Golden Retrievers have always been a popular dog breed amongst all sorts of families, and like people, all Goldens are unique and special in their own way. The Golden Retrievers in Chanticleer are each an enchanting bubble that popped into people’s lives, bringing joy and peace to their families. Over the past few weeks, I have interviewed people who own Goldens and learned why they are so special and what their furry friends have done or do to enrich their lives.
Starting off the list is Blue Dezen, whose parents are Jeff and Shelly Dezen. Blue s two years old and is named after the Blue Mountains in Australia. He is an English Cream Golden, which is an older breed of Golden Retriever. Blue is the Dezens’ sixth Golden. The last two sadly died of cancer, but the Dezens have always had Goldens, so they are keeping the legacy balanced.
Blue is a very vocal Golden. He enjoys making vocalizations that sound like speech. When he wants something, such as food or a walk, he will say it straight to his owners’ faces. Jeff Dezen says Blue’s talking is “a wonderful thing.”
Ginger Parke is Blue’s next-door neighbor. She is 11 ½ years old, and her parents are Charles and Kathy Parke. Goldens have always been “child-friendly dogs,” Charles Parke explained, which is why they decided to get one. “They’re kind, have a good demeanor, and don’t get too excited about things.”
Ginger has been with the Parke’s for a long time, so they have a lot of good memories with her. She has always been a blast to walk. Ginger is a great ambassador and loves to meet other dogs and people. “The greatest memories of Ginger come from walking her,” said Charles Parke, “She gets along with any animal or person and loves to make new friends.” Ginger even gets along with cats. She is a cat lover. She loves to play with them, so if your cat is looking for friends, introduce him/her to Ginger. Ginger also likes to shake hands, and she asks for treats all day long. She is, overall, just a wonderful, social dog.
New to Chanticleer this year is Scotch Eberly. He belongs to Catherine Eberly, who is a sophomore at Clemson University. Scotch is only six months old and a miniature Golden Retriever. For Christmas last year, Catherine begged her parents, Stacy and Arthur Eberly, to get her a dog, but they unfortunately didn’t because they already had one. Catherine did not give up, though, and finally persuaded her parents to get her a dog. Thus, here came Scotch.
Scotch lives with Catherine in Clemson, but he comes home with her when she visits her parents, younger sister, and younger brother. Just over the summer, Stacy Eberly took care of Scotch, and she loved him. She called it the “Summer of Scotch.” Scotch has his own Instagram page, and he loves stuffed animals. He always brings one to you and sleeps on top of them. Scotch is also a quick learner. He responded very well to training.
Also new to Chanticleer is Gracie Francis. She is one year old and belongs to Tammie and Steve Francis. Gracie is a dog that still has a lot of pep and puppy in her, and she is very special to her owners. The Francises have always had Golden Retrievers. Gracie is their third. Before her, they had Ellie May, who lived to be almost fourteen, and Blondie, who lived to be fourteen. The Francises enjoy the looks and personalities of Golden Retrievers, and that’s why they decided to continue having them. Gracie was actually a surprise Christmas present for Tammie Francis last year.
Gracie is a very playful and fun dog to be around. She loves to swim and is very affectionate and loving. Tammie and Steve Francis call her the “Party dog.” They take Gracie to Lake Hartwell to swim, and she absolutely loves it! She even sometimes rides a Jet Ski! Gracie swims for hours, and she never loses her interest in the lake. At home, she also enjoys golf cart rides, and she has a deep admiration for stuffed animals. When she gets tired, she snuggles up to one of her favorite toys and sleeps. Gracie’s favorite stuffed animals include a pig, a puppy, a reindeer, and a teddy bear. Her absolute favorite stuffed animal is her teddy bear. She is scared to death of storms. When a storm comes, she hides under the bed and snuggles up with one of her stuffed animals. Steve Francis sometimes takes her with him to his business, Francis Produce Company, and she has as much fun there as she does on the lake.
There are many wonderful Golden Retrievers in Chanticleer, with all different personalities and points of view, but one of the most remarkable Goldens is one that is not here anymore, Harry Bickman. This article is dedicated to him and his family. Harry belonged to Hall, Hank, Blair, and Elsie Bickman, and he lived to be almost thirteen years old. He developed a tumor last year, and his family had to sadly put him down last July. Harry is always in their hearts, though. Hall Bickman explained that, “Harry was a sweetie pie. He loved everybody and loved to have a party. He always knew when we were getting ready to go somewhere. He would follow me around everywhere.” Harry never did anything naughty. Hall had her first Golden Retriever when she was six months old, and she has never really had any other type of dog. She said that they hate being bad!
Like Gracie, Harry loved the lake. Whenever the Bickmans went out, they always took him along. They had to teach him not to swim out and rescue them. Whenever they would swim, Harry would paddle out and circle them to make sure they were okay. He loved to ride in the boat, and there was just never a dull moment with him when out on the lake.
The Bickmans have many gracious memories with Harry, but one of the most unforgettable ones was when he wandered down the street and returned with a bunch of bows, ponytails, and decorations in his fur. Two little girls had found him and decided to spruce him up for his return trip home. Harry always had a lot of fur, so it was almost always tempting to decorate it. The Bickmans loved him so much. Hall explained that he was such a loyal dog, and that they will never ever forget him.
ns216.73.217.115da2
and then Add to home screen.