Ten years ago on this date, I joined my family and met my brother, Chuck Billy. I remember waking up that morning in the whelping box, with the feeling of excitement in the air. One by one I watched as my 8 siblings headed off on their grand adventures, while I filled with anticipation. And boy did they make me wait! There was a big snowstorm that day, which made it slow going for Mom and Dad to get there. Then it happened, Mom and Dad arrived! That’s when I heard my new name. I was no longer Mr. Light Green. I was Asa! Alright, truth be told, at the time I was hoping for something a little more awe inspiring like Iron Fang or Thunder Paws. But in hindsight Asa is a lot easier to spell, so probably a wise choice. After saying my goodbyes to Momma Sage and Grandma Rue, I headed off to begin my grand adventure!
Ok, again I feel the need to be honest here. I slept most of the ride home. So not exactly the stuff epic tales of grand adventures are made of, but I wanted to be well rested for when I met Chuck Billy! Momma Sage had warned me beforehand that Chuck Billy was a take charge kind of dog. In fact, that’s why she picked me, instead of one of my siblings, to be his brother. She knew he needed someone who was easy going. Well she was right about needing to “go with the flow!” When I finally reached my new home, Chuck Billy came bursting out with enthusiasm, and…peed on me three times! I know scent marking is the sincerest form of acceptance, but couldn’t he have simply barked “hello”? That awkward greeting aside, we were instantly best friends, playing as if we’ve known each other for years.
Even at his young age, Chuck Billy understood the magnitude of his responsibility of mentoring a little brother. In fact he started LivingwithaGolden.com to document our lives together. Looking back I probably shouldn’t be surprised that Chuck Billy immediately got to work showing me around the house and teaching me the rules. And yes, even then he had a lot of rules! He seemed particularly intense about making sure I knew not to have an accident on the living room rug. I found out months later that was because he had an accident on the rug his first day home. That’s Chuck Billy! Always looking out for my best interest from day one!
I wish Chuck Billy was clearer with the intended objective of his lessons back then. For example, he did a good job teaching me that I had to go to the door when I needed to go outside. But I never made the connection that I could make that request myself. For 10 years I’ve always waited for Chuck Billy to stand at the door, then happily followed to join him outside. Sometimes he didn’t even have to go, but he knew I did, so would give Mom the sign. Please don’t misunderstand, I haven’t had an accident since he’s left for Rainbow Bridge! But to this day I still have to be reminded to go out. I prefer to patiently wait, rather than ask myself. However, I’m learning to take responsibility.
From that first day I naturally fell into Chuck Billy’s routine. Despite being a creature of habit, he did have to make some adjustments for me though. Take for example the height of the water bowl….
…for a while it had to be placed on the floor so I could reach it better.
Alright, Chuck Billy may have noticed I wasn’t the best at problem solving on my own. This is me under the water bowl trying to figure out how to get a drink. He may have agreed to taking it out of the stand more for his benefit of not having a mess to clean up, than for my ease of access.
Chuck Billy was very accommodating welcoming me home, that I really wanted to return the favor. So at dinnertime I could see he really wanted to eat my meal. Despite being hungry after my long day, I was more than happy to share. Mom and Dad disagreed. They thought I should eat in peace in a private dining room, and put my bowl in my very own crate.
Little did I realize that was a trap! However, Chuck Billy knew! He stayed by my side as my friend / jailor, until I got accustomed to being in there alone, especially at night. For some reason Mom, Dad and Chuck Billy, didn’t think I could be trusted to make the right decisions when not supervised. Alright, I admit now they were correct to make that assumption.
Anyways, like any new roommate, there was a period of adjustment and setting of boundaries. Take for instance my insistence on following Chuck Billy into his crate. As much as I liked mine, I always preferred his more. For ten years I’ve followed him into there to snuggle, much to his annoyance and tolerance.
Looking back at these photos from my Gotcha Day, I realize Chuck Billy shouldered a lot of responsibility back then, and was concerned about setting a good example. After all he was a puppy himself, at just days away from turning 3 when I arrived home.
But he had nothing to fear! Chuck Billy did an awesome job welcoming me into our family, teaching me so many things, and leading me on grand adventures!
