Cat tail tales:

Riley and River wrote me a comment asking me to expose cats. Many dogs live with cats, so maybe it is time to air some dirty fur in public. Cats, you can't live with them and you can't chase them, at least you can't chase them when someone is watching.

Riley and River said they were leaving for a walk when one of the cats, Cricket, slipped out the door as they were leaving and hid under the deck. By the time the cat had been coaxed out from under the deck and back into the house it was too late for our walk. The cat was pretty proud of himself, he put one over on the dogs. This is the kind of abuse that goes on in many mixed households.

After an experience like that, Riley and River should have been allowed to chase the cat to get their rightful exercise. But no, humans keep cats protected. It is a good thing too, don't tell humans but I have it on good authority that cats do taste like chicken.

Cats can be a pain, that is why cats only come in two kinds, clawed and de-clawed. Any other differences are purely ornamental. Cats that still have their claws are grumpy and they do not play well. De-clawed cats play better except they tend to hide a lot instead of playing chase. We have a small black cat we call Mini, she helps us chase squirrels. We chase them from tree to tree, meanwhile Mini is up a tree waiting for the squirrel to arrive at her place. She even enjoys a good game of chase from time to time. Cats do not swim well. I ran up behind Mini while she was leaning over the edge of the pool watching a leaf float by, I goosed her and she landed in the water. She climbed out faster than I can.

Cats may be some sub-species of small dogs. People let cats and small dogs climb on furniture and nap on laps. The cats sleep on the bed at our house, but let a Golden Retriever jump on the bed and boy do we get yelled at! Cats even have their own box of dirt to dig in, in the house. But let a dog come in with a little dirt on their paws and we get yelled at.

Cats have food set out for them all day long. Dog food is strictly rationed, we get only enough to keep from starving to death. When a cat meows humans think it is cute, when we bark we get told to be quiet.

Cats can not type, have you noticed that there are no cat bloggers on the Internet? Oh, there are some people pretending to be cats that type blogs, but no real cats. There are lots of dog blogs. Dogs type well and with the help of spell check and grammar check, we manage to communicate with other dogs and humans around the world. Cats can only communicate a few basic ideas. They meow to ask to be let in or out of the door. They meow when they want to be fed. They meow loudly when you step on their tails. Other than that, they are very poor conversationalists.

So what good do they do? What purpose do they serve? They can't retrieve balls, they can't tell you a visitor is at the door, they can't even bring their own leash when its time for a walk. If humans only had cats to walk, they would get no exercise at all. If any of you can think of a good use for a cat, let me know.

Let's start a twelve step program to wean people away from cat dependence. Cats Anonymous! Hi, my name is Peter, and I used to have to pet a cat several times a day, now I am cured. I only pet dogs and take them for walks. Thanks to Cats Anonymous I can now live a normal life with my Golden Retriever. No more sneezing from cat hair in the air, no more stepping on fur balls my cat coughs up on the carpet. Thanks to Cats Anonymous, I am cured.

Mogley G. Retriever

Just one dogs blog

I have had some good comments left on my blog. One person questioned why Bella and Emma did not like to swim, they thought all Golden Retrievers loved water. They do love water, they run and play in it, they just don't like to get in the deep water because it is too much work for them to swim laps in the pool. They much prefer laying in the sun.

Gavin came by to visit, he and Riley were walking in the park behind our house. We ran out and barked hello; he brought his humans up to the fence to talk with us. He says he was not dropped in the mountains as some comments have suggested. He was hiking in the back country, very high in the Rocky Mountains, a long way from any roads. He was walking with his humans on a trail when they wandered off and got lost. He says there were lots of good scent trails to follow, but he had only gone a few feet off the trail before his humans dissapeared. For a week he waited for someone to show up, he searched up and down the trail. Finally he followed a hiker back to a road where he caught a ride to town and ended up with Golden Retriever Rescue. He is enjoying having a friend to play with. He says that being rescued is a good thing, he is getting extra food and lots of treats. His ribs are dissapearing and he has been brushed a lot, his coat is beautiful.

I have had some good links from other dogs and blogs. If you have not visited the BumpassHounds at ttp://bumpasshounds.blogspot.com/ please do so. They have some good postings. They do Golden Retriever rescue as well as following daily adventures of a number of friends.

Piper has become a water dog. She will get into the pool and stay there for hours at a time. She swims for a while, then sits on the steps to rest, then pushes off and swims more. She willl shiver so hard the water around her shakes, but she will not climb out. When the humans call her out of the pool to dry off and rest, she swims to the center of the pool and won't come in. I swim with her for a while, but I get out and run in the sun. They are now locking Piper up and only allowing her outside when it is warm. They bribe her with treats to get her to swim in where they can put a leash on her. Piper says that swimming is so much fun that she does not want to stop. When they towel her off to dry her, she enjoys it a lot, she jumps back in the pool, then comes running over, dripping wet, to get toweled off again. The humans went through five or six towels today trying to keep her dry. How do you tell a Golden Retriever not to swim? The humans say that we need to enjoy it while we can, they will cover the pool shortly for the winter. I wonder if they ever leave water in the bath tub when it is unguarded?

Thank you for reading,

Mogley G. Retriever

The Joys of a five dog household

Over the next few blogs I will point out some of the changes that have taken place from “the good old days” when we were a two dog household, to now when we are (temporarily) a five dog household. I see a lot of very good things, but my human only sees the bad. For example:

The humans used to do their pooper scooping using the tools in the picture below.

Now the humans accuse us of being so messy that they have to use the tools shown below when it is time to pooper scoop.

I think this is an insult. We are not that messy, besides, he is sure picky about his lawn. Dogs will rule, especially with the superior numbers we now have in the household. Tonight if he gets up in the dark, he is going to trip over five dogs before he can find the door.

Mogley G. Retriever

Five Goldens Again

Bella and I have three house guests. Our cousins have come to stay for several weeks. The human's son-in-law and daughter have their house for sale and while they show the buyers through they want to pretend their house did not have dogs. I don't know how they explain the dog doors in the wall and the dog toys still laying in the back yard. So far several buyers liked the dog doors and one dog visitor played with the bones. From the left, Bella, Molly, Mogley, Piper with Emma behind. Meanwhile, five Golden's get to play together. Molly, Piper and I are almost the same age, so we can really play hard. Their parents stop by often to visit them so we all get more attention, more play time and more fun. We get lots of treats. Feeding time gets pretty exciting, the humans make us each sit and wait, then we get our bowls. We are not allowed to help one another eat. It is really hard to behave. Bella and Emma don't like to swim, but if I get in the pool, Piper and Molly will jump in with me and swim as long as I want to. We can stay wet for most of the day. It sure is fun having visitors.

Mogley G. Retriever

Gavin's humans are lost

A week ago we picked Gavin up at the vets office, he had received a check up and was given a clean bill of health, except for his weight. We gave him a ride across town to his new foster home. He was so skinny we could see his ribs. Below, Gavin going to his new foster home.

Gavin had found a hiker, high up in the Rocky Mountains. He followed her to her car, jumped in and got a ride to town. He was famished, he had been in the wilderness for a full week, perhaps more, trying to find his humans. He had been on a hike the prior week, just cruising down a trail when his humans wandered off. After a week of looking for them while being hungry and lonely, he found a hiker, followed her to her car and climbed on board. He said it was hard to give up on looking for his family, but it was a long time between meals up in the high country. He was worried that without being there to protect them his humans may have fallen prey to a mountain lion or a bear. Gavin arrived in town with no ID tags, no chip, no way to phone home. Below, Gavin and Riley get acquainted, Gavin has the new red leash.

Now he is staying with his foster brother, Riley. He came to the Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic on Saturday with Riley and his foster human. When I talked to Gavin, he was quite sensitive about the topic of losing his humans. Apparently humans keep falsely accusing Gavin of being the one that was lost. He pointed out that if he was the one that was lost, then we would not be playing with him right now, would we? He would not be here, right? It is his humans that wandered off, look around, do you see them anywhere? He says that the next time he goes hiking in the woods he is going to demand the car keys so that the humans don't get lost again.

In the meantime, the humans think there may be a foster failure in the making. Gavin is fitting in so well with his new family that they are not sure they want to find him another home. Gavin thinks so too, after spending a day at the GRRRR Picnic, he is not sure he wants to go anywhere else. He says that life with Riley has been a lot of fun so far and the food is good. It has been only a week, so stay tuned and we will let you know what direction Gavin's life goes.

Note: Chip your dog if you want him to come home. If you don't like chipping, then give him a cell phone, that way he can phone home.

Mogley G. Retriever

GRRR Reunion Picnic

Saturday was a beautiful warm day in the Rocky Mountains. The sky was the dark blue that fall brings to our land, an early snow made the mountain peaks glisten in the thin air. Early in the morning we drove to Boulder Reservoir where we helped set up tents and tables for the annual Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic, aka GRRRRP for those who like nonsensical abbreviations. GRRRRP sounds like a dog that is panting after swallowing too much water. Below is a very quiet and peaceful lakeside scene at 9:00 in the morning at Boulder Reservoir.

Below is the same scene, several hours later when 200-300 Golden Retrievers are in full romp. Oh, you don't know what “full romp” is? It is when the leashes are off and the humans are lined up in the food line so that we Golden's can do our own thing. Full Romp is when the lake is floating with tennis balls and over two hundred dogs are charging in after them. Full Romp is the most fun a Golden Retriever can have without, well, just without... We are all neutered and this is a family picnic.
At 1:30 all dogs were held on the shore, the water was filled with tennis balls, some had been marked for prizes. Then it was “release the hounds” and the chase was on to fetch the marked balls and win prizes.
Tables laden with food featured special dishes brought by everyone, with grilled brats supplied by GRRR to keep the humans well fed. A D.J. Played music to keep their minds off of the wet dogs spraying everyone in the tent with water when we shake next to the food tables. Dog hair is a condiment, right? Above and below; several humans tried to help, but they don't fetch very well. It's a special talent we Golden's have. Happiness is several hundred tennis balls, all at once.

Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies has been rescuing dogs for many years, we may rescue almost 400 this year alone. Thousands of Golden alumni owe their happiness, their health and their very lives to the hard work by the volunteers of GRRR who work to rescue, transport, foster and re-home dogs. . Donations to our medical fund to heal sick dogs has made a difference in so many lives. We even take in "Honorary Goldens" when a life is threatened or a dog is unwanted. Our annual reunion picnic is very important to all of us. We see the many friends we made when we fostered rescued dogs during the years. We can exchange stories on how we were rescued, tell each other about the many adventures we have had in the past year, celebrate our new homes, and mourn those special friends that we have lost in the past year.

The real story of GRRRRP is not the tables of food, it is not a lake filled with swimming dogs and a beach covered with running, playing, happy, wet dogs. The greatest story of GRRRRP is a celebration of over 1,000 dogs who have found new homes; rescued from chains in a lonely back yard, taken from kill shelters, rescued from families that took their dog to a vet to have it killed because it was too old to jog with them, or because a puppy chewed up a cushion in their million dollar home, all are true rescue stories. It is about hundreds of owners who brought their dogs from all over Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico to celebrate the happiness that a rescued Golden Retriever can bring to a home, and the joy a home can bring to a lonely dog. Several people drove 1,000 miles so that an adopted dog can play with his friends and have a special day, the ultimate “Play Date” to celebrate life and newly found happiness.

New readers of my blog do not know that I have a very scary story. One year ago, when I was barely 6 months old my owner took me to the Vet's office where he was told I had a heart condition. He told them to "put him down". I had already received one injection when the supervisor came in, learned what was happening and stopped it, then called Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. Within hours I was on my way to a new forever home. When GRRR turned me over to my new home, they said to "Give him the best life you can". That is what I am living, all because of a rescue organization that cared.

Note to GRRR; next time, try to get there a little sooner, that was very close, stress like that does not help my heart!

Below; Have you seen my dog? It was golden in color and it was wet!

One person looked at the madness on the beach, the running, splashing and playing dogs, the smiles on the human faces and said, “This is why we do what we do”. If you have ever wondered if you could make a difference in some one's life, just look at these rescued dogs play.


Thanks GRRR, it was a fantastic day for all of us rescue dogs, I hope the humans who attended had fun as well. It is all about people that make a difference in the lives of dogs and dogs that make a difference in the lives of the people who adopt them, forever. Visit us at http://www.goldenrescue.com/

Below; Bella, my ugly step sister, and I share a quiet moment alone. Do you think my necktie makes me look dorky?
Below; I am tired, wet and ready to go home now daddy!Mogley G. Retriever

Angel Dogs Epilepsy Charity Event & Service Dogs Gathering

Last night my human went to a fancy dog function and did not take me along. I have to listen to him tell me about the grand time he had so I can write about it, but he won't let me do first hand reporting. Note to resident human, see how many owners take their dogs with them? Try it, you will like it. Golden Retrievers are the primary dog used for Epilepsy service dog training, although there was a St. Bernard in training as well. A dog can be trained to sense an approaching epileptic seizure and give its owner advance warning. By having warning of on oncoming seizure, the person can take precautions such as medications to prevent the seizure or minimise its effect and move to a safe place so they are not in danger. The dog can prevent the person from harming themselves by falling and even alert others to help. Some dogs have been trained to dial 911 for help on a special phone. Several people attended with their service dogs and gave stirring testimony of the value of having up to an hour of warning before an Epileptic seizure. It allows the person to go about their lives normally rather than being in a constant fear, wondering when the next event will occur. Having a seizure while crossing a street or climbing stairs can be deadly.

The ability to warn of an approaching epilepsy event is tied to the keen sense of smell that Golden Retrievers have. Golden's were bred with Bloodhounds to ensure they have a superior tracking ability, they are bred for disposition and a great sense of smell. A subtle chemical change will give the alert dog a warning., his task is to pass the warning on to the person he is with. The training is not as extensive as it is for a guide dog or a living assistance dog. The need is for good public manners and the ability to react to changes in the person's smell. They train larger sized Golden's in order to provide stable assistance to a person who may be in danger of falling. Its just another thing that Golden's are going to be good at! Below, Gab, short for Gabriel, shows the younger dogs how well behaved Golden Retrievers can be.
This young man was hoping to attend college and needed a dog to allow him to attend classes and move about the campus. One person was gracious enough to give up their trained dog so that he could move forward with his life. Instead of a two year wait, he was able to enroll in college and he made it to class on time. A great sacrifice for a great cause. As a dog, this kind of action helps restore my faith in humans. Below, Piper, the St Bernard takes a break from his heavy work schedule. Below, Piper the St. meets a young dog in training, showing the range of dogs that can be used as Epilepsy Alert dogs. There were several young dogs in training at the party, one was a young St. Bernard, he looked out of place among the retrievers. We may look into helping them with their dog needs, it could be a wonderful way for a Golden Retriever to make a difference in someones life. You may visit their web site at http://www.angelservicedogs.org/ You can donate to help train and provide dogs for this very important service. The use of Epilepsy Alert dogs is just beginning to be recognised for the great service it is, your help is needed to advance this cause.


Mogley G. Retreiver

Love is a wet dog!

Three wet dogs running in the early morning sun to dry off after a dip in the pool. Molly is ahead of Piper, I am running to catch up.
Love is a wet dog, but why do the humans lock us out of the house just because we go swimming? There is so much news today, I don't know where to begin. The son-in-law and daughter are buying a new home, so their old home is on the market. Apparently having three dogs in the home does not help it sell when the realtor takes buyers to look at it. Emma, Molly and Piper were dropped off last night, at first I thought it was just a play date. Then I saw them bring in the dog food, beds and toys. They are staying for a few days till the house sells and they move into the new one. Oh, joy! Below, I and Molly run in the morning sun before our first swim of the day. This morning Molly, Piper and I celebrated by taking a morning swim. It was so much fun we took another swim. We enjoyed that one so much we jumped in again. Piper did not even came out between dips, she just came back to the steps, stood a while in the water and pushed off again for another lap or two. Here are some pictures of the fun we are having together. Emma and Bella are inside, dry, napping. They are spoil sports.

Below, Molly, on the left, myself with Piper on the right, are begging to be allowed in the house. We are not really that wet, The water was clean, so are we, so what is the problem? Carpets dry, don't they?

Last night we took Autumn, the foster that has been visiting for the past three weeks, back to her forever home. We are very happy for her. We also miss her a lot, she was a very nice friend during the three weeks she stayed here. We will tell her story as soon as I dry out again, it is a long and complex story.

When we dropped off Autumn, we picked up Galvin to take to another foster home near by. He has a scary story to tell, he was found wandering in the forest, very high in the Rocky Mountains, hungry and lost. When we picked him up he had been at the vets getting checked over. He is very, very thin but in good health, and in very good spirits after being lost in the wilderness.

Watch for some wonderful Golden Retriever Rescue stories on Galvin and Autumn in the next few blogs. The humans won't let me type on the computer when I am wet and I hear the pool calling.

Mogley G. Retriever

Almost party time

Only one week to go until the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Picnic. In only one week, they will throw hundreds of tennis balls out into the lake, certain balls will be marked as “Prize Balls” and if we retrieve one of these balls we will win a prize. In the pool the humans were trying to get us to fetch the marked balls. We just thought the marked ones were dirty, so we left them till last. If the humans want the prize balls they can jump in and fetch them themselves. We are all resting up for the big event.

Hundreds of Golden Retrievers running, swimming and playing in the lake. Tents with tables of food, people with flimsy paper plates and slippery fingers. To the watching dog will go the spoils, or the chicken leg if someone gets careless. Wait till you see the pictures afterwards. Even better, join us. If you don't have a Golden Retriever, you can call Golden Retriever Rescue, or visit them on line by clicking the link on the left of the blog, and adopt one. Give a Golden Retriever a home and get a pass to the party. I hope to see some of the 12 or 14 Golden's that we have fostered in the last year and renew old friendships. I hope they all come so we can see each other again.

It was a great swimming party. In the last blog you read about the 6 Golden Retrievers that came by to have a swim party with Bella, Autumn and I. The next day when they cleaned the pool you would think they had never seen dog hair before. When the pool filter was cleaned, the matt of golden hair that came out of it looked like a dead animal. They said that there was enough hair to allow them to knit another Golden Retriever. What they will do with a Golden Retriever that looks like a sweater is beyond me.

Mogley G. Retriever

Molly's Special Day!

The pool party on Sunday was so much fun we forgot to tell you that we were celebrating a very special day. Molly (see photo below, fetching a yellow tennis ball) was a volunatry surrender foster dog at the home of Emma and Piper. They had picked her up from a big home on the hill. A home that did not have room for an overly energetic 9 month old Golden. She was surrendered for having too much energy, being too full of life as a puppy. She was surrendered because she was a Golden, seeking love. Her foster family took Molly to meet several prospective families that wanted to provide a home. Molly was not going to have any part of new people. When she met the families that wanted her, she gave them the cold shoulder. She liked being where she was, thank you, and she saw no reason to even get acquainted with those strangers. She had it all figured out, if no one took her home, she could stay where she was. Molly and Piper had become inseparable buddies, playing till they both dropped, day after day. After several failed attempts to find her a new home, it became emotionally hard for the humans to to even try to adopt her out, she was a part of the family. Molly won, she knew where she belonged, she just had to make the humans see it too.

The humans did not want her to go, but when you foster a dog for the rescue, a foster parent is expected to work to find a new home. "Foster Failures" are when a foster family refuses to give up a foster dog after they become attached to it. We don't have a term for when a dog makes up its own mind to stay and not allow new people to bond with it, but that is what Molly did. Molly is a failure, a very happy failure. We were celebrating Molly's adoption and her new "Forever Home", we were celebrating her "failure".

Molly had her first day in the pool, visiting her cousins, swimming until she was worn out, swimming until she had cleared the pool of balls and floating toys, swimming until she had celebrated her special day. Emma and Piper welcome you to your new home Molly, may you find happiness, love and all the playtime you could ever want.

Here are a few pictures of our Olympic class diving dogs, we were too late for the Olympics, but we put on a good show anyway. Below, on your mark, get set, go!

Splash!

Mogley G. Retriever