Dandy
1st of April 1996 - 13th of May 2009
This was Dandy's page.
YEO RONDO
Golden Retriever dog, d.o.b. 1st April 1996
Sire: Dovedown Royal Sovereign at Bridgefarm Dam: Yeo Lucky Star
Breeder: Lucille Sawtell
Hips: 48/48 -terrible but true
KC Good Citizen Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.
Always runs around with his favourite pink squeaky toy in his mouth !
My daughter Rebecca's funny card about Dandy. All her own work -card and ratings!
FROM PUPPYHOOD UNTIL NOW:
Yes Dandy has been this small!
AND he used to be friends with Rufus, which sadly he has not been since circa 1998.
Dandy simply does not like Rufus and they have been kept separate for many years.
I have kept Golden Retrievers since 1981, when I got my very first
dog, Master, who was a rescue. I could never imagine being without
a Golden again, and never have been.
Master was born in my home country of Sweden and he
was the grandson of Ch. Caliph of Yeo who was an English
import. Ever since then, I have loved the Yeo lines of
Goldens. Lucille Sawtell started breeding Goldens in
1938, and an extremely large number of
Goldens both in the UK and worldwide can trace their
ancestry back to Yeo dogs.
It was inevitable that I would end up buying my
own Golden from this famous kennel when I moved to England in 1988.
Yeo Legend, "Leo", was my first Yeo Golden -see him on
my Past Dogs page.
Dandy approx. 2 years old.
DANDY IS THE YOUNGER, FULL BROTHER OF SH.CH. YEO GOLD MEDALLION.
Dandy is everything I have ever wanted in a Golden.
He loves working and is extremely obedient.
I don't think he even knows how to misbehave -although now
in his older age he is getting a bit senile and confused.
Dandy is extremly loyal to his family and does guard,
he is no soft touch who would let burglars in !
Yet he will put up with any kind of treatment from
children, puppies, kittens, as he loves them all.
He is perfectly healthy, never having seen a vet for any illness-
EXCEPT once his hips got bad.
(It took 6 years before we even noticed anything.)
He just has the one fault, but a serious one: Severe hip dysplasia.
His mother was bred from despite having a hip score 3 times the average of the breed.
Yeo dogs are few and far between these days as
Mrs Sawtell has retired from breeding.
Finally, he also has the Golden look that I love:
A fairly dark colour, a broad head, strong body and heavy, curly coat !
He is my Golden in a million.
Dandy in October 2001.
Dandy is a true Golden who will retrieve anything,
even a raw egg without breaking it.
He is never as happy as when he is allowed to work.
Here he is about 3 years old.
We do advanced obedience at our local dog training club,
although lately Dandy has mainly watched as he gets tired easily.
He's happy as long as he gets to do the odd retrieve, send away and down stay !
Dandy starting to look old -March 2004.
Dandy gained his Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze award at only 8 months of age,
eventually got the chance to take the Silver in May 2002,
and at long last took the Gold in November 2003.
(He could have done this years ago, I'm sure!, but we never had the
opportunity until then.)
Only once have we actually competed in obedience,
at exemption level -unofficial. It was his and my very first attempt.
It was the hottest day of the year (1st of August 1999), back at home
Elsa was in season and so Dandy was a bit distracted, and I was
pregnant. Yet we managed to win the first prize !
The Golden Retriever breed standard allows for
"Any shade of gold or cream, but neither red nor mahogany".
I have had two pale cream Goldens. This is Dandy with Emma in 1999.
Emma is my ex husband's dog.
I always used to say that I'd never want "one of those white ghosts".
I couldn't see how a pale cream dog could still be a GOLDEN.
I was so WRONG ! In 1997 I took in rescue Golden JENNA
(read her story HERE )
who was the palest of the pale. And she was a WONDERFUL dog.
I realised then that colour has NOTHING to do with being a Golden.
However, I have to admit I still MUCH prefer a dark colour !
Dandy in October 2002.
What a Golden likes best -being muddy during a long walk in the woods!
Dandy on his 7th birthday, with his birthday cake.
Dandy and new pup Simba -Dandy promised to teach Simba all that he knows!
The Golden gang in 2004. We can do a sit stay together.
But the oldies quickly get tired! Notice how Simba is obviously raring to go !!
A down stay is easier on old legs for Dandy and Elsa, and Simba happily oblige as well.
Dandy is now over 8 and his hips are of course very bad. However, with his regular medication of Rimadyl,
as well as natural supplements of Glucosamine and Chondroitin,
he is doing just FINE. Off medication he can hardly walk at all,
let alone jump, on medication it is virtually impossible to tell
there is anything wrong with his hips.
The Glucosamine has helped more than anything else.
Here is John and Dandy at a recent companion dog show in the veteran class.
Dandy was 4th out of 26 and also 2nd of 13 in sporting !
The judge said he could not believe Dandy's age.
He won Best Veteran twice at Companion shows summer 2004.
Dandy on his 9th birthday; 1st of April 2005.
Waiting to be told he can eat his cake when a kitten moves in! to steal it!
10 years old!
Dandy April 2006
Rather grey in the face now
11 years old, April 2007
These days, Dandy lives in John's mother's part of the house, together with Pippin the rescued Labrador
12 years old !
Guess I'll have to share this cake with Pippin...........
Dandy on his 13th birthday
13 years old today -1st of April 2009 (and no, that is not a joke!)
This should really be added, from 2003:
Dandy died on the 13th of May 2009, aged 13 years and 1 month. We miss him. A lot.