Charlie Turns 1 !
Charlie turned one on November 6th. Yes, it’s hard to believe that Charlie is one already!
As a special treat for his birthday, I took him to my parents’ home so he could run free a little. He is a house dog for us, but he looks so beautiful in the field. Especially now with the tall grass and golden light, he looks like he was meant to be endlessly romping. I’m sure that he could have been a hunting dog, or really, anything he puts his mind to as he is a very smart and capable dog. But for us, Charlie is our family dog, our house dog, who loves people, pets, and treats.
I wanted Charlie to be a dog for JV, and he really is just that. JV calls Charlie his “dog brother.” I can see the two continue to grow together and share many happy years with one another.
Now that he is a little older, we go for runs together. He is like my personal trainer/motivator. When it feels like I just can’t go anymore, he is there like a little golden cheerleader. And he loves running up and down the street (it’s really more of a slow, wheezing jog for me, but you get the point).
Some interesting points about Charlie’s name: Charlie’s litter was to be named after movies, so we registered Charlie’s AKC name as CLM’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Charlie, for Charlie Kaufman, the writer of the movie. Matt, ever the history buff, also named Charlie after Charlemagne, the French(?) Emperor(?). I’m unclear as to the man’s historical accolades. Anyway, we have followed the alphabet in naming our dogs—Alfie, Bismarck, and now Charlie. I think his name fits him so perfectly. He does have an eternal sunshine; nothing can get him down for long. He loves being around people, and thrives with being close to us.
I can’t thank Lisa Malinak enough for being his breeder and brining Charlie into our lives. To me, he is a beautiful representation of the breed, from his confirmation to his personality, he is everything we could have asked for in a Golden Retriever and more.
If you want to see pictures of Charlie as a puppy when we did a little photoshoot, check them out here: https://www.beeandbearphoto.com/my-evangeline/charliecomeshome
