Reindogs, A Christmas Truth!

Our regular readers know that we have been leading the charge to right a longstanding wrong. The true story of Christmas is that Reindogs pull Santa's sleigh, not reindeer. 

 Several years ago we first exposed how Reindeer have gotten all the credit for pulling Santa's sleigh, but Reindogs do all the work. This year we are again asking for your help to spread the word and expose this cover up of the truth. As proof that Santa uses Reindogs, we have listed below the facts and truths that prove Reindogs are the real hero's of Christmas. Just because the Reindeer could claim endangered status and could afford better lobbyists and public relations firms does not make it right that they should continue getting the credit and all the good parts in the movies while dogs do all of the work.

We put a lot of the blame on the error on National Geographic Magazine. Years ago a photographer was at the North Pole taking photos. All the reindeer were out in front of Santa's house, trying to beg carrots from the visitors. The hard working Reindogs were sound asleep on Santa's hearth, basking in the heat from the fire, resting up for their long night of pulling Santa's sleigh. So photos of reindeer ended up in the national press at Christmas time and the big lie began.

The reference in the poem “Twas the night before Christmas” to Santa and his eight tiny reindeer was an error; reindeer was easier for the writer to rhyme with than Reindogs. He knew that the eight members of Santa’s team were Reindogs, he just used poetic license. Talk about an inconvenient truth!

Who is it that pulls sleds and sleighs at Santa's home at the North Pole? It’s Dogs, not deer. Go look at the annual Iditarod race results and see how many teams of reindeer finished last year? There were over 50 teams with over 1,000 dogs and not a reindeer among them. If those reindeer are so good at pulling sleds, why don't they win the Iditarod race? How many Eskimos use reindeer to hunt walrus and seals? Just open your National Geographic magazine and see for yourself. They don't show pictures of Eskimos hunting polar bears with reindeer. They use dogs!

Still not convinced? Santa’s last name is “Claus”, not Hoofs or Horns. They just misspelled Claws. It’s that poetic license thing again. So who has Claws? Not reindeer, but Reindogs do! Reindeer with their sharp, hard hooves could never keep their footing on the steep and slippery roofs that they have to land the sleigh on, but a dog’s paws with claws and pads grip the ice and snow to keep their footing on the roof. At the end of the poem “He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,” finally the writer got it right. You don't whistle at deer, you whistle at dogs!  

Seriously, do you think that reindeer can fly through the trees and around all the power lines with those big antlers?   They would get tangled up at every turn.   And we all know that dogs can fly, watch the Frisbee throwing competition, or the dock diving contests, the dogs have to keep their jumps under control to keep from giving our secret powers away. 

One "Santa" pointed out that Santa's rounds might go faster if his Reindogs did not have to stop and smell each fire hydrant on their rounds, but we don't think he was a "real" Santa. That argument does not hold water, we have to stop with Santa on every street anyway. Those sniffs are how we update the long "Naughty and Nice List" that has to be kept up to date, even on Christmas Eve. Long before E-mail was invented, Reindogs used Scent-Mail (or P-mail as some would say) to find little boys and girls homes. Lets see a reindeer do that!

It is well known that “Dogs are man’s best friend”, but somehow you believe that reindeer bring your presents? That is the kind of logic that made Mr. Spock glad he was not human. Dogs are recognized as man’s best friend because we are responsible for bringing everyone their Christmas gifts, for protecting them and for bringing joy to children. Beginning at the manger, 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, when the very first Christmas presents were delivered, a dog guided the Wise Men to the stable, A dog stood watch over the gifts and the Christ child all night long. History suggests that the bright star that guided the Wise Men was Sirius, the Dog Star (check Wickipedia to verify this). Hence the origins of Christmas and Reindogs!

If you were Santa and it was your job to ‘Fetch” toys to children all over the world in one night, who would you turn to, reindeer or Reindogs? Not only are Reindogs the real heroes of Christmas, but Santa’s Reindogs are Golden Retrievers. Look at the pictures, are they golden colored? Are they long legged? Are they intelligent? Do they "fetch" toys to millions of boys and girls in one night? Go to any dog park and see how many reindeer are playing fetch and bring tennis balls to little boys and girls. Golden Retrievers make children’s faces light up by fetching them toys and balls, doing every day what they do for millions of children on Christmas Eve. Just try throwing a ball for a reindeer and see how good they are at "fetching". Proof the Reindogs are Golden Retrievers!   

Dogs can be trained, they obey commands.   Dogs can come, sit, and even go to little Billy's house on Santa's Command.   Try telling your neighborhood Reindeer to "go to little Billy's house", and see what happens.   Nothing!

 How do you think Santa keeps his "Naughty and Nice List" up to date? There are millions of hard working dogs keeping track of the children on their block. All than barking at night is not just noise, it is the Elf Dogs relaying the updates for the Naughty and Nice list back to Santa. When you see children out playing in the park, it is always with their dog, not their reindeer! More proof that reindeer are just a myth.

You all have heard that according to long standing tradition, you are asked to leave milk and cookies out for Santa and his team. Who do you suppose drinks all of that milk and eats all those cookies? Reindogs, that's who. Reindeer eat hay dummy, if you don't believe me go search Wikipedia. This year we are trying to start a new tradition, instead of milk and cookies, could you leave a good scotch and some chew toys? That way Santa and his Reindogs will all be happy!

The story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindog has long been a family tradition in our family. According to our family history that has been handed down from mouth to ear for many generations, Rudolph is an ancestor of mine. It all started with Great,great,great, great, great grandpaw. He had an extraordinary nose and had long used his special talent to track lost explorers and packages at the North Pole. He had a red nose from following scent trails in deep snow, his nose used to get cold and red from the exposure to snow and cold. One foggy Christmas eve Santa needed help in finding the route to take for his scheduled Christmas Eve run. Rudolph G. Retriever stepped forward and offered to guide the team by scent, tracking good little boys and girls with his nose, thus saving Christmas that year and establishing a wonderful family tradition, that is until the reindeer lobby stepped in to take credit for it all. As further proof, when police need to track a missing child, do they call in the reindeer to do the tracking? No, they ask dogs to follow the trail and find the child. Don't you just hate it when you work hard and someone else takes credit for all of your hard work?

Most of the crowded dog shelters and homeless dogs are directly caused by this travesty. Millions of unemployed Reindogs have been thrown out of work by the upstart reindeer. The reindeer take all the good parts in the Christmas plays, manger scenes and movies, leaving Reindogs truly out in the cold. A travesty I  tell you!

The Golden Retrievers of the world will be waiting for our apology from the press. We will expect the artists and movie producers to book Golden Retrievers for the publicity shots and movie roles so that at long last Reindogs will get the credit due them. We need you to help us spread the word and reverse this great lie. Help us keep this great dream alive and tell others about the great heritage that has been stolen from us.   Fear not, children, Santa and his team of Reindogs will be there for you on Christmas Eve! 

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Mogley and all the Reindogs!

Daisy is visiting for Christmas

Daisy came to stay with us over Christmas.   Daisy is about 8 months, and still a ball of energy.   I may lose weight before she leaves.   She is from Boulder,  so she loves the deep snow and running in the back yard.  As you can see, she is not very civilised, she even attacked me when I was laying down.  

She is learning to mouth wrestle, I give lessons several times a day.

I have been teaching her the finer points of Tug-o-war.   She has stolen my bed, but I guess since it is the Christmas season, I will let her have it.  

Meanwhile, The Paw Challenged One (TPCO), has been out "Being the Santa".   He spent several weeks as the official Santa in Littleton.  Now he is running around the neighborhood having his photo taken with all the good looking young ladies.   We worry about him.

Daisy will be joining us as one of Santa's Reindogs, pulling the sleigh, as we deliver the presents on Christmas Eve.   Tomorrow's post will be detailing our duties as Reindogs.   Remember to leave dog treats under the Christmas tree for Santa's Reindogs.

Mogley G. Retriever

A special link to a special blog

We have been following "Raising Ruby" for a long time.  Today is a special blog for Ruby, Ruby became a full fledged service dog, complete with her new life companion.   We would like to give you a link to the site, so that you can go back and read her history and share her growth and training.    Raising Ruby is about raising a service dog from a puppy to a full fledged service dog.     Reading the blog is a great journey.
Raising Ruby

Congratulation, Ruby.

Mogley G Retriever

Christmas is the time for miracles.

The day before Thanksgiving we discovered that Sarah was missing.    We went into full search mode, checking with animal shelters, walking the neighborhood, talking to vets, etc.    No Sarah, but the search did bring Stray Cat to the house.    Sarah was our attempt to help out the Paw Challenged One's daughter and son in law, so they would not have to drive to Florida with three golden retrievers and a cat as well.   Thinking to save everyone a lot of trouble, we took Sarah, the dog hating cat.    She lived with three dogs, but she hated them, she never did stop hissing at them and swatting them.  

Then Friday night they were in the basement.   They were cleaning the litter boxes and water bowls for Mini Cat, she likes to eat in the basement where it is quiet.   They hear a cat meowing up in a dark corner and there was Sarah.    She had been living in the basement for three weeks without anyone finding her.   They had taken flashlights and searched the nooks and crannies, but no Sarah.   Then suddenly there is Sarah. 

She still hates dogs, but she is back with us.   She had spent enough time in the basement and she was ready to move upstairs and get attention.    Now she is demanding attention and hissing at Mini Cat and Stray Cat, as well as attaching Bella and I.   The Paw Challenged One's say they would have figured out Sarah was here sooner if she did not look so much like Stray Cat.    They would see a streak down a hall or across the floor and they could not be sure if it was Stray Cat or Sarah.   Then they finally had all cats in sight at one time, and they could count them.   There was an extra cat in the house, Sarah.  Sarah is more orange than Stray Cat, but they do look a lot alike. 

This story gets even more complicated and strange after they took Stray Cat to the vet and found out she was chipped.    Home Again called the registered owners and left a message that their cat had been found, no answer.   The vet called the owners and left a message, no answer.    Then we called the owners and left a message, no answer.    Either they are on extended vacation, or they don't want Stray Cat returned.    So Stray Cat is still with us, enjoying the good life, settling in more and more each day.

Too much about cats, we will return to our regular dog blogging shortly.

Mogley G. Retrieve

Don't name the cat!

Whatever you do, Don't Name the Cat!  Bella warned them, I warned them, but no!   They named the cat!    We all know what happens when they name a stray cat, once the cat has a name, it stays.    We tried to tell them they needed to keep calling it "That Stray Cat".   But Noooo.   Do they listen to us?    They named the cat.     Don't ask what they named it, Bella and I are still too upset.   We still call it "That Stray Cat".   It is a defective cat to boot, it has large scars on its side where it was hit by a car or by a dog or coyote, and the last two inches of its tail is bent over double.   Just in case anyone knows where its real home is, we have included photos of That Stray Cat.    If you can help us find its real home, please do.   Otherwise, we are going to be stuck with a cat.

The Paw Challenged Ones volunteered to drive to Hays Kansas to pick up a friend's car that had broken down.  They returned after a long day, over 680 miles traveled, tired and ready for bed.    They said that visiting Hays Kansas was not as exciting as it sounds.   They said it was not at all like the travel brochure described.   They said there was not a single white sand beach, no gently waving palm trees, and no one welcomed them at the city limits sign with leis and drinks with little umbrellas in them.  But they did return with the car, now repaired.     They will put it on the "good deeds done list", and hope to get a good dinner or a great bottle of wine out of the deal.

 Above, the look of pure evil!

Our cousins and family are in Florida, so we will have a very calm Christmas this year.   Bella and I got a duck and a parrot early, in hopes it would keep us busy.   I hope Santa has another one to deliver on Christmas eve, we have almost worn them out already.

Before they went on their errand to Kansas, Lanai was dropped off at Rescue Central, she had several people scheduled to meet her.  We have not heard back yet, but we hope she is enjoying a new home.   The Paw Challenged One is planning on making the trip over to take in another homeless Golden Retriever for Christmas.

Mogley G. Retriever

Two stories with very happy endings!

We bring great news!   Only three days and Lion has a new Forever Home.   His profile was posted on the Internet, and immediately there were people wanting to meet him.  When Colleen picked him up from us to take him to see a possible new home, we were very worried.   For our new readers, a foster failure is what happens when a person takes in a rescue dog to foster them, then refuses to give them up when someone wants to adopt them.  Colleen is a rescue volunteer, but she is also a very well known Serial Foster Failure.   She failed when she fostered River, the Golden that was found in the White River Wilderness area,  at 10,000 feet, on a trail, starved and tired.   She failed with Riley, all she had to do was let him go to a new home.    She failed with Sara, Sara never had a chance at finding a different home, Sara was doomed from the moment that Colleen volunteered, "I will foster her".  Some of you will remember River and Riley from the summer swim parties.  Now Colleen has Lion.    We were worried.   It turned out to be a good day, some friends of Colleen's were looking for  the worlds most perfect dog.   When word got out that Lion was available there was a rush to adopt, there was even a second home on a waiting list for him. 

Colleen reported back that Lion proved himself to be cat friendly.  When he went into the new home to meet the family, one of the cats came out to sniff him and then rub against his legs.   Lion did not even move an eye.   He was focused on the family and all the other good things in store for him.    They are an active family, they jog and run, they will enroll him in obedience, they have a big yard, and someone is home most of the day.   He agreed that being an only dog might be fun, he was going to have a great dog to hand ratio.      Thanks to Colleen for linking them up, also thanks to Colleen for not adopting him before they could get to meet him.    Lion is going to have a life we will all envy.    Way to go Colleen.  

Above, Beth and Roxie get acquainted.   The Christmas season would not be complete without a report on Winky.    Loyal readers will remember Winky, she was called Beth when she lived with us.   When she was rescued she was called "Handsome", she was in such bad condition that they thought she was a male.  Beth was so tiny, so scared, and so abused, she did not even look like a golden.  Go to the blog on August 9th and read about a rescue that will break your heart.   Winky makes us all remember why we rescue.  Where is she today?   She is living the life of a spoiled golden.   We gave you a photo of Winky at the Reunion Picnic, then another photo from the Halloween party.,   Now we have exclusive photo's of Winky in her Christmas outfit.  

We are so happy that Winky has such a wonderful home.   They take special care of her and she is learning what it is to be a well loved golden with a real home.    We keep returning to Winky because she reminds us what rescue is all about.   Thanks to the family that took her in and takes such good care of her.

Have a very Merry Christmas, Winky!

Several people have been asking about Lanai, but the roads are bad, snow is falling, so we will have to wait to introduce her to her fan club. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Lion, profile of a wonderful golden boy

We thought we would share the profile of Lion that we are putting up on the adoption web site.  We did send the profile to some friends, we think he is such a special boy that we are willing to call our family and friends to see if they need a great golden.    We may have delayed putting him up on the web for just a little bit to see if any one we knew wanted him.   That is not cheating, is it?

Lion is an 18-19 month old neutered bouncing baby golden boy.  Lion has been staying with us at our foster home since we picked him up from his former home. We think he is a wonderful dog, waiting for a wonderful new forever home. His family went through a divorce and a downsizing of their home. They were truly heartbroken to surrender him. Lion lived with children and cats in his former home. He was a beautiful bouncing baby Golden boy, loved by all.

 Lion lives with three cats and three other Goldens in his foster home and he gets along with everyone. He has a great energy level, he would love a family that is active. He needs to shed a few pounds that he picked up while trying to live in a crate during his families transition. He is very focused on people. He wants to be a snuggle dog, he wants to be under your hand if you are sitting, and under your feet if you are moving. He is the ultimate Velcro dog, staying beside you where ever you are.

 He knows sit, come, and No! He is very smart and very focused on commands, tell him No and he stops in his tracks. He needs formal training, but we think he will be very fast to learn and he will be a delight to train. He started learning about the dog door within hours of arriving. He wants to please you and will work hard at learning.

 He is housetrained, he will bark at the back door if you ignore him standing at the door. He was left alone for long periods of time, so he is fine if you go shopping or to work for the day. He is used to spending time in the crate while his family was at work.

 We think he will be a wonderful addition to your life. He is a wonderful Golden, put a bow on him and call him an early Christmas present. Ask to meet Lion when you fill out your adoption application.

 

Welcome Lion...So much to tell.

Lion arrived this evening, now we have two wonderful dogs living with us as fosters, seeking new forever homes.  The Paw Challenged One left in a hurry shortly after dark and arrived back with Lion.   Lion is an 18 month old male golden who is suffering from attention deficit disorder.   He has been deficit in getting attention for some time.    He is the product of a divorce, his family moved into two different apartments, and left him alone in the house.   He spent up to 20 hours a day in a crate, with only a short time out morning and evening.  

When Lion arrived, he came in the front door, out the back door, and ran straight into the water on top of the pool cover.   He came out soaked.    He sure did enjoy getting dried off.   He is busy being under foot and under hand, he will make someone fall over him but he does not care.   More attention, please.   We tried giving him treats, he either did not know what they were, or he was too excited to stand still long enough to eat one.    After he was dried off, he ran and ran and ran in the back yard.   He just had fun being a dog in the big yard.   Bella, Lanai and I ran with him, he wore all three of us out.   Now we will start calming him down for the evening.    He has met the cats and he is fine with them.   He is ready for a new home, he would love to have a family and a home that can give him love, exercise and attention.   Attention, please.

Since our last post we have been so busy that we are still spinning.     First, just before Thanksgiving, our cousins mom (the paw challenged ones daughter) received a job offer in Tampa Florida.    Now we don't know what a Tampa Florida is, but apparently you don't need snow shovels there.   Since he is a pilot, he can fly from anywhere, so they decided to "run to the warm". 
The days before and after Thanksgiving were filled with helping them pack and filling up a rental trailer so they could take basic living needs with them.   Then Saturday after Thanksgiving, they packed up and left.    Their house is on the market, and they have rented a new house down there.    All very confusing to our golden minds.     He is still flying in and out of Denver so he gets to come pack up and get ready for the real move.  

Since they were traveling with my three Golden Cousins, The Paw Challenged One thought it would be a good idea to keep Sara the cat here.   Traveling across country, pulling a trailer with Molly, Piper and Emma on board was going to be excitement enough.    So Sara came to stay with us.   But that night she disappeared.   Lost cat signs went up around the neighborhood and nasty remarks were made about leaving the dog doors open at night.  Then a call came that a similar cat had been spotted.    They ran out and rescued it, but it turned out to be a different cat.   So now they have lost Sara, but they have a totally unknown cat in the back bedroom.  New Cat is somewhat battered, he either had a run in with a car, dog or coyote.    He is missing some fur and has some bad scabs where something took off a lot of hair.  Talk about confusing.
Lanai is still here, she is looking for her forever home.   She says that she is happy with our back yard and the squirrels keep her entertained.   Lanai does enjoy having her own cat to pester, Mini Cat does not mind and they run together.   Lanai has not met New Cat yet.    Besides, New Cat is hopefully, in transit.   In transit to where we don't know.   With Lion here to play with, she will have a better time while she waits for the right home. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Napping made easy, lessons from a golden retriever

Warning, this blog demonstrates advanced napping techniques by trained and experienced golden retrievers. Do not try this at home!

The Paw Challenged One is always talking about how hard it is to sleep.   Lanai is giving napping lessons, right here in our home, for no additional charge.   She is shown in the photos demonstrating some advanced relaxation methods.  

TPCO was running around the house last night painting everything in the house with orange and blue paint.   Something about Thursday night football and the Denver Broncos apparently won something, for a change.   He has been practicing making Tim Tebo moves all over the place.   He is talking about organizing a group of people to campaign for "Tim for President".     He figures that if prayer can do that much for a football team, think of what it could do for our country!

I watched part of the game.   I was not impressed with their ball handling skills.    All I saw was a big green field, a bunch of tall one's in funny outfits playing fetch without a single dog to help them.   It must have been amateur football, if it had been professional football, golden retrievers would have been fetching the ball, we could have done a much better job. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Update on Lenai

It was a busy weekend.    On Sunday we had an appointment for a family that wanted to meet Lenai.    We took Lenai over to meet with them, early in the morning.   She did us proud, she showed off and loved up to the family, she even ran and fetched a little just to let them know that she had talents.   She was not just another pretty face and coat.    They were impressed.    There were two young boys to give her attention and play with her, two adults to spoil her rotten.   She put on her best show.   One other golden and a golden-doodle were competing with her for the one home available. 

It was for naught.   The family had not had breakfast yet and they decided to wait until after breakfast.  They left, but did not come back for her.   Obviously they had no taste in best friends.    Lenai was left at rescue because two more families had called and were coming in, Lenai fit their profile as well.   At the end of the day, Lenai was still at rescue, she had lost out on three potential homes.   She had been passed over for younger and more cuter dogs.    Experience, obedience and great looks will win in the end, just not today.   at 6 years old, she is no longer a spring chicken, so she has to make her choice of family carefully.  It is forever, you know. 

Lenai was left with Mary for the night, the last appointment was running late.    Lenai came back home this noon.   The family had called to see if she was still available, but they could not get free till the weekend.   Lenai was depressed, two days at rescue and she was still not adopted.   She just wanted to relax and gather her thoughts.  

Lenai has a habit that makes everyone love her.    When she is ready to lie down, she grabs a big mouthful of her bed, then lies down with her paws holding the bed down.   Then she goes to sleep in that position.   When she first grabbed the bed, everyone thought she was going to tear it up, instead she just dropped down, closed her eyes and went to sleep.   The tears in the bed are not her fault, they were there long before she arrived.   She takes good care of her bed and toys.  Well, all toys except for stuffies, she can unstuff a stuffie in seconds. 

We will put her write up on the web, then we will begin booking appointments for this coming weekend.   She won't last long once people learn what a wonderful lady she is.    We just have to help her get back to her normal cheerful, happy and loving self. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Climb back on the horse! Or dog, as the case may be. Lenai

After losing Boo Boo, The Paw Challenged Ones (TPCO) were going to take a vacation from the stream of fosters that had been coming through the house and just have Bella and I.   But then new arrivals at Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) made them rethink their plans.    Maybe the best thing they could do in memory of Boo Boo and Nala would be to help another dog in rescue.

They had gotten word that another worthy rescue lady had been named Nala in honour of Nala who had recently passed away. Nala had already found a foster home, and has already been adopt. Great news. Now Lenai was in need of a home. Lenai arrived home last night, she was ready to find a place to settle in for a short time while she waits for her new forever home to open up. Lenai is the victim of the economy, as are so many dogs that arrive in rescue these days. Downsizing a home is human speak for "lets send the dog to rescue". Lenai was in a home with children, cats and a loving family. Then came the downsizing. Now she is moving around from place to place, trying to figure out what is happening to the world and people she loved.      Below, Lenai demonstrates the finer points of begging. 

Join us in welcoming Lenai to The Dog House. She will be staying here while we are looking for her new Forever Home. We think she will not be with us for long, she is very good looking and very well behaved. She is getting along very well with the other dogs over at rescue and she has settled in well with Bella and I. She was curious about the black cat when Mini ran across the floor, but once they were introduced, they get along just fine. She has ignored Buddy, the big white cat, Buddy ignores Lenai and Lenai ignored him in return. She loves attention and she would love to find a new home with lots of activity and lots of hands. The hand to dog ratio is going to be important to her, she wants lots of hands, lots of attention.     She is a little overweight, but an active home with lots of walks and runs will soon take care of her figure. 

Stay tuned for more news as we go back to rescuing again.    Lets see, is she number 78 or number 77?   Either way, she is a wonderful lady to share our home with for a few days. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Rest in Peace Boo Boo Bear

This afternoon Boo Boo Bear was laying under the computer table, right by The Paw Challenged One's (TPCO) feet, when Boo Boo began coughing and breathing hard.  They looked down and Boo Boo was bleeding from the nose and coughing up blood.    They loaded him in the car and were off in minutes.    Boo Boo laid behind the seat where he cold be petted all the way to the Vet's office.  By the time they arrived, there was a pool of blood beside Boo Boo.   

The vet examined him and told TPCO that it was time for Boo Boo to take his trip to the Rainbow Bridge.   He was not breathing well, and he was losing blood rapidly.   Boo Boo left on his final trip with TPCO holding his head and Mary from GRRR petting him.    Moose was there to give his respect and comfort to help Boo Boo on his journey.

For a few days, Boo Boo had a little discoloration in his mucus.   When his nose ran, they would wipe his nose with a napkin.   It looked like he had a puncture wound inside his nose, a little visible swelling, perhaps a hole from a cat claw when he took the mouse away from Minni Cat on Friday night?   The vet told us it was far more than that.   Boo Boo had a huge tumor in his nose, it had burst, bleeding badly and it had swollen so that it blocked his breathing.   All in just a few minutes.  He had been laying peacefully beside the computer desk at 3:00, then he began coughing, bleeding and  being unable to breath, by 5:00 he had left us. 

It is a total shock.    We were ready to see Boo Boo slowly become more disabled from his bad hips and knees, slowly losing his mobility.    We were not prepared to lose him so suddenly and without warning.   

Boo Boo can now run free of pain.   He can now chase the squirrels at full speed.   He can play fetch and chase blowing leaves.  He can join so many of the wonderful rescue's that are waiting for all of us on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.   We know that he is free of pain now, but we were not ready for it quite yet.   We will remember you as a wonderful companion, one that lived in pain but brought so much love and comfort to everyone else.   Thank you for spending time with us, Boo Boo.    Run free, you have earned it. 

Sunday we learned that Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies had received a donation in Boo Boo's name.   A donor had given a large quantity of glucosamine supplements and a walking assistance harness to fit Boo Boo and help him walk.   Thank you for the donation, it will go to another rescue that needs help.   We have too many older dogs in rescue these days, they will benefit from Boo Boo's donations. 

Everyone should get another pet this evening.   Chin Scratches for everyone and tummy rubs all around.  Everyone should get another treat this evening.   We never know how many pets and treats are left to us.  Enjoy while you can.

Mogley G. Retriever

Some rescue news

Boo Boo wanted the photo above as proof that he is a very distinguished, elderly golden gentlemen.   He has asked us to call him Bear.     His full name is Boo Boo Bear, but he does not think Boo Boo is fitting him well.   What do you think?    Has he earned the name Bear or perhaps Mr. Bear? 

Well, it has been a quiet week end here at the dog house.    We looked up the diary of fosters that we have had in our home.    Boo Boo Bear is the 75th foster we have had.    Roxie, who was adopted out two weeks ago, was the 73rd, and since she came back and left again, she may also be 76.  We are not sure if we get to count her in the number of fosters since she was still only one dog but she went through twice and was adopted out twice.    This time it is going to stick, she is doing wonderful in her new forever home.    Rescue is still going strong, we understand that we have another lady who will be joining us shortly, so she will be either the 76th or 77 rescue in our home. 

We suspect that Mr. Bear will be here a long time.   With his inability to walk, he is not going to find many people that want to adopt a dog that can't go on walks with them or play fetch.   He says it is fine, he is happy here and he has unpacked his bags.    He is quite happy being a permanent foster. 

Bear has been entertaining the house by chasing mice.    Mini Cat catches mice in the field behind the house and brings them in to play with.   Bear tries to take them away.   It is amazing how fast Bear can move when Mini Cat plays with a mouse just under Bear's nose.  Mini Cat likes to show off, so she brings them in where everyone can see how great a hunter she is.  Somehow during the last exchange of mice, Bear got a claw to the nose and his nose is still tender and dripping from time to time.  There was enough blood that the carpet machine had to come out.   Noses apparently do not heal rapidly.   The mouse got away, and we are still looking for it.    Mini does not get upset, she said she can get another.   The Paw Challenged One's were a little upset though,.  

Mini likes to hunt in the field behind the house, but at night the coyotes hunt there.    Now that the nights are getting colder, the coyotes are hunting closer to the homes.  The dog door is getting locked at night so that Mini does not go out after dark.

The Paw Challenged One has been busy in the basement.   He has a large number of fish tanks down there, and he has been busy with some new fish.   He picked up some extinct fish and endangered fish at a recent fish event.    Extinct?  Yea, that is what we thought too....    It turns out that they are only extinct in the wild and there was a effort to have people keep them to spread the gene pool and not keep too many of them in one facility.   So he has dedicated several tanks to them and is keeping records on them.   So if you want to see some "extinct" and endangered fish, just call us.    In the meantime, there is no more sushi on the menu.  

One more important item for our local readers.    Murdoch's Ranch supply is having a grand opening in Parker, through the 13th, they are selling the large bags of Nutro Dog Food at "Buy two, get one free".   So stock up, a house full of rescues eats a lot of food.

Mogley G. Retriever

All the news that will fit on a fire hydrant

Above, Boo Boo and Bella are waiting for TPCO to open the door.    It is a good comparison between a normal set of rear legs and Boo Boo's twisted and painful legs.   When his legs healed, about 3 years ago, they healed crooked, that puts sideways force on his ankles, so they are now giving way, and the twisted bones are also causing his hips to deteriorate.  He is too badly twisted to do remedial surgery at this time.   His future is very little movement and lots of pain pills.  Watching him walk is painful to all of us, he shuffles along, dragging his rear legs forward on each step because picking them up is too painful.   You can see below, that does not dampen his spirits.   He has taken over the spot between the computer desk and the toy bin, so he can get attention and toys at the same time.    He is a great cheerleader, he barks and tries to help when Bella and I wrestle, but he can't join in, he would probably hurt himself.   He is finding the right level of activity and pain medications so that he can do a few things without hurting.   He has again started going upstairs to sleep with the rest of us, for a while he was hurting too badly to make the trip up the stairs. 

We have not been leaving messages for the rest of you to sniff.   The Paw Challenged One (TPCO) has been tying up the computer all day with his writing, and then all night long I have to correct all of his errors.  They think he is a writer, but I do all the hard work.   Working my poor paws to the bone.   He thinks spell checkers and grammer checkers grow on trees.  

We have received several e-mails from Roxie, she is doing well.    She has taken several trips to the lake, and she has gotten to run in the river, before the snow arrived.   She even gets to sleep on the bed, nice and cozy.   She says she is happy being an only dog and getting all the toys to play with.   Here are several photos she has sent us to prove that her new home rocks!

 

Way to go Roxie!

Mogley G. Retriever

Update on Halloween Party and Forever Homes.

The photo above is quite a contrast from when Beth was our foster and just recovering from multiple health problems.    Her new home agrees with her so much she came to the Halloween Party as a bee.    A very busy, buzzing bee.    We were so happy to see that Beth and her family are having fun.    She has three golden sister and they were all there to enjoy the Halloween party together.   What fun to see her again.    What a joy to know that a very sick and miserable dog has become a queen bee.

So much news, so little time.   Last Thursday we took Roxie over to meet a possible new family.   Roxie has a habit of getting grumpy and not sharing toys well.    We took her over to Rescue Central to meet a family that wanted to consider her.     It was love at first sniff.   She really liked the  family and they loved her.    They wanted to consider taking an older golden with them as well, one they could hospice for.    Just then the rescue transport drove in and they delivered the cutest little 8 mo old Golden Retriever puppy you have ever seen.   It was love at first lick.    So it was decided, they would take Roxie and the puppy.   They threw a toy to the puppy, and Roxie turned into her old toy hoarding self and she growled at the puppy and sent him running to hide.    So Roxie growled herself out of a home in the high mountains, on 5 acres, with two streams, no fences between her and the far mountain peaks, daily runs in the forest and nights in front of a fireplace.  A dogs paradise, and she blew it over a toy.   The good news is that an older golden lady found a home where she will be the guide dog to train a puppy, and a puppy found a marvelous forever home in the high Rocky Mountains. 

Early this morning we lined up at the front door to go to the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Halloween Party.   The photo above shows us all lined up at the door to go.   Even Boo Boo is excited and jumping around.   But Boo Boo can't go.    His legs and ankles are in too much pain to have him going to a party where dogs are running all over and tennis balls are being tossed.    But Boo Boo did not want to stay, he jumped up on the human, the first time that his hind legs have supported him upright, he begged to go.   He whined terrible when we went to the car and he stayed behind the door.  So all four of us got to go to the party.    Below is Boo Boo at the party, he found a spot where he could lie down and keep watch on the madness that was all around him.

We had such a good time at the party, everyone, even Boo Boo was running around.    They kept Boo Boo confined a little, trying to keep him from walking.    Finally a lady came up, asking if she could meet Roxie.    She had come to the party just because she had heard Roxie's story and she felt that Roxie needed a chance in a home where she would be an only dog.    With two young daughters, Roxie decided that it was a pretty good offer.   A big back yard, and lots of hands to pet, they even allowed dogs on their couches and chairs.    Roxie was sold, and shortly she had sold them on the idea of a Dog named Roxie.   Below is Roxie, getting some love from her new mommy.  

We are so happy that Roxie has a new forever home.   We are happy for her and we hope she makes them proud to be Golden Parents.    We will miss Roxie, we were suspicious that Roxie was being hard to get along with on purpose because she wanted to stay with us, but she went with them without looking back.    Yea! Roxie.

While waiting for the costume parade, the treat machines were in operation handing out treats to all the good dogs.   The Pied Piper has nothing on these folks. To the far left you will see Boo Boo sitting, waiting his turn, with his pal Beth in the bee outfit.    Did we mention that Beth is now known as Winky, the house elf?  

Meanwhile, the costume parade was a hit.   Here are a few of the participants.

Above, our cousins went as Roman Chariot dogs.

Above, Moose came as a door stop.   Very fitting for him.    He has to be the worlds luckiest Golden.    He came in terribly overweight, it required many trips to the Official Golden Retriever Vet of the galaxy, Dr. Carpenter.   Moose was there so much and he was such a great lover that they adopted him.   Now he spends his days at the Vet's office, greeting visitors and giving love to anyone that needs it, then at night he gets to go home to constant attention as well.   We marvel that he is not bald, he gets so much attention that his hair should be worn off.

Just before we went home, we went to the nail clipping place.   There they discovered that I had broken a nail very badly, split it deeply.   It needed medical attention.   Luckily the Official Golden Retriever Veterinarian of the Galaxy was in attendance.  He drove down and opened up his office just for me.  Now I have a bandage on my foot and I have some new pain pills till the hurting goes away.   

Mogley G. Retriever