"Look into my eyes - you will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true, everything I do - I do it for you..."

Tuck was given to me when I had lost a great deal in my life and dealing with the lost of my grandmother.  I was only a kid when I was first told that my aunt wanted to give me something that I had wanted since I was six years old - a dog.  I was shocked that my parents even allowed it because my mom doesn't like dogs at all.  But my aunt assured me that she cleared it with my parents and that I could finally have that dog I wanted.  I spent a great deal of time thinking about what type of dog I wanted and it had to be the type who would be great with kids, since I had little siblings.  Despite the urging of my relatives, I wanted a big dog, a Golden Retriever.  I never expected to meet who I was going to meet in making that decision.

When I got to the breeder's farm, I first met the parents and the grandparents of the puppies I was going to meet afterwards.  They were well-behaved, well mannered and so very calm.  My dad and I were completely impressed by what we saw.  Finally, she called the puppies in.  I saw two balls of white furs tumbling down the hill of the yard she had.  She led them inside.  After sniffing my dad and myself out, they went about their ways.  One puppy kept getting into mischief and the other puppy went under the table and calmly laid there.  I had a decision to make.  Which one would be the one that I wanted to be mine.  I looked at the puppy under the table, he was very much a loner, a unique pup who didn't care what people thought about him being anti-social.  I called him, he came.  He looked at me straight in the eyes, not breaking his gaze upon me at all.  This is how I knew that this was the one I wanted in my life.  This is how I met Tuck, named after the Disney's Robin Hood's character, Friar Tuck.

I brought him home and an instant bond was formed.  He latched himself onto me and wouldn't let go.  He refused to leave my side, would get into trouble just to be with me in areas of the house that he wasn't permitted to go.  It would be worth it to him, as long as he could sit by my side.  He picked up instantly on my needs and reacted from them.  I'm hearing impaired and he became my "ears".  In alot of ways, emotionally and physically, he has helped me through the roughest times of my life.   His quirks never failed to make me laugh.  From his undying love of Gillian Anderson (being insistent that we watch X-Files together so I could admire Mulder and he would pant over Scully) to trying to get on my lap even though he was well over 70 pounds!

Calmly sitting, being loyal, responding to my needs and never leaving my side, Tuck had become such a fixture in my life.  I couldn't possibly imagine my life without him.  His constant love and the obsession he has on always wanting to be near me has created a strong bond.  At times, when I see him staring at me, I am certain that he was sent to look after me, that someone from above had sent me a guardian angel, in the form of this Golden Retriever by the name of Friar Tuck, Golden Boy.