I wish everyone could have the fun I am having right now.  Tessa has arrived into our lives and life has become one day of smiles after another.  She is between 7 and 8 yrs old and is a country girl by birth...One of her parents was a golden retriever, but was not descriminating in his/her taste so Tessa is not a "blue blood".  She has big feet and smaller ears and is large for a female, but everything else is most definitely looking golden retriever.  She is a beautiful dark red with three white paws and a white mask of freckles on her face and chest......She has the silkiest coat to lose your hands in, and she doesn't mind the attention in the least.  She is sweet and loving , and VERY smart.  She has already learned our family brand of commands and has a great desire to please. But her greatest desire in life is to receive and give love.  She just wants to be WITH us.  She will wander from room to room with me throughout the day and just lie next to me while I work.  Once in a while she will dig her nose in under my arm for pets, but right now, she is a sleepy girl and is happy to snooze with her nose on my foot.  Everyone should feel as loved as I do right now.  Tessa just has NO bad habits.  I believe that she would fit into just about any household except MAYBE a house with small children, but even then, she would only MAYBE knock them down when she wags her tail or licks their face or is competing with them for your attention.  She barks rarely, and only when she hears my resident dog carrying on.  She has a calm demeanor most of the time.  She can get really excited about riding in the car though, and loves to fully experience the wind through her hair and olfactories so having the window down is a MUST.  She plays and wrestles and shares toys and treats gladly with our resident dog.  Like any Golden, she loves the water.  She walks beautifully on the leash, but doesn't really need a leash.  She never ventures far from your side and when she gets a little distracted with a smell, calling her name brings her galumping to your side in a flash and you are rewarded with the sweetest doggy smile.  She wags her tail constantly!  I have never heard an angry growl out of her...never!  Her surrendering owner told me that she had an A-1 personality, and I can now attest to that.  And did I mention smart?!!  With the lovely spring temperatures we have been having, I thought putting her on our deck would be a nice distraction for her, but  NOPE, she wants to be with ME, so she just slid the screen door open and walked in very casually. She has full roam of the house.  She sleeps next to our bed at night.  We have never felt the need to crate her. She wakes us up in the morning with a kiss if our face is too near to the edge of the bed, and if invited, will jump up for morning snuggles....but she hogs the bed...and NEVER sleeps in.  Tessa would love to meet you!  Come for a visit....but any growling you hear won't be from Tessa...This foster mom might be a little jealous...