We weren’t planning to get a puppy, but when my little brother saw a little black and gold ball of fur in a cardboard box outside Safeway, he begged my dad to buy it. My dad, always a softie, gave in rather quickly. We already had a dog—the opposite of this dog—a pedigreed miniature Schnauzer, but Dad knew that our existing dog was my dog. Our Schnauzer favored me over my brother. And besides, my brother had always wanted a big dog. Judging by the size of the mother, this puppy would get pretty large. He was a real Heinz 57. We were told he was a mix of black Lab, golden retriever, Rottweiler and maybe a few other breeds. Continue reading →