It's not a short drive to Cecilia. My commitment to what I was about to do became more firm with each odometer click. When I got there I saw nice looking dog on a long chain. The family that was keeping him seemed sane. They had obviously made their own firm decision to part with Copper, doing a good job with their low pressure sales (gifting) pitch which included the skillful application of building rapport. Copper was glad to see me, as is the custom among Golden Retrievers.
I was concerned about the amount of barking, understandable under the circumstances, I concluded. After closing the deal, the father asked that I give his daughters a chance to say goodbye. I was worried that I would have to witness a teary, emotional scene achievable only by teenage girls. However, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. What worried me on the way home was that they seemed a little too OK with the whole arrangement.
Copper was more than happy to go with me, jumping into the back of my PT without hesitation. As I backed out of the driveway, there were no long last looks from either direction. Dogs don't say goodbye really. They never really know what's going to happen next, and maybe that's an OK way to live. No sense of remorse or sadness or "when will I see them again?" Dogs feel loneliness for sure, but for the remedy of company, they are delighted by anyone with hands. Really they are kind of slutty that way, shamelessly soliciting physical contact from anyone who comes near.
On the drive home, Copper was not content to lay down in the back. Apparently, Goldens crave attention, close proximity, and physical contact even more than the average breed. You want to put your head in my lap? Really! But we have just met. You are a nice and friendly dog, but where is your sense of boundaries?
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