Hello, Pet Buddies! My interview this week was with a dog who makes being a mama’s boy look good. His name is Buddy Sammons, and he’s a very stylish golden retriever. “We’ll have to yap at my office, Bonz,” he said.
“Sure, fine, Buddy, where do you work?” Turns out Buddy is a shop dog and works with his human mom, Maggie Sammons, at Custom Air Systems in Sebastian, in a supervisory capacity. They greeted me at the door, we exchanged wag-and-sniffs, and went into the back office to talk.
“Have a seat,” Buddy said politely, jumping up into his chair, a comfy, padded model, right next to his mom’s chair, close enough so she could scratch his ears. “Sweet,” I thought.
“Nice digs,” I said. “Did anyone ever tell you that you look like that dog on TV who always runs that beautiful bean footage.”
“Pretty much every day. But mom says my coat is a more subtle and handsome color.”
I had to admit: He did look elegant in an understated way, the color of an old penny. “So, what’s your story?” I asked.
“Well, Bonz, my mom had been looked for a golden in all the shelters and, would you believe, she found me – and two girl goldens – on Craig’s List. By the time she got to the shelter in Port St. Lucie, the girls were gone. They saved the best for last – me!
“Mom and I bonded the moment we looked into each other’s eyes, and I knew I had found my forever home. I was only five months old then, just a pupster, and hadn’t quite grown into my feet.
“So, what do you do when you’re not at work?” I wondered.
“Oh, we have a ranch – five acres with horses and geese. And a pond. I love to swim.”
“Cool dog biscuits!” I exclaimed. “But you’re a retriever, so do you ever get the urge to retrieve stuff – like, maybe, the geese?”
“Oh, heck no. We’ve got rules, you know. I don’t bother them. They don’t bother me. Same with the horses. But I do retrieve the mail here at the office.”
“Say, what?”
“Look, I’ll show you.” He jumped off his chair and wagged at his mom. She took the cue and grabbed a stack of mail from her desk. He took it gently in his mouth and trotted to the front door. She opened it and he trotted across the driveway to the mailbox and waited while she opened it. He left the outgoing and took the incoming letters and trotted back to the office door.
“Whaddya think?” he grinned when he handed the mail to his mom. “I also bring in the paper.”
“Totally pawsome!” I said, impressed. Buddy was sure a big, fit-looking pooch, so I asked. “Do you do a special diet?”
His mom patted his big head, and fed him a carrot. I tried not to stare. “I’m a sort of vegetarian. Carrots are my fav! I run all the way to the barn when the horses are getting carrots. I also like apples and tomatoes and broccoli. I have the FedEx Guy and the UPS Guy and the Trane Parts Delivery Guy all trained to bring me treats. And Mom gets me the best food. It’s actually very tasty – and good for me – salmon and sweet potatoes – and, of course, it’s gluten-free.”
“Of course,” I said, making a note to self to check the ingredients on my food bag, as I tried not to think about broccoli. “But, back to your free time. What do you do for fun?”
“My favorite thing is hanging around with Mom. Where she goes, I go. She says I stick to her like glue. When she goes on vaca and I can’t go with her, I get Separation Anxiety. But my human Dad Curtis takes care of me. I’m Daddy’s Dog – until Mom gets back.”
“Umm, so I guess you sleep …”
“Dogbone right! In the bed with them. It’s very cozy and comforting. And when my son Whitney comes to visit from Orlando, he sleeps with us, too. He comes for summer camp and he can’t wait to jump into the pond. Mom says he swims like Michael Phelps. I’ll admit the kid can beat me in the water but I got him by a mile in the field.
“Yessiree, Bonz, I have it made in the shade. At work I have my Mom and my pals Daisy the cockatiel and Bentley the miniature Australian shepherd, right next door, to hang out with all day – and the ranch after work. I sit on the couch and hang over the back so I can watch Mom make dinner. Our place is up on stilts and I like to lounge on the deck and look out over the whole yard. Yep, it’s a good life.”
“You are one lucky pooch,” I said.
‘till next time!
The Bonz
