Seven dogs, only four hands!

We have a very bad dog to hand ratio at the moment. Our three cousins arrived for a week visit. Emma, Molly and Piper will be here while their family is off taking a vacation. They are headed to Florida, and a snow storm is heading towards Colorado. What kind of a plan was that? They go to warm sun and we get snowed on.



For the next week we will have a very bad dog to hand ratio. On the other paw, we will have a good time playing. Molly and Piper are constantly jumping in front of one of us, trying to get a game of wrestle, chase or tug-o-war started. Junior and Saidie have accepted the new arrangements and they are willing to run and romp as well.

The Treat Dispenser keeps going to the medicine cabinet and taking out some funny pills, they call them tranquilisers. At first they wanted to give them to the seven of us but they decided a better use of them was to take them themselves.

Saidie is feeling much better now that her mouth no longer hurts. The Treat Dispenser keeps taking balls and toys away when Saidie tries to chew on them, he is afraid she will pull the stitches out or start her gums bleeding. She says she is doing fine and sneaks away with another ball in her mouth. It will get exciting around supper time, we all have to sit to get our dinner, but it is hard for all seven of us to wait till our turn comes.

Mogely G. Retriever

Sadie's vet visit

Sadie left early yesterday morning to visit the vet. When she arrived back home late in the afternoon, it was a different Sadie. We thought she had dressed up for the Halloween party early, that was not it at all. Sadie had five broken and abscessed teeth. You can see that the right side of her face (the left side in the photo) is swollen. She had a large cyst on her back, it was taken off. When she was spayed before she arrived at GRRR she was shaven and ended up with massive razor burn on her tummy. She gets some medicine on her tummy to help that feel better. The T shirt is to keep her, and us from licking her stitches on her back. She is also getting ear drops to make her ears better. Her pain pills keep her sleeping most of the time.

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She did not like her vet visit very much. She is happy that she now gets caned food. The canned food smells so much better than the dry stuff that Bella and I get. She should share, but the Treat Vendor does not see it our way. He did give Bella, Junior and I a little in our bowls to spice up the dry food, but that does not quite make up for her getting the better food. On the other hand, she is not going to get a rawhide chew for a while, Bella, Junior and I will get all of them. We now understand why she had such a hard time eating her dry food and why she did not like chew toys.

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We hope that Sadie gets better quickly.

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Mogley G. Retrieve

Sadie and Junior

Sadie (Left) and Junior watch Bella and I chase a ball. They each have their ball on the ground in front of them, waiting for the Treat Vending Machine to put down the camera and throw the balls.

If you have ever dreamed of throwing two balls at once and having both of them returned, then Sadie and Junior can answer your dreams. If you have two feet and you would like to adopt a dog but you are worried that one foot might get cold if you have only one dog to lie at your feet, these two can help you by keeping both feet warm.

Sadie and Junior are two of the best guests we have had in our home. When Bella and I bark at the front door, Sadie and Junior stand quietly and watch as we greet the visitors. When I fetch the paper in the morning, Junior and Sadie watch, they don't even try to run out the door. They are well housebroken and they don't even tear up toys.

Bella and I have decided that they are are setting unreasonable standards of behaviour in the house, Bella and I are wild and boisterous. Sadie and Junior are calm and quiet. That is a bad precedent to have in our home. If we don't get them adopted out quickly the resident chauffeur may decide that Bella and I should behave also.

Yesterday Sadie and Junior were separated for a time. Sadie actually became more lively by herself. Around Junior she tends to slink around or hide, acting very shy. Without Junior, she played a little with Bella and I, she came out of her shell a little. Now they have to decide if they should be adopted together or separately. More evaluation will have to be done to find out if Junior is accidentally intimidating or dominating her. Sadie went to the vet today, she has a small growth that needs to be looked at. She will be back this evening, just in time for the rain storm that is moving in.

Mogley G. Retriever

Foster Parent training, II

I can't help but make a few more comments on the "training for rescue foster parents" class that my humans attended. The class did not take the dogs point of view into account. Can you believe that they actually covered "how to introduce a new dog"? Apparently they don't like our method of shaking hands at the door and exchanging business cards. Maybe a homeless dog does not have business cards?

Then they discussed how to introduce cats and children to the new dog. This might be useful information, most cats don't shake hands and children never seem to have business cards.

They discussed how to evaluate a prospective home but they did not talk about the important points. No discussion about the quantity or quality of treats. No discussion as to the size and contents of the toy box. No test for the ability of the humans to throw tennis balls. No test to see if they understand how to give tummy rubs and tail bone scratches. What about the thickness of the dog bed? Some of those little skimpy pads they sell as "dog beds" should disqualify a home from ever having a dog. Bella and I have our own couch and chair, that should be the minimum standard for adoption.

Bella was disappointed, they discussed collars and leashes, styles and types, including the "control" collars. She asked if they talked about colors of collars and how to match the highlight in her hair. It turns out that was not covered either.

The human felt good about the class, but I think it was a waste. Perhaps some of my blogging friends could help to write a class outline from a dogs viewpoint? If you have suggestions, let me know.

Mogley G. Retriever

Foster Parent training

My chauffeur took off today to attend a class on "How to be a foster parent". It took him most of the afternon to attend it. I told him I could save him some money, save him a trip and save him five hours of time.

All he had to do is listen to my critique of his parenting style. Their shortcomings in the foster parent department are mostly in the area of treats and toys, trips to the dog park, a shortage of indoor heated swim pools for the winter, and he is far too mean to us. I am sure they will teach him that dogs deserve to sleep on the big bed, not beside it. When roast beef is cooking, we like ours rare. We also need to have a refrigerator magnet with the number of the SPCA hot line on it just in case. We can take off all of those emergency numbers that we never use anyway, I mean that 911 thing is so lame.

He came home and announced that he does appreciate us more. He said there were people from many rescue organizations in attendance. He said some of the problems other people have with other breeds make him appreciate the sensitive, mellow Golden Retrievers even more. When they talked about discipline methods, he was expecting them to say that when your Golden cringes when you tell him "No", you are too loud. Instead he says there are some breeds that apparently don't listen when they are told no. They discussed real discipline, withholding our treats, not allowing us to watch Animal Planet, or even worse. In our Golden world, most of the time one or two stern "No" commands will correct even a new dogs behaviour.

He did not admit that they taught him to give us more freedom to jump on furniture and sleep on the big bed. He served us dry dog food for dinner again this evening, the roast beef was not in sight. But I am sure that we will see the changes shortly. unless he slept through the class. I will look for that hot line number for the SPCA, just in case.


Mogley G. Retriever

Sadie and Jr.

Below, Bella and I welcome Junior(center) and Sadie (front right) to our home.

Bella II went back to rescue and has been turned over to another foster home so that we would have room for two homeless Golden's. Bella II had two meetings with possible new homes scheduled for this afternoon.

Say hello to Sadie and Junior. Sadie and Junior arrived this after noon following a long trip from the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are the victims of unemployment and the collapse of the housing market. The family with three children, aged 6-teen, were forced to surrender their two life long friends. The information says they shared the home with cats, we don't know what happened to the cats. The local shelters were full so arrangements were made to transport them to Denver and to Golden Retriever of the Rockies.

According to the kennel card, Junior was born on 10/12/2002. His companion, Sadie, was born on 10/12/2003, according to her kennel card. We suspect that the date represents their intake date and a guess at their age. But 6 & 7 years old is probably correct. Sadie is shy, she relies on her older "brother" to scout the way for her. Sadie is a little shy until she gets to know you, then she becomes a lover. We think the reason these two came from a large family is that it would take at least 10 hands to give them all the attention they need.

They are a beautiful pair, they also are well mannered and very calm. When they met Bella and I, they were polite and they introduced themselves to us as politely as they could. They are well socialised, quickly becoming members of our family. Both of them have a tennis ball in their mouths most of the time. He is a tennis ball-aholic. He says he does not want to enter the 12 step program to treat his tennis ball addiction, he would rather be addicted. She likes tennis balls, but they are just a hobby, not an addiction.

We need every one's help with this placement. Placing two Goldens that are bonded together is difficult. Most families want a companion for an existing dog, or just one for their home. Isn't there a advertisement that says "Double your pleasure, double your fun, adopt two golden retrievers instead of just one. This would be the ideal way for you to get your Golden Retriever fix, twice.

Today may be a first for GRRR, we had a walk in. A golden was found wandering and was brought over by one of the volunteers. No collar, no micro chip, no identification. Just a beautiful, well groomed and well cared for large red Golden Male, lose on the streets. We will shelter him while we check the neighborhood for an owner.

Mogley G. Retriever

BRAVO ZULU AWARD IN MEMORY OF SPENCER

We are flattered to receive the Bravo Zulu Award in Memory of Spencer, presented to us by the Bumpass Hounds and Cats, the award if for a "Jog well done". The Bumpass Hounds sure do know a thing or two about rescuing and fostering homeless dogs. They have 10 rescues now, and are tireless workers in helping their local rescue. If you have not read their blog, visit them at http://bumpasshounds.blogspot.com/

Thanks to all who help with the rescue efforts all over the world. Meanwhile, we have another blog to post tnight. More news from the rescue front.

Mogley G. Retriever

Bella II

Bella II is still with us, she will probably be going to a new home this week end. We need to remind you of Bella's special talents. Bella is "Air Golden". She plays fetch and catch in the house, she does spectacular leaps in order to catch the tennis balls. You see, if she does not out jump me, I get the ball instead. So she has learned to leap over our backs and to out jump me in the air. She puts on quite a show with he leaps and twists. We wonder what would happen if we used a Frisbee outdoors, she should be able to put on quite a show.

She has learned the dog door, and she is in and out constantly. Freedom! No squirrel is safe now that Bella II can run into the back yard whenever she needs to.

Mogley G. Retriever

Foster Homes!

I think I may have left the wrong impression in the last post.
GRRR did not have to turn down a rescue, at the last minute someone volunteered and we were able to pick them up. But it has been close, we are full up and we need any help we can get. We have several double rescues coming in. We may try to place Bella II in time to take one of the pairs. We have had several inquiries and are working hard to make a match.

Since we have readers all over the world, we need to remind you that your local rescue is running on "full" as well and they can use volunteers. We have received several e-mails from other groups telling us they have the same need for temporary homes.

This weekend there is a training class for foster volunteers to help understand how to introduce a new dog into your home, as well as coping with relocation problems.

My humans say that there is nothing more exciting than working with a homeless dog. It is like getting a present under the Christmas tree. If you ever find your life to be boring, here is the answer.

Help a homeless dog find a forever home.

Mogley G. Retriever

Foster Homes needed!

If you have room to help, we can use foster homes. Recently Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, GRRR, had to turn down a dog because we were out of room. We are facing that situation again with several more scheduled to come in.

If you can volunteer to take in a homeless Golden, please let us know.

Thank you,

Mogley G. Retriever

Aspen is home!

We said good by to Aspen this afternoon. Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) sent us an e-mail with a note that we should set up a meeting with the family who's application was attached. We read the application and then let Aspen read it. She said it sounded like it would be a possible home, but she would have to visit with them to make sure. She packed her bag to take along in case they met her high standards. She took a couple of tennis balls just in case they did not have any to throw for her, she took a stuffed toy to make sure she had something to tear up. Some of her favorite dog food, a few treats and a rawhide chew were thrown in just in case.

When we arrived, they met us on the path to the front door. Aspen ran in and was welcomed with open arms. She was shown that the house had a lot of open doorways, no restrictions to keep her from mingling with the family. She was shown the back yard, it passed her inspection. It had a sturdy wood fence, with peep holes where she could watch the dogs go by on the sidewalk. It had lots of grass and gravel for her potty trips.

She was introduced to the resident cats, she went nose to nose, then everyone went about their business. No trouble there. Then she was shown a basket of toys, just for her. They even played catch in the living room. She was promised a walk very day, and a soft bed to sleep on. The deciding factor was the dog to hand ratio. At our home the dog to hand ratio is 4 to 4. At this home, the dog to hand ratio was 1 to 4, a much better deal. Being an only dog has its advantages. They were having guests for dinner that evening and there would be many more hands available to pet a dog. Aspen accepted their offer of a forever home and waved goodbye to us at the door.

Aspen, we enjoyed having you stay with us. You are a great lady and we think that GRRR has found you the perfect match. Have a wonderful life, you deserve it!

Mogley G. Retriever

Aspen, the Golden Lady

I have been writing about Bella II so often that Aspen had to remind me that she is still looking for a home as well.

The resident chauffeur came home last night with a bag of dog toys. Aspen, Bella II and I had pretty well demolished all of the toys in the toy chest. When Bella II cleaned out the toy chest and scattered it around the floor, the humans saw that most of the toys were just threads and scraps of material or pieces of rubber. We get to start all over again. Aspen decided since she was the Senior dog, she should test all of the new toys first, she grabbed them and took them to her place behind the couch.

Aspen wants us to remember that she is the "Senior Non-Commissioned Golden In Charge", or SNCGIC. I hate it when she pulls rank on us. Anyway, as you can tell, the new toys are now well tested. Each of us received a toy, Aspen ended up with them all. Aspen is not just an older golden, she is an active older girl, ready to help you dispose of any excess toys you might have. Help us find her a new home. All she asks is love, a soft bed, and shredable toys.

Mogley G. Retriever

Bella II, and Aspen

Below, Bella II and I wrestle for a ball. I caught it but she wants to fetch it.

Bella II had a fun evening last night. Her former family came by to visit with her and to make sure she was being well cared for. They even took her for a ride. When she came back she was feeling pretty frisky, she had more attention than we had.

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Bella II is coming along very well. She is about ready to begin looking for a new home. She says that she wants a home with very active people. She wants to lead an active life, hiking, running and playing. She would like a large back yard, she has a lot of energy and without space to run she will get bored very soon. Lots of toys, she likes to play with "stuffies" and rope toys. She wants someone with a good throwing arm and a good supply of tennis balls will be necessary. She has proven to be a very good retriever, she retrieves and drops as fast as you can throw them. She needs a home that will give her good training. She learns so fast and is so smart that it would be a shame to waste a good student on a home that won't work with her.

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Don't forget a big, soft dog bed. Just because she is an athlete does not mean she does not like her comfort as well. She is in rescue because her home had low fences and she learned to get out easily, because of zoning, they could not put up higher fences. Six foot fences will be a necessity for her safety.

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Aspen is the easy girl to re-home. She just wants a home with a soft dog bed, a few toys to chew and lots of hands to pet her. Several nights ago when the raccoon was in the yard, I and Bella were out chasing the raccoon from tree to tree. Aspen watched us and went back to bed. She says that chasing raccoons is for young dogs, she will take a leisurely stroll and a lot of love and affection. Several people have expressed interest in her and we hope she finds her forever home soon. She is really a sweet, well behaved and mellow lady. Even when we told Aspen that the raccoon had come in the dog door and eaten a lot of our dog food, she did not even get upset. Bella and I got our revenge on that raccoon, we chased it back to the park.

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Aspen spends her days laying under the feet of the resident chauffeur as he works on the computer all day long. She says that she would like a human with longer arms, she would like to be petted more and she has to sit up to get attention.

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Mogley G. Retriever

Farwell Tess, Hello Bella.

Below, five Golden friends sit for a snack during a going away party for Tess and a welcome party for Bella II. From front left, Mogley, Bella, Aspen, Tess and Bella II. Tess left shortly after the party for a new home in rural Colorado.

Below, Bella II seeks some of my advice on how to find the best home possible.



Bella II squints because of the flash.

Bella II was surrendered to Golden Retriever of the Rockies (GRRR) by her family. There were a lot of tears when they had to give her up. They lived in a home with only a short fence. The low fence had been adequate for their old Golden, but Bella was able to clear it easily.

Bella is about one year old, still a lanky, awkward puppy. She is a dynamo, running and playing constantly. She has worn all three of us out trying to keep up. While she is full of energy, it is a calm energy, she is not hyper and she is well mannered for a one year old.

The first thing Bella did when she arrived last evening was to jump on top of the swimming pool cover and run around in the puddles of water. The chauffeur became angry, he is afraid someone will tear the cover or fall through. It only took a little time and Bella was taught not to run on the cover. It also took four towels last night to dry her after her initial runs. Not a single towel today, she learns fast.

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Bella has learned so much in the short time she has been here that she is being recommended for service dog training. We think she could learn to be a working dog very easily. She certainly pays attention to commands and it only takes a few minutes to teach her things like not to run on the pool cover or not to chase the cats. She ran on the cover last night, but today she has stayed off as she was told to, although she did stop on the edge and wish she could run on it. Bella took off after Mini Cat when she ran by, but when told "NO", she skidded to a stop. Since then she has walked around Mini Cat without a single attempt to chase her.

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Her first task here has been to empty the toy box. The toy box is a large old wash tub. There are toys in the bottom of that tub that have not seen the light for several years. She is almost down to the bottom already. She is testing each toy for its endurance, so far no toy has passed the test, the toy box may end up empty by the time she is through testing.

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She plays a mean game of fetch, her prior home probably used fetch to give her an outlet for her energy. She needs to work on dropping the ball at the end, she enjoys running with it too much.

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We will keep you informed of her progress. She will probably go in for testing and then a decision will be made if she can enroll in the classes. If she does not become a service dog, then we will need to find a home for her where they are willing to spend extra time training and working with a young student. It would be a shame to waste her desire and ability to learn.

Mogley G. Retriever

Tess's big adventure.

Above, the farewell picture of Tess. She has a new home.

Sunday evening the chauffeur drove across town with Tess. Tess had to get her chip so that if her humans get lost, she can find them. At least, that is how it was explained to me. Tomorrow morning she will get a long car ride to the West side of Colorado, to a new home. From what we know about the new home, she will be an only dog, with two wonderful parents. She will be spoiled rotten.

While we were at the rescue offices getting the paper work done on Tess, we also met a new lady, Bella. Now we have two Bella's in the house. We will tell you more about Bella II tomorrow.

We are so happy for Tess.

Mogley G. Retriever

A volunteer thank you

Saturday night the chauffeur went across town without taking a single Golden Retriever along to a Golden Retriever party. Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) threw a wonderful volunteer recognition party. It was to thank the chauffeurs, the groomers, the walkers, the trainers, the transport team, the medical team, the home inspection team, the web team, the special events team and the fund raising team, all of whom work together as volunteers to make it possible to re home over 350 dogs a year. He said the evening was wonderful, they met new people that have come forward since our last event, they shared great food and they shared stories about the many rescues that had taken place. After the food was finished, each person was invited to share with the group a special story about a rescue they had worked with. The stories were wonderful and heartwarming. So many helping hands, so many wonderful new homes.

The chauffeur said that the thanks were miss placed. He thinks the volunteers should be thanking GRRR for all the wonderful dogs that we are allowed to foster. He said that each Golden we have fostered was a special experience for which we are all thank full to GRRR for allowing us to have. Each new Golden that passes through the foster system is a Golden on his way to a new and better life. We are privileged to be allowed to meet these wonderful Golden's, we enjoy sharing our home and our lives with them, we enjoy learning about them so we can help them find their perfect home. Each one has touched us, each one has left a memory. For that we thank GRRR.

There are so many wonderful people telling great stories about the dogs they have rescued. Several stories concerned other breeds that came and went through GRRR volunteers and cooperation with other breed rescues. Dogs from puppy mills, dogs bought at a farm auction. Dogs that were slated to die if not taken immediately. Dogs with medical problems that the owners could not afford to treat. Dogs that went on to become service dogs, rescued from bad people but then forgiving them and spending the rest of their lives helping the same people that abandoned them.

One person told how he had gone to an ATM machine and pulled out $200 after he watched a man try to sell a young Golden out of a pickup along the road. The man picked up the Golden by the scruff of the neck and by the tail and tossed it back into the truck, at that point he knew he had to re home that dog, even if it did cost him $200.

Our human said he told the group about Tess (currently with us) and Chase. Chase was the Golden that went to such a perfect home, only to be returned. GRRR does not allow people to "try dogs", but Chase was a special case. You see, Chase was a wonderful, large and energetic retriever. He loved his new home, but he soon started very inappropriate retrieving. He started playing "keep away" with the lady's prosthesis. Chase would steal her leg and play keep away. That could have been worked on but then he went farther, he began trying to steal her leg while she was walking. After several dangerous and bruising falls, it became clear that no matter how much they had bonded, Chase had to go. When we picked up Chase, we had Daisy as a foster. Daisy made an immediate and much calmer impression. Daisy went home that day to a very special forever home, and Chase stayed with us. Chase found a new and very special home a few days later. Don't you just love it what a story has a happy ending?


We remember Sandy, she lived with us for several weeks. When they called to set up an appointment with a possible new home, the chauffeur tried to stall, he told GRRR that he would only bring Sandy over to meet if GRRR would guarantee that Sandy would get an extra special home (a possible foster failure in the making?). Sandy went from GRRR directly to heaven. No, Sandy did not die, Sandy just went to heaven. Sandy was adopted by a wonderful lady who owned a small horse property outside of town. The property had a small pond, just the thing for a Golden swim on a hot afternoon. It also had a horse training track. Every morning Sandy gets to ride in a small two wheeled sulky as the horses are trained around the track. Golden Heaven!

We have had almost 40 fosters so far. Each one has been a joy and a sorrow. It is a joy to rescue them, a joy to see them settle into a friendly home and become companions. It is a sorrow to let them go, even though we know that a better life waits for them in their carefully selected forever home.

I still think I should have gone along to the party, I can say "thank you" better than anyone. If you remember, I was on a Vet's table about to get a very, very final shot, when someone said "GRRR will take him". Thank you GRRR for all you do for us rescue Goldens. Thanks to all the volunteers who transport homeless dogs, thank you to all of the folks that give us our medical inspections, wash and groom us then care for us until we can find new forever homes. Thank you GRRR for all the wonderful friends you have sent us to foster. We have had many memorable moments.

From all of the Golden Retrievers in our happy and warm new homes, to all of the GRRR volunteers that make it possible, Thank you!

Mogley G. Retriever

The end of summer

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

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

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


Mogley G. Retriever

New Foster Friends

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Annual Picnic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Rusty Muffin

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

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Life is boring!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Mission Accomplished!

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

I can dig it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Gone for a ride!

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

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

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

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

Mogley G. Retriever

Hurry!

Below, two photos from last years Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic.

This scene stretched for a long distance along the banks of the lake, this is what chaos looks like when mixed with water and tennis balls.

Hurry, It is only a little over one week until the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) has their annual Rescue Reunion Picnic. You have to be a member to attend the picnic, eat food, chase tennis balls and watch 200+ Golden Retrievers play in the lake. . If you are not a member of the Rescue, you can join on the web site. Go to http://www.goldenrescue.com/ to join. Then you too can attend all of our parties, receive our newsletter with stories about our rescue efforts, and be a part of a wonderful rescue organization. Help a homeless dog, and have fun at the same time. How can you beat that? All for only $25 per year. What a deal! Just click on the membership button on the left of our home page.

Mogley G. Retriever

P.S. You may want to make a colored scarf for your Golden to wear if you want to bring home the same one you brought to the picnic. People ask how the humans tell them apart, the humans don't have to, the dogs find their owners and check in every so often just to be sure they are there. To us, all humans look alike, but all Golden's look distinct enough that each owner can find his even with 200 to 300 wet dogs all running at once. How can you deny your golden such a party? Remember to sign up to bring a food item to share. Bring one towel for each human, two towels for each golden.

Kiwi takes a car ride

Below, I am on the left, then Kiwi with Bella on the right.

Photo proof that Kiwi is riding in a car. Without shaking or trying to run away. Kiwi has been a major problem to get into a car. She has fought so hard that the humans finally gave up and just left her home. They started working to get Kiwi excited about rides. Slowly they have worked her into the car using us as bait. With us in the car, Kiwi was concerned about being left behind. They gave us treats in the car with the door open. Then they left Kiwi behind while we drove off with us hanging out the window. Kiwi finally decided her fear of cars was less than her fear of being left behind and she began climbing in on her own. So now we get rides around the block just for practice.

Below, a three way tug-o-war between myself on the left, Bella in the center and Kiwi on the right.

Kiwi is joining in and playing with us in our wrestling and romping. Kiwi is a very good mouth wrestler, she can put up a good fight. Kiwi also is playing fetch. She is good at fetching, she is a little hesitant about dropping, she is afraid we will take it away before the human can throw it for her. She is right, we will steal it if we get the chance.

Rusty Muffin was in the car, her head was hanging out until the camera appeared. She has a very bad case of camera fear. When the camera comes out, Muffin hides. Rusty is recovering fine from her surgery. She is leaving the stitches alone so she will heal very fast. We think she is a neat lady to have in our home with us.

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Both Muffin and Kiwi are still looking for their forever homes. They are ready now, Muffin is over her surgery and Kiwi is learning her basic commands. If you have anyone that needs a lot of love, or a lot of energy, we can meet either demand.

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Mogley G. Retriever

Kiwi and Muffin

With Sarah happily in a new forever home, we are focusing on finding forever homes for Kiwi and Rusty Muffin.

Muffin had her surgery on Wednesday. She had two fatty tumors removed and had a growth on her eye lid removed. The eye is doing well and she is leaving her stitches alone so they are healing well. Muffin is ready to go to a new home now, she is in good health and good spirits. Muffin is such a wonderful lady, she is a lover and a gentle companion. She went for a walk with us yesterday and did very well. She is ready to bring Golden Love to a needy family. If your home is short of love, we can offer you 70 pounds of it in one easy to care for package.

Kiwi had a home visit yesterday. Because she is so frightened of car rides, we thought it would be better for family's to visit her here. She got along well with them and their other Golden, Sam. They still have to visit another homeless Golden, then they can make a decision. Kiwi needs a home where someone cares enough to train and work with her. She is very well housebroken, but she does not come well yet. She is sitting great because of the regular treats she has to sit for. She has car fear from being dropped off by her owner. We worked with her on just playing around a car with open doors, that did relax her a little. Soon it will be behind her and she will be riding with her head out the window and ears flapping in the breeze.

Cross your paws and hope we find homes soon for Muffin and Kiwi.

Meanwhile, we need to remind all of our readers about the big swim party coming up on September 13th. The annual Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Ruckus (GRRRRR) on the lake is coming up fast. If you have never seen over 200 wet Golden Retrievers playing fetch with 300 tennis balls in a lake, you have missed something special. Our picnic with all of the wet and swimming dogs is a wonderful time. Lots of food, lots of old friends, and a lake full of tennis balls. Last year we had alumni that traveled in from four states just to play with old friends and fetch tennis balls. Some of the tennis balls have numbers on them and represent prizes to make it more interesting. What more could anyone ask? If your grin muscles are not hurting by the days end, you need professional help.

Mogley G. Retriever

Sarah's new home!

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Hi Mogley, your swimming buddy Evie here.

Mission Accomplished!

I wanted to tell you that Sarah has a new forever home. What a lucky girl she is. Her new people fell in love with her picture and just had to have her. She will have 2 homes. One down here and a mountain cabin with a stream to swim in. I personally don't like to get more than my paws in the water but Sarah sure does as we found out at our last swim fest at your place. She is even going to have another golden for company. That one is a baby but she promises to help raise the little one and be a good big sister. She is very excited and is busy packing her things. She gets picked up in the morning and off she goes to the mountain cabin. What a life! Little Sarah deserves it though after her rough start in life. Good luck Sarah you will be missed.

Your pal Evie

Comment from Mogley:
Evie, Sarge and Sorsha (with a little help from their resident cats) do such a good job of helping homeless dogs find their home. They take young dogs under their paws and teach them to be good companions. Thanks for all you do.

Mogley G. Retriever

The life of Sarah

Hi Mogley, your friend Evie here again.

We have a new foster dog at our house I want to tell you about. Her name is Sarah. She is about 1 year old and she told me no one cared enough to get her spayed and she already has had a litter of puppies. She is still just a puppy herself, what were her people thinking? Well, she is with GRRR now and all will be well. She has been to see Dr. C and is now formerly retired from having litters. She can concentrate on just being a wonderful golden now.

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Of course no one taught her anything. It isn't her fault. She is very smart and a quick learner if someone just takes the time. She has been here only a few days and she already knows how to come in the dog doors. Our mom helped her once, gave her limited assistance a second time and that was it. She has the coming in down pat now. We are helping her with the going out part now. She wants to be inside so bad that going out by herself isn't on her list yet. I think she got left out alone too much and she is just enjoying being with people. She really likes being around us permanent resident dogs. She follows us around and is learning the ways of a golden from all three of us. She has learned about toys from Sarg. She has appointed herself as the emptier of the toy basket. She wants all the toys out where she can see them to make her playing selection. She is learning about playing with tennis balls from Sorsha. She has started running back and forth with her while Sorsha is playing catch with dad. She is learning to go to mom for pets from me. I notice whenever anyone sits down and I run over to get an ear scratching, Sarah comes with me. I explained to her that people have two hands and can pet two dogs at one time. It is our responsibility to make sure the humans don't get bored and that their hands have something to do at all times.

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Unfortunately when no one took the time to train Sarah it also means they didn't bother to house break her either. She is learning. Mom and dad haven't had to potty train a dog in a very long time and had a discussion about the best way to go about it. They are using a modified version of what they did when Sarg and Sorsha were babies. I came house trained thank you very much! Sarah sleeps in her crate at night and mom takes everyone outside first thing in the morning. Sarah gets lots of praise when she potties appropriately. If she potties she gets to stay out of the crate as long as there is a human to supervise her. She gets taken out about every hour and a half to 2 hours to the potty area. We have been accident free for a week now.

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Cleo and Molly say she is kitty certified. Molly had to set her straight with a hiss and a slap to let her know that you can't play with a kitty until the kitty says so. Sarah didn't even try to play with Cleo. Cleo is the very old and regal kitty here and no one messes with her. Mon calls here an apartment model. That means she is very small. She is still a little on the thin side too.

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Anyone that is looking for a very sweet little girl needs to put their application in with GRRR and put Sarah's name on it. She is a very active, fast learning young Golden.

Thanks for the help Mogley,

your friend Evie

Swim Day!!!

Today our friends came over to go swimming. What fun we had. Below is a good picture of Kiwi, before everyone got wet. Kiwi is settling in and playing with us. What fun we have running and playing chase. We even have some good tug-o-war games.

The resident chauffeur does not let us swim very often. Just when he invites company over. He says it is too much work to dry several wet dogs at once. It was a hot day so he invited Evie, Sarg and Sorsha along with their foster Sarah. He even allowed the humans to come along, which is good since they brought along a huge sack of used tennis balls. Evie is not a big water dog, but she will swim a little. Sarg and Sorsha get in and want to stay in, forever. They collect all of the floating tennis balls, then start barking at the humans to throw more. Boy did we have fun swimming.

Kiwi and Sarah are both about 14 months old, and boy did they become friends. In moments they were running and playing in the grass. neither one of them had been swimming before, so it took time for them to come near the pool.

Below, Sarah's foster mom is helping Sarah into the pool for the first time. Sarah was not too sure about it at first, but she very quickly became a swimming champ.

It only took a few minutes for Sarah to decide she liked swimming. She found out that she was a water dog. First she was hesitant about using the stairs, but she worked up her nerve and she practiced until she was jumping into the pool from the side.

Below, Sarah makes a leap after her duck. She used the stairs until her stuffed duck was thrown in and it looked like someone else could get to it first, then she learned to jump in ahead of them.
After learning to make small jumps into the pool, Sarah works her way up the skill ladder.

Below, Sarah makes a giant leap into the pool.

Sarah is so small that when she is wet it does not look like there is really a dog under that hair. She shook so hard that rain was falling on everyone.

Below, Sarah checks out the duck decoy. A Golden Retriever can not be too careful, someday there may be a real duck and we have to be prepared. Kiwi is keeping her company from on shore. Kiwi is not as sold on the water as Sarah is.

Kiwi tried the water once, she was not too sure about it. She did not get courage to go in again although she wanted to. She just could not get up the nerve. We think that next time Kiwi gets the chance she will do better. Remember, Kiwi is very timid about everything, today was a day that pushed her limits. She met four new friends and she loved playing with them. Day by day we see Kiwi becoming more relaxed and willing to explore new things. Kiwi and Sarah became such great friends that the humans are planning on scheduling play dates for the two fosters to get together.

The star of today was Sarah. Sarah made a great step forward. She jumped into the water to fetch her favorite stuffed duck. Today Sarah learned that she loved the water and she loved swimming. She is a water dog, a real Golden Retriever. Tomorrows post will have Sarah's story in it, and you will understand why Sarah is such a miracle. Watching her have fun running and playing was so much fun. The humans just watched and laughed. They decided that today was a great success.

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Thanks for reading,

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Mogley G. Retriever