Lucy has made another friend at the park where we spend our mornings. For those of you who have known Lucy over the past four years, the fact she has any friends may come as a surprise…but the move to the new apartment and the exposure she has had with all of the dogs in the neighborhood has completely changed the size of her personal space.
This is Paco.
Paco
Paco is a 4 year old Goldendoodle (his owner provided his birthdate as 3/14/06 at 1:57 pm…I was sad to realize that I don’t know Lucy’s time of birth. Hopefully that doesn’t make me a bad owner!). The Goldendoodle (also known as the “Groodle”) was developed in Australia and North America in the 1990s as a companion dog for the blind. It is, as the name implies, a cross between a Standard Poodle and a Golden Retriever. The cross between those two breeds created dog with the non-shedding coat of the Poodle and the steady temperament of the Golden. These dogs were able to be used as service animals for the blind who suffered with allergies to dog fur.
Paco’s owner, Elise, comes armed with a large ball for him so that he can join in the morning game of fetch. The only problem is that he only wants the balls that other dogs are playing with. Lucy does her best to be a good citizen, but still tries to be the first one to the ball (notice the difference in leg length…not sure how she does it).
Lucy and Paco
When Paco is not running after the balls, he enjoys the occasional roll in the wet grass.
….and then the obligatory shake….
Elise sent me the following description of her boy, which sums him up perfectly: “A goofy fun loving 80 pound goldendoodle with strong canine instincts yet very intelligent to learn how to manipulate humans and still manages to be a ‘good boy’. Loves people as well as dogs, mild mannered though very enthusiastic and rambunctious demeanor. He’s always ready to engage dogs to play and loves to jump up in the air with enthusiasm. One of his favorite things is to fetch a stick in the water. For treats and if he is in the mood, he loves to fetch a ball, particularly if it’s some other dog’s ball as you can testify to. His favorite beach is Carmel beach where he greets and plays with every dog he can engage!”
What I enjoy most about interacting with Paco (other than his wonderful personality) is his size. It is quite refreshing to be able to pet a dog without bending over for a change!
(As an aside, if yoga is one of your interests, Elise owns two yoga studios.)
