a cupboard, under some stairs, and in a locker. Scratch, scratch, scratch, in comes the flying towel! They can't fool me!

On Sunday, I got to go and train with Kinzua Search Dogs, my step brother and sisters (Badger Willow and Peach's) search team. We stayed out all day in the early sun and the afternoon pouring rain. It was really fun cause we got to get all muddy and messy! I got to do tracking work with "Zeb" the Bloodhound (What's with all that flying slobber anyway?), and did really good! I was laughing at my new friend Zeb cause he makes really funny noises when he tracks. Mary was calling him "Mr. Snuffle-up-agus!" When I did my track, Heather (Zeb's handler) said all she could see was the hot dog pieces on the ground flying by. I was so excited about tracking I hardly even stopped to eat any, just zoomed and followed the track to the end! I really like tracking for people, it's fun!

After training on Sunday we stopped at the local beaver pond to go swimming and rinse off. Something really scary happened. Mary and Butch let all four of us Goldens out of the truck and threw the Frisbee in the water. Willow, Badger, Peaches and I all ran really fast into the water, then it happened . . . The bottom fell out! There I was running into the biggest puddle I ever saw, and somebody took the bottom away! I put my head way up and started using my front feet like big plungers. There was water splashing everywhere and all the sudden, somebody put the ground back under my feet. Way cool! I swam! Now I know I died and went to Golden Retriever heaven! Life is good!

By the way, I have my first real "assignment" coming up in May. We have to go and check cars and stuff for drugs that are supposed to coming into an area near us. I can't tell you where or when cause it's a secret, and there could be bad guys lurking out there. I am so excited (and maybe a little nervous)! A real drug search! Me! I hope I can remember all I learned!

Well, I gotta go for now, I hope you all enjoyed hearing about my antics. I promise to make you all proud of me someday. Until then, stay Golden.

Love and Sloppy kisses, Yer little buddy . . . Buddy
(Send comments or questions to Mary MacQueen)

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