Claudia Goldin

Pika the Golden Retriever

July 4, 2011: Pika is a year old! He is about 63 lbs. and is a handsome, biddable, loving, wonderful, and occasionally silly wonder-dog.

Here is the story of our wonder-dog.

Gretna Green Faraway Pika was whelped (= born for humans) on July 4, 2010. He has 2 brothers and 2 sisters and his litter is known as "The Firecracker Five." Larry and I took him from San Jose CA to Cambridge MA on August 30, 2010 to begin his new life as our loving companion and performance dog. Pika has an extraordinary pedigree of breed and performance champions (obedience, rally, agility, tracking, and field). He is a happy, smiley-faced, confident, and simply adorable boy. He is just 8.5 weeks old but has already begun walking on a leash, doing sits, stays, and downs (all without much understanding). He begins puppy K-school on Tuesday 9/7. We have high hopes for this pup.

This is Pika just as we were leaving Orinda, CA where his pappa lives with Suzanne Bria.

September

Here is Pika with his two daddies -- Finnegan and Larry. Doesn't he look like each of them?

September 26, 2010: Pika is 12 weeks old today

Pika learns very fast, so quickly that I do a double-take every time I issue a command and he seems preternaturally to understand what I am saying. Like when I tell him to "get in heel position," when I indicate that he should make sharp turns with me, or stay in a down position. All of these are difficult for a grown-up dog. But Pika can do them as a little puppy. Amazing. Simply amazing. I will bring him to a private trainer soon to see what I can do to build on his brilliance. Here are some recent picture of the protegy (most everyone tells us that he is cute, but I say "cute doesn't last -- good does").

Pika is a handsome guy:

He is also a funny and cuddily guy:

January 20, 2011: Pika is 6.5 months and a bit more than 50 lbs. He's still a pup in many ways, but he is a handsome, well trained and (generally) well behaved dog. Here are a few pictures of him in the snow.