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As the proud owner of two wonderful Goldens, I can say that few
things in life can match the love, affection and loyalty one
receives from a Golden Retriever. Although bred to be a hunter,
a Golden really wants nothing more than to spend its days with a
companion or a family, and it's in this capacity that allows a
Golden's heart to shine. That said, my wife and I were anxious
about the first meeting of our newborn son and our other two
"boys," Goldens Charley and Benny. Before the birth of our son,
my wife and I had made our dogs an integral part of our family.
Where we went, they went. When we slept they slept, and when we
vacationed, they usually went. Now it seemed everything was
about to change.
Preparing Ahead Of Time
 Before
our son's arrival, I brought home baby blankets from the
hospital to let the dogs get a sense of his smell. I came home
from the hospital alone that morning and presented the blankets
to Charley and Ben. You can imagine what was going through my
mind as the two 1-year-old Goldens began to wrestle on the
blankets and then play tug until a blanket ripped in two. My son
was only a couple of days old and so precious and delicate. How
would my wife and I be able to keep him safe from our two Golden
goliaths?
When we brought our new son home, the house was set up like Fort
Knox, with baby gates throughout and the two 75-pound,
attention-starved Goldens behind several of them for good
measure. Charley had been known to push down a gate or two
during his adolescence and we weren't taking any chances. The
initial meeting between the three boys went as expected. The
dogs sniffed their new brother and were curious about the
strange noises he made. After a few weeks, the dogs adjusted to
life with a baby, and Charley and Ben learned to entertain each
other as my wife and I were coping with parenthood for the first
time.
Big Brothers In Action
 Early
on, it was a bit tough on the dogs because my wife and I were so
busy with the baby and were simply too preoccupied for them. As
time progressed, though, the dogs seemed to understand that
another member was now in the family and they needed to treat
our son as a part of it. The dogs began to treat him with the
same love, affection and respect that my wife and I expected and
received. By the time my son was about 2 months old, it was
obvious that the dogs could sense his needs, and many times they
alerted us to him and became anxious if he was in distress. This
was a sign of an early connection between our son and the dogs.
Our son was new to the family and completely changed the
dynamics of daily life in our household. In spite of that, the
Goldens adapted and accepted our son into the family. It was
astonishing to see the unconditional love and loyalty that these
Golden Retrievers had displayed.
Gentle Touch
As my son transitioned from an infant to a toddler, he began to
interact more with the dogs and started to play along with them.
He went through a stage where he would crawl up to the dogs,
pull their hair and tails, scream at them and hit them on the
snout. My wife and I would be close by to explain to him his
wrongdoing. Never once did Charley and Ben snap or turn hostile.
Ben simply walked away or licked his "brother" until he stopped.
Charley, too, would slowly get up and walk away if my son was
too rough. They seemed to know that our son was just a baby and
not intending to cause them harm. One time my son tried to take
Ben's favorite toy, of which he is very protective. Ben, a dog
we fostered through AZGRC and adopted, has become the best dog
my wife and I have owned. We watched in astonishment as Ben and
our son played a gentle game of tug with that toy and noticed
that Ben seemed to recognize that he needed to adjust his play
for such a small tug partner. This ability that Goldens have to
recognize that they have to be delicate and careful around young
children is something I have never seen in other dogs.
Golden Guardians
 Now,
as my son approaches 2 years old, and my dogs nearly 3, the
Goldens are guardians of their small brother, and a stranger
cannot approach him without them standing by his side. Charley
and Ben are his protectors, and their love and loyalty for our
son is unmistakable. My son has also learned to love his Goldens. He
will walk up to one or even both of them and give each a loving
bear hug for no reason at all. It brings my wife and me such joy
to see this affectionate display and sometimes goofy fun between
our son and our dogs. I believe that our two Goldens have played
a big part in the development of our son's loving demeanor, and
their Golden hearts have helped to make him a more fun, loving
and affectionate child. As I said from the beginning, the Golden
Retriever is the family dog at its best. Their intelligence,
warm disposition and loyalty are, in my mind, unmatched by any
other breed. If you have children of any age or plan to have
children, you can rest assured knowing that adding a Golden
Retriever to the house will only help enhance and magnify the
happiness in your family.
Quick Tips
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NEVER
leave a dog and a child unattended in the same room, no
matter how reliable the dog has been in the past with the
child.
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Before
a newborn comes home, introduce the baby's scent to the
dogs, with blankets or clothing.
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Never
let the child by the dog when eating.
Prepare before a new child joins a household that already has
Goldens. Seek advice from a trainer or a rescue group. Do not
banish your dog to be outside 24/7. Goldens want to be part of
the family.
~ Mike
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