I intended to start a new series on those crazy little ninja squirrels that are so active this time of year, but my world crashed with Candy’s loss. I will continue discussing the Ninja Squirrels at another point in time. I want to spend some time now sharing memories of Candy with you.
I’ve written about Candy before, but hopefully, I can share more insight into her unique soul. Before Candy and Brandy, I always had little dogs, and when my husband wanted to get a golden retriever, I really wasn’t on board. I didn’t want a large horse running through the house!
But as fate would have it, I worked with a woman who was volunteering at the Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, California. She invited me to accompany her to a Therapy Dog program one evening because I was interested in her volunteer work. The Therapy dog handlers were all discussing the rewards and challenges of what they were doing. As I sat and listened, I realized that each person and their dog involved in this program loved what they were doing and loved helping people; they were heroes. The discussion covered numerous therapy programs, such as assisting stroke patients, how the patient benefited, and was more engaged when the dog was involved. My perceptions changed, and my heart opened to a Golden Retriever.
So the search began. One day I saw an ad for Golden Retriever puppies, and we decided to go look. You know, just look! Jim and I arrived at the breeder’s home, and these little white and cream-colored furry fluff balls ran around our feet! Candy immediately ran up to me and threw herself on her back, revealing her little tummy, almost as if she had been waiting for me to arrive. I picked her up in my arms and said, “You’re a keeper, and you’re mine!” I turned around to tell Jim that I found our dog. He was clutching his little tiny puppy and glaring at me! I turned to the breeder and said, “we will take these two.” The breeder cautioned me about the high-energy of the Golden Retriever and their needs. It might be too much for us. Nope, we wanted both girls! We needed both girls!
We were not prepared to bring our new babies home immediately; we needed puppy beds, food, toys, etc.. At work, I told my friends about our baby girls, and they threw a puppy shower! I’d never experienced anything like that before. I was utterly touched by their generosity and love. When the day arrived, we picked up the puppies and brought them home. I knew Candy’s name immediately. It was almost as if she told me. The other little fluff ball didn’t have a name yet. So a family member suggested Brandy. That was it without question! I loved the names, Brandy and Candy! Of course, some other family members said the names were too similar, and they would never learn their names. That proved untrue; they knew their names. Candy and Brandy were very smart! There is a reason golden retrievers are used as service dogs, and that is their intelligence, their sweet demeanor, their love to please, and their loyalty!
The adventure of our lives began. There were trials and tribulations for the puppies, but they were so patient and forgiving with us. We were trainable but slow.
Each girl possessed individual talents! Brandy was extremely athletic, and I began envisioning agility competition. On the other hand, Candy was a natural therapist. She would lay next to you, and she would listen intently. You could tell her your problems and/or your dreams, and she would listen! I don’t know many people that can be that empathetic.
Candy stayed by your side if you did not feel well. Candy seemed to feel both empathy and compassion for her family. She also excelled at patiently listening.
I wanted to take both of them to visit my stepmother because she loved dogs like myself, but she had Parkinson’s and osteoporosis, so I had to make sure that they were both thoroughly trained and entirely under control so that they wouldn’t harm her in any way. I knew that Candy, in particular, would have been eager to just sit with my stepmother and offer her a paw to hold, but my stepmother’s osteoporosis was severe, and Candy’s weight could have harmed her. Sadly, my stepmother passed away before we could visit.
After my stepmother passed, my dad came to live with us, so all of my aspirations for a different therapy direction changed. Candy and Brandy were presented with the most challenging therapy job of their lives, my dad.
My dad was unhappy with his life was at the time. He just lost the love of his life! He was used to being in total control, and now he had to join another family and learn new ways of doing things. He wasn’t fond of Candy and Brandy and didn’t want them in the house. It was very hard for him, but Candy was determined to take care of him whether he wanted it or not.
Candy was gentle and loving, and I never worried about her reaction to new people and children. As I said, Candy was empathetic and compassionate. She seemed to know who needed to be comforted.
Candy was a lot of fun too! She was my girlie girl. Candy patiently put up with my applying nail polish to her nails and letting me dress her up.
Her vision wasn’t the best, and I always thought she needed glasses. Candy was more comfortable following Brandy and Scrappy, and finally, Teddy. Candy lacked athletic skills, which may have been related to her vision, but the poor girl could not catch a ball no matter how hard she tried.
Candy had so many different dimensions to her personality.
Candy gave fourteen and a half years of love and adventures. I hope that I have somehow or another done justice to such a wonderful girl in this short blog. Everyone lucky enough to earn the love of the dog knows what I’m talking about. They are such treasures, and when they leave us and cross over the rainbow bridge, the loss is profound!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories of your sweet girl. Now that my daughters both have dogs I have passed your blog on to them. I know they will smile and shed some tears as they enjoy reading about your sweet Candy. Take care, Marianne 💕🌷
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