Welcome to Gold Acres Pomeranians... I have always loved dogs, but when I was young I was very allergic to them and could not be around any breed. There were several occasions when I ended up very sick and once in an oxygen tent because I just couldn't breathe. Luckily for me that all started to change when I became a teenager. My cousin, David, came to spend the summer working fighting range fires for the BLM to earn money for college. When he arrived he had the cutest little dog I had ever seen. It was a Pomeranian and his name was Melvin. I was sure I would not be able to be around it, but soon discovered that I wasn't reacting. I was so very happy about that and my parents were too but were cautious. The next summer he returned and again I wasn't reacting. David secretly made arrangements to get me my very own Pom. He had to promise my parents that he would take the dog if I became sick. They were certain that I would. But it never happened. And so JoJo became a member of our family. He was a sweetheart, but seemed to be susceptible to every illness that came down the way toward us. The poor little guy had 3 surgeries and a chronic cough. But he was a real joy and pleasure for me. Unfortunately for us, he came to live with us just as I had to leave for College. We were not to be as close as we would have liked for several years. When I would come home for a weekend or vacations he would sleep in my suitcase and I would have to have a long talk with him before I could pack it again to leave. At the age of 12 he passed away. I was miserable wanted to get another dog, but just couldn't face another Pomeranian right away.

So, I got my first Old English Sheepdog. His name was Rocky Raccoon (named by the breeder) and was almost 6 months old when he came to live with me. I know, what a huge difference from a Pom. But Rocky was a super friend and companion. Old English are natural born clowns and remain puppy-like even as adults. They just want to play and to please you. Rocky liked to talk to me by whining and groaning. We had to have our daily conversations or he wasn't a happy camper at all. He was an amazing fella and I still miss him.

Time passed and of course, Rocky had to leave me. I was sad but decided I was ready for another Pom. This time around I got a female and her name was Tasha, named for Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She was adorable and very much like the child I never had. She would actually shriek and cry when I left her. I had hoped she would be mommy, but was never able to find a male with enough desire to mate her. While I had her, I got two tiny kittens who thought she was their mommie and would nurse on her. They would also groom her. She proved that she would have been a super mom. When she passed away I was without pets for several years because I wasn't living in a situation where I could have them. Then I moved in with my Dad to care for him. I told him that a condition of my doing that would be getting a Pom. He wasn't happy about it and because his illness worsened shortly after I moved in, I didn't get one until he passed away. We had around the clock helpers in the house and it would have been difficult to be training a puppy, but I think it would have cheered him to have had one.

Now we come to the present. I found Barkley through a work contact. He just happened to have a whole litter of Poms ready to be adopted. Barkley immediately ruled the house and became my travel companion. My job has me doing a lot of driving, and having him along was wonderful. Last September I decided it was time for him to have a live-in girl friend and found Cinni-Mini. Cinni had grown up in a breeder kennel and was unsocialized and had been quite alone. She was nearly 6 months old. She and Barkley became fast friends and great companions.

Cinni always signals her happiness by wagging her beautiful white tail. And she is almost always happy. But in March of 2008, Barkley was determined to escape our fence and have an adventure out in the world at large. He was gone from us for almost a week. During this time poor Cinni was absolutely miserable. Nothing I did could cheer her up and her tail never wagged once. We were very lucky and Barkley was returned to us and was none the worse for his adventure. (I do think my offer of a reward helped with that) I worried that should something happen to Barkley and he be lost to us, that Cinni would be miserable.

So I started looking again for another Pom. Shortly after that Jamoca came to live with us. Jammie is a little chocolate colored Pom. She has a tiny white spot on her chest and one white front paw. She was only 3 months when we got her. She now rules the house. Barkley is enchanted with her and Cinni is in heaven with two other companions to play with.

Barkley is now over 5 years old and and a proven stud. He is very protective of his "ladies" and will even bite to be sure he isn't separated from them. Check out the Album to see his progeny, or Puppies to see the current little ones sharing our house.

Oh, one last thing...The puppy in the banner and the Poms Syndrome image is "Bella", one of our many beautiful girls.