#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands Zoos and Animals >  >  My Golden Retriever

## BillyZ

I've gotta gush about my Golden Retriever, Kobe. He's, by far, the coolest dog I've ever had. He's got a great personality and learns very quickly. Anytime I say "No" about anything, he stops what he's doing and looks at me like, "Oh-kay, just playing..." When the front door is open, he _never_ comes inside unless he's asked. (This he learned by me throwing him out by the scruff of the neck/back only 2 or 3 times.)

And this dog _LOVES_ me. My wife is the one who bought him (for 3,000 baht). So I blame her "It's YOUR dog" whenever he digs something up or rolls over in her flower bed. But anytime he sees me, he comes over to me. If we're out walking and someone calls "Hey dog" or whistles, as they usually do, he doesn't even look. He just stays by my side and keeps on walking. If my wife calls him, he usually won't go unless I walk him over to her. 

Which is a bit unfair for her. Because she regularly cleans his ears and spends hours going through his fur looking for bugs or ticks or flees or bits of bushes that he's been through. 

I think it's the fact that I smack him hard on the butt and shoulders, which all big dogs love, and have also disciplined him when necessary and also given him lots of love. And I've shown the Thais around me how to treat a good dog. 

This is Kobe when he was about 3 or 4 months old:


Maybe I'm biased, ok, I am. But to me, Kobe has the classic look of a Golden Retriever. He looks just like the dog on the front of the Pedigree dog food bag. 

Great profile of a great dog:


They say that you can get 6,000 baht to mate your male Golden Retrievers. But we didn't go that route. We had him fixed about 4 months ago:



Sneaky little bugger...before we got him fixed, he went out one night and didn't come back (the one time he wouldn't listen to me). At one point, I saw him surrounded by about 8 of my neighbor's male dogs and he was spinning, in a rather clumsy fashion (he's REALLY clumsy), snapping his jaws. He was after that little bitch across the street. (those soi dogs were no fucking match for Kobe, and they knew it. He can easily put any of their heads in his mouth. And with all of his fur, he's not so vulnerable to their weaker bites.)

A few weeks later, the local soi dog ends up pregnant. She had two puppies, one white, like her, and the other one sort of Golden-looking, but with a bit of black on his back and tail (maybe another shag later on that night for that slut bitch???). 


You can see in the above picture that Kobe's looking more like a lab than a Golden. That's because we took him to the vet for a bit of a trim to his long hair. When we came to pick him up, we found that the ladyboy helper had gone a bit overboard, at least, more than what I thought they'd do. He was a lot cooler and looked cool. But we found that his skin was easier for the mozzies to get to. So we've let it grow back now. 

You've gotta be careful with big dogs in Thailand. Last year, they had 5 Golden's die from over heating in Ban Chang. So we've got a big tub of water out in the back that Kobe can, and does, plop into anytime of day. And though it sits in the sun in the afternoon, the water is always cool. I sit in it sometimes with Kobe after a walk. 

Our house is on 1 rai of land, so there is plenty of area for him to roam around. Now that we have the fence up, we don't let him out so much, and I think this is cool with him. Also, it helps him develop a sense of 'his property' and he will let out a deep bark when someone walks by. 

Kobe's House:



Barking is probably all that you'd get out of him as a watch dog, though. Barking and slobbering all-over-you-to-death!! 

It's funny, he LOVES stuffed dolls. He will 'chew' on one for weeks & months and never put a hole in the doll. It's just amazing how a dog with such big teeth and such strong jaws can be so gentle & tender. I guess that's what makes them such great....retrievers. 

But one time, he picked up a bag of bones & shit that someone had thrown on the side of the road. I didn't want him to pick it up and then drop it where someone might see, so I told him to drop it. 

This is not a command that he fully understands, yet. "No" doesn't work here, he already had the bag in his mouth. So I jammed my finger in the back of his mouth at the jaw. Fucking hell, that didn't budge him at all. He was able to hold his mouth partially open and I COULD NOT get him to open it. He gave me those let-me-know-when-you're-done-trying eyes and was wagging his tail. I stood up and said, "Fucking hell!" and then he decided to drop it. And this is what I _firmly_ believe, he dropped it because he knew that I wanted him to. And for him, he would rather make me happy with that then to chomp down on those bones. 

As strong as those jaws are, though, I don't know if a Golden Retriever has it in him to use them against a burglar. I've seen his brother (who doesn't have the same distinctive looks) growling at local soi dogs. But he's been raised as a Thai dog, poor, mangy thing. My friend told me the other day that Golden Retrievers have been known to turn on family members when two or more of them argue. Then will defend the one that they attach to. That's me, I'm the Alpha Male in our household. I just hope that he wouldn't ever turn on my wife! Not that we ever argue that way, fortunately. But, overall, as a guard dog...I don't think it's there. 


Recently we got Kobe weighed and he was 43 fucking kilograms!! He's a big boy, for sure. But he's not fat. He gets a lot of exercise and is in great shape. Yesterday, we took him to the vet because he has a fever and was looking rough. We gave him a few shots and he started feeling better right away. 

Then (DD, you'll enjoy this) we took him over to the Camel Bar for a Sunday English breakfast. The girls (and a few of the customers) fell in love with him right way. He rolled over and showed them his dick and they were all scratching him and rubbing his big, floppy ears. (I had to give them all the slobber warning!)

Kobe at the Camel Bar, Ban Chang, Rayong, waiting patiently for food scraps and any scratchin' he can get from the ladies...


So that's my dog Kobe. He's a great dog. And like the King of Thailand, I hope he lives for many, many years to come.

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## Marmite the Dog

Nice story. I've had dogs all my life and I am so looking forward to being in a proper house so I can have one again.

And yes, the male dogs seem to bond with the male head of the house, just as the bitches tend to bond with the bitch of the house.  :saythat: 

More pets here

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## Mr Earl

I've known a couple of great goldens. They were fine companions. One of them just about talked! I'll always remember them.

I like standard poodles, blue healers, corgies and border collies too.

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## danbo

Nice post Bz.  I'm never sure of the difference between Labradors and Golden Retrievers, but I do like the black ones, which I assume must be Labradors.  Like marmers I'm a staffy fan myself, but all dogs are okay with me.....apart from the ones that bark at me at chase me when I'm jogging.

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## Marmite the Dog

> apart from the ones that bark at me at chase me when I'm jogging.


I never have that problem...

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## ChiangMai noon

This is one of my golden retrievers.
her name is Carl Hooper.
She's not at all bright and can't swim.

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## Marmite the Dog

What do you expect if you give a dog a dumb name?

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## I am Ginger

Great post, BillyZ. Makes me wish I had a dog...  :Sad:

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## Rigger

I brought a Golden retreiver about 8 months ago. paid the same 3k bht. digging was a problem for a while but seems to have growen out of it. I named him Honda as I brought a honda whiper sniper at the same time as well as all my bikes are hondas as well 
Great dogs would recomend them to anyone with a good size yard

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## mad_dog

cut his balls off !

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## reinvented

i got a white minature schnauzer dog about 4 months ago, who is as thick as 2 short planks but amazing fun. he's bonded with the missus though.
also got an english cocker spaniel bitch roughly the same age who is definitely daddies little girl. shes even more stupid than the german though

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## Gallowspole

I've got 2 goldens, mother and son.

Not sure if clever though:

The War Department went out in my car as her's was buggered.  I stayed home to download porn and both of the dogs set up base camp under my chair.

She who shall be obeyed returned, and on hearing the car the dogs ran out to the carport - the trouble and strife got out the car and walked to the house, but the dogs stayed, running around and around the car waiting for me to get out.  I had to call them back inside and then they started jumping up and down as if I'd just returned from a 3 day trip.

They are most definitely 'my dogs' and rarely ever give more then a token greeting to the ball and chain.

I love'm to bits.

I'll see if I can put their pics up.

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## dirtydog

Well here's me bitch dog, she hates men and cant be trusted with them, a real nasty evil piece of work that has to sleep in our bedroom cos she misses my galfriend so much, if my galfriend is in the bathroom then evil bitch dog is laying outside the bathroom waiting for her, she loves kids though but does tend to round them up a bit.

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## flash

I have 2 irish wolfhounds, very good dogs they are great around kids too.

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## poolcleaner

> I have 2 irish wolfhounds, very good dogs they are great around kids too.


Are you in Thailand flash?

I used to have Irish wolfhounds. Truly wonderful dogs.

Only dog I'd ever have again. Loved to take them 'coursing' for rabbits. They love to run.

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## BillyZ

Last night after a short walk I saw in the alleyway what I thought was a big, foking rat. It turned out to be a tiny little kitten, probably not long off of it's mama's tit, if even that. The thing was understandably terrified. 

When I reached down to pick it up, it bolted....with my dog right behind it. I didn't think that he got it. I'd whacked him on the back with the stick I was carrying and he trotted off about 20' away. 

But I couldn't find the kitten, and I would have seen it if it had walked/run out of the alley way. Then I heard my dog, "crunch-crunch-crunch" and I ran over there. I'm sure there were no bones where he was, because he could have found it when we'd walked by earlier. 

I think he had that kitten in his mouth and just chomped down on it in about 10 seconds!! I didn't think a golden retriever would do that. But I know how he acts when he's eaten something that he shouldn't. And he was looking mightly guilty when I walked over there. 

Oh well....dogs eat cats. Even Golden Retrievers.

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## ChiangMai noon

My retrievers love cats.
They have all been brought up together.
fuking kittens follow my dogs to the park for a walk every evening.
they sleep together and the dogs evel let the cats have the first go at the food.

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## BillyZ

That's great. I love cats, too. I just hate to think that my dog is a cat eater and that he ate that cat. But I think he did!

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## vito

nice post,compliment for your lovely dog!

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## Rigger

Becareful as Thais like to steal Goldens. My little mate honda was stolen by the weekend maket fokers

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## Bung

Reminds me of my Golden labrador "Odie" Great dogs and not at all like Thai dogs. Very intelligent and can swim. You can see the duck hunter training in her, won't hesistate to jump in the dam and fetch whatever you throw. 

I had her injected with something to stop her getting preggers for a year but she is suspiciously getting very fat and her tits are swelling up ominously. I hope not 'cause all the local dogs are the worst kind of mongrels. She has had one litter already with a black lab. Had 5 pups all black. We kept one which died but another was given to a friend at the top of the soi about 800m away. she's now left so we have encouraged her to come home which she does. (She knows we feed her) So we have two labs now. they work well together, better than one in taking care of the Baan. She's not pure bred though. She looks like a lab but slimmer with shorter hair and she has a big ridgeback on her. She hates water as well so there must be some thai dog in her although in this heat they have both been swimming.

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## El Gibbon

Flock me! 

The ONE thing I miss from Phuket is my dog, Jack. A beauty of a golden, smart, friendly, didn't like Thia men, and easily house broken.

Unreasonable to move him to an apartment in Bangers so left him with an old GF that he adored. 

Now I gotta go find another one... Damn..... Thought I was over it.

E. G.

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## Aquaman

Ive got a ridgeback.



also a Bang Gaow



there are 7 dogs at my place, bit wild at times but they love swimming, and are very protective of the property. the family has about 30rai.

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## Bung

A mate of mine has got a Bang Geow. Foking strange animal. Very suspicious, like it will go at you without notice. Aparently the Thais are shit scared of them, thats why my mate got one. I don't like 'em

I think black Labs are better than goldens. Goldens always seem to get fat.

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## Aquaman

this dog is nasty.  he is nice with people cause ive never beaten him or tied him up or done anything that makes a dog crazy. but if he gets into it with another dog he will tear em up, no hold barred.  and if anyone come near me or my daughter he is right there growlin.  good dogs in my opinion, smart as well.  not a frisbee catcher though.

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## Bung

Yeah, thats how I felt about that dog entirely. Fine with him but the bastard had a thing about my jeans I was wearing at the knee. Obviously into the smell of my Lab bitch. I wasn't sure about telling it to piss of, it wasn't having anything to do with being told to piss off, even the owner coudn't stop it. Normally at that point I would have given it a swift boot to tell it whats what but I really felt it could just turn on me if I did that.

A very different kind of dog than what I have encountered. I guess a bit like rotties, sheperds, healers or pitbulls in that respect.

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## Aquaman

the ridgeback is looking like he will be the  dog to contend with. at three months he is getting into with the others, and doesnt back down.  big feet on him.

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## Bung

My black lab with te ridgeback is a bit different, more like a Tai dog, cunning and sneaky. much more into defending the yard. The golden just barks a couple of times then proceeds to lick people to death.

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## Jet Gorgon

> Originally Posted by danbo
> 
> apart from the ones that bark at me at chase me when I'm jogging.
> 
> 
> I never have that problem...


I think that's coz you don't feking jog.  :Smile:

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## a. boozer

Nice looking dog Billy Z.

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## a. boozer

> Ive got a ridgeback.
>  also a Bang Gaow


We have got two grey Ridgebacks (lang ahn) and a Bangkaew, also recently purchased a young Rottweiller pup. What is so funny is that the pup has bonded so well with the Bangkaew, it has even started to copy his habits regarding playing in water.

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## dirtydog

I used to take my rottie down to the beach every night so he could have a sort of swim, he used to love it, then the local council put up a massive great big sign saying 2,000baht fine for taking your dog on the beach  :Sad:

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## a. boozer

> I used to take my rottie down to the beach every night so he could have a sort of swim, he used to love it, then the local council put up a massive great big sign saying 2,000baht fine for taking your dog on the beach


Took our pup down to the beach on Sunday, stood chest deep in the sea without a care in the world!

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## kmmh79

I don't have golden but want to buy one.  I have female st barnard, a male and female rotties, female german shephard, male pom, and female shih tzu.  Oh!! still want two goldens... male and female.. among them pom is the oldest one and like to play around within those giants.  St. is the one which can eat alot!!!!!!!!. She is now only 4 months, 30kg.

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## Norton

> I used to take my rottie down to the beach every night so he could have a sort of swim


A neighbor of mine had a magnificent male rottie in Phuket.  He was a real gentle fellow.  Every time I would go out for a swim he would be right there paddling next to me.  The problem was as I reached waist depth and started to swim he would gently bite my arm and try to pull me back to the beach.  He had the idea I needed saving I figure.  Never saw anything like this in my life!  Sad part is he disappeared and we found his body up the hill.  We suspect he was poisoned by the wanker owners of a Halal restaurant near the house.

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## Dalton

^ I had some of my dogs poisoned as well, the guy who did it was stupid enough to brag about it. He never poisoned another dog again.

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## Haggis

Goldens, great dogs. Had them back in Scotland now have a couple out here. Big boy now 18 months and his new best mate 3 months.

As with all retrievers loves the water and heads strait into the sea as soon as the door's open in the morning.


JURA


JURA & SKYE

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## Haggis

The latest escapade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chasing lizards and demolishing shrubs.

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## Norton

> then the local council put up a massive great big sign saying 2,000baht fine for taking your dog on the beach


Ouch!  No dogs of any type even SLAGDOGS!!!  Must be having a detrimental effect on beach vendor sales.

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