Allie is a female golden retriever with the breed’s familiar intelligence, gentle nature and love for children and swimming. Frank Bruffey and his wife, Kathy, have always had goldens, and after their previous dog passed away, they knew something was missing. They visited the Maryland breeder where Frank’s nephew had gotten his dog and fell in love with Allie. She was leaving the woodland and moving to the beach.

Her name came with a compromise. Frank had once wanted to name a dog Stella after a favorite beer, but Kathy thought too many dogs already shared the name. This time, Frank chose Allagash, another favorite beer. Kathy agreed, as long as they called her Allie, “with an ie.” It stuck, and Frank jokes that Allie probably doesn’t know her full name. 

Allie doesn’t have “a mean bone in her body.” She loves people, dogs and cats, although squirrels may be the exception. Her sweetest friendship is with Frank’s 85-year-old mother, whom she visits almost every day. The bacon waiting there certainly doesn’t hurt. Bones are another favorite; toys, meanwhile, don’t last long.

Allie’s special talent is her intuition. She seems to understand what her family wants and communicates what she is thinking, making her the easiest dog they have ever raised. She can also be wonderfully goofy, barking at horses on television, yet is devoted enough to follow Frank’s granddaughter everywhere, notably staying beside her in the pool.

Allie enjoys the backyard pool, Grandma’s house, visits with family and her canine cousins, and especially the state park beaches. Though sometimes cautious, she might choose one ultimate adventure: a squirrel hunt on a beach with no trees.