My Golden Shadow: Life with a Lovable, Hairy, Attention-Stealing Golden Retriever
- Angela Munoz
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 5

According to science, the bond between humans and dogs is real — like, hormone-level real. When you look at your dog, your brain releases oxytocin (a.k.a. the love chemical). And when your dog looks back? Their oxytocin spikes too. It’s mutual. Sweet. Chemical. Love.
We don’t get this effect with wolves. I don’t get that effect with many humans either — just saying.
I always wanted a dog. My siblings and I talked about it, but deep down, we knew it was a lost cause — mostly because my dad did have a German shepherd before marrying my mom… and the dog wound up living full-time at my grandma’s house. So yeah, the dream of a family dog wasn’t just unlikely — it never even made it to the front door.
Instead, I had the kind of pets my mom could easily ignore: fish, a bird, a turtle. That’s the whole list.

When I moved to the U.S., I got a cat. I didn’t realize cats could live so long — I was used to pets with shorter lifespans. His name was Brownie, and he was… quite feral. Later, when I got married, we added another (much friendlier) cat: LoLa. Sweet, dainty, and 100% a daddy’s girl, she quickly took over the house — and all our hearts.
Painful fact: Brownie once sent me to the ER after a failed bath attempt. But that story is for another blog.

When we became proud parents of a tiny human and moved to North Carolina, we figured he could use a companion to grow up with. So we brought home Starky, a golden retriever with paws the size of dinner plates. He was the biggest pup in his litter, full of fluff, curiosity, and potential chaos. Our son named him after Tony Stark, because Marvel was everything at the time.
We thought we were getting a buddy for our son — but Starky turned out to be the sweetest family member we never knew we all needed. We had no idea we could love someone this much…
LoLa was not pleased about the golden fuzzball stealing her spotlight. Starky got hissed at, swatted, and bullied so much, he started swatting back like a cat — hilarious, if slightly concerning. Over time, they settled into a reluctant peace. (Or maybe LoLa’s just too old to care — she’s 18 now.)
Starky has the biggest heart. People are drawn to him everywhere we go. He’s gentle, goofy, and yes — a total mama’s boy. He follows me from room to room like he’s glued to my shadow. I swear he thinks I’m his real mom (and honestly, I kind of agree).
Life with Starky isn’t quiet, clean, or cat-approved. Every morning, I gather enough hair around the house to make another Starky — his hair is EVERYWHERE. Please don’t visit us in black clothes. But it’s worth it.
He’s full of love and wisdom (or maybe I’m just a crazy dog mom). He’s at my feet while I work, in the garden when I’m gardening, and photobombing just about every photo. His hair somehow makes it into my son’s lunchbox, and honestly — Starky stars in more family photos than my husband.
I even used Starky’s face as the theme for my son’s 11th birthday — a full-blown scavenger hunt decked out with golden retriever decor. By then, my kid was old enough to protest (and honestly, probably tired of seeing his face on everything since birth). And I don’t blame him! I’ve used our golden’s face for everything. We even made stickers — lovingly called “Starkers” — and people went wild for them. Some even ended up on car bumpers. My son was just relieved it wasn’t his face this time… and I was thrilled it was any face but his.
He came into our lives with giant paws and a superhero name — and took over our hearts like a true Avenger.
Always there, always golden, always shedding.
And we love him 3,000. Even LoLa. (Probably.)
If you’ve got a four-legged shadow too, you know the feeling. And if you don’t? I hope one day you meet yours. 🐾
Want to see more Starky? He sneaks his way into lots of posts, product photos, and general behind-the-scenes life over on Instagram @anpamuca_creativeshop. Stick around — there’s fur, fun, and a whole lot of heart.
And hey — check out my Etsy shop anpamuca for special stickers and pet lover gifts inspired by all this chaos, love, and fluff.
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