My son, Rollins, had been BEGGING us for a dog for a few years, and to be honest, I really wanted one too!  Since I was just used to our cats and lizard, I wanted to make sure we got a dog that was known to be good for families, other animals and would hopefully be relatively 'easy.'  Typing that makes me laugh because while the first two boxes have definitely been checked, that last one has NOT been the case.  We chose a Golden Retriever. As a child of the 90s they are the quintessential family dog in every TV family sitcom, so what could go wrong?

Dog ownership has been hilarious and frustrating so far, but I wouldn't trade our Freddie Eddie Frito Feet Escargot Maddox for the world! He has taught us all valuable lessons, mainly patience.  He's definitely been the source of a couple cute little mental breakdowns on my end! Oh, the love he has to give though!

Here are some fun facts about our goofy Golden Retriever and some things I was not prepared for! I'm sure those of you who are Goldie parents will relate to a lot of his shenanigans.

Mkat Maddos
Mkat Maddos
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When Freddie was a wee little baby he was SO bitey! I know this is typical of puppies, but Lordy it felt like we were in some off-brand version of Jaws! Of course, he has never been short on toys, so we would just shove one of those bad boys in his mouth so he could learn what to focus his sharp little daggers on! Rollins was so over it one day, he made this sign for his blanket fort.

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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Speaking of biting, the CHEWING! And he will go for the weirdest things like plastic hangers! I've had to go full Mommy Dearest on him to try to get him to leave them alone. Here he is "helping" with the laundry.

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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Boy, does he love our cats! He wants to be their friend SO BAD, and they are just not having it. We joke about our big gray cat Swayze, being a dog cat, so he is warming up to Freddie. He will even share the favorite window spot with him now.

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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Freddie likes to watch Sesame Street, but apparently is not a fan of movies about giant sharks. Michael and I watched a movie about a Megalodon, and he was terrified the entire time!  Bless his heart, he just wanted to snuggle

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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Ole boy LOVES to run around with sticks and roll in the grass. He has serious FOMO though and prefers to have us out there with him so he can show off how fast he can sprint while holding an entire tree branch in his mouth.

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Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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And then there's the mud!! This is one of those Golden traits I was NOT prepared for. Being a bird and hunting dog, they love to run after anything that moves with feathers or fur. And they LOVE to dig and waller in water no matter if it causea their mother to nearly have a coronary. And the consequence of being hosed down is also a reward for him, so I don't see this ending anytime soon.

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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The toy fluff from murdered plushies, and Freddie's fur has given our poor vacuum a run for it's money. Called "Golden Glitter" it is all over every piece of furniture, clothing, and tumbleweeds float along on the daily. A small price to pay for this lovable goofball!

Mkat Maddox
Mkat Maddox
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We are never short on snuggles and lovin' which we call "lubbins."  If Michael and I stay up past his bedtime, he will bark and fuss at us until we follow him into the bedroom! Freddie is SO SASSY. I've heard dogs adopt the attitudes of their owners, so I feel like that is my own fault there. Oopsie!

He's always over the moon to see us walk in the door, and I can't imagine life without him! Mud, fur, sass and all! If you have a Golden Retriever, do they get into any of these hijinks?

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