Thelma's Story

Thelma is the current foster visitor at my house. She is a wonderful companion and I will hate to see her go but we all understand that having a foster dog friend from the rescue is only temporary. The goal is to find a new Forever-Home. Sign on to the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies web site at http://www.goldenrescue.com/ and apply to adopt her. She is so special to us, we want to find her the perfect home.


Thelma and Louise were picked up as free running dogs in New Mexico. After several side trips they arrived at the GRR rescue in Golden Colorado. We think she is Golden and Labrador Retriever. We made her an honorary Golden Retriever. Thelma and Louise were treated by the veterinarians, spayed and prepared for their new life. They had a very high level of energy, they are estimated at 7-9 months old, they are puppies that have had a tough start on life. Thelma had kennel cough and she had trouble eating due to her stomach upset. Louise had already been adopted and Thelma was very alone and scared. What she needed was a chance to settle down, learn some manners and be evaluated for adoption.
Thelma has been a delight to have in our home. She is very active with a high energy level. At the same time, she can settle down and be very tranquil and well behaved when needed. She does not jump up on visitors, she does not get aggressive towards food or toys. She plays very well with her step brother, me, and step sister, Bella. At first she found a safe place in the house, she needed the comfort of a quiet corner. Now she is ready to run and play whenever she gets the chance. She is working on learning sit and stay. She is pretty good on the leash, she does not tug but she does get excited about other dogs going by. She is good with dog doors, she loves the freedom of coming and going when she wants to. She sleeps very quietly beside the bed.

We are convinced that she is older because she can be so calm when she wants to be loved. Her greatest skill is giving love and licks. Thelma is a lover, she will beg for attention, she will slip her head under your hand while you are reading, she will try and crawl up into your lap, very slowly so you won't notice the 70 pound dog now laying on you. She will mouth your hand to remind you that you have stopped petting her. She needs attention and when she gets it, she becomes very quiet and appreciative. She needs attention so badly that she will be very easy to train. She will do almost anything for a pat on the head. A hand full of dog treats is good, but a ear scratch or a tummy rub is heaven for Thelma. She pays close attention because she is working hard for your approval. She is very attuned to your tone of voice and hand motions, discipline is not needed with Thelma, she is motivated by love. A strongly worded "No" sends her into depression, a pat on the head brings bliss.


Her new family has to remember that she still has the puppy tendency to chew and lick. She is still a puppy and she needs to work her jaws. You may not have noticed, but dogs don't have fingers. They use their mouths to test things and to feel with. Mouthing is a very normal action and means she is learning and testing the world around her. That is why we give her special chew treats to work her jaws and give her an activity. She is an excellent watch dog, she barks when she is supposed to, she does not bark just to be heard. It will take a week or more for her to learn the rules of your home, then she will settle in and be an outstanding companion. Plan on doing some walking to keep her exercised, she will help you keep fit as well. We hope you will consider making Thelma an offer for a Forever Home. Help us find a wonderful home for this lovely lady.

Thank you,

Mogley G. Retriever

Working Dog!

I am a working dog. I work very hard for my dog food and an occasional chew treat. Even worse, I have to start work very early in the morning. I am usually at work by 6:00 A.M. Below is the picture of me working early in the morning bringing in the morning paper. Then my human sits down, puts his feet up and reads the paper while he drinks his morning coffee.

In spite of my hard work fetching papers, fetching tennis balls, fetching Frisbees, and fetching sticks, I get only occasional treats. That is why I like having help. Now that Thelma is here, she is working as an understudy to take over my fetching duties and give me a little rest.

Thelma is a great assistant and she is learning very fast. It is time to start looking for her forever home, she has been here long enough to settle down, she has learned some manners, mastered a couple of tricks, now it is time for her to move on in her life. Tomorrow I will try to put up a bio of Thelma, telling her whole story and helping a perspective new human meet her as a prospective new best friend. Tune in tomorrow for the whole picture.

Mogley G. Retriever

It's fun to be a dog!

With my temporary foster friend, Thelma, living with me, there is always lots of action in the house. Yesterday the humans went to dinner with friends. Ever since the Peanut Butter Caper, they have been afraid to leave us alone in the house. So they closed the dog door to keep us in the back yard while they went out to dinner without their loyal dogs. Thelma and I conspired to teach them not to mistreat their best friends. We found a cushion from the lawn chairs and proceeded to amuse ourselves by shredding it all over the lawn.

Now they know better than to mistreat us, we are sensitive animals. Locking us out only makes us want attention. We know how to get attention, it just costs you a couch cushion. This morning Thelma found an abandoned cat scratching post in the corner. When the human returned from morning errands, we had disassembled the scratching post as well. Below is Thelma with the remains of the scratching post.

Being a dog is great!

Mogley G. Retriever

Peanut Butter Trouble!

My loyal readers know that I, Mogley, am one of the worlds best behaved dogs. Twice a day all dogs get a peanut butter treat while I get my pill. Often when we are good and obey our commands, we get a lick of peanut butter instead of a dog bone as a reward. So there is always a jar of peanut butter somewhere in the house. Being the good dog that I am, I leave it alone, I know better. But Thelma is new to peanut butter treats and new to the rules of the house. Here is a picture of Thelma hiding in her Safe Place.

This evening when my human came home with some guests to show them what good dogs we are, they walked in the door and they smelled peanut butter, everywhere. Thelma had gotten the treat jar, which was almost empty, and chewed the cap off of it, then opened up the plastic bottle and cleaned it out. I helped a little, I did not want the carpet to get stained so I cleaned up after Thelma. Meanwhile she got on the counter, found a brand new bottle and took it into the back yard. She had just gotten the cap off of it when the humans arrived back home. Thelma was the last one to greet the humans at the front door, she had been in the back yard with the full bottle. When they figured out what had happened they immediately smelled our breath to see who had Peanut Butter breath. Thelma had peanut butter breath, and she had peanut butter all over her nose, up to her eyes. Bella was the only one that passed the test, she had dog breath, but no peanut butter breath to make her guilty.

Boy did we get yelled at. That is when Thelma went into her safe place and hid. Luckily the humans did not stay mad for long, they took us outside and threw balls and Frisbees for us to chase, they wanted to wear us out so we would stay out of mischief. Besides, they have a hard time staying angry at Thelma, she is so pretty and so loving. When you are that pretty and that nice you can get away with a lot, boy will Thelma and I have fun now!

Tune in again tomorrow for more exciting adventures with Thelma.

Mogley G. Retriever

Fun with Thelma

Having Thelma, the rescue foster dog, in the house sure is fun. We are having even more fun that our human wants us to have. Below is a family picture, Bella is lying down, with Thelma and I behind her. Thelma is the "Honorary" Golden Retriever in the picture.

How much fun are we having you may ask? Last evening Mini cat was sitting beside the swimming pool looking at the water. Thelma and I came up behind her and goosed her, pushing her into the pool. Mini somehow went into 6 feet of water, and came out in an instant with only her feet wet. Then Mini took off running across the lawn with Thelma and I in hot pursuit. That was fun! The bad news is that a human was watching and Thelma and I got yelled at a lot! The whole "bad dog" thing again, with shaking fingers and gruff words. It was worth it. Below is a picture of Mini cat, now dry, in the house.
Thelma is looking pretty sad in the following picture, she is learning "sit-stay" and she is having a hard time with the new commands. She hangs her head when she is unhappy. She does not care for doggy treats as much as she cares about praise. She gets very upset when she is told "no" and she is very happy when told she is a "good dog".

We are hoping that Thelma will be going to a "Forever Home" soon, she is so nice and special. She will make someone a wonderful lifetime companion. With her ability to learn fast and love of people she should be evaluated for becoming a "helper dog". No one has come forward, if you would like to help Thelma find her forever home, go to http://www.goldenrescue.com/ where you can sign up to adopt a rescue dog, or donate to help with the rescue program. Keep reading my blog to follow the adventures of Thelma as she searches for her "Forever Home".

Mogley G. Retriever

Exciting times at the Dog House!

Meet Thelma! A Black Golden Retriever?

We have a new foster dog and she is very, very special. Her name is Thelma; she is ½ of a pair that were named Thelma and Louise, for good reason. They were run-aways in New Mexico, picked up and placed in doggy jail, they were in mortal danger in a kill shelter so Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies spirited them away to the facility in Golden Colorado. They were sworn in as "Honorary Golden Retrievers". She really looks like a black golden. Sometimes we forget to mention that the Golden Retriever Rescue frequently has to swear in other breeds as "Honorary Goldens" so we can rescue and place them. They arrived with kennel cough, diarrhea and very tired. Louise was adopted almost immediately, but Thelma needed a couple of days to recover from her ordeal. What a story these two girls have to tell. Read more of their history at: http://www.goldenrescue.com/adopt.html then click on "Available Dogs", and on that page click on "Available Dogs". While you are there you could leave a donation for the wonderful group that rescues dogs all over the country.
When Mary told us we were going to get another foster, she described the foster to us with a lot of cautions. She said that she was a major chewer. Thelma had eaten one of Mary's shoes. She had even chewed up a Kong ball, instead of playing with it to get the treat out, she just tore it apart. Kong’s are considered indestructible, but not for this terror on four legs. She warned that this dog was a 7-9 month old whirling dervish, wild and uncontrolled. We were expecting her to hand us a dog on the end of a heavy steel chain.

Mary can be such a kidder at times, instead of sending us the dog she had described, she gave us Thelma. We picked her up early Tuesday morning. For most of Tuesday Thelma was so timid and scared that she tried to hide, shaking in fear in her new surroundings. She did chew a hole in a throw rug, but that was part of being afraid, she was using the rug as a pacifier. She had been through a lot in the last several weeks, she was even having trouble with her food. Wednesday morning my human had just sent in his e-mail report on her progress when he walked into the room and found a shredded Kleenex tissue box scattered all over the floor. He put us all outside while he cleaned up the floor. When he looked outside, he saw Thelma doing laps in the Koi pond. He quickly closed the dog door so we could not come inside until we had dried off.

By Wednesday evening Thelma was settled in and we were having fun. We ran and ran in the back yard, doing big circles. We had some serious tug-o-war games with the rope toys, life is good. I missed having a dog my own age to play with. Bella tires out to quickly, but Thelma can keep up. Here is a three way tug-o-war game. We all won!I almost forgot to mention that Thelma is a Glab, a Golden/Labrador mix. She has the best features of both breeds. If you like Goldens and you like Labradors, you will love Thelma! Far from being a wild terror, Thelma is very well behaved. She did not jump on guests at the door, she has not chewed up any furniture, and she did not even chase the cats. Her coat is like petting a cashmere sweater, it is long, thick, curly, a rich black and so very soft. The cats like her already and normally they take several days to associate with a new foster in the house. As you can see, she wrestles very well, she has me pinned already.
We are already dreading the day that she leaves. We think she is pretty wonderful, fun to play with, polite but with lots of energy. She is very smart and is learning her commands very quickly. My human says it is easier to train her when Bella and I sit first, then she follows us. He thinks he will have her basic commands in place in just a couple of days. She mastered the dog doors in minutes and is in and out of the house constantly.

She walked well on the leash, but my human does not expect too much in leash manners, I taught him that. I like to pull, even though I know better. Walking three dogs at a time is interesting. With Bella and me, walking on a leash is more of a sporting event than a casual stroll. I will be updating our life with Thelma soon, so keep watching.
Mogley G. Retriever

Piper and Emma

Update on Piper and Emma. Piper has made a great recovery. Piper has Addison's disease and her immune system is very weak. She takes lots of medications and has to have a shot as well. With her weakened state, she came down with Mange. She has been on medication for her mange since April first. She now has hair! She has always had very thin hair on her back and sides, with almost no hair under her chin and down her tummy. Suddenly she has a good coat all over. It has not grown out long yet, but it is getting thicker and she is looking much better. She will soon be looking like a real Golden Retriever. She has much more energy and plays harder. Emma is still Emma, she is a good friend, but not into playing and romping very much.

We took the fiberglass dog house over to Molly. She probably won't use it any more than we did, but maybe she will find a use for it. She has easy access to her house, there is a large porch, and she is never left outside for long. She came inside wet one day, they worried about her until they realized that the lawn sprinklers had come on while she was out, she had played in them. The dog house gives her one more place to go if she wants to.

We still do not have a foster Golden, we have helped move a dog, but we don't have one to stay yet. We keep hoping for a new playmate. Keep tuned, someone will be by soon.

Mogley G. Retriever

Play date!

Thursday we went to play at Molly's house. If you are new to my blog, Molly was a foster Golden kept by Jenny, our human's daughter. When Jenny and Bryan added a new foster, Piper, Molly began picking on Piper. Soon Molly started picking on everyone, Molly wanted to be an only dog. Piper was not in good health, and it was wearing her down. At the same time, a friend of ours wanted a dog for their family. So Molly went to live at Hope's house. She has been officially adopted as a forever dog!

We gave her a time to settle in before we went over to play. We had a good time, running and playing with her. She has a nice house, we had a tour of it, upstairs and downstairs. She has a big back yard with lots of trees, a long fence with squirrels running up and down it all day long. Molly told us the squirrels are slower here than they are at our house, she thinks that she will catch one soon. She also has a neighborhood red fox that visits from time to time. There are three teenage children to play with her and sometimes she gets three walks a day.

The back door has a big handle on it, if you stand up and push on the handle with a paw you can open the door and let yourself inside. It is not as good as a dog door, but it is OK. We turned the outside water bowl over and made a mess. Inside she has food and water dishes with a full food bowl all day long. She says she just eats a little when she has time while the children are away to school, that way she gets snacks all day long. Bella and I tried to help her empty the food bowl but the humans put us outside. It was fun seeing Molly again and knowing that another abandoned Golden Retriever has found a great forever home.

My human had an e-mail about picking up another abandoned Golden to bring home, I expect that shortly we will have company at our house again. Bella and I can hardly wait, it is so much fun to have a new playmate. We will keep you posted.

Mogley G. Retriever

Pool is open!

Things have been quiet around here, at least it was quiet until they uncovered the swimming pool. Several times over the winter I had been yelled at for running across the pool cover while it was frozen. When spring came I continued to run across it until I finally fell in. Once I had fallen through the canvass cover they took the cover all the way off. Apparently the humans put the cover on the pool to collect the dirty water, mud, leaves and trash that blow in all winter long, they then clean it off and clean water is underneath. When I broke a hole in it, all the dirt, mud, leaves and trash ended up in the pool. The pool is very dirty and brown colored now, with undefined things floating in it. The human thinks this is a bad thing. We went through several rounds of "bad dog" complete with finger shaking and gruff voices. I thought the pool was broken.

When I went into the house to show them that the pool still worked, they got real upset. I was just demonstrating to them that the water was Golden Retriever colored. The pool still worked just fine, swimming worked and the water was still wet. As a bonus, the golden colored pool water matches the carpet. They don't see things from the same viewpoint that I have. They got out the towels and dried me off, then closed the dog door so I can't run in and out when I am wet. They warned me that if I try to come in when I am wet they will lock me out.

There is nothing like an early morning swim to perk a fellow up. I will have exclusive use of the pool for a while, at least until they clean it up. I do wish they would turn the heater on, it is a little cool yet. it looks like a wonderful summer is on the way.

Mogley G. Retriever

Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion

Scenes from the Golden Retriever of the Rockies Reunion picnic. If you had a Golden Retriever, you could have been here to play with us! What fun we had.

Let me go back to the beginning:

Today was a really busy day. Early in the morning I noticed a Golden Retriever on TV. The local Channel 7 morning news broadcast was showing a Golden Retriever and one of the volunteers was talking about how Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies rescues Goldens, and how they place them with new forever homes. It was the first time I had ever watched the news with interest.

Bella and I were loaded in the car to go to the reunion picnic. I was a little worried, my human told me it was a combination reunion and dog swap meet, and he was going to swap Bella and I off for a new dog. I don't think GRRR would let him do that, still he has been acting strange lately.

We arrived at the Agility Center where the picnic was being held, along with over 100 other Golden Retrievers. Boy was it fun to see everyone in one place and to get to play together. You can see from the pictures how many dogs were playing. We even had a wading pool so we could play in the water. Tennis balls were flying and dogs were running after the balls and after each other. What a good time we all had! Luckily the human took a few pictures to show you what it was like. I got grumpy after a while and they made me wear my leash. Still it was a fun day.

It was fun watching people who were at their first picnic. Those of us that come regularly wear a colored scarf so we stand out. Several humans were wandering around trying to read name tags on collars, trying to find their own Golden in a sea of Golden Retrievers. We suspect that some people never did identify their own dogs in the middle of the mass of running and playing dogs, they had to wait until everyone left, then they took the Goldens that were left over home with them.

Allie was there, her new owner has a wonderful place for a Golden Retriever. She shares her new home with horses and she gets to ride in the little trotting cart behind the horses when they exercise. She has her own pond and stream to swim in. She was the envy of all the other dogs. It is so heart warming to hear about the success of the Golden Retriever Rescue placement program. Good homes for good dogs!

We still don't have another foster, but one will be coming soon. Keep tuned for more excitement.

Mogley G. Retriever

Democracy is not that great, for dogs!

I am not sure I like this Democracy thing. Bella and I told the human that the vote was two to one for him to take us to the big park so we can run. He told us that if we wanted rule by Democracy, we could have it. He said that it was the rule that votes were taken by a show of hands. Since we don't have hands we don't get to vote. That was very unfair of him, we pushed for a vote by a show of paws. Following that standard, Bella and I rolled over and showed him the vote was eight to nothing to go for a run in the park. He agreed but warned us that voting by a show of paws was going to get us in trouble. After we came back from the run we asked when our new foster buddy was coming to visit?

The picture shows me voting my four paws for another foster to come visit.

He said "that has to be put to a vote." We called for a vote by a show of paws as to whether or not to allow another foster dog to come live with us. He called the three cats in and they voted as a block, the vote was twelve to eight against having another dog come stay. We were devastated. Then he suggested that if we agreed to stop eating all the catnip toys, maybe the cats would relent and allow a new dog to visit. We each made a solemn pledge not to eat all of the catnip toys, if the cats would vote with us to allow a new dog in the house. So we were given a small victory. We can have more foster dogs, but they have to agree not to chase the cats and none of us can eat cat toys.

Below is a picture of Bella trying to influence one of the cats (Mini) to vote with the dogs.

This Sunday, April 27th is the GRRR reunion party for all of us rescue dogs. We are really excited about being able to see all of our friends again. We can run and play together while the humans do whatever humans do at these kind of things. Mostly they eat, drink and yell at us when we are running or playing too hard. Humans must put a quota on fun and once we exceed our quota for the day they make us come and lie at their feet. I will probably exceed my quota in the first half hour. I may be lying on the hard concrete for a long time.

See you all there!

Mogley G. Retriever

Spring is here!

I am still very sad that Daisy is not here to play with me. We really had fun playing. I forgot to tell Daisy's new family that Daisy likes to eat ice cubes. She was trying to learn how to work the ice cube vending machine on the front of the refrigerator. Piper and Emma went home leaving Bella and me alone.

My joy is that the lawn sprinklers were turned on today. To test the sprinklers they run them in the daytime when I can play. Later in the year they will come on at some weird hour of the night and I don't always want to wake up and play in the dark. It is fun to play in the sprinklers, then come in and wake up the sleeping human while I am still dripping wet.

In just a few days they will be taking the cover off of the swimming pool. Last year I was still a little hesitant about deep water. This year I have learned how to swim real well. Just wait till it is open. I hope they like the smell of "wet dog" in the morning. Daisy would love to play with me in the pool and the sprinklers, she was a real water dog!

We are only a few days from our first Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion party for the year, I hope that Daisy, Stella and Alie come, it would be fun to see them all again. Remember, it is April 27th, at the Reunion of the Fosters ! My human says that I need to catch up on my rest because there will be someone new coming to visit soon. There will be a new foster dog to play with, another foster dog to help along the way too a new Forever Home. Keep reading, a new adventure is just around the corner.

Mogley G. Retriever

Missing Miss Daisy

Several people have asked me about Miss Daisy Duke. I had not written about Daisy because I am very sad that she left, and my computer caught a bad case of fleas in the keyboard. Or maybe there was fleas in the power supply?

Daisy has a new home, a family with a nice place with lots of green grass to run in. Two teenage children to spoil her, and several friends in the neighborhood already. I miss her terribly, she was lots of fun to play with. My human keeps reminding me that being a foster dog friend means we have to take in dogs that need help, find them homes, then turn them over so there is room for another foster dog in our home. We think there will be another dog (or two?)coming Monday or Tuesday, so I won't be lonely long. Still, it is very hard to give up a friend that you enjoy so much. Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, GRRR, has over 30 Goldens in the system at any given time. Over 30 dogs a month come in and are placed in new homes. All by volunteers who give their time, their homes and their love to dogs in need.

Piper and Emma are staying with me to help me get over missing Miss Daisy. They will be here for another day and then their parents come back from a wedding at Georgetown and they can go back home. Piper and I play well, so I still have someone to play with after Bella tires out.

The last word we had from Daisy's home was that they were taking Daisy down to the pet store so she could pick out some new toys. Daisy's new parents sent Bella and me each a can of new tennis balls and a large box of treats to help us get over our loneliness. I have never played with a brand new tennis ball before, I have always had second hand tennis balls. We each got a sample of the new treats, they were yummy. Thank you, we now have something to remember Daisy by.

Each foster dog that has come through our lives has made an impact and left behind wonderful memories. We wish we could keep them all, but giving up friends to wonderful families is a reward as well. Daisy's new family was so thrilled with her, and so happy to have a Golden in their lives again. They understand how special Daisy was. My human says that being a foster parent is wonderfully rewarding and terribly heart breaking.

We all wish Daisy a great life.
Mogley G. Retriever

Squirrels in trees amd Fleas in Keyboards

If you are wondering what is so interesting in the tree, scroll down the page and see. This is how we spend our days. Chasing squirrels and fetching Frisbees.

The resident human told me that the computer keyboard has fleas again. That is the excuse he uses whenever the computer does not work right. Then he blames me for the fleas. I did not think it was fleas at all, I think it was because Bella and I had a tug-o-war with that thingy with the wires that comes out of the back of the computer.

He took the computer to the shop and the service man pointed to teeth marks in something called the power supply, apparently it was that warm square thing with the wires. Now they are going to blame me for tearing up the power supply. It is not fair, they just don't make computers like they used to when I was a pup.

Please forgive my typing. The computer that is normally on the fireplace hearth where I can reach it is dead, he is out shopping for a new one. Meanwhile I have to use the big desk top machine and the keyboard is too high in the air for me to use very well. It is hard to type and read the screen at the same time when I have to stand on my hind legs to get to it. I will be back as soon as the new computer arrives. He is threatening to keep the new one our of my reach. He would not do that, would he?

Mogley G. Retriever

Perfect Dog?

I knew I would win. My human thought the visiting foster dog, Daisy Duke, was the perfect dog. I used to be the perfect dog, then she came. I knew she was on her best behaviour for the first few days, then the real Daisy would appear. He wrote a flowery letter to tell perspective forever home's how wonderful she was. The truth is now out. She is not the perfect dog.

Daisy mastered the dog door today, she spent most of her time just going in and out. She liked the freedom that the door gave her to do as she wished. Daisy has made friends with the cats, including Buddy, "Buddah" Cat. The picture below is why we call him Buddah Cat.

Daisy is a fetch-a-holic. She does a good job of catching balls in the air, she would probably make a good Frisbee dog. She brings balls to him all day long. At first it is fun, but after a few hours the human was tired. If he ignores one ball, she brings another, then another. Soon his chair is full and she is shoving the balls towards him, insisting he play. Us perfect dogs know when enough is enough!

I ran outside to have a drink from the Koi pond, Daisy followed me and was a little too curious. I tried to tell her it was too cold to go swimming, but Daisy had to test the water. The human looked out the window just in time to see Daisy walk down the steam and swim across the pool, climbing out dripping wet on the other side. With snow on the ground the human was worried about Daisy freezing. He grabbed a bunch of towels and started drying her off. All he did is make a wet dog that smells like fish into a damp dog that smells like fish. So now we have to sleep with fish smells all night. At least it is better than sleeping with the sissy smell of the new shampoo.

Earlier we went down to the big dog park. At first Daisy was on a leash while the human tested if she would come back when called. After a few tests, Daisy was allowed to run free. We did not run very far, it was still very cold out, snow was still covering the ground and the wind was blowing. It was fun for us all to run and sniff. Daisy needs some more work on the leash, she likes to pull a little.

We do have some people that are intersted in giving Daisy a Forever Home. The GRRR people are checking them out to make sure they are good people. Then we will take Daisy to meet them to see if she approves. Wish us luck on our quest and click on a link to the left to visit the GRRR web site to see how you can help.

Barks and wiggles to all,

Mogley G. Retriever

Adopting Miss Daisy:

A Letter from Daisy’s foster family to her future Forever Family: Photos below.

Daisy Duke is too good to be true. She is absolutely beautiful in appearance and behavior. Seldom do you have a young dog (16 months) that is so well behaved that you think she is much older. She does not have the puppy tendencies to mouth everything, to jump on people to welcome them or to tear things up, although her own toys are fair game. She has passed her level one obedience; she remembers it and even has her diploma. Tell her to sit or lie down and she does. She has the official "House Cat Seal of Approval" issued by all three resident cats. She is housebroken and asks at the door to be let out, she has mastered dog doors and really likes her freedom of movement. She is a lover and would gladly be a lap dog, but only if you first extend an invitation. She is a beautiful lady with impeccable manners, her coat is very nice, and her face is very expressive. She can ask questions with her eyes and ears.

When the door bell rings she will bark twice at the door, once she has performed her official guard dog duties she will run and hide. When she meets you and sniffs you, she will be your buddy. She is cautious about new things, so take it slow with her in a new environment. Let her get acquainted at her own pace.

She is a very big dog, she is 75 pounds now and she has not filled out fully. She lived with two small children and she would knock them over from exuberance. She has a huge amount of energy and keeping the cork in the bottle will require a family that is very active, but you needed exercise anyway didn’t you? She will need a good assortment of toys, she is a play girl. Fetch is one of her best games, so have a strong throwing arm. She keeps bringing balls to my chair to throw, if you ignore her she will fill up your chair. Remember she has a very high energy level and she will not allow you to ignore her.

Miss Daisy does not do crates, cages, runs or chain tie-outs. She needs to be a full fledged member of the family. If that is not what you want, go to the local dog pound for your adoption, that is not the way to treat a Golden Lady.

She needs regular spa treatments, she likes to look her best. Tummy rubs and ear scratches help her relax after a hard day. We will miss her a lot when she goes to her forever home. We hope her new family appreciates the gem that they will have. Take care of her and give her extra love, she is a very special Golden Retriever!

Thank you,
Foster Parents

We have posted a few pictures of Daisy below for all to enjoy:

Snow Dogs

This morning we woke up to snow on the ground and more falling. With Daisy visiting us as a foster dog, I had hoped for a nice warm day to run and play. Instead we get new white snow to romp in. The top picture shows Daisy attacking Bella. We ran and played in the fresh snow until we got too cold and wet, then we went in the house and dried ourselves on the humans’ trouser legs. I have posted a few pictures of the three of us rough housing in the snow and in the house. The two pictures of Daisy Duke alone are for her scrapbook.

In the photo above, Daisy is showing me her Kujo imitation. She is on top of me, Bella is in the rear and I am on the floor. Daisy is doing well, she continues to show her nice manners, at dinner time she eats slowly and daintily, no food aggression. We all eat out of our own bowls, no grabbing or pushing for food. Daisy is very shy, when strangers come to the door she barks once and then runs to hide. It takes her a while to accept new people.

Mini black cat likes to run in front of us and get a chase going when she is bored. Daisy is more than willing to play that game. We enjoy having Daisy; I am going to ask my human to stall putting Daisy on the adoption web site so we can have more time together. We want to find her the perfect forever home, but not right away, we are having too much fun! Whoever adopts Daisy Duke needs to have a super lot of energy because she is a bundle of play. He says if he stalls then he may not give her up, she is so sweet, so he does not want to stall. If you know someone that needs the perfect dog, go to the GRRR web site and visit us.

Happy tails to you,

Mogley G. Retriever

Four dogs, two dogs, then three dogs

It was getting lonely around here. Piper and Emma went home on Tuesday. That leaves just Bella and me, alone. The picture below shows Piper and me with the best tug-o-war toy there is, a piece of large rope with knots tied in it. It has lasted for a long time and it gives room enough for all four of us to tug at once.
While Bella and I run and play together, it was so much more fun when there were four of us. I complained to my human, he told me that he would arrange for some company. Wednesday we took a ride in the car to meet Daisy Duke. Daisy was a surrender dog that we are going to foster to learn about her and help match her to her perfect new home. Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) had made arrangements. The family surrendering Daisy was very sad to see her go, but Daisy had proven to be more dog than they could handle. “More dog” means she is 75 pounds now and still not filled out. With two small children in the home, an active 75 pound, 16 month old dog was more than they could handle. No one was home most of the day and the Daisy had too much energy built up by the time they got home. The picture below is our first portrait together. I (Mogley) am on the left with Daisy in the center and Bella laying down.
Daisy was very shy at first, even scared of the two of us. We wrestle and fight constantly, at first she just watched us from the distance. Then she tentatively joined in. In less than an hour she was in the middle of a three way wrestle match. Bella is on the left, I am in the center, Daisy is on the right, with her new pink collar.
I am a little jealous, my human described Daisy as “The perfect dog.” I thought I was the perfect dog! He told the rescue people that Daisy was very healthy, very beautiful, and very active; she has had her basic obedience training and has the certificate to prove it. She does not jump up on people, she is very well mannered. Well mannered, but very energetic! Daisy gets along with children and she is cat friendly, the three resident cats have already approved her.

I will let you know what happens. Tune in for more exciting stories from the home of Daisy, the foster dog. If it is anything like the last foster visitors, Daisy will not be here long. Allie was here less than two days and she was adopted, Stella was here four days and she was adopted. I will probably just get to play well with Daisy and she will go to her forever home also. Go to the GRRR web site, there is a link on the left of the web site, help Daisy find her forever home!

Licks, wags and wiggles.

Mogley G. Retriever

Muddy again!

We all got into trouble on Saturday. He took us down to the big park to get some exercise. He carefully took us to the opposite end of the park from the stream and the water. He said he did not have time to give all four of us baths. Some readers may not know that Emma can really run when she wants to, here she is trying to catch up with us after we headed for the far end of the park and she was afraid she was being left behind.

As soon as we could get away we headed as fast as we could run for a swampy wet place that he did not even know about. There was an old drainage ditch that did not have any water in it, but there was still a thick layer of gooey, smelly, thick, black mud. Mud that got between our toes, mud that worked into our fur, mud that took two shampoo washes to get out. Mud that we tracked into the SUV when we climbed in to go home. My paw prints are on the front seat. Boy mud is fun!
After our baths, we had to spend the day inside to dry, it was getting chilly outside. I don't understand, we run and play in the snow and freezing water, but after they wash us with warm water they don't think we can go outside until we are totally dry. Strange.

Licks, wags and wiggles.

Mogley G. Retriever

A Clean House?

My humans are always apologizing to guests for having a messy house. They point to the four Goldens (Bella and I, along with our visiting cousins, Emma and Piper) in the house and ask the guests “what do you expect with these four in the home”?

Let me set the record straight. A clean house is the sign of a house without enough Golden Retrievers in it! If the house is clean, then there is room for one or two more. So call your local rescues and give a dog a home! What would you rather have, a clean house or licks, wags and wiggles greeting you at the door? In the words of Bill Cosby, "Come On People," get your priorities straight. This is your Golden Opportunity to adopt another dog.
The picture above shows how Piper fights unfairly. She is half the size of Bella and me, so she climbs up on the furniture and jumps down on us, or just sits up there and bits us as we go by. Because she is a guest she gets special privileges. If I get on the furniture I get yelled at. Below is Piper looking pretty pleased with herself for being on the furniture and getting away with it.
The human visited Molly yesterday and brought back a report. Molly is doing well in her new home, she says “hi” to all of her friends. Molly has two teenage boys that play with her and take her for long walks. She has a teenage girl that spoils her beyond belief. She has a big back yard and she is only a city block away from a large lake and a big park. Her favorite trick is when humans ask her “Molly, what would you rather be, a dead dog or a Democrat?” She rolls over and plays dead. She says that trick is always good for a tummy rub or a treat bone. She is a happy dog, thank you very much!

I got into a pack of trouble on my last walk in the big no-leash park. All four of us were running down the path when we passed a baby stroller. My human was a long way back, so I reached into the stroller and stole a mouthful of toys and blankets. Boy did they yell at me. The lady pushing the stroller yelled, my human yelled; talk about a lot of noise. They went into that whole “bad dog!” thing again, you know the one, shaking fingers, grabbing my loot out of my mouth. What is it about baby strollers anyway? If you ask me, humans are too protective of their puppies. They don’t even teach them how to sniff each other properly, no wonder they grow up and only know how to shake hands when they meet.

Licks, Wags and Sniffs,
Mogley G. Retriever

Visit to the Vet

Having three friends to wrestle with is great. I can get a fight going any time of the day or night. This photo shows Piper biting my leg while Bella bites me on the elbow. Emma is just standing there, she is probably afraid she will mess up her hairdo.

With spring coming on we spend more time outside running and wrestling. The human even locks us outside sometimes so we will get more fresh air. Here is a picture of Bella trying to push me around. I fought back and gave her a big shove, then I opened my mouth and showed her what big teeth I have. I am doing my Kujo impersonation.

I am spending a huge amount of time visiting veterinarians. Tuesday morning Piper and I went to the Arvada West Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Carpenter takes special care of me, he is the first vet I saw after I was rescued from the veterinarian that was going to put me to sleep. He is also the one that gave Piper some little pills that make her feel better when he diagnosed her with Addison's disease. So we dogs all like going to see him.

My human tired to be funny, it was April Fools day, he tried to convince the nurse that we were two Golden St. Bernard's, here for our growth hormone shots. No one believed him, his lips were moving.

Piper had her medicine reduced, she gets smaller pills now, they are almost as small as mine. Piper still has to have a monthly shot, but that makes her feel better so it is worth it. Piper was given a new medicine to cure something called Demodex. It is a tiny mite that grows on her skin because the medications she takes for her Addisons suppresses her immune system. She had several bare spots on her skin and she was itching. Apparently it is not contagious, but it is able to grow when the immune system is not working well. They explain all of this so well that even my human could understand.

My visit to the vet did not change anything for me. They still won't tell me why I have to go to so many different vets so often. They gave me a heart worm medicine so I won't catch any thing nasty this summer if a mosquito bites me. I can't complain, they give me good treats and head pats. Why do the veterinarian offices all have better tasting treats than I get at home? The nurses even took me out for a walk when I was getting fidgety and tired of waiting for my human chauffeur to show up in the car. This picture shows me, Piper and Bella with our heads out the window leaving the Vet's office, heading home.

Dogs should get their own cars, we spend too much time waiting for a human to take us to the dog park. They always want to leave before I am tired of running and playing. If dogs had cars, there would be more windows in them, and the windows would open wider. Convertibles would be ideal, then we could get some wind in our ears.

Licks, Wiggles and wags;

Mogley G. Retriever