Peanut Butter and Cheddar Cheese?

People ask us if our second Golden Retriever, Fitgerald, is missing Daisy now that she's gone. I have to think carefully before I answer the question.  We all feel the difference in our house without Daisy. It's not that Fitzy DOESN'T miss Daisy...she MIGHT be thinking, "I don't know what they did to that other dog, but I'd better be good so they don't do the same thing to me!" OR she's thinking,"All the more treats and goodies for me!"

From the moment Fitzy arrived on our doorstep, Daisy took on the role of Fitzy's keeper. Daisy, the Emily Post of Golden Retrievers must have realized the new kid on the block needed some manners.

Daisy had a big job cut out for her. Our first weeks with Fitzy, she took dinner off the table...more than once. After her runaway visits to all of the neighbors, specifically their kitchens, we realized that it was best for Fitzy to be attached to us at every second...literally.  Our teenagers were instructed NOT to leave dishes or snacks on tables or counters or anywhere within a two mile radius! No one was allowed to let down their guard, least of all Daisy and she knew how to handle her new charge.

Daisy did her job well. Over the years, Fitzy has calmed down...just a bit...but I'll take anything. ANYTHING. Just like Fitzy could take down a toddler for a Cheerio I'm happy for any morsel of improvement. She's different than Daisy for sure. We say she's ours, but one piece of baloney might just make her yours. Loyalty is not one of her better qualities.

We know that she needs us. We didn't get Fitzgerald from the breeder. I got a phone call from some underground Golden Retriever world....a friend of a friend or a friend of her sister's friend that lived in the area...no names...I think the couple who brought her to us might be in the Witness Protection Program! They were never to be seen again. No phone number. No names on record. The only thing we have is her breeder's paperwork. She's a gem on paper.

All I know is that we wanted a second Golden Retriever since Daisy was so perfect, let's get another...the old "it would be nice for her to have company" line. Before I knew it, a nice couple came to the house with Fitzy on a leash. We met with them outside in the yard. "Oh! Adorable. Look how they get along! Wouldn't it be great?" I looked at Griff. He said and I quote, "She better not be a Marley." But look at her, how could she be? She needs us.

In hindsight, that sweet couple from the Witness Protection Program who told us it wasn't working out (hint)because they both work all day (hint), they already have another dog (hint), the kids just left for  college (hint)  practically did a drive-by when they dropped her off. They smiled (hint) and nodded (hint) and gave us her leash (hint) and we heard them start the car and hit the gas. We should have noticed that they never turned the engine off.

They practically left skid marks as they drove away. The lovely folks told us that they were her third family...Fitzy's first family had four kids under six. They didn't have much time for her ( I Think that's when the lady wiped a tear from her eye) She was a little needy was what they said ( I think that's when I had a tear in my eye so I hugged Fitzy)....SOLD! No...that's an exaggeration. She was dropped off for FREE!(Hint)

We know she has issues...don't we all? It's all been a blurrrrrrr. Now that Daisy's gone, we think Fitzy just might be on her best behavior. STILL, she still has her pecadillos. We can't let her off the leash....EVER! Just when we think it's safe, she eats my Twizzlers that I left in the car....or a bag of bagels...or Hershey's Kisses at Christmas....or a Starbucks Coffee...or a Dunkin Donut Coffee...or a couple of Gingerbread Houses...or a pack of gum...or someone's leftover lunch left in a backpack...or my lipstick to name a few.

When she's gotten off the leash by mistake, she has burst in on barbeques and birthday parties(think Disney movie at the scary part)... she's run off to two houses with delicious garbage...and more than once rode home in a neighbor's Volvo. We've had calls from people that love seeing her...again and again because they used to have a Golden, still had treats that they offered Fitzy. Fitzy remembered.

After I've caught up with our pooch, what's do you think the first thing people say to me, as they stand looking puzzled...wondering what just happened...and they're standing with an empty paper bag, cup or cooler after she's eaten their lunch or or emptied their garbage pails? I can hear it haunting me now...."but she's soooo cute!"...as though she had done it for the first time! 

Tonight, I gave Fitzy an empty peanut butter jar to lick as I sat nearby. She's been so good. I don't do that often. I walked to the kitchen to throw it away. I heard a big commotion and screaming! It was my sliced cheddar cheese with pretzels. She got me. Just when I thought it was safe. Peanut butter and cheddar cheese? There's no accounting for taste.