Sometime last year, I was browsing through Snapchat and looking at the various channels on the Discover page. Somehow, I came across a Snapchat story that had five Golden Retrievers on it and I was intrigued. The Snapchat story I discovered was called The Golden Ratio, and it follows the lives of five to six Golden Retrievers. Run by couple Dr. Jen Golbeck and Ingo Burghardt, who also go by the nicknames "GR Mom" and "GR Dad", all dog lovers can follow these lovable dogs and learn more about them on The Golden Ratio's Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages. For now, I'll introduce to you a little information about each of these adorable dogs, starting with...
1. Hopper
The Golden Ratio/Snapchat
Age: 6
Nicknames: Hops, Hop, Hopper T
Hopper was adopted as a puppy by GR Mom and GR Dad, and was also the first dog of The Golden Ratio they adopted. Hopper loves to run with GR Mom, eat crunchy carrots, and play with a mysterious rock in the ocean when GR Mom and GR Dad go on vacation with the dogs to the Florida Keys.
2. Venkman
Age: 5
Nicknames: Venk, Vink, Vink the Dink
Venkman, the second Golden Ratio dog adopted by GR Mom and GR Dad, is well-known as the silliest one of the group. Venk is also the youngest dog of the group, and adopted as a puppy. Hopper and Venkman are half-sisters, coming from the same mom.
3. Jasmine
Age: 13
Nicknames: Jasmeen, The Nihilistic One
The next member of The Golden Ratio is Jasmine. Jasmine is considered "The Nihilistic One" because she has a resting sad face, making it seem like she could care less about everything. In reality, though, as shown by the picture above, Jasmine is a happy dog. She loves to eat roasted carrots and play "Fling!" with GR Mom, where one of Jasmine's dog toys is thrown in the air for her to catch.
4. Maggie
Nicknames: Schmieg, The Schmiegly One
When Jasmine became a member of The Golden Ratio family, Maggie did as well. Maggie and Jasmine came together as a pair because they were rescued from the same abandoned house. Maggie is well-known for her perfectly dome shaped head. Sadly, in April of 2019, Maggie passed away from hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels in dogs. She was 12 years old. Maggie will always be remembered for her loving personality, her perfect dome head, and the light and joy she brought to The Golden Ratio family and fans around the world.
5. Queso
Age: 14
Nicknames: Queso Face-o, Big Cheese
The next dog in The Golden Ratio is Queso, who was adopted by GR Mom and GR Dad in 2017. Queso became a member after the Golden Ratio Instagram page was formed. She is the oldest of the dogs, but her time with The Golden Ratio has proven that she still has a lot of youth and playfulness within her. Queso is good friends with Venk, and they love to play around frequently. When I started following The Golden Ratio in 2018, Queso was a member of Team Foreign Object. She was given this title because GR Mom could tell that Queso wasn't eating, and when she was taken to the vet, x-rays showed that she had pieces of dog toys stuck in her stomach. Surgery was performed to remove the foreign object, and Queso has fully recovered!
6. Riley
Nicknames: Boyfren, Smiley Riley
The newest member of The Golden Ratio is Riley! Riley is the only male dog of the group, and made his first appearance in March of 2019 as a foster dog. Unfortunately, Riley has some kidney issues that prevent GR Mom and GR Dad from being able to formally adopt him, but in all other ways he is their dog and a permanent member of The Golden Ratio.
man running in forestPhoto by 
