The end of summer

Here is Aspen, enjoying the last few rays of sun before the rain and snow arrive. She is very skilled at napping.
Bella and I have been in mourning since Saturday. A big storm with rain and snow was coming out of the mountains. So they covered the swimming pool. No more swims in the pool. No more fun in the sun. The humans say that they have found a new place where we can swim until it freezes, they promised to take us all this week end. We will see if it is as much fun as the pool.

Aspen and Tess are still with us. Aspen plays a mean game of fetch. She fetches balls and even drops them on command. Tess is learning her manners rapidly. She sits well, comes when called, even "stays" a little bit. She is ready for a new home. We hope they can meet with some prospective new homes this week end.

It has been raining and even snowing since Saturday. We have been inside because it is too wet to play outside. They make us go out, then we come in wet and they complain because we smell like wet dogs. Duh!


Mogley G. Retriever

New Foster Friends

World, we would like to introduce our two new foster friends. Aspen and Tess are staying with us until we can find them new homes. Below is 10 year old Aspen.


Below is Tess. This is her normal position. Three years old and full of energy, Tess is enjoying having a big yard, lots of room to run and new friends to run with.

Below are Tess and Aspen, enjoying the sun and grass.

Thursday afternoon the chauffer left without us. The story we heard was that he wanted to look at a new SUV. He had cleaned out the old SUV and was making the rounds of the dealers trying to find a new one. While he was gone, Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) called him and told him they had two new fosters to pick up. Aspen and Tess had been to the vet for their check up and were now being blow dried at the groomer's. By then the chauffer had picked out a new car so Aspen and Tess were the first to ride in the new dog hauler. Bella and I are a little angry that we were not the first, but I guess it worked out all right, we did get two new play mates.

Aspen is 10 years old. She is the victim of unemployment. Her family lost their jobs and lost their home. Two adults and two children were forced to surrender their life long friend. Aspen is such a wonderful companion, the loss to the family must have been devastating. To Aspen, the loss of her familiar home and her life long friends was a huge blow. She is rebounding by being the best Golden that she can be. She is succeeding by settling in to her new surroundings very quickly. She is wonderfully housebroken, she uses dog doors with ease, she is well socialized and plays well with others. The three resident cats have accepted her and she ignores them. She shows her excitement by barking a single bark when she wants something. If her leash is in sight she will stand in front of it and bark once or twice, trying to entice someone into a walk. She is very polite on a leash, not trying to go her own way but taking her cues from her human companion. She is so well mannered, she would be a wonderful addition to a quiet home. She will ask to be let in and out the back door when she needs to go, if the dog door is not available. If you have a quiet home, Aspen would fit in beautifully. But don't think there is no fire in her, she still has a sense of adventure, within one hour of arriving at our house, all clean and fluffy from the groomer, Aspen jumped into the Koi pond and came out soaking and smelly. Her heavy coat took a long time to dry. Her family spent a lot of time training her and it shows in her wonderful behavior. It was truly a tragedy to the family who lost her, but she will be a wonderful addition to a new home if you are lucky enough to adopt her.

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Tess is almost the complete opposite of Aspen. Tess is three years old and has the energy to prove it. She was surrendered by her family who were elderly. Having a ball of energy in their house was too much for them over time. They were not up to the exercise she required, or to providing the training and discipline to help Tess become a wonderful companion. Tess has all the personality you could ever ask for. She is attentive and very motivated to please. She will be well behaved once someone tells her what the rules are. She is very well housebroken, and she is a lover. If a hand is available she will be under it getting petted. She should have been named "Attention Hound". She needs work on her commands. She is wonderful with "come". She is challenged by "sit" and "stay". Her strong point is how well she pays attention and how quickly she learns. After two days, she is responding to "sit" and will sit (for a moment) on command. "Stay" is the next project on our list. If you need a loving young lady to join you on your jogs and adventures on mountain trails, Tess is the Golden for you. She will require an investment in training and discipline, but the rewards will be tremendous. She is so intelligent and so motivated to earn your praise that she will be the ideal companion in a very short time.

Help us find the perfect forever home for these two wonderful Golden girls.

Mogley G. Retriever

Annual Picnic

Sunday was the annual Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic. If you were not in attendance, well, we warned you it would be fun, you missed out by not attending. Saturday we had a cold front move through Colorado and it rained hard, with temperatures in the high 50's. Very cool for this time of the year. Sunday dawned clear, but with fog and clouds hanging around until the sun was hot enough to burn them off.

Bella, Muffin and I were so excited, we started bouncing around the house as soon as the humans started putting on their travel cloths. We arrived at the picnic site early, we had talked the humans into volunteering to help set up so that we could be there to play sooner.

Below, a peaceful scene at the lake before the hoards arrive.

Our cousin, Emma, is not a big fan of swimming, she spent her day digging holes in the sand. She said it was some of the best digging she had ever had, and no one yelled at her. Several people fell into the holes she left behind. That is Muffin on the right, she saw the camera and did her "go hide under something" trick when she sees a camera.

When the guests started arriving, they were full of energy and there was a lot of running, splashing and general playing. What fun it is just to run and play with new friends.

Early in the day there was a lack of ball throwers. Lots of dogs to fetch, but no one to throw. They were all busy getting the food set out and the tents set up. Below, we are waiting for someone to get busy throwing balls. As more guests arrived, more ball throwers went to work. Mostly we did not care who threw the ball, just do it! We met dogs from three states, many of our friends drove long distances to attend and enjoy this special day.

The crowning event of the day is the Great Ball Toss. All of us had to line up on the shore and wait while the official ball throwers put out the tennis balls. Some of the balls had numbers on them and if you retrieved a numbered ball, you received a prize. Then they counted down and released the retrievers. Mostly we did not care about the prizes, there were balls floating everywhere, we grabbed whatever was floating and headed back to shore with it.

Below is a photo of me with my prizes. I found two numbered balls and I even got all the way to shore with them, then I handed them over to a human. They took the balls, exchanged them for gifts and I got to keep the gifts and the balls. I won a bag of treats, two bandannas for my neck and some note paper. I gave the note paper to the humans and I kept the treats. I may bury the bandannas before they make me wear them like some sissy dog.

Attendance was down from prior years, we only had about 150-200 dogs, compared to 200-300 in prior years. This was mostly due to the cold day on Saturday and the heavy fog and clouds early on Sunday morning. The day started out cold and cloudy but by noon the sun was out and it was a wonderful day at the lake. I did get cold, I had been in the lake for over five hours, they made me stand on the shore in the warm sun for a while after toweling me off. Then I went back in for a final romp. When I came to shore, I went looking for the keys to the car, I was ready to find a good place to nap.

If you count success by the tired smile muscles on the humans and the tails that wagged until they drooped from exhaustion, then it was a fantastic success. The humans said the food was great, Bella confirmed that, she spent the day prowling the food tent looking for clumsy humans holding flimsy paper plates. She had a very successful day, based on the snacks she cleaned up from the floor of the food tent.

The Golden Retriever Store was open and guests could find anything golden that they could ever want. Shirts, jackets, towels, note paper and even refrigerator magnets. If it had a Golden Retriever photo on it, they had it for sale. All to benefit homeless Golden's and help pay for the veterinarian costs of many of our abandoned friends.

You have already read that Muffin met several prospective families, she finally made her choice and went home to a wonderful new Forever Home. Thank you all for helping her find a perfect match. But I still have an important question, why do we have to wait a full year to enjoy another romp in a lake?

Mogley G. Retriever

Rusty Muffin

It seems funny to be happy writing a sad blog. It seems strange to be sad while writing a happy blog. So I don't know how to feel about this blog. You see, Muffin went to her new forever home today. She had become so much a part of our life that we did not really think about losing her. We knew she had to find a forever home soon, she was 10 years old and she had to enjoy some good years with her new family while she could. We are happy to report that Muffin went to the picnic with us today, she met four different possible family's there. She spent time with each one. We don't think there was a single time during the day that Muffin was not getting attention from someone. People came by and introduced themselves then stopped to pet and love Muffin for a while.

When it came time to go home, she went with a very nice couple. She had to meet their two resident goldens first to see if they were compatible, but they passed the test. Muffin will share a home with two older goldens, she won't have to worry about a puppy pulling her ears or stealing her toys. She will have a loving home, quiet and caring. Shortly after we arrived home we had a telephone call from the new family, they wanted to know what type of bed Muffin would prefer. Now that is a home that knows how to spoil a lady. The family are long time Golden Retriever Rescue supporters, they like to help older dogs enjoy their golden years in style.

We helped Muffin look for a forever home, but the reality of her leaving is only now slowly sinking in. We will miss Muffin, she was truly a queen. But we have a feeling they will keep us updated on her progress and her life. We are sad she is gone, but we are overjoyed that she will be living with people that care for her, appreciate her and will love her. Muffin will truly have a few golden years ahead of her. Meanwhile, there are two other abandoned Golden's walking on concrete and living behind chain link tonight, we should pick them up tomorrow and give them a home until we can place them permanently. That is what rescue is all about, we have to give up a wonderful friend in order to help two Golden's that are in need of someone to rescue them, evaluate them and help them on to their new life as well.

The people that deserve a special mention are the ones who will take an older golden into their lives. They will have a very special friend, a mellow, mannered and loving older golden. But they also know they will face the pain of loss soon, there is a balance, it is a wonderful time in their lives and it is more than worth the pain of loss that inevitably will follow. Thank you for what you do for these senior citizens.

I will write about the picnic at the lake and post some photos later, but we thought the news about Muffin was pretty special and deserved its own blog.

Mogley G. Retriever

Life is boring!

As you can see from the above photos, I was given a brand new toy. Even with a new toy, life is boring. I miss Kiwi. Without my friend, Kiwi, I only have Bella to play with and she only plays when she wants to play. We love taking care of fosters, we love helping them find new forever homes, but sometimes when they leave we feel really sad.

Below, Bella and I had a dispute over who's toy it is. I won, but the game did not go on nearly long enough. If Kiwi had been here, we would have had a two hour fight over the new toy.

Since Kiwi left, it has been too quiet around here. Bella and I miss the good times we had playing with Kiwi. No disrespect to Muffin, she is a wonderful foster also, but she does not play very much. She is too busy following the nearest human around. They call her Velcro Dog, She sticks to them.

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Only a couple of days till we go to the Golden Retriever of the Rockies Rescue Reunion Picnic. They are trying on bright colored collars on me to help find me when I am in the middle of a pack of several hundred wet Golden Retrievers. We will have a good time and see all of our old friends. We will probably bring another foster back with us.

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Meanwhile, we are still looking for a perfect forever home for Rusty Muffin. She thinks she should stay here, but the humans have explained that when we don't allow fosters to move on to a forever home, the rescue will not let us have anymore fosters. Its not that they don't want us to keep our fosters, its just that city zoning does not allow unlimited numbers of dogs. If we adopt her, then we are limited to just one foster at a fime from then on. It is a hard choice.

Rusty has her stitches out, her hair is regrowing where she had her operations. She is ready to start her new life. Help us find her a perfect home.

Mogley G. Retriever

Mission Accomplished!

Our mission is accomplished, at least partly. Today we took Kiwi to meet a possible new home and it was such a good fit for her that we left her. The person had lost his older golden and his four year old golden was suffering from a case of lonely. Griff was his name, and he was a very nice, mellow golden. Kiwi and Griff were a good match. First we all went for a walk together, then we let them hang out in the yard for an hour to make sure they were going to be friends. All their Golden's have been from Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, so we knew them and we were comfortable leaving Kiwi with his new home.

What makes it strange is that when they were looking for a new companion, a name had already been settled on, Kiwi. That is right, they were looking for a dog and intended to rename it Kiwi. In addition, Kiwi looked so much like the dog he had recently lost that it was an instant match.

Kiwi was on her good behaviour, she came when called, sat on command and showed herself off. She received lots of attention and since he works from home, there will always be a hand available to pet a golden head. Another golden lives next door and there are frequent play dates. It will be a happy life for Kiwi and Griff.

We are so happy to see Kiwi get a stable home with someone that will invest the time in Kiwi to make her a member of his family.

Mogley G. Retriever

I can dig it!

The above picture of me was taken at last year's picnic. By the end of the day I was so tired I found my human and asked him to open the car door so I could climb in and rest. I was too tired to swim any more, I just wanted to lie down and sleep. Bella was not tired, she spent her day patrolling the food tent for dropped morsels.

Above, another photo from last years Reunion Picnic. If we could piece together all of the photos from along the long beach, you could count the happy dogs. I wonder if there is a place in the Guinness book of records for "The most happy Retrievers In one place at one time"?

"I can dig it!" said Kiwi. A short time later she came in the house with a dirty face and dirty paws. She got into trouble for that one. They were doing some landscaping work and had just leveled out a section of lawn to be seeded. It is not so level anymore. Kiwi may get reprimanded later when they catch her in the act. At least with her dirty paws and face I won't be blamed for digging again.

One week from now we will be running and romping with hundreds of our rescue friends at the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic. Hundreds (yes, Hundreds) of rescued retrievers will be splashing and swimming together in the lake. Kiwi is coming when called a little better, that is good news for her. If she makes more progress this week then she can be trusted to run free at the lake with the rest of us. She will have so much fun. I remember my first trip to the lake with so many friends to play with.

Rusty Muffin will go along to join the party, but she will probably lie in the shade and watch us, she is not running too fast these days. She has improved greatly from when she arrived, she was barely moving when they first helped her get down from the car. She even chases squirrels now and sometimes plays fetch with us.

We get to go to the picnin early and hep set up the tents, so we get even more time to run, swim and play. Last year Bella and I did not pace ourselves and we were tired before the party even started. We had the lake to ourselves and we played too much. This time we are going to take it slow until our friends all show up. Everyone get lots of rest, you will need it at the picnic.

Mogley G. Retriever

Gone for a ride!

Kiwi has a terrible fear of cars. She went for five car rides in which she was abandoned in a shelter. She is afraid to get into a car for fear she will lose her home again and end up behind chain link, lonely and frightened again.

But we can't go to the dog park, the pet food store or even the ice cream place without getting into the car. We have been enticing Kiwi into the car with us. When Bella, Muffin and I run out the front door and jump in the car, Kiwi runs with us, then puts the breaks on at the door of the car. With a few treats and lots of urging from us, she finally climbs in. Then we drive around the block, back to the house and back into the house. Then we do it all again.

Then there is the problem with Kiwi coming when called. She is getting better about walking on the leash, sitting and staying, but she still thinks that "Come Kiwi" is a suggestion, not a command. So it is out back in the yard with dog treats and lots of attention to make Kiwi respond when called. The humans say this is a must before we go to the big picnic because there are no fences at the picnic, she has to stay close and come when called.

She is getting better about coming when called and getting into the car, we think she can go to the big picnic next week if she continues to improve. Otherwise she is going to feel very bad if she gets left home while we go romp with the Goldens.

Mogley G. Retriever