Our neutered boy and first ever Golden Retriever, Rocket was a dream dog. He was named after the Houston Rockets. He started out as “just a pet” and ended up being my Rally/Obedience dog. Rocket taught us so much about Goldens, training, socialization, and nutrition. He was the sweetest dog I’ve ever had. Our sweetest boy loved everyone and everyone that met him loved him in return. He had a unique gift for love.

Rocket was also my first dog to train for competition and he took me on quite the journey (which you can read about here). He got his rally titles (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Excellent) with all qualifying runs and he got his Rally Master and RAE titles in 10 straight triple Q’s and his Beginner Novice title in Obedience. Our journey together into the world of training and competing was truly special. Thanks to Rocket, I learned that there is truly no better way to bond with a dog than training. He taught me so much.

My special boy was retired from competing in 2019 and spent the rest of his life being a beloved and spoiled pet. Rocket was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma in early December 2023 following a splenectomy. The surgery got us about 2.5 weeks of more time, for which we are forever grateful. Cancer sucks. 

Rocket’s pedigree: Arkgold Rocket BN RM RAE CGC TKN