This Pet Pedigree brought to you by Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center.

 

Similar in spirit and named after the dog in the 2017 movie A Dog’s Purpose, Bailey is a devoted two-year-old golden retriever who has found her purpose as the best companion she can be to the Cook family of four: Amy, Michael, Bradley (13) and Julie (10).

Bailey was rehomed in 2022 with the Cooks who then lived in Keller, Texas. The process began when Julie wrote her parents an essay on how she wanted a dog and the responsibility of taking care of a pet. Before the word “yes” left her parents’ mouths, Julie was the first to reply to a post on PetFinder.com and the Cooks were accepted as 4-month-old Bailey’s new family.

In 2024, the Cook family moved to the Knightsbridge neighborhood. Bailey enjoys playing near her home in the greenway with her furry siblings Dory, a black lab rescue, and Buster, an unknown mixed-breed rescue.

“Bailey is a goofy dog,” said Julie. “She gets along with other dogs and doesn’t know what danger is if it was staring her in the eye,” added Amy.

Scotland is the birth home of the golden retriever. In the late 1800s, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks acquired a yellow flat-coated retriever. Wanting to strengthen the water retrieving abilities, he bred the dog with a Tweed Water Spaniel (now extinct), who was light colored and had curly hair. For 20 years, Sir Dudley further refined his hunting dog with crosses to labradors, red setters and bloodhounds. Goldens were first registered as golden flat coats; it wasn’t until 1920 that they were called golden retrievers.

Golden retrievers are friendly, intelligent and keep their puppy-like demeanor throughout their lives. They are not known for great guarding instincts and are loyal and certainly friendly toward strangers. Goldens are in the top ten dog breeds by number of registrations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada. The breed is among the most photographed, videoed and written-about.

Goldens are easy to train. Bailey knows basic commands of “sit,” “lay,” “down” and even “perch.” Birds used to be a part of the Cook family and the pets would often perch on their arms. Julie taught Bailey to do the same. Bailey will perch with her front legs resting on Julie’s arm as if she is a perched bird.

Golden retrievers need two hours of exercise per day, which can be spread out between playtime, walks, running and training. Bailey goes on hikes with her family to the Rock Park in Castle Rock and walks the trails at Daniels Gate Park. The Cooks are still becoming acquainted with their new home state and plan to take Bailey to explore the Colorado lakes and trails over the summer.

Although goldens are natural retrievers, both on land and in water, which Bailey enjoys, she has not yet mastered the art of retrieving. She fetches but would rather keep, especially the family’s socks, which she turns into a friendly game of chase.

“She is everything that a golden retriever is known for and more,” said Amy. “She is a happy, energetic dog and a great member of our family.”

 

By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Amy Cook