Dufenhof Swissies

If you were outside the night of March 3rd 2007 you would have seen both a lunar eclipse & a beautiful full moon.  Unbeknownst to me, Goldie's mother Katie was apparently an amateur astronomer as she chose to deliver Goldie outside that night during the eclipse. It was quite a memorable arrival and it served as the inspiration for her registered name. 

Since that fateful night Goldie has been dancing her way through life to her own tune. Always loving and sweet, she was her mother's clear favorite as a puppy and Katie would spend hours just snuggling with her pretty girl (the boys definitely came in second to Goldie in Katie's mind).  A beautiful girl like her mother it became obvious that Goldie was destined to stay.

Goldie is also incredibly bouncy and happy. She has no idea just how big a girl she is as she bounces, bounces, bounces.  She loves everyone and learning that not everyone wants a giant dog bouncing up to them to say hello has been a constant challenge for her.  After all, everyone she meets is sure to be her new best friend, right?

Unfortunately Goldie's enthusiasm for life interfered with her time as a show dog. Although quite typey and beautiful like her mom, she bounced far more often than she stood still or trotted. If I had a dollar for every judge who told me she was so beautiful but needed training I'd be rich! While she managed to win several points towards her championship including earning one of the two required majors, it became obvious that unless I could find a way to make it less enjoyable for her a championship would never happen. Making something that should be fun "unfun" seemed rather awful so I finally gave up trying and Goldie retired from the world of dog shows for good.