How to Celebrate!

We had to do something special to celebrate our 50th foster friend.  I started the family tradition by being the first foster, later I became a "foster failure" when they refused to allow me to leave for a new home.   Bella and I have since provided homes, training and comfort to 50 fosters, helping them move on to a new and better life.  To celebrate we invited some friends in for swimming and opened the pool.  Later we were even promised ice cream after dinner.   Above and below, photo of Honey on the left, Butter on the right, and I am left without a ball. 

I think we created more than a monster today, we created two monsters today.    If you have been following my blog you know that we have Honey and Butter, two very well behaved, calm and well trained foster Golden's living at our house.   No bad habits, just two lovely ladies that show us all what a perfect Golden Retriever is.   They set a standard for the rest of us to follow. 

Not!  You must be confused, today Honey and Butter were taking a vacation from their normal behaviours.   They went native.   You can understand, they obviously thought the party was for them, they are the 50th fosters.  The human needed to give Honey and Butter baths, but they wanted to save a trip to the groomer so the swimming pool was opened for Golden swimming.    At first Honey wanted no part of the pool, she checked it out but would not get in.   Butter watched me swim and chase balls, pretty soon Butter was on the top step.   Then Butter was on the second step.   Then when a ball was thrown, Butter jumped in after it, into deep water.  In a few minutes she was chasing me for the balls and showing her great swimming form.   Honey could only watch this action for a few minutes, then she was in as well.   

Above, Sarge and Sorcha enter the pool in a big splash, they don't waste time being on the shore, they fetch the ball, hand it to a human to throw, then run and jump back in.

Butter discovered something about herself.   She is a golden and she loves water.   She swam, she swam and she swam.   Honey loves the water as well, she had a great time in the pool, she actually pushed other dogs under the water to steal their balls.  But watching Butter in the water was like watching someone come home.   In the pool, Butter was home.   Butter did not want to come out, she did not want to stop.  If there were no balls in the pool, Butter still swam in circles, just for the joy of swimming.   Butter found herself today, she found the hidden golden, a water dog, inside. 

We were squeaky clean after almost two hours of constant swimming and jumping in the water.   After drying in the sun, we were put back inside before we could roll in the mud.    Don't tell anyone, but dogs are not allowed on the furniture.  We have told Honey the rules of the house.   But as you can see below, she was testing the limits today, still damp, she wanted to see if she could get away with it. 

We have a message for Honey and Butter's new family.  Plan on a wading pool at least, you have two water dogs here, not two couch potatoes.   Watching a golden that has discovered their inner water dog is like watching a child on their first Christmas, it is a special feeling to see them light up as they learn what their heritage means. 

It was a very successful celebration, now it is time to start on the next 50 fosters.   Thanks to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, they make it all possible.   There is a great team of people working together to rescue close to 400 dogs per year, without the wonderful team we could never do what we have done.   Thanks again to all the volunteers at GRRR.  You all deserve a very special reward for all the dogs of all breeds that pass through the GRRR system.  

Mogley G. Retriever