It wasn’t long after getting Fern that we were suddenly presented with an opportunity to have a second Golden Retriever!
Maggie our breeder friend had a young female that she had kept from one of her other dogs litters to maintain her breed stock and pedigree line.
Unfortunately it turned out that Barleys hip score was to high and she would thus not be bred from. Maggie felt that reuniting Fern and Barley we be good as they would be company for each other especially as they were used to having other dogs around.
Needless to say when she offered her to us we jumped at the chance especially as we already knew Barley. So in the spring of 2006 Barley became part of our growing family.
Barley was a real live wire – lean, long boned fast and athletic. She could jump like a gazelle when running through fields of tall grass. She love playing fetch and if she saw a fox or a rabbit in the distance when we were out in the fields she’d be off like a missile.
Like all our Golden Retrievers Barley loved to be in amongst us getting under our feet wanting to play and be fussed. Our daughter struck up a real bond and affection for Barley and you would often find them sitting together.
Barley had a good nose on her and would spend ages following the trails of wildlife through fields and woods. You would see her suddenly become more alert the nose would go to the ground and she would be off on a mission to find whatever it was she’d picked up the scent of.
Barely had a flat coat which was probably just as well as it didn’t get tangle in the brambles she was often ferreting around in so easily as Ferns dense wavy fur with curly bib did.
Barley was a true water baby and good strong swimmer – you couldn’t keep her out of it and in all honesty it would have been cruel to try.
Sadly Barley wasn’t with us long enough. In 2012 we were concerned about her beginning to bloat up and took her to the vets. It was discovered that she had a heart valve that was partially detached from the wall so was not fully effective and that nothing could be done for to prevent the inevitable outcome that one day it would fail completely and kill her.
Barley was put on medication to sort out the water retention and help her heart out but we knew these could not cure her though they did prolong her life.
I came home from work one day in spring 2013 and was the first person back in the house. Barley as ever was so pleased to see me and did her usual jump up with paws on my chest to nuzzle me. As I was fussing her she suddenly dropped like a stone to the floor and I knew right away she was gone – her heart had finally given out.
We often wonder if the damaged heart valve was the result of an incident that took place when we were holidaying with the dogs near Aviemore. The picture shows Barley in full flight as she came hurtling back from following deer trails in the woods flying of the raised bank. The previous day she had done the same thing but at a part where the bank was higher. We thought at the time she was going to break a leg but despite the drop she landed with ease and no apparent ill effects much to our relief. Did the landing impact cause a tear in the valve that would over time worsened. We will never know.
One thing is certain is was a very sad day when a dog so full of life and energy passed away well before her time.
Barley 2005 to 2013 another much loved dog
