Fostering for Rescue?

Aspen went home last night, her family came back from Guatemala, having been on a medical mission for several weeks.  Aspen said to tell all of you goodbye, she will miss everyone.   She also said that she still likes a home with a 4-1 hand to dog ratio instead of our home where the ratio was 4-4. 

If you will recall her family had some concern when they were first thinking about adopting Aspen because they were scheduled to go to Guatemala for three weeks to work with a medical mission. The resident bi-peds offered to take Aspen back and care for her while they were gone so that they could adopt her right then and still make their trip without worrying about leaving an elderly Golden with a kennel, sleeping in a concrete and chain link run somewhere.

When Aspen was picked up, her family wanted to pay something for her care.  It was suggested that they would make a donation to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR).   Which brings up a question.   Could everyone, everywhere, "foster for dollars" for their local rescue?   When families take vacations they often worry about the care of their Golden friends they leave behind.   Foster families always find room for one more dog, and having a vacation with some of your peers where you can run and play for a week or two makes a vacation fun for everyone.    Is anyone else interested in offering to "foster for dollars" for their rescue?  Could you have a "suggested donation" for pet sitting?  It might make a good way to raise money for your local rescue.  Also, you won't be tempted to adopt your foster, and you will get a well trained, known pet to sit for.   What do you think?

Mogley G. Retriever

Help Wanted!

I have taken the liberty of copying a post from The BumpassHounds blog today. If we could all go click and vote for a memorial for a State Trooper with a working Golden Retriever, it would be nice.  Go directly to their post via this link for working links and photos:
http://bumpasshounds.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-our-sissy-please.html


The BumpassHounds post is below:


It's me, your ole buddy Jubal; Big Jubes with today's post. Our sissy Sarah, and her Husband, Da Beel, are both polices.. Sissy is a canine handler. You may have seen our posts of her bomb sniffing dog, Aldo, playing with our own blind guy, Radar. They is both Golden Retrievers but of the red variety. Well, sissy had a very close friend who was a Virginia State Trooper. Virginia State Trooper Jessica J Cheney was killed when hit by a car on Rte 1 in Stafford County, VA. Jessica was doing her job. Her "End Of Watch" (EOW) was 1/17/1998. So here's the deal, the Toyota Racing Group (please disregard any "recall" thoughts) that supports the National Association for Stock Car Automotive Racing (NASCAR) is having a contest where one of their cars will be painted in a special design scheme for a race. Well there is a design that is a memoriam for Trooper Jessica. We'd like y'all to go to the Toyota Racing site at http://www.sponsafier.com/#/gallery/view/120029 and vote for Trooper Jessica's memorial design. If you select the 3D view you'll be able to see Jessica's name and EOW date on the hood of the car. It doesn't cost anything and it's a one time vote; but please vote from as many different computers as you have access to. We would certainly appreciate it very, very much. Sissy misses Jessica, who was robbed of her life in the line of duty at such a young age.

- Jubal and The Bumpass Hounds and Kitties

An Update on Lady

We received an update from Lady.   Our readers will remember that Lady was adopted by a very nice family on a rural area outside of Denver.  She has 7 acres to run in, deer, bunnies and all kinds of things to chase and bark at.  She has two golden friends and one long-haired dachshund for friends and romping companions.  She is even allowed to climb on the couch and snuggle in laps.   She is happy, but she wanted some input from the readers on what happened immediately before and after the adoption process. 

While Lady was visiting the home to evaluate it as a possible new home, she was getting over 10 Treats per Hour (T/H).   She was also getting 20 Head Rubs per Hour (HR/H).    She also was given about 6 Tummy Rubs per Hour (TR/H).   After she and they made the commitment to adopt her, and she was left with them, she noticed that the  T/H, HR/H, and TR/H all fell off noticeably.   Understand, she is not complaining, she still gets to snuggle on the couch, bark at the deer, romp with her friends and she is greatly enjoying her new home.   But does the decline in T/H, HR/H, and TR/H constitute a "bait and switch"?   Should she stand up and bark her demands for a higher rate of T/H, HR/H, and TR/H?  Or should she just be happy with a new forever home that most of us would kill (figuratively speaking) to have?


What do our readers think?

Mogley G. Retriever

Monday Mumbling

For the Siberians and other snow loving dogs, I wanted to show you photos of me playing in the fresh snow.  Cross your paws and hope that you too will have some more snow before spring arrives.   We sent this storm East so you should get it in a day or two.

Over the weekend I developed a swollen right upper lip that sags a lot.  I made a trip to the emergency vet since our regular vet was closed.  The emergency vet has good snacks, but not great snacks.  Oh, and they told me that I probably got bitten by a spider when I was napping in the sunny glass front porch with all the plants.   I ended up getting some pills which is helping to bring the swelling down.  If the treats had been better I would have bothered the spider again.  As it is, I guess they will close off the sun room and spray it, so we will have to nap some place else for a while. 

Angel is still here, she is quite a fetcher.  She can fetch tennis balls with the best of them.  She will add this to her resume. 

Aspen has only a few days left and her family will be back to get her.  She has stopped napping on the main floor with the rest of us, she goes up to the bedroom to nap on the big beds.  She does like her comfort, she takes napping seriously. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Aspen's turn!

Aspen has been our guest for a week already.   Her stay here has been overshadowed with news about Angel and Lady.   As our regular readers know, when Aspen found her forever home her family had already made arrangements to help a medical mission to Guatamala.   We offered to provide Aspen with a warm home and a soft bed while they were gone. 

We received this message from Guatamala

Hello to Aspen and Bella and Mogley and her terrific bipeds,I am trying to adjust to writing on a spanish keyboard so excuse me. We have been very busy and we also felt two earthquakes today but they were what the Guatemalans call, ´tremblors´. We are fine but very busy and delighted to find out that Aspen has made her self at home. We hope she doesn´t get too commfy as we are looking forward to taking her back to our house when we return. Give an extra pat to Aspen from her bipeds. 

Above, Aspen is forced to roll in fresh snow while her family is enjoying the tropical warmth, but Aspen does not complain, she perseveres.  Aspen has been toughing it out here, waiting for a chance to return to her real home.  Aspen wants to assure you that she looks forward to going home.    She says that the Hand to Dog (HD) ratio is very low here.   With only four hands and four dogs, she is not getting as much attention as she is used to.   Also, she is not given treats in the kitchen when it's cooking time.   But it is fun to have friends to run and bark with and she enjoys lying in the warm morning sun in the front glass porch.   She can lay in the sun and pretend she is in a warm jungle!

By Mogley G. Retriever, on behalf of Aspen.

An Angel's Story

When our foster sister arrived last evening, she was too upset to talk with us, but now Angel is ready to tell her story. She says it is a fairly common story, common that is if you are a rescue dog. Her first home could not deal with a high energy Golden/Doodle.   As she grew in size , she grew in energy, the response was to lock her outdoors for longer and longer times. A neighbor became concerned and finally suggested that Angel be surrendered to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR). Angel only spent a short time at GRRR before being placed with a new home where she was chosen to be a play mate for a 1 1/2 year old Lab/Doodle. This lasted for a week and GRRR was asked to take her back.  Although this is seldom done, in this case the two dogs were fighting and the owner was fearful for their safety. A happy home for Angel became the most important consideration. GRRR did not rescue her from one bad situation only to place her in another bad situation.

Since arriving here Angel has proved herself to be a good citizen.  Angel has had plenty of chances to chase the cats, she has only walked over to sniff them. She is "cat curious", showing no signs of being cat aggressive. Mini Cat even relaxed in front of Angel, showing total trust. Angel has had no training, "sit" is the only command that she knows by heart. The next few days will be spent working on "come", "down", and leash training. She pays attention to commands and wants to respond, she just needs to practice. Bella and I will work with her to teach her what those unpredictable bi-peds want. We have already guided Angel in and out of the dog doors. 

Welcome Angel to the pack, we hope her stay will be short and that her next home is a extra special Forever Home, she deserves a very special home. Someone that will train her, give her lots of attention, and someone that jogs every day.   We would love to find her a home like the one Lady went to, seven acres of land to run, deer and bunnies to chase, several energetic buddies to stretch her legs with, but those homes are very rare.   Angel reminded me that she loves to cuddle and would love to find a home that needs a 70 pound lap dog. Help us find her a perfect home!

Mogley G. Retriever

First look at an Angel

Here is a quick picture of Angel, our 3 year old, 70 pound, Golden/Doodle foster.    We think she is so nice and good looking that it will not take long to find her a forever home.    What do you think?
We are learning more about her as she settles in, but one thing we have learned already is that she has more energy than Bella and I combined.    She has her "sit" for treats down pat, but she does not do any other commands.  She is a work in progress and will need lots of training.     Like many non-purebreds, she is terribly smart and will learn fast.   Bella and I will teach her what she needs to know to be a perfect "Forever Home Companion".  

Mogley G. Retriever

An Angel dog!

The bi-peds did it again.   The left for a few minutes this evening and came home with a new foster from rescue.   We now have a new foster sister to help find her way to a new forever home.

Her name is Angel, she is about 3 years old.  She is a 70 pound Golden/Doodle. 

Other than those items, we don't know much about her.    We will try and tell her story tomorrow when we learn it.   In the meantime, help us make her feel at home.

Mogley G. Retriever

How to cure Writers Block

Above is one more picture of the cause of my writers block.  I asked Mini to move so that I could type my blog, you can see her answer!

The question is, how do I cure my writers block?   I have developed a few ways to cure it.   First, I can go into the kitchen and bark like a can opener.   That usually works, especially around meal time.  If my writers block is especially stubborn, then I bring in the heavy guns.  I hide behind the chair and I make a very faint squeak like a mouse.   If I still can't get to the computer, I can lie down behind the couch with just the tip of my tail hanging out.   Then if I stay very still and just twitch the end of my tail, Mini will usually pounce on it.   We can wait till the resident bi-ped sits down and makes a lap, then we go to get a head scratch, Mini will normally try to get her share of any attention. 

If you have your own way to cure your writers block, or suggestions as to how I can cure my writers block, leave a comment.

Mogley G. Retriever

What Writers Block looks like!

This is a photo of what a real writers block looks like.   I have heard that people sit at their keyboard and complain that they have "writers block" just because they can't think of something to say.  That is not writers block.   I have something to say, it is just that sometimes it is dangerous to say it, Mini Cat does not like to be disturbed when she is napping on a warm computer.  This is real writers block! 

Maybe you did not know how real and tangible writers block is.    If you have wondered why I don't blog daily, now you understand.   I have a lot to say on line, I just have to contend with a very bad case of writers block. 

Mini Cat is a real writers block.   She waits till I turn the computer on, then she takes her nap on the nice warm computer.  I have tried asking her politely to move, she reminds me that my nose is very tender.

Mini does not like snow days and nights.  She likes to spend her time outdoors, she uses our dog doors to come and go.   On these cold days, she gets bored and terrorizes the rest of the household with her sharp claws, then she takes her nap on a warm computer.  I hope it warms up soon so she will spend more time outside. 

You would think she would show me more respect, I am the reason she has a warm home and a full food dish.     One evening two years ago, I was watching the rain turn to sleet, then to snow outside the front sun room.  I heard this tiny meow coming from under one of the bushes in front of the door.   I started barking to let everyone know that something was outside.    The bi-ped came to the door, but did not see anything.   I kept barking, assuring him that something was there.    He stepped out into the cold and then he too heard the tiny voice of a very cold, wet and hungry kitten.  He picked up a kitten that was so weak and limp that he was not sure she would make it.  He brought her in and dried her off, then gave her some food.   She was so tiny that they just called her "Mini Cat".  Within days, Mini thought that the house was hers and we were interlopers.   No "thanks" from her!

Mini Cat causes writers block almost every time I try to write my blog.    Mini Cat is a black cat, she crosses my path hourly, if black cats do cause bad luck when they cross your path, I may be doomed. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Good news and Good news!

Above, Lady takes a tour of our back yard.

A few blogs back I mentioned that Aspen was coming to stay with us for several weeks.   Aspen was a foster here, she went to a very nice family, but the family had planned a trip for February and they were hesitant to take Aspen if she might have to be left alone in a kennel while they traveled.   We offered to keep Aspen so that she could have her perfect forever home immediately.  She arrived Friday afternoon, in the middle of a snow storm.    Her family will be in Guatemala on a volunteer aid project for two weeks.   Since I can't volunteer to go along and help, the best I can do is give Aspen a happy home so that her family can help without having to worry about leaving Aspen behind.   Arriving in a snow storm hurt a little, we tried to convince them that several Golden Retrievers would help the project a lot in the warm jungle.  Instead we were given large chew bones to keep us busy.   Aspen took up where she had left off several months ago.  She had left two stuffed toys with some stuffing left in them, she immediately went to the toy box and found them, then proceeded to finish the job she had started months ago.   She remembered everything, where the beds were, where the water dish was, where her feeding bowl was placed.   She settled in to await her family's return.

The other good news is that Lady has found her new forever home.    Bella and I even have a promise that we can visit her from time to time.   Lady has two nice goldens and one long haired miniature dachshund as new sisters.    She met them all in the back yard where she demonstrated how friendly she can be and how she can romp with the best of them.    The back yard is a large fenced area, but there are many acres beyond the fence to run in when she settles in.    They have to be careful because of the multitude of wild life, bunnies,  coyotes, deer and even mountain lions.    

Lady knows how to play an audience. She had her new family wrapped around her paws within moments.  She knew that she was in when she was allowed to climb up on the sofa and snuggle. Knowing she was not allowed on furniture at our home, the bi-ped says Lady stuck out her tongue at him when she settled down.


Her new family now has three Golden Retrievers, all three from Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies.  Her family even fostered several puppies, so they know how to spoil a dog.
Aspen, Bella and I wish her well and we hope to see her again since she is close. 
 
Mogley G. Retriever

The Lady and the snow.

It snowed last night, this morning we all went out to play.  You can see that Lady likes to play in the snow.

The Bumpass Hounds left a comment on our blog about Lady.   They adopted a blind Golden named Radar, they left the following message for us:

"Our brudda Radar's lower jaw is set forward and his right lower canine is always outside his jowl. Mom says that his condition is called a malocclusion or something that sounds like that. He always looks like he's grinning or getting ready to spit."

Here is a photo of Lady with her "ever-grinning canine" tooth.   Now we have a name for it.  We think it gives her some special personality! 

She says that having a tooth out means she is always ready to grab a treat.   Go ahead, try me and see!

We are having such fun with Lady, she is a true sweetheart and she behaves delightfully in the house. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Lady, a lady with a future!

Above, Lady, Mogley and Bella get acquainted.
Two nights ago we wrote a quick "tease" that Lady, our newest foster, had arrived.   Lady had a very bad night with us.  She was 6-7 years old, and had just been spayed.   She was still reacting to the anesthesia and she threw up all night long.   By the next morning the bi-peds panicked when she could not even take a lap of water without throwing up.  Her stomach was making loud noises and she was very lethargic.   The Official Golden Retriever Rescue Vet opens at 7:00, they had her there for a follow up.

Lady spent the day and night with the Vet, then with Mary.   Her stomach seems to have settled down and she is eating and drinking without problems.   This morning Lady came back to us.   She feels better this time, she is even acting like a real dog, running and sniffing things, playing with us, and exploring her new home. 

She is such a sweetheart.   She was abandoned along a road in a rural area and she found a local farm house for shelter.   The farm family loved her, but they had several family pets already, but they did know about Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) and Lady was soon on her way.   Somewhere along the way she had become foster mother to three ten week old black lab/mix puppies, they were not hers, but they attached themselves to her.    The puppies went to a separate home that is better equipped to handle them.  

Lady has two very distinct features.   She is extremely skinny, from wandering abandoned before she found shelter, she weighs only 51 pounds.  She also has lower front teeth that come forward and give her a perpetual grin with a slightly threatening look as her teeth are sticking out front.   It does not seem to bother her, she can still chew treats with the best of them. 

She is well leash broken, she obeys commands, and she is well house broken.   She gets along well with other dogs and cats.  Like many abandoned dogs, we don't know her real name, but she responds to almost anything you say to her and Lady seems to be a good fit.  We will give her a few days to recover before we post her story on the adoption page, she has been through a lot lately and she needs to relax and grow stronger (and fatter).  

Mogley G. Retriever

Welcome Lady

The resident Bi-ped left with his chauffeur hat on, then came back a few hours later with Lady. Lady is our new foster. We don't have photos to put up yet, Lady needed her rest. She had spent a long day at the Dr. today and she is still pretty groggy. Lady is 6-7 years old and was found as a stray on a rural farm. The farm family wanted to keep her, but they were up to quota on dogs already. She is skinny, but happy to be where it is warm and where she has a soft bed to sleep on.

Tomorrow when she is feeling a little more perky, we will tell her story.

On Friday Aspen comes to visit. Aspen is one of our former foster friends, her new family had already made arrangements to go to Guatemala to help build a village. When they wanted to adopt Aspen, but they wondered if they should wait so that Aspen did not have to spend weeks in a kennel, we offered to give her a home while they made their trip so that Aspen would not have to wait for her forever home. Aspen wanted to go along on the trip, one of the tasks is cooking for a hundred people. What a kitchen that would have been to hang out in. We are looking forward to seeing Aspen again, she was a delight to have with us the first time.

Mogley G. Retriever

An old friend sends us photos!

Today I am posting an E-mail we received from Snickers who is one of our former rescue brothers.  It is always nice to hear from old friends!

Hi Mogley & Bella,

I hope you remember me. I am Snickers and I spent a couple of weeks with you in Dec 2008 - Jan 2009. I have now been at my new home for a little more than a year, and I am loving life now. It is a wonderful home, with two friends (Rosy & Bailey). Of course, they aren't goldens, but I guess not everyone can be as lucky as me (and you guys). But they are fun to live with (most of the time) and I do love my bi-peds. They are very good at spoiling me, and I'm really kind of enjoying being spoiled :). I have a nice yard to run in, and a nice house to live in, and also some really nice trails to take walks on. Also, I get lots of toys (which I do still love to tear apart) and quite often, I even get to have ice cream. You can see me & Rosy & Bailey eating some in the picture below. I am also sending a picture of me outside in the snow, looking very beautiful. Sorry if I sound conceited, but I do have to admit I do look pretty good in that picture :) !!

Guess I should go for now. I just wanted to let you know I am doing great and love my new home. I will keep you up to date on my life, and I will continue reading your blog to keep up with all the stuff you are doing.

Take care. Hope I can see you again some day.

Snickers

Dead Duck

The Duck is Dead, long live the duck! 

The Duck did not last as long as we thought it would.   I took the "Quacker" out a few hours after it was given to me.   I started checking out the duck's internal construction, Bella decided to finish the job for me.   It was a good duck, but they don't make ducks like they did when I was a pup.   A duck back then would last for a week or more.   I remember when I attended "Retriever School", I took "Retrieving Ducks, 101".   I had to make a duck last the whole week of the course.   I graduated "Suma-Barka Loud". 

Below, Bella naps after killing my duck. 

We had snow last night, when I went out to my bathroom this morning there was 3 inches of snow where my toilet used to be.    It was light and fluffy snow, it was fun to run in and roll in.   We decided to share the snow, we sent the storm on towards the East, it should arrive there in a couple of days.    No! No need to thank me, I knew you did not have enough snow so I thought I would share.   The sun came out later and melted most of it away here in Denver, maybe it will last longer for you. 

The Resident Bi-Ped (RBP) spent the day watching the Olympics on TV.   He got very interested in the Luge events.   We thought the Luge was dangerous following the terrible accident that had taken place.    But no, the the RBP says he was studying the technique they use.   He says he will work hard to perfect his technique and practice to be ready to enter the Luge in four more years when the next Olympics takes place.     We did not understand until he pointed out that the Luge is the only Olympic Sport that you do laying down, a position he seems to practice a lot.   If laying down is all it takes, then we have discovered a natural talent that should not be wasted.    We can't help but wonder what the practice sessions look like, and when they hold try outs, exactly how do you determine who the winner is if they begin and end the event prone?     Luckily we live close to where the US Olympic team spends its time in Colorado Springs, Colorado, so maybe he can take his Laz-e-boy down and participate in the try outs. 

Bella reminded me that there is a reason God gave dogs such lovely fur coats.   The Luge is done with the participant wearing a very tight suit.  The image of our RBP in a skin tight latex suit popped into her mind and if she can't get that image out she may not be able to sleep tonight.  At the very least we will both have barking nightmares in the middle of the night.   I suggested to Bella that she think about squirrels to get rid of the image, she says that she barks in the night when she dreams of squirrels also. 

Mogley G. Retriever

New Duck

It has been boreing around here lately.   The resident chauffeur has been busy being a chauffeur.   He is helping some teenagers get back and forth to school for another week.   We do get to stop at the dog park on the way by and run for a while each day so all is not lost. 

To keep us happy, Bella and I each received some new toys.   The Duck is mine.   Bella took hers into a dark corner and hid them.  She tried to take mine also, but I defended my duck.   Maybe some photos will emerge of her toys after she tires of them. 

Tomorrows blog will be "Dead Duck", if it lasts that long.

Mogley G. Retriever

No snow here?

We have been watching the weather channel on TV to see how the snow is treating our friends back East.   The Bumpass Hounds had a tree fall down and take out part of their fence.   The Siberian's are bragging about their snow and how much fun it is to run and roll in.     Almost all of our snow has melted and we have bare grass.   It has been in the 50's during the day and the 30's at night.   The photo shows what I think of the cold weather.    I like getting covered with the blanket when its TV time in the evening.    "Chillin out" is not my thing! 

I have been getting out more often to the big dog park, but I don't run as fast or as long as I used to.   Twelve miles of dog park is wasted on me now.   My bi-ped says that my heart problem is showing up stronger.    I run a block or two, then I have to slow down to a walk to rest before I can run again.  Still it is lots of fun to get out more often now that it is warmer during the day.   Even if I can't run as fast and as far, there are still lots and lots of other dogs to greet and scents to check out.   

We are waiting for our next foster visitor to arrive and for our boarder to come see us.   Keep warm while we wait is my philosophy. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Paper Dog

Every morning, at Zero-Dark-Thirty, I have to go out and bring in the morning newspaper. Here I am waiting patiently for the door to open so I can get back inside with my delivery. This is the Sunday paper which is very heavy and takes a good grip to keep from losing some of the contents. I got into trouble one morning, it was dark, cold and I grabbed the paper and rushed back inside with out getting a good bite on it. There was a trail of paper up the driveway in the fresh snow. The resident Bi-ped had to put on shoes to rescue his precious paper. Bella has been taking "Paper Fetch" lessons and she may be able to help out if I sleep late some day. If both of us go out to fetch the paper, then one of us can sniff around the walkway while the other one of us keeps the human busy. Some mornings we can distract him and spend a few minutes checking out who is using the trail to the park.

Then I get breakfast, and my morning pill. After this strenuous morning workout I take a short nap before the rest of the homes wake up. Once the sun is up, the squirrels start looking for snacks in the back yard. I have to keep an eye out at the back door, ready to alert Bella if a squirrel trespasses. When I alert her, we both have to run through the two dog doors, into the back yard and chase the ferocious squirrels out of the yard. Sometimes we both hit the door at the same time and we get stuck trying to get out. Bella is the chief squirrel chaser, I am not as fast as she is where squirrels are concerned. Most times I can leave her in the dust, but not if there is a squirrel.

When it starts to warm up, people start walking with their dogs in the park, It is my responsibility to keep them from coming too close to our back fence. This requires frequent runs from the back door, out the dog door, into the garage, then out the end of the garage through another door, around the house to the back fence. By late morning I am tired again and a second nap is called for.

Then shortly after noon, the whole process will repeat. It is a tough life, but somebody has to live it. The hours are long, the work is hard, but the dog food and treats are good. We usually get several tummy rubs per day which helps us relax after our exercises. The resident bi-ped sits at a computer all day long, doing something he calls trading stocks. If the screen is green, I sit beside the chair and there is a good chance of getting a head rub or even a tummy rub. If the screen is covered with red numbers, then I run and hide.

Just another morning in the life of a Golden Retriever.

Mogley G. Retriever

Wednesday Update on Aspen

There is not a lot to report. The rescue has been busy, but our chauffeur has been busy as well so we have not taken in a new foster to rescue. We expect to have someone new shortly.



We have been talking to the family that gave Aspen her forever home. They are going to be gone for several weeks and they do not want to put her in a kennel. Aspen was with us in September-October of 2009. She is 10 years old and quite active. Her new family did not want her to have to sleep on cold concrete behind chain link for several weeks at a boarding kennel. So they asked if she could come stay with us in an environment that would be familiar to her. The plans for their travel had already been made when they first met Aspen, they wanted to adopt her but were worried about taking her in, then having to leave her for the trip. They had asked if we would Aspen-Sit for a while if they gave her a wonderful home. This way she has her forever home, but she still gets a soft bed and warm home. We will be keeping you up to date as we get closer, but Aspen will get a chance to revisit us. It is so much fun to keep in touch with our alumni.

Bella and I like Aspen, but we do hope there is a firm understanding that Aspen returns home at the end of the travels, you can't trust bi-peds, Aspen almost did not leave last time she was here, she was becoming a fixture at our home.

Mogley G. Retriever

It's over!

Our five day play date is over, our cousins went back home last evening. Bella and I will be napping for several days to recover. Piper and Molly play hard. Below are our last photos as we were given our evening treats, a farewell party without the balloons. I am on the left, Emma in front, Piper behind her, Bella at the back, and Molly to the right.

The bi-peds plan to clean the house, then we will be ready to take in a new foster Golden this weekend. They say they will need to go to the warehouse store to buy enough vacuum cleaner bags to hold all the hair that is now on the floors.

Stay tuned for more news, we hope we have a fun foster friend soon.

Mogley G. Retriever

Tug-O-War Championship

Below, Molly (left) and I are competing in the Tug-O-War" championships. I am about to win the final round and take the world "Tug-O-War" championship!

The International "Tug-o-war" championship was held at our house over the last few days. We have reduced most of our toys to three or four toys by pulling them in half. While the rest of you thought we were just playing, we have been conducting the final rounds of the International grand championship. Bella is usually the winner of all of our contests, but this time, Molly worked extra hard and she made me work to win. In the end, I won, paws down. This weekend we will be holding a special Coronation ceremony in which I will get a crown and a gold medal. Below is a photo from the first elimination round, notice my head shake, it is my secret weapon to win by antagonizing the opponent and knock them off their feet.

Next time we hold the championship we will invite our readers to enter and participate.

Mogley G. Retriever

Five Goldens make a party!

We are gathered together for our morning treat. Emma, Piper and Molly are in front, they always seem to be first in line for dinner or treats. We are having a lot of fun playing together and romping in the snow and shredding toys in our tug-o-war contests. We will probably have all of the toys destroyed by the time our cousins go home next Wednesday.

Last night was very exciting, about 3:30 in the morning we ran outside to bark at several coyotes that were trying to kill a raccoon in the park behind our house. The screaming of the trapped raccoon was enough to wake up the whole neighborhood. We ran out and started barking across the fence, five of us barking distracted the coyotes enough to allow the raccoon to run up a tree. The chauffeur ran out with a big light to see what all the noise was, just in time to see the coyotes get distracted and the raccoon scramble up the tree. He used his big light to scare the coyotes off, the raccoon was afraid to come down from the tree until morning. We did our good deed for the week, we kept another raccoon alive so that we will have something to chase when he gets into our back yard.

Mogley G. Retriever

One week!

When the chauffeur went across town we expected him to bring back a new foster from the rescue. Instead he had bad news for us. There are lots of foster dogs in rescue right now, they need foster homes so they don't have to sleep on concrete and look through chain link. They need foster homes so they can get a head pat and so they can sleep beside the bed like they always have done. But he did not bring back a foster for us.

Then he told us why. Tomorrow morning all three of my cousins are coming to spend a week. Wow, that will be a party. Molly and Piper are young and wild. They love the big back yard, they can run, they can bark without being told to "shush". The squirrels had better watch out now. We can play all day and all night.

If you have room, there is a need for foster homes for rescue dogs. But we will not be adding a new foster till next Wednesday. In the meantime we can play to our hearts content.

Mogley G. Retriever

A Forever Home for Jack

Below, Black Jack enjoys a giant rawhide stick in the warm sun.
Below, I have a rawhide stick as well, but I like mine in the house where it is warm.

Bella does not trust anyone. She has her stick under the table where no one can bother her with it.

This morning it was a bright sunny day, the snow was melting and the grass was peeking though in the sun. We each were given a big rawhide stick to chew on to keep us busy. Life is good!

.

Later in the day, we arranged a meeting with a family that was interested in adopting Black Jack. They brought along Daisy, a 9 1/2 year old golden lady to make sure everyone got along. Daisy is very ill, but she enjoyed the company just the same. Everyone ran and played in the back yard to get acquainted.

.

Black Jack showed what a wonderful dog he was, he thrilled everyone. We were all thrilled with the family and the wonderful home they had to share with us. Bella offered to go with them if Jack did not want to go.

.

Thank you to the rescue for finding a wonderful home for Jack. It makes it so much easier to let go of a foster friend when we know that they will be loved in their new home as much as we loved them. Have a wonderful life, Jack. We hope to see you at some of the Golden Retriever reunions and picnics.

.

Mogley G. Retriever

R.I.P Stuffie

Below, Bella enjoys a relaxing moment on the big pillow Stuffie. This was before I got bored with the snow and cold outside and I decided to play with the Stuffie. The Stuffie was 15 days old and that is a long time for a big toy in a home with three Goldens.

Below, What can I say? It was a snowy and cold day, I could not play outside, so I stayed inside and played with my Stuffie. It had squeaky things in every arm, leg, head and body. Six squeaky things to take out. They don't make stuffed toys like they used to when I was a puppy!

Below, The end of a long day, we are ready to hold a wake for our dear departed stuffie.

Don't blame me for all of the mess on the floor. It took all three of us to do the task you see above. Black Jack looks funny with clumps of white stuffing on his black coat. Tomorrow is going to be a cold day also and we are running out of toys. What will we do for fun on another cold, snowy day? The resident bi-ped is threatening to get out his welding equipment, some large steel bars, and make some toys that we can't destroy.

One of our friends suggested that we save the stuffing till spring, then put it out for the birds to use to build nests. If they will give us more toys, we can help more birds! How is that for a plan? That is good recycling, proving we are good environmental citizens.

Mogley G. Retriever

Golden Retrievers to the Rescue

First it was Golden ReinDogs that deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls, in spite of the fact that Reindeer get all the credit. Then news articles appear giving cats credit for reducing blood pressure. How quickly you forget that the real heros are Golden Retrievers!

The headline reads "18 month Golden Retriever named Angel saves an 11 year old boy". According to the news reports, link to story, when Austin went outside to bring in some wood, Angel went along. When the mountain lion came at them, Angel attacked, allowing Austin to go inside for help. The lion and Angel were still in combat when they shot and killed the lion. Angel received numerous stitches but is recovering well.

In a similar story, link to news story, a Golden named Stanley attacked a Mountain Lion near Lyons, Colorado and saved two hikers. Stanley chased the lion up a tree which allowed the family to escape from the lion.

That is why you should always take a Golden retriever hiking with you. So what have those Reindeer done for you lately?

Meanwhile, Black Jack was taken on a home visit on Sunday. He said the home was great, but they have a puppy that visits often and he is afraid at his age he can no longer keep up with the puppy. Black Jack did turn in a good home inspection report and says that whoever they select will be a very lucky Golden indeed.

That is all the news today.

Mogley G. Retriever

New Years Day

Above, Bella (left) and I are in the car, ready to go to the dog park.

Above, Bella (right) and I are waiting for the resident bi-ped to get going to the dog park.

Black Jack is behind us, it is hard to see him in the shadows. New Years day we went for a run in the big dog park, it was a warm day, just right for a run. 12 mile dog park has everything, woods, prairie, streams and lots of stuff to sniff and chase. Bella, Black Jack and I ran until we were tired. There were very few other dogs there, they must have partied too hard the night before. Once we come back from the hills and just walk along the trail with the chauffeur, he knows it is time to go home. Black Jack had to drag his leash most of the time, it was his first outing to an off-leash park and we wanted to make sure he stayed close. He did well, next time he will get to run without his leash. We came back tired and had a long nap.

Below, I am showing off my huge stuffed toy I got for Christmas. It has squeakers in every arm and leg. It is still intact after five days because I won't let Black Jack have it. Once he gets a toy, it is all over for that toy.

I hope everyone has a happy New Year.

Mogley G. Retriever

new Years Resolutions

In the interest of always striving to be a better dog, I have set forth some New Years Resolutions. As a service to the NCBIC (Non-Commissioned Bi-ped in Charge), I have prepared a few resolutions for them also.

1. I, Mogley G. Retriever hereby resolve to retrieve every day, providing the paper boy gets here like he is supposed to.
2. I resolve to bark more loudly at the front door, often the resident bi-peds do not realise that visitors are at the door. They tell me to "shush" but "shush" did not scare the burglars away.
3. I resolve to remind my bi-peds to give more tummy rubs. In fact, on the Dog Calendar the year 2010 is "The Year of Tummy Rubs and Treats". Why do they follow the Chinese calendar when the Dog calendar is available?
4. I resolve to take more trips to the dog park. Just because the NCBIC traded off the car that had the parks pass in the window, they did not have to wait till the New Year to buy a new pass to the big dog park. It is for the NCBIC's benefit, they need more exercise and I am just the dog to keep them fit.
5. I resolve to catch a squirrel in 2010. My cousin Molly thinks she is so fast, she has caught two squirrels, one each year for the past two years. She cheats, she waits till I chase them towards the trees, she just waits under the trees.
6. I resolve to make my head available for more pats and petting. It is for the NCBIC's benefit, they need to relax and get rid of stress. How better to ease their stress than by petting a Golden Retriever? Tense? Too much work? Bills got you down? Dr. Mogley is "IN". Only one bone per hour. Beat that price with your current health plan!
7. I resolve to keep my teeth clean and my breath sweet by eating more rawhide chew bones. All it takes is a little cooperation from the NCBICs.
8. Black Jack resolves to find a perfect Forever Home. He says he has several inquiry's and he will be meeting with them to see if they meet his high standards.

Have a Happy New Year!

Mogley G. Retriever, Bella and Black Jack!

Black Jack's Journey

We had promised to post Black Jack's story before Christmas. Then we decided to delay posting so that you did not end up crying on Christmas day. I hope you have a handkerchief handy before you read Black Jack's story. The names of the individuals have been changed to keep us from looking for them.

A foreign couple had brought Jack in for treatment several times to a Vet clinic. They had multiple complaints including saying that he was incontinent. Mostly they did not understand dogs and a large one was especially a challenge to them. Let the dog go out more than twice a day, duh! Male dogs always pee more than once when they are outside.

.

When they moved back to their home land, they left Jack behind and had someone else bring Jack in to have him euthanized. The Vet staff did not want to put down such a nice boy, they asked if the owners would surrender Jack instead. An overseas telephone call was necessary to obtain the permission necessary to surrender Jack. That day was the beginning of a new journey for Black Jack. That night he went home with his new best friend, a Vet Tech who was also a rescue volunteer. Jack was sent on to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) as he was a Golden in everything but color.

The owners had voiced many complaints in attempting to justify putting Black Jack down. At first the rescue did not know what was fact and what was fiction. It was necessary to spend some time evaluating him, after which the true dog emerged. It turned out that Jack did not wet in the house, he did not do inappropriate things, he did not chew cushions or chase cats, he did not bark unnecessarily. What emerged was a very mellow, gentle and well housebroken canine. He spent two weeks with a temporary foster home, not a single wet spot in the house. He just needed to be let outside more than once a day. He was a male dog and when he did go out it was normal for him to wet in several places, that did not make him incontinent. It's being a dog, that is what they do!

Since Jack has been with us, he has regularly asked to be let out, he loves the back yard and if there is no excitement in the house he will go outside looking for it, then ask to be let back in after five minutes. He has learned how to use the dog doors, but he likes the attention of asking for someone to open the door for him. He sleeps all night in the bedroom, right beside Bella and I. He eats his food politely, not wolfing it down. He is quiet, not barking all night. He is very polite, never jumps up on people to welcome them. He even co-exists with the cats.

We were told he was 10 years old, we think that was another attempt to justify euthanasia. He is not a puppy anymore, but he is closer to 7-8 than to 10 years old. He is pretty slender, under all of that thick beautiful coat, he gets extra food at dinner time. When he was in the kennels, they groomed him several times because he was such a delight to work with. When he trots across the lawn with his shiny coat bouncing in the sun, he is a thing of beauty.

Black Jack is a dangerous dog, you could kill yourself tripping over him, he is always either under your feet, by your feet, or nuzzling your hand or knee. He is a real lover dog. We think his breed is most likely "Attention Hound". He has a very mellow disposition, knows his basic commands and is sociable with others, even tolerating the cats. Perhaps the best of Jack is his attention to commands. If you tell him "no", he freezes in his tracks, he wants to please and he trys so hard to obey whatever you ask of him.

We are delighted that a Veterinarian's Staff would help this wonderful boy walk out to begin a new journey, to live his life out with a loving family and a warm home. Now it is our task to find Black Jack a new Forever Home, one that will understand him, care for him, and see him for the wonderful dog he is.

We posted a wonderful write up on Black Jack on our web site. Jack is on his way to finding his new Forever Home. We think the rescue had better hurry and find his new home, Jack is settling in a little too much, he could be difficult to give up.

Mogley G. Retriever