Fetching Ducks

When I was just a tiny puppy, my mother told me that I could end up following several paths in life. I could become a spoiled big city dog, living a pampered life in an apartment, never having to work very hard, but never having much excitement either. I could become a helper dog, providing assistance to a handicapped human and traveling extensively. I could become a hunting dog, retrieving dead ducks from the middle of freezing lakes, spending time in the great outdoors with hunters, doing what I was bred to do. Or I could become a suburban dog living with a large outdoor yard, walks in the park, being pampered by my owner and maybe a squirrel or a duck to chase from time to time. I have been given the last and best path to follow. After a very upsetting time when I had no home and I was a scared lonely puppy in a chain link kennel, I was taken in by a rescue group, then placed with a foster family, and now I have been adopted and I have a Forever Home. I capitalize "Forever Home" because to a homeless dog, a Forever Home is very important. I now have a large yard on the edge of a park, lots of room to run, squirrels to chase, frequent walks in the park with my human and my Golden step sister, Bella. I get frequent trips to the dog food store where I get to pick out my own toys, we attend reunions with my fellow Golden Retrievers at the rescue kennels, and I have new experiences almost daily.

Today I was introduced to fetching Ducks. It may not seem like much to a casual observer, but "Mogley is my name, Retrieving is my game". It is only a stuffed duck but it will do for now. I have always been very interested in the ducks I see on our daily walks. The park is full of them and they come very close to the path when we walk. The human said he is using the stuffed duck to teach me how to properly retrieve objects. I have to learn to treat ducks gently. I love making the squeaky things squeak, but he says that I am not supposed to hold a duck that tightly and the squeaky thingy tells him when I bite down too hard. I don't have to go into the frozen lake to fetch them which is a big relief. For now we are just playing fetch in the back yard. The rules to the game of "Fetch the Duck" and the rules to the game of "Fetch the Ball" seem to be very similar. The difference is that the game of "Fetch the Duck" seems to be worth more treats. I am not sure why he wants dead ducks, but I am willing to play his game, as long as he shells out the treats.

Mogley