Adventures of Ellie

Ellie has come to stay with us and be our foster dog until Golden Retriever Rescue finds her a Forever Home. She is only 5 or 6 months old, still quite small, mostly white coat but she has golden ears, and she is soooooooo cute! She is a real human lover and spends a lot of time trying to snuggle up to the humans in the house. Bella and I are letting her get away with it because she has been through a lot and we like her a lot. Here is a picture of us as we are leaving the Rescue Kennels, waving good by to Mary and starting Ellie towards a new life.

I will be writing more later today, we had an exciting first evening and morning together. Wait until you read all of the fun we had. Watch for the next news flash! In the meantime you may click on this link and go to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies to see more pictures, find out more about her and other homeless dogs. http://www.goldenrescue.com/available.html

Mogley G. Retriever

A Foster Sister!

Mary sent us an e-mail asking if we had room at our house for a nice little girl. We e-mailed back that we did. This evening we drove across town and picked up Ellie at the shelter. We are still getting acquainted with her, but so far she is a very nice room mate. She is only 5 months old. She is full of puppy energy and she plays very well. Mary told us she is part collie and part golden. She is very white, with tan ears. I will tell you more after we have time to get acquainted. After two hours its bed time and we will have to go to sleep soon. I just could not contain my excitement about having another foster golden stay with us while we search for the perfect forever home. Tell your friends to get ready to fall in love and adopt this little girl, she is still a puppy, but she is learning her manners, she is very cute and has a loving disposition. Boy will it be easy to find a forever home for her. You will want to put your name on the waiting list.

I will write more tomorrow and have some pictures too!

Mogley G. Retriever

Swimming Lessons

Early Sunday morning I was playing along the edge of the pool. Suddenly I fell in the pool. Instead of swimming to the steps to get out, I tried to climb out the side, finally the human grabbed me and pulled me out. That convinced him that it was time for swimming lessons. He said that I had to learn to swim to the steps where I could walk out.

In just a short time (in dog minutes) my step grand sisters arrived to take part in the lessons as well. Piper and Emma said it sounded like a fun idea to them. The humans wanted us to learn how to swim to the steps so we could walk out of the water. They threw balls and even held treats out to motivate us to get in and out of the water. Piper did not swim well at first, she paddled with her front feet but her rear legs just hung in the water. With Pipers thin hair she looked like a wet otter in the water. Soon we were all swimming and playing in the water. Bella and Emma did not like swimming, they preferred to lay in the sun.


Above, Piper and I swim while Emma and Bella give us tips on how to stay dry. It was sure a fun day. Now I know how to go swimming when ever I want to. It is going to be a wonderful summer.

Mogley G. Retriever

Exciting Week End

It has been such an exciting week end that I will have to write about it in several blogs. Saturday morning Piper and Emma came over, we all jumped into the big car and we drove down to the big dog park. Five miles of open fields, streams and woods. We saw horses and lots and lots of other dogs.

Then we came to the river. It is not as big a river as it was when the snow was melting earlier, but it is still a fun place to run and romp. The humans took a lot of pictures and I wanted to share them with you. It is so much fun to run and play in the shallow water with your friends. Several other dogs came by but they were not water dogs, they just stood on the bank and watched us.




To get to the clean stream we have to go by the dirty, muddy swamp. When we left the swamp we were black dogs. When we arrived home we were still wet, very muddy and messy. We went right to the back yard and we had baths. All four of us were wet again, but clean. In the hot dry air, we dried off very quickly, all of us except Emma. Emma has an extra heavy coat and she stays wet for a long time. We had naps then woke up for some more play. When Emma and Piper finally went home, Emma was still wet. All the rest of us had been dry for hours.

Dogs just want to have fun!

Mogley G. Retriever

Update on our Foster Friends

We received a message from the nice family that took in Dixie. We are so happy that she has a happy forever home. This is what makes fostering so worth while! Even though it was written by a human, it is still a good letter...


"You can tell Mogley and Bella that "Dixie" is doing magnificently! Yeah, she was a bit confused and skittish the first day at her forever home, but ever since, she's becoming a tighter part of the family with each day. Her first day with our family was pretty busy. After a full day of meeting a lot of people and dogs at GRRR, she got to attend a 12 year old baseball game. "Dixie" was a bit overwhelmed when approached by masses of people hoping to make her acquaintance, but she settled in nicely. Fortunately, there was a dog park at the ball field complex so "Dixie" got to loosen up a bit. Dixie was also happy to know that we've been caring for a Chesapeake/Lab (Layla) mix while her parents are out of town on an extended trip. Layla and Dixie quickly became friends and they've been playing sun up to sun down every day. They play an assortments of games each day from wrestling, to fetch to spirited games of tug-of-war. I've attached a few photos of some recent tugging contests.
Dixie does indeed have a lot of energy. But, she's no match for this family with three teenage boys and two active parents, all enthusiastic dog lovers. (More example pictures attached.) Her routine has included daily morning runs, and sometimes two morning runs, playing with the boys and Layla throughout the day and an evening obedience walk. In the mix has been some off leash training at the local dog park. We're pleased to report that Dixie has become very refined in heeling, sitting and staying. Plus, she's now giving her paw upon command. She's a sharp, loving gal, and she's very eager to learn. And with all of the time she gets to spend in the park behind our home, she's meeting a lot of new dog and human friends along the way.


Rest assured that Dixie is getting a lot of love and a lot of exercise. While we know she misses her friends, those friends should be happy to know that Dixie has found herself a very loving and caring forever home. Her personality continues to emerge with each day, and that personality includes the fact that she is a snuggler. We are THRILLED to have her as a part of our family. Thank you for taking such great care of her in preparation for many years of love and affection in our home. We hope to reunite Dixie with all of her friends at the GRRR reunion later this summer.

Below: Dixie is a snuggler!

Playing hard can really wear a girl out!

Boring Life

It has been very boring the last few days. Just Bella and I to play together. The human says we are just laying around, we don't do anything. He says we are just depressed because we lost our friends. He took us to the big park to let us run off leash to see if exercise would help. It did help, we were wild dogs for several hours, then we were lazy again. We miss our friends Dixie and Thelma. We have not heard from them since they went to their new forever homes. We hope they are doing well. We gave them my e-mail address, I hope they check in soon.

We hope another foster dog will be placed with us soon. In the meantime the human takes us everywhere in the car, trying to keep us busy and keep us from getting in trouble. We got to run in the water down at the stream, the river is nice and clear now, the spring run off is over, so we came home clean dogs after playing. The human forgot his camera so we will go again tomorrow to take pictures.

Mogley G. Retriever

Two Forever Homes

Thelma and Dixie both went home to their new Forever Homes today. I have several pictures of us having a three way tug-o-war before Thelma and Dixie left to go to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies to meet with their prospective new humans.

The best tug toy is still the old rope with knots tied every foot all the way down it. It allows several of us to get a good hold for a wild game of tug-o-war. No matter how hard we tug we can not hurt it.

These are our last photos of Thelma and Dixie before they left. Both of them have new homes that sound wonderful. We hope they will keep in touch with us, we will miss them a lot but we are very happy they now can move forward to enjoy the rest of their lives.

Good Luck to Thelma and Dixie and thank you to the humans that came forward. Only two families could take them home, but several others came to meet them and wish them well.

Thanks again to all who help find homes for homeless dogs, thank you to those who help run the "no-kill" shelters and rescue groups all over the country.

Now we are waiting for our next foster guests to arrive.

Mogley G. Retriever

Fathers day surprise

Don't tell the human but his puppy's have a surprise for him. He says he does not want any more "stuff" for Fathers day, so they are planning on giving a donation in his name to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. That is a great gift for all of us homeless dogs. All they have to do is click on the link on the left of my blog.

We all went to the big park for a run yesterday. Dixie had to drag her leash and it was a good thing. She did not come back well, she got so excited with the big park and all the other dogs to run with that she just ran and ran, not away from us, she kept close, but she did not come back well. So he grabbed her leash and made her walk with him. Thelma did wonderful off leash, she kept within just a few feet of the rest of us at all times. Dixie will do better next time, she just has to learn to stay with the pack.

If you are wondering what to give your father for Father's day, give a gift to the local shelter or rescue, he will love it and some homeless dog will love it too.

Mogley G. Retriever

Rainy Day Dogs

It has been raining for the last two days. Four energetic dogs playing in the house is making the humans a little nervous. They keep yelling at us to go outside. We go outside then they yell at us when we come in wet. Why can't humans make up their minds? Finally they take us for a ride to try and calm us down. The big park was too muddy, the human would not let us out to run in the mud, that would have been fun. All we have to show for a rainy day is these pictures of us in the car. Thelma tried to peek out but she could not find space in the window very often. Thelma is on the left, I am in the middle, Bella is on the right.
Below, Bella has shoved Thelma out of the window, Bella is on the left, I am in the center, Dixie is on the right.
My human says that the hardest thing in the world to do is to pet one dog. He has a point, when he tries to pet one of us, the other three push in to get their share. He has to pet all of us or we get into a fight.

Saturday is going to be an active day. We have several people that want to meet Thelma and Dixie, maybe one of them will be an ideal Forever Home. If nothing else, we will get to spend a day at the Golden Retriever Rescue center playing with other dogs.

Wish Thelma and Dixie luck and hope they find a wonderful Forever Home. We already are feeling bad about losing them, it is a lot of fun to have them here.

Mogley G. Retriever

Fun in the sun

Thelma and Dixie engage in an early morning fight, both are ready to fight to the death, teeth bared, claws sharp. Just when they were ready to inflict mortal wounds on each other they heard their breakfast bowls being filled. Who can fight on an empty stomach?
Thelma has come so far in the three weeks she has been here. Thelma and her sister Louise were picked up in New Mexico, running loose. They had a long car ride to Denver, they arrived at Golden Retriever Rescue with diarrhea, kennel cough, tired and very scared, they had lost much of the trust in humans that makes the dog/human relationship so special. She got into trouble in her first home by chewing shoes. When she arrived at our place she even chewed up a cushion because she was scared and nervous. Then she learned that even if she was bad she still had a home, the human would not hurt her, they would not move her. She stopped her nervous chewing as she relaxed and learned that life can be very good if you have a nice home. Today the human was laying on the floor watching TV, I was laying at his head, Bella was warming his feet and Thelma was laying down his side, his one hand was scratching her tummy and she was making cooing sounds of happiness. He is threatening to rename her "Velcro" because he can not get her away from his side. She has come so far, she has changed so much. We hope that whoever gives her a forever home understands how hard she has worked to be accepted and how much she craves love and attention. Here is Thelma in the tall grass, pretending to be a wild a dog.

We have had several people ask about Thelma and Dixie. One person was leaving on a trip and would not be back for several weeks. One person is remodeling a house and wants to wait till that is done. Another person is just looking, they have not decided what kind of dog they want. Thelma and Dixie are feeling very bad, they want to start life in their new homes right away, the longer they wait the harder it will be on them to leave their foster home.

Go to the web site and tell your friends to go. There are many lonely homeless dogs that need new homes, today. Help us find our forever homes, please. There are shelters and rescue organizations all across the country. Take a moment to help.

Mogley G. Retriever

Two Fosters' need homes!

With four young dogs in the house, we are having a ball. In fact we are having six tennis balls worth of fun. We have some pictures of us at play, running, wrestling and fighting. We now have two foster friends that we need homes for. Last night we learned that one foster home has 19 foster Goldens, people are surrendering dogs faster than we can find homes for them. See the pictures and then read more on the "dog explosion". Below is our newest foster friend, Dixie, she is looking over her shoulder, hoping to see a forever home she can go to.
Below two of us wrestle with Thelma, front left is Dixie, on the right is Bella. I am taking the picture, I hope the human does not find out I stole his camera.

Dixie is with us because she proved to be a hand full at her home. She is well mannered, but she is extra high energy and when that energy is couped up, she finds things to get into. Many people do not realise the high energy level of a young Golden Retriever. We take a lot of exercise to keep us from inappropriate behaviour such as chewing, barking, etc. Our house has multiple dogs to keep one another occupied, after playing together we don't have the energy to do anything wrong. If you don't have the energy to exercise a dog, consider an older golden, they are quite happy to go for a short walk and then lay at your feet. They are house trained, they have learned their commands and are ready to help you enjoy life. You can help an older, golden dog have golden years. There are many well trained and well behaved older dogs available. Below Thelma and Dixie are in a fight to determine the world champion dog wrestler!

Thelma is proving to be a low maintenance, moderate energy friend. She plays well but not as long and hard as the rest of us. She would work well with a quieter household. She went to meet a prospective forever home last night, but we don't know what they will determine. Thelma said she liked the person and she liked the idea of being on a ranch. We hope they come back for her. Below we find Dixie after she has worn out from playing, she found a cool shady spot in the dirt to rest and watch the other three dogs run. Keep tuned for more chapters in the on-going soap opera, "As the Doggies Play". If you know someone that is looking for a Golden Friend, contact GRRR (there is a link on the left). They have over 35 Golden Dogs that are looking for homes. Many of them are not on the web site yet as they are still being evaluated. Contact our staff and ask them to find you the perfect match. They know the dogs, if you will tell them your needs, they will find you the perfect dog! Just relax and leave the retrieving to us.


Mogely G. Retriever

Happy Days

It has been a very busy week. Our new foster golden retriever has arrived, she is only about 16 months old, and a wonderful friend. Now we have two homeless dogs that we have to find homes for. There are four of us now, we are really having fun. My human has been busy so we have not taken any pictures. Watch tomorrow and we will show you four fun dogs. Thelma still has not been given a forever home. We are wondering what happened. She is such a nice friend. She tries so hard to do what she is told, she wants to please so bad. When the human speaks she listens intently, then tries to do whatever she was asked. She had not been trained before and she is learning so fast. She thinks she is a lap dog, she wants to snuggle with every human she sees. We hope someone will step forward soon.

Keep watching, we will have some excitement to report soon.

Mogley G. Retriever

Dancing with Horses!

This morning the resident human drove us down to the big dog park. Thelma had to drag her leash, its a thing that the human does to make sure she comes when called, if not he has a chance of catching her. Thelma behaved so well that next time we go she can run without her leash. We had not been out for a run since Thelma arrived, we sure did enjoy it. We have a picture of Thelma meeting her first horse and several pictures of us running in the grass.

Piper and Emma went home on Monday, leaving Bella, Thelma and I alone. We had a quiet week. Wednesday Piper and I had to go to the vet for another check up. They gave me a "booster" shot, I did not like that too well. They gave me some good dog treats, that was pretty good.

Thelma still has not gotten an offer for a Forever Home. We can't understand why people are not fighting to give this wonderful girl a great home. This morning we finally received an e-mail that told us someone was going to meet with Thelma and see if they were a match. Thelma is happy, but sad to think about losing her friends. We have had a good time playing together. We will miss her if she gets adopted, but we know she needs a stable and long term home. We are all getting too attached, that makes it harder for her to make the transition to a new home.

Then more news, we are getting another foster dog this evening. There will be four of us for a while until Thelma finds her new home. Keep reading there will be news to share over the weekend.

Mogley G. Retriever

Five Best Friends!

It has been several days since I wrote for my blog, it has been busy with all of my friends having a sleep over. We took a few pictures so you can see what fun it is to have so many friends playing together. Thelma is learning how to be a family member. She has learned to chew only on chew toys, she has several favorite ones, she has also learned the difference in the couches and chairs. There is only one couch and one chair that dogs are allowed to lay on. Every day she obeys her commands better and she is showing how smart she is by learning quickly. Playing is the best, we can have rough and tumble times in the yard where several of us are chasing at the same time. The photos above only show four dogs, Emma does not like the rough and tumble play, she finds a safe place and watches from the sidelines. Below we are sitting like good dogs, waiting for our treat. Our human says we look like a nest full of hungry baby birds, with out the nest.

Thelma still has not found a new home. Apparently there is no demand for beautiful, well behaved, silky coated black dogs. We keep hoping that a new family comes forward. While we are waiting, Thelma is becoming a member of our family, she is fitting in so well that the humans are even talking about how happy they are that she is still here. We love her more every day, and she is becoming happier and more outgoing. She came to us as a scared, homeless, foster dog from the rescue, now she has her own food bowl, her own toys, and her own bed.


Keep reading, I will tell you what happens.



Mogley G. Retriever

5 Good Dogs

My human has his doubts about there being 5 good dogs in the house, but we took a vote, it was 20 paws against 2 hands that we were all good dogs. In the photo you see me, Mogley, up front, behind me is Thelma, the honorary Golden Retriever, Emma, Piper and Bella on the front right. Emma and Piper came to visit for a few days, their humans are off to something called a wedding, so we get to have fun for four days.

Last night it was quiet while we all got reacquainted, it had been a few weeks since we had all played together. Thelma had not met Emma and Piper before, but she quickly welcomed them as friends. This morning Thelma and Piper were playing and they took a shortcut through the Koi pond again, the humans locked the wet dogs outside till they could dry off. We posed for the picture above to show the world what fun we have, Piper looks like she is still wet.

Thelma is still looking for her Forever Home. If you have time, go to http://www.goldenrescue.com/ to read more about Thelma or any of the 30 Golden Retrievers that are currently looking for new homes. You may fill out an adoption form on line and make an appointment to meet Thelma. You may also donate to this all-volunteer 501c3 organization on-line; the money will be used to pay the expenses of rescuing over 400 dogs this year. It takes a lot of veterinarian bills, lots of food, leashes, collars, ID chips, and toys, not to mention the cost of "bailing" many of us out of doggy jail. When a Golden ends up in a shelter anywhere for hundreds of miles, the rescue jumps to rescue them immediately. Help us keep this good work going!

Thank you,

Mogley G. Retriever

P.S.

P. S.: When I wrote about my friend Thelma in yesterday’s blog I forgot to include a couple of items. Thelma has earned the “Good Cat Companion Seal of Approval”, at least from two of the three cats. Mini Cat is withholding her approval, she is still angry about getting goosed and pushed into the pool by Thelma and me. Thelma has passed leash training 101, she is walking very well without pulling. She asked me to remind you that she does not do cages, crates, tie-out chains or dog runs. Since I mentioned that she sleeps beside the bed she wanted me to assure you she does not snore. She is waiting to hear from you, she wants to find her forever home and start the rest of her life.

Mogley G. Retriever

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