About the Author. Ann Johnson acquired her first Golden in the 1960s as a companion for her aging German Shepherd. She has been intimately involved with Goldens ever since. Her Goldens (owned, bred, or sired) have produced more than 300 American champions and numerous Canadian champions. Most notable of all was her national record holder, Am. Can. Bda. Ch. Cummings' Gold-Rush Charlie, OS, SDHF. Ann holds an A.B. in Biology from Douglass College and an M.S. in Zoology from Rutgers University, where she received a National Science Foundation traineeship grant and taught courses in Comparative Anatomy, embryology and Genetics. She has also taught courses at the college level in Developmental Biology and Principles of Biology and at the high-school level in Advanced Placement Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Science. She is listed in Who's Who in Dogs (Howell 1998) as one of "a small number of people [in the sport of purebred dogs] who has made a lasting and significant contribution."

About the Illustrator. Karin Walter has been breeding and showing Goldens for twenty-six years and has been one of Ann's closest friends during that time. Karin is dedicated to her Goldens and has produced her share of beautiful champions. Her first Golden and first champion was Ch. Gold-Rush Sweet Adeline. Her love for Goldens and her artistic talents have been combined to produce a line of Golden Retriever artwork under the name "American Gold," which she displays at many Golden Retriever dog shows.