Hazel, seeking a forever home

Hazel has settled in and is ready to begin her search for a new home.  She wanted to share some of her history with you so that you would know her better.   She has not learned how to type, so she asked me to help her to tell her story.

Hazel said that in her old life, she was supposed to have lots of puppies for her owner.   She said he called himself a backyard breeder.  She spent most of her time in the chain link run in the back yard.   She says that she did not have time for socializing, she always had puppies to look after.  Sometimes it was very boring and she often chewed on the chain link fence or rocks in the run. 

Then one day they told her she was too old and she was going to be replaced by a younger golden.   She was taken for a long car ride and let off in a city.     They called it a street, and for several days she wandered.   Then the doggie police came by and took her to a place full of cages.    The accommodations were not great, but at least they gave her regular meals.   The doggie jail did not have room for her, so they turned over to a kind person that spoke softly to her and gave her lots of attention, and something they called "treats".  She was loaded into a car and she was on her way to Denver and the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. 

When she arrived at Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, she was taken to a nice veterinary for a physical checkup.   They performed an operation on her to keep her from having more puppies, and they even gave her a tummy tuck.   For several days she did not feel her best, but then she recovered and began learning about what her future might have in store for her.    She was going to have her picture taken, then a story would be put on something called the Internet.   Then she would find her perfect forever home.

In the meantime, she would go to a foster home where she would learn to live in a normal home again, and learn to play with other dogs.   Hazel said she has been socialized with dozens of puppies, but apparently that is not the same thing as being socialised with other dogs.  She would be evaluated to see what commands she knew, and how well behaved she was.  So last Saturday, The Paw Challenged One went across town and brought Hazel to our house to stay until she can find her perfect forever home.   And that is how Hazel came to stay with Bella and I.

She has been through a lot, but she has a wonderful attitude. She is proving to us what a wonderful lady she is.   She is starting to play with Bella and I.   Hazel likes squirrel chasing, she dashes out to the apple trees in a flash when a squirrel is threatening the apples in the trees.    She gets along with all three cats, she even helped Mini Cat chase a mouse today.   Mini brought a mouse in from the field and Hazel kept it from getting away.  It was funny to see Mini Cat and Hazel both chasing the mouse and then being on opposite sides of a chair waiting for the mouse to come out.  She is certified as Cat Friendly.  Even Sarah, who hates dog, gives Hazel an A+.

Hazel has very good dinner manners, she eats her meals slowly and she does not come bother our dishes.   She sleeps beside the bed.  The first two nights here she had some bad dreams and woke everyone up, but now she is settled in and she sleeps the night through.  She explained that she was having nightmares about crates, kennels, and lonely streets. 

Hazel loves toys, squeaky toys, stuffie toys, bouncy toys, even an empty plastic bottle is a toy when you have not had any toys for a long time.  Hazel is living with Bella and I, and three cats.   She is getting along great with everyone.   She loves attention and she is a Velcro dog, she sticks to anyone that will give her a pet or a soft word.   She walks well on a leash, she even knows her basic commands and she obeys them.   She has a great "sit", a good "down", and she has a fair stay, providing nothing exciting happens to interrupt her.   She does know "no", and stops dead in her tracks when she hears it. 

Sunday when the rest of us were swimming and playing, Hazel stayed dry.   She got in the water up to her knees, that was enough for her.   The Paw Challenged Ones decide she needed a bath so they got out the shampoo and gave her a bath while we swam.   It took her the rest of the day to dry her off.  

We will work with Hazel to do a write up to put on the web site.   The photos above should help her find her forever home quickly.   Lets all try real hard to find this lovely lady a wonderful new forever home.

Mogley G. Retriever

The great swim party!

The Paw Challenged One has been working on his movie skills.   He is not going to be a world famous director anytime soon, but he did get several clips of the water games we had this weekend.  He managed to edit them for length, he cut out the shots of his feet and the sky, but it was shot in high definition and he has not figured out how to reduce it yet.   It may take some time to load, be prepared.

River and Riley are the "Diving" dogs.   They don't like to waste time getting into the water.

 

There are three videos, but Blogger will only allow one video to be inserted in a blog.    When the second video is inserted, it replaces the prior one.   We may try a second blog to show another video of the diving dogs.

Enjoy The video, and see how we play pool.

Mogley G. Retriever

Not another foster?

Not another foster?   That was what all three cats said when Hazel arrived this afternoon.    The Paw Challenged Ones had driven over to Golden Retriever Rescue of Colorado to look at the new puppies and to see if there were any new dogs that needed a foster home.   There were goldens in need of temporary homes, and Ted was at the head of the list.   But Ted is totally blind and we were worried that he would walk off the edge of the swimming pool into the water without knowing it, the fence only goes around the pool stairs as our signal that it is not OK to swim, the rest of the pool is unprotected.   So Hazel came to stay with us till she can find a forever home that is up to her standards.    

If Hazel looks a little damp in the photos, it is only because she was inspecting the pretty green stepping stones that go across the Koi pond.   She tested them only to discover they would not hold her weight.  No one told her about water lilly pads, she went into the koi pond.   Hazel has a lot to learn, she was a breeder female and spent her life in a small pen having puppies, then watching them be taken away.   But she is learning fast.  

She is enjoying her new life of freedom and people.    She is an attention hound of the first order.  She loves attention, she is trying to make up for lost time by getting as much petting and as many treats as she can.   She knows a few of her basic commands, she will come, sit, and lie down, for about 10 seconds, then she is up looking for a hand to get a pet.    After dinner tonight we all had out finger of peanut butter along with our pills, she was really intrigued by the stuff on the finger, she was pretty impressed with the new level of attention and the new kind of treats.   Hazel is also a toy-a-holic.   She loves toys, all kinds of toys.   Stuffies, squeakys, bouncys and anything she can get in her mouth.    The cats forgive us for bringing her home, she is a perfect lady with cats. She has met all three cats and they all approve of her.   She has not discovered the Self Serve Apple Treat Tree yet, but she will soon, and then we will have to put her on a diet.

Wish Hazel well, and we will keep you up to date on her progress.  

Tomorrow is our rehearsal day, we are having a swim party with lots of our friends coming in to help us enjoy the pool now that it is almost back to clear again.     But it is just a rehearsal for next Saturday.    Next Saturday is the Annual Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic, tennis ball fetch, picnic and swim meet.     About 200 golden retrievers will gather at the park where we will fetch tennis balls in the lake, romp with our friends and meet many of our former fosters as they return to the reunion to tell us about their new homes.

Mogley G. Retriever