Guaranteed to Make You Smile

This has been around a while, but (surprisingly) I hadn't seen it till today. Now, any time I'm having a lousy day, I will watch this and smile... then laugh... then probably tear up a little. I love seeing the sheer joy shown by Carolyn and Rookie. I love seeing the partnership. And just tell me... have you ever seen a dog look like he's having such a wonderful time??? I've seen and heard people make fun of canine freestyle, and sure, some of the routines are hokey. But that's not the point. The point is the fun the people and their dogs share. The hours of "training" are nothing but attention and play for Rookie - and probably for Carolyn, too. Watch... smile... what fun!

PS: Of course, I became so fascinated that I had to do more "research." Apparently Carolyn and Rookie were quite famous, and I have NO idea how I missed them all this time. I've been elbow-deep in goldendom since 1994 (when I got Ripley) and definitely since 1997 (when I got my first computer). And, as is always the case with any dog-story, there comes the bittersweet parting. Rookie passed away in July 2008, at the age of 15. There's a great montage of video clips of Carolyn's and Rookie's 15-year partnership on The Land of PureGold, here.

Carolyn and Rookie... definitely Pure Gold.