Summer Again

Summer came to our house again today. She is the second rescue dog that we have had this year named Summer. This Summer is a lot more of a rescue than the last Summer. She is 8 years old, and very well behaved. We picked her up from another GRRR volunteer that had brought her in from a rural area up North in Colorado. She had been a product of a broken home. After a divorce, she stayed with the husband who quickly lost interest in her. She spent more than a year in an outdoor run, alone.

Summer arrived so knotted and dirty that we had to give her a quick trim to get rid of some of the bigger balls and knots of hair. Tomorrow she has an early morning appointment with a groomer.

Instead of daily walks and tennis ball chases, she was confined to a lonely run, given food but no attention. She says she feels very dirty and does not want us to put her pictures up on the web until she can get her hair done. We explained that we were hoping to find her a new home, she is still reluctant to be seen in her present condition. I promised that tomorrow we would put up more flattering pictures. When she arrived here she had only a very old collar and a leash that looked like it had never been used. She did not get walks, she did not get brushed. She just got left.

After the stop at the beauty shop tomorrow, she will go to the vet and get a check up. She has a thyroid condition but they stopped buying her medicine over a year ago. Once she is back on her medications and starts walking with the others, she will work on her weight. (Note: The check up revealed that there was no thyroid problem, just too much food, too little excercise.) She says she thinks she is over 100 pounds. After her grooming, she will get to pick out a brand new collar so she can look her best when she meets you.

If you have ever wondered what a gem in the rough looks like, look at Summer. After all she has been through, she still is totally devoted to humans. She is napping on their feet right now. She says she will promise not to run around barking, she will not chew on shoes. She says she will be the best behaved companion you will ever have. She will follow you where ever you go. She will be at your side through thick and thin. She will promise to be a quiet loving companion. She will walk gently on her leash, she will obey you and love you. Go to http://www.goldenrescue.com/ to fill out an application to adopt Summer and give here the best life you can from now on. She deserves a forever home, filled with love. Won't you give it to her?

Below, Summer in the back watches Bella on the left, me in the middle and Molly on the right, look for crumbs from the afternoon treat.

Mogley G. Retriever

The Electric Fence

Molly is back with us. Molly is one of my cousin dogs, she lives with the humans daughter and son-in-law. The three dogs, Emma, Piper and Molly stayed with us while they were moving. Their new house is in a golf course community which does not allow fences, instead it offered miles and miles of open space. We thought that sounded great until we learned they were going to put in an underground fence with electric shock collars. No Way! That sounds terribly barbaric.

The electric fence system lasted about two weeks. Emma, Piper and Molly learned the boundaries very quickly. The problem seems to be that the bunny rabbits in the neighborhood do not respect the underground fence. They go running across the lawn, right under our noses. Ask yourself how a self respecting Golden Retriever can allow a bunny rabbit to run across the yard un-challenged?

Molly promptly escorted the rabbits out of the yard, at a high rate of speed. She could not stop in time for the electric fence, she went right through it, getting shocked, but still chasing the bunny. It took several hours to find her, there was nothing but open space for miles in each direction. After several long evenings were spent looking for Molly, they decided she should return to a place with a fence. Emma and Piper were able to contain themselves and stay in the yard, they just chase the Bunny's to the edge of the lawn and then stop. What makes it even worse is when Molly gets outside of the fence, then she gets shocked when she tries to come home on her own.

What to do now is the question? Until they can figure out a way to keep Molly under control and in the back yard, she will stay with us. It is all right with me, Molly and I run, play and wrestle all day long. Molly does miss her family, she enjoyed Emma and Piper. Until an answer can be found we are having a good time. The bad side of this story is that the bunny's have won for now.

Mogley G. Retriever

Annual Meeting

Today Bella and I had to stay home while the humans went off to have fun. They reported back to us about the meeting. They elected new officers to help keep Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) working for the next two years. 345 dogs have been rescued this year, with two months to go. We will easily go past 400 by the end of the year. At any given time 150-300 volunteers are working to receive dogs, assess them, assign them to foster families, screen forever homes and match them to the perfect dog. Thank you letters are written, data bases maintained, health charts and records are filed away, telephone calls answered, health problems treated, dog food delivered, all so that unwanted dogs can have a new and loving forever home. What a team!

After the business meeting, our favorite Veterinarian, Dr. Carpenter, was brought in to talk to the volunteers about dog health. So many dogs go through the system and little is known about their health histories. Many dogs are surrendered because they have a health problem and the owner does not want to bother with helping them. GRRR teaches its foster families so they can respond when a health or behaviour problem develops. The Veterinarian spent several hours giving volunteers and foster parents instruction on how to spot problems, how to respond and how to find help within the GRRR system.

The topics included food, allergic reactions to food, food additives and supplements, diarrhea causes, bowel diseases, food and environmental allergies, and their treatments. Then ear cleaning was covered, one of the more common problems with Golden's. They talked about Thyroid problems, how to spot thyroid imbalances, and when to seek help.

Weight and obesity is a problem with many of the surrender dogs, overfeeding is a response by an inattentive owner that thinks food or treats can replace spending quality time with their dog. How to balance the daily food intake against the activity level was discussed. Many joint problems are caused by over weight conditions. New dogs that enter our care need to have their activity level increased gradually to prevent them from stressing their joints if they have had an inactive life. Joint problems can be caused by genetics, athletic stress or obesity. Of the three causes, the ones the foster family can help prevent are obesity and over stressing. Chasing Frisbees and tennis balls is good exercise, if the activity level is increased slowly.

Dangerous foods were discussed. Foster homes have to be careful that inappropriate foods are not left where they can be reached by a new and very inquisitive house guest. Some of the items that are overlooked are grapes and raisins, chocolate, caffeine, most nuts, anti-freeze in even tiny amounts, and medications. Dogs don't read medication labels very clearly, they often do not follow dosage instructions. It is very easy to confuse your medications with theirs, keep both out of reach.

Foster families were told what to watch for in lumps, bumps, tumors and sores.. Epilepsy and seizures were covered. Worms, parasites, fleas and other problems were discussed.

Gastric Torsion or twisted stomach was discussed, because it can occur rapidly, it was included as part of the discussion of when to seek emergency treatment. If the stomach swells, get help. Check the gums, if they are pale or bluish it is an indication of lack of oxygen or internal bleeding, time to call in the emergency team in either case.

The humans were impressed with the amount of help available to them when they take in a foster dog. They left feeling much better about their ability to respond to a crisis and the amount of help available for the dogs and the families that care for them.

I am still angry that they did not let dogs attend the meeting, my nose told me there had been two dogs there. The humans said the dogs were there to meet prospective families.

I feel good that GRRR cares enough to make sure their foster families and volunteers have received thorough instruction in training and in health care. We don't like being homeless, but it is nice to know that we get the best care we can get on our way to our forever homes.

Thanks, Golden Retriever Rescue, for taking such good care of all of our homeless friends.

You too can help by clicking on the link to the left and leave a donation on pay-pal. So many dogs, so few homes.

Mogley G. Retriever

GRRREAT Halloween Party

Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies hosted a GRRReat Halloween party for both dogs and humans on Sunday. Humans think that Halloween is a human holiday or event. They don't realize that dogs are the real reason for Halloween. Dogs created Halloween as a time to practice the skills necessary for hunting. By holding an annual competition between dogs to see who can best disguise themselves in order to stalk prey, they created a holiday that the humans have embraced and even taken over for themselves. Dogs use many disguises in order to stalk their prey. For example, one excellent disguise (see below) is a Golden Retriever in a frog costume. How better to hunt ducks in a lake or pond than to disguise yourself as a frog and hide in the pond? What cunning hunters we Golden Retrievers are.

Halloween has been taken over by humans, in response, the disguises dogs use have evolved to allow for our new hunting grounds and hunting tactics. Now we hunt in the malls, kitchens and yards of people. Our prey is no longer deer, pheasants, ducks or bears, now we stalk the elusive tennis ball and the wily Milk Bone. Hence the new disguises we are forced to wear. While camouflage worked better in the fields and streams where we used to hunt, today, "Cute" earns more treats. Being stealthy in the field is a traditional approach, but dressing up in ribbons and bows, no matter how embarrassing, is the best way to capture snacks.

The picture below shows a very good disguise to use in chasing the elusive tennis ball, disguise yourself as a baseball player. What a cunning way to capture the wild balls in left field.

There were a lot of tennis balls being thrown, the dogs were busy retrieving them for the humans. Why do humans have such a surplus of tennis balls that they can throw them away so casually? Golden's know that tennis balls are very valuable and we attempt to retrieve them as often as possible. There was also a lot of food on the tables, food that could have been used to feed a hundred starving dogs. The humans hogged it all, brats and hot dogs by the dozen, salads and so many deserts I could not even count them on four paws. There was a silent auction for many gift baskets, toys, books and wine. The official Golden Retriever gift table was full of sweat shirts, jackets, hats, t-shirts, statues and figurines, pictures, writing paper, note pads and wall hangings, all for sale to the Golden-Aholics. A lot of Christmas shopping took place for the Golden fans of the world.

We were lucky enough to have a visit from a couple that had just come from an appearance on the Jerry Springer show, along with their delinquent child, a recent GRRR graduate.
We had the mandatory hot dog, complete with mustard and a soda.
One disguise that should result in a lot of plunder is the political disguise, shown below. By disguising themselves as politicians running for office, Golden's can accept many treats, there is no limit to the amount of contributions you may make to a dog campaign. We all know that politicians get all the good stuff, mostly under the table, but we will take our treats wherever we can find them. Their platform is certainly one that we can all agree with.

Cute seemed to dominate the costume show. In the pictures below a lot of dogs have lost their self respect, not to mention their ability to move unseen across the hunting fields. Still, the goal is to capture treats and toys, and several dogs went home with huge baskets of goodies, prizes for pandering to their humans taste in frilly outfits. What works, works, I guess. Times change and so must our hunting tactics. Our cousins came as Greek Gods, Emma, Piper and Molly were covered in frilly stuff. It was a great costume, but not too practical for hunting or chasing balls. Still, it did earn them treats, head pats, compliments and even a tummy rub or two.

Bella and I went as ourselves, we wore our Reindog outfits. We did not win a prize, but I guess that is to be expected since we were not really in disguise, going as ourselves. We did bring one of Santa's helpers to vouch for our authenticity. At least, now, there can be no doubt about Reindog's being the real hero's of Christmas and Reindeer being a fraud. Now you know, Reindeer do not pull Santa's sleigh, it is done by sure footed Reindogs. They are the real hero's of Christmas, fetching presents to children all over the world on Christmas eve. You cannot deny the truth! This Christmas you should leave eight dog treats along with the milk and cookies. Since Reindogs carry the real work load, we need the energy from the snacks. Santa could use a few less snacks, if you don't mind, cut back on the milk and cookies a little please. That sleigh is pretty heavy when loaded with gifts, if Santa would lose a few pounds we could make our rounds a lot faster, and haul a greater load of toys. It is a win-win for children everywhere.Thanks for your help in spreading the truth about this terrible fraud that is being perpetrated by members of the deer family.

Mogley G. Retriever

GRRR Halloween party

What a party we had today (Sunday). It was the GRRR annual Halloween costume party, ball fetch party, and snack fest. I met a lot of my old friends that I have not seen for a long time, and I made lots of new friends. I am very tired from chasing all of the tennis balls and playing with the other dogs. Humans kept throwing tennis balls out into the field, several of us would run, grab them and bring them back. But before we could return them, they would throw more. We would have to drop the ones we had and race back to get the new ones. This went on and on, they must have brought a thousand tennis balls. I will write more later after I have my nap. In the meantime, here are a few of the pictures from the costume party to keep you interested until I can blog some more. The picture below shows Santa with his two Reindogs, Bella and I. As you can clearly see, Reindogs are not a myth.

Mogley g. Retriever

The Doggone truth!

Someone asked me if my blog was the truth or was it made up? That is a silly question, everyone knows that dogs don't lie. Cats lie all day long, that is what they do. Dogs never tell anything but the truth. Except for blogs such as this, most dog/human communication is non vebal.

When we bark it is because there is a reason to bark. There may be someone at the door, or a truck drove by, or a squirrel has invaded the yard, or a cat trespassed on the dog path, or the mail man is late getting here, or a leaf blew by in the wind. There is always a reason.

When we drool it is because we see food, or we see you open the door where the food is kept, or we hear the crinkle of cellophane which may mean you are opening the treat bag, or we may smell cooking from next door, or we remember where we buried that bone we lost, but always there is a reason.

When our tail wags, it is never to lie, it is always for a good reason. Maybe you just came back from shopping and we need to greet you and tell you we missed you, or maybe we are complaining because we did not get to go along, or we may be hoping you will give us a head pat, or we may be asking for a treat, or just hoping for a treat, or because we have been sleeping on the couch and we hope you won't notice, or we chased the cat while you were gone and it sure was fun, or we maybe we have a tail cramp from napping in the wrong position, but always there is a reason.

No, dogs don't lie. If you took all of the great fiction in the world that was written by dogs, put it in on one shelf in the library, you would have a shelf full of blank paper.

The fact that dogs don't lie is also the reason we don't run for public office. Could a dog on TV say, "My opponent has accepted tainted dog bones as bribes for not barking at intruders?" Could a dog make a speech and accuse his opponent of "Being a serial cat chaser?" Could we say, "My opponent is a bitch?" No! Except for the part about the opponent being a bitch, that might be true.

All of my blogs are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Well, maybe there is a little exaggeration now and then, but it is just poetic license,. That is the excuse the reporters on the evening news use for their lies, why can't I use it to? The dog rescue stories are all true, but some of the Santa Clause information has been "tweaked" to protect the innocent.

Mogley G. Retriever

Calling all dogs!, Part two

Everyone has read terrible stories about dogs rescued from terrible and dangerous situations, but we don't expect them to be this close to home. The next rescue that came to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) is a terrible story. Mary wrote a long message to the members and volunteers describing what happened. It began with a message on the surrender hot line. Here is a portion of Mary's e-mail message:

"A woman and her family found a senior Golden who had been dumped in a field. They called GRRR and wanted us to take him in, they knew that the owner had lied to the vet and his kids. He told the vet he had euthanized the dog and the kids that the dog, Brodie, died in the field. Well, he's a liar... Animal Control had just left with Brodie when I called her back to let them know we would love to have Brodie. The ACO wanted to take Brodie with him as they were going to pursue abuse/neglect charges on the owner. The ACO asked if they would like to sign the release of ownership to the shelter as they were pursuing neglect/abuse charges. The owner signed him over. But as he did this, he told the ACO that he had given Brodie sleeping pills to kill him and then took him and dumped him in the field and thought he was dead."

Brodie was released to GRRR where he was given a vet check up, several small growths were taken off. Brodie was then taken to a foster home where they report he is playing non-stop with an Australian Sheep dog that the family had picked up at the same time, (GRRR also coordinates Aussie rescues).

The Animal Control officer is pursuing charges against the owner for his attempt to kill the Brodie. They say that "all is well that ends well", to us a good ending for this rescue will be when the former owner ends up being punished for his actions and Brodie finds a loving forever home, maybe with his Aussie friend with him. That would truly be a Golden ending.

This is not the end of the new dogs coming into rescue. The volume of dogs that are in need of new homes is becoming greater by the day. Stay tuned for the next chapter of the Rescue Chronicles.

Mogley G. Retriever

Calling all dogs!

I was first terrified, then horrified, then I hide my eyes under my paws. My human received a very long letter from Mary at Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) which he left up on the screen for me to read. Mary wrote a long message about several very disturbing rescues that had recently been handled.

I have written about many fun rescues, and a few disturbing ones, but none as wrenching as what has recently happened. The first rescue she described concerns an advertising flyer for a farm auction sale. It listed chickens, livestock, and three Golden Retrievers. Rescues do not pay for dogs as a rule, but members quickly volunteered to cover the cost if GRRR could get possession of the Goldens at the auction. A volunteer agreed to attend the auction and bid on the three Goldens for GRRR. She successfully bought them for the Rescue after some bidding. The three Goldens were being housed in a muddy pen in deplorable conditions. When the rescue volunteers approached the Goldens to take them home, the dogs laid down in the mud and tried to hide, a typical response from dogs that have not been socialized and are not used to human interaction.

Can you even imagine what had to happen to make three Golden Retrievers hide from people? We are talking Golden Retrievers here, you know, the ones that greet you at the door with a rush! Golden Retrievers that beg you to throw a ball so they can play fetch with you! Golden Retrievers that lick your face and hands to show love. Golden Retrievers that will lay their head on your leg and worship you with their eyes as you relax in your easy chair. Instead, these Goldens were so scared that they wanted to hide from human contact. Goldens that were being sold like used lawnmowers and laying hens.

Have we forgotten about that phrase "Man's Best Friend" that we can treat 3-4 year old Goldens like used books or broken pots in a garage sale?

Thanks to GRRR three lost Goldens are on their way to new homes. Thanks GRRR and all of the other rescue organizations that rescue, care for and re home dogs every day.

This is not the worst case Mary told us about. I will write about a second case when I have recovered, you will be shocked!

If you don't work in rescue, call your local rescue and volunteer. Find your local rescue and donate time and money to help rescue dogs. The economy is getting worse, people are abandoning dogs and cats in greater numbers. We need your help more now than ever. Volunteers transport dogs, walk dogs, evaluate them, train them and help find new homes for them. Volunteers write newsletters, schedule events, recruit volunteers, clean kennels, exercise dogs and play with them to help them transition to a new life. Join us, it will brighten your day and it will save a dogs life.

Mogley G. Retriever

Halloween is coming

The Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies annual Halloween Party and Reunion Picnic is on Sunday, October 26th. Did you miss the wonderful picnic at the lake? Well, don't miss this! The world is going to the dogs, and this is where all the dogs are going!

All year long Bella and I have been wearing our disguises as mild mannered Golden Retrievers. At Halloween we can take off our disguises and appear as we really are; Santa's ReinDogs. Last year we exposed the whole Santa and Reindeer hoax.

For our new readers, here is the true story! Santa has always used Golden Retrievers, known as Reindogs, to pull his sleigh. There is overwhelming proof available. Deer have sharp hooves that could never stand on a steep roof, the soft pads on our feet keep us from sliding off roofs and keep Santa safe on his rounds. All of the pictures of Santa and the Reindogs show strong, handsome, golden colored animals pulling the sleigh. We all know that Donner and Blitzen are dogs names, not deer names. Deer are named John Deer or Bambi, not Prancer and Vixen. In order to "fetch" toys and gifts to all the girls and boys, Santa needs a team of golden Retrievers for the job. Do you really think a deer knows how to fetch? Man's best friend brings presents and gifts, not deer. How do you think dogs became man's best friend if not by delivering gifts? When did you see a deer bringing you a present? Who do you think eats all of the cookies people leave out? Deer eat hay, Reindogs eat cookies. I will admit that too many cookies give me indigestion, so this year I hope more people set out dog treats instead.

The reason Reindeer get all of the photo publicity shots is that they have better agents and they work for hay. We are interviewing agents to get us better parts in the movies. Hollywood has used reindeer instead of reindogs just because they work for a lower wage. We may not deliver presents to Hollywood this year!

If you still doubt that Reindogs pull Santa's sleigh every Christmas Eve, just look at how many Reindeer were entered in last year's Iditarod Sled dog race? It takes a dog to pull a sleigh.

Remember that famous Christmas Carol poem? It was written by a poodle owner that did not want to use Reindogs in his poem because he knew it referred to Golden Retrievers, not to poodles. He may have been using poetic license because "eight tiny Reindeer" rhymed better than "Eight beautiful Reindogs".

This Halloween, we are going to attend the annual Golden Retriever Rescue Halloween Party and Reunion as our real selves, Reindogs. No costumes for us, just our good looking coats. Santa Clause has agreed to attend with us to vouch for our authenticity. He says he is getting tired of all those pesky deer hanging around trying to horn their way into his pictures, he says they have bad breath. Last year the first prize for the best costume was a large basket of dog treats, I can already taste them.

To see an invitation to the party, go to:
:http://www.goldenrescue.com/page/page/4233159.htm
Not a member of Golden Rescue? Join at the door for $25.00! Just don't miss out on the fun!

Mogley G. Retriever

Five again!

We are five dogs again. It is so much fun to have my cousins back for a sleep over for a few days. They said they will stay here until they move into the new house. We have not been able to take in new foster dogs until our cousins are safely in their new home. It is more fun to play with our friends than it is to play with strangers. New foster dogs are sometimes so scared and shy for the first few days. Emma, Piper and Molly are not shy, they come in and are right at home. Here is a picture of four dogs at play. You probably can't find four, just the tip of one tail is visible. But we sure are having a good time.

Piper and Molly had to jump on the pool cover to make sure there was no water where they used to swim. The humans yelled at them. It was no fun because there was no water to splash in anyway.

Does anyone know when summer will be here again? I miss my pool.

Mogley G. Retriever

A bad day at the dog house!

I have not been blogging for a few days. I am in mourning. They covered the swimming pool for the winter. Where once there was joy and fun, now there is only a large black canvass cover. Life as we know it is over. No more splashes before breakfast. No more running inside wet and shaking the water off in the living room. No more getting yelled at and being locked outside when I am wet. The humans told me they would open up the pool again when spring comes. How long does winter last? I mean how long in dog years?

The human did not think it was funny, when he cleaned out the pool filter he dug out a large matt of dog hair that look like one of the carpets you clean your feet on at the door. He could knit a new retriever from all the hair if he had saved it.

My three cousins went back home, not only did I lose my swimming pool, but I lost my playmates as well. Life has been very boring, Bella and I went to the pet store and swiped some treats off of the counter, but it is just not the same as it is when five of us are playing.

I had my portrait taken today. I also practiced giving product endorsements. If anyone would like to pay me to chew up their product, I am ready.

My human has a birthday, he has asked people to make a donation to their favorite rescue organization instead of buying him stuff he does not need. The links on the left of the blog will take you to Golden Retriever rescue, or All Breeds Rescue, where you can find a rescue for any breed of dog or cat. They take credit cards on line. In these days of tight finances, dogs are always the first ones that are thrown out on the streets.

Do you like my new portrait?

Mogley G. Retriever

Cat tail tales:

Riley and River wrote me a comment asking me to expose cats. Many dogs live with cats, so maybe it is time to air some dirty fur in public. Cats, you can't live with them and you can't chase them, at least you can't chase them when someone is watching.

Riley and River said they were leaving for a walk when one of the cats, Cricket, slipped out the door as they were leaving and hid under the deck. By the time the cat had been coaxed out from under the deck and back into the house it was too late for our walk. The cat was pretty proud of himself, he put one over on the dogs. This is the kind of abuse that goes on in many mixed households.

After an experience like that, Riley and River should have been allowed to chase the cat to get their rightful exercise. But no, humans keep cats protected. It is a good thing too, don't tell humans but I have it on good authority that cats do taste like chicken.

Cats can be a pain, that is why cats only come in two kinds, clawed and de-clawed. Any other differences are purely ornamental. Cats that still have their claws are grumpy and they do not play well. De-clawed cats play better except they tend to hide a lot instead of playing chase. We have a small black cat we call Mini, she helps us chase squirrels. We chase them from tree to tree, meanwhile Mini is up a tree waiting for the squirrel to arrive at her place. She even enjoys a good game of chase from time to time. Cats do not swim well. I ran up behind Mini while she was leaning over the edge of the pool watching a leaf float by, I goosed her and she landed in the water. She climbed out faster than I can.

Cats may be some sub-species of small dogs. People let cats and small dogs climb on furniture and nap on laps. The cats sleep on the bed at our house, but let a Golden Retriever jump on the bed and boy do we get yelled at! Cats even have their own box of dirt to dig in, in the house. But let a dog come in with a little dirt on their paws and we get yelled at.

Cats have food set out for them all day long. Dog food is strictly rationed, we get only enough to keep from starving to death. When a cat meows humans think it is cute, when we bark we get told to be quiet.

Cats can not type, have you noticed that there are no cat bloggers on the Internet? Oh, there are some people pretending to be cats that type blogs, but no real cats. There are lots of dog blogs. Dogs type well and with the help of spell check and grammar check, we manage to communicate with other dogs and humans around the world. Cats can only communicate a few basic ideas. They meow to ask to be let in or out of the door. They meow when they want to be fed. They meow loudly when you step on their tails. Other than that, they are very poor conversationalists.

So what good do they do? What purpose do they serve? They can't retrieve balls, they can't tell you a visitor is at the door, they can't even bring their own leash when its time for a walk. If humans only had cats to walk, they would get no exercise at all. If any of you can think of a good use for a cat, let me know.

Let's start a twelve step program to wean people away from cat dependence. Cats Anonymous! Hi, my name is Peter, and I used to have to pet a cat several times a day, now I am cured. I only pet dogs and take them for walks. Thanks to Cats Anonymous I can now live a normal life with my Golden Retriever. No more sneezing from cat hair in the air, no more stepping on fur balls my cat coughs up on the carpet. Thanks to Cats Anonymous, I am cured.

Mogley G. Retriever

Just one dogs blog

I have had some good comments left on my blog. One person questioned why Bella and Emma did not like to swim, they thought all Golden Retrievers loved water. They do love water, they run and play in it, they just don't like to get in the deep water because it is too much work for them to swim laps in the pool. They much prefer laying in the sun.

Gavin came by to visit, he and Riley were walking in the park behind our house. We ran out and barked hello; he brought his humans up to the fence to talk with us. He says he was not dropped in the mountains as some comments have suggested. He was hiking in the back country, very high in the Rocky Mountains, a long way from any roads. He was walking with his humans on a trail when they wandered off and got lost. He says there were lots of good scent trails to follow, but he had only gone a few feet off the trail before his humans dissapeared. For a week he waited for someone to show up, he searched up and down the trail. Finally he followed a hiker back to a road where he caught a ride to town and ended up with Golden Retriever Rescue. He is enjoying having a friend to play with. He says that being rescued is a good thing, he is getting extra food and lots of treats. His ribs are dissapearing and he has been brushed a lot, his coat is beautiful.

I have had some good links from other dogs and blogs. If you have not visited the BumpassHounds at ttp://bumpasshounds.blogspot.com/ please do so. They have some good postings. They do Golden Retriever rescue as well as following daily adventures of a number of friends.

Piper has become a water dog. She will get into the pool and stay there for hours at a time. She swims for a while, then sits on the steps to rest, then pushes off and swims more. She willl shiver so hard the water around her shakes, but she will not climb out. When the humans call her out of the pool to dry off and rest, she swims to the center of the pool and won't come in. I swim with her for a while, but I get out and run in the sun. They are now locking Piper up and only allowing her outside when it is warm. They bribe her with treats to get her to swim in where they can put a leash on her. Piper says that swimming is so much fun that she does not want to stop. When they towel her off to dry her, she enjoys it a lot, she jumps back in the pool, then comes running over, dripping wet, to get toweled off again. The humans went through five or six towels today trying to keep her dry. How do you tell a Golden Retriever not to swim? The humans say that we need to enjoy it while we can, they will cover the pool shortly for the winter. I wonder if they ever leave water in the bath tub when it is unguarded?

Thank you for reading,

Mogley G. Retriever

The Joys of a five dog household

Over the next few blogs I will point out some of the changes that have taken place from “the good old days” when we were a two dog household, to now when we are (temporarily) a five dog household. I see a lot of very good things, but my human only sees the bad. For example:

The humans used to do their pooper scooping using the tools in the picture below.

Now the humans accuse us of being so messy that they have to use the tools shown below when it is time to pooper scoop.

I think this is an insult. We are not that messy, besides, he is sure picky about his lawn. Dogs will rule, especially with the superior numbers we now have in the household. Tonight if he gets up in the dark, he is going to trip over five dogs before he can find the door.

Mogley G. Retriever

Five Goldens Again

Bella and I have three house guests. Our cousins have come to stay for several weeks. The human's son-in-law and daughter have their house for sale and while they show the buyers through they want to pretend their house did not have dogs. I don't know how they explain the dog doors in the wall and the dog toys still laying in the back yard. So far several buyers liked the dog doors and one dog visitor played with the bones. From the left, Bella, Molly, Mogley, Piper with Emma behind. Meanwhile, five Golden's get to play together. Molly, Piper and I are almost the same age, so we can really play hard. Their parents stop by often to visit them so we all get more attention, more play time and more fun. We get lots of treats. Feeding time gets pretty exciting, the humans make us each sit and wait, then we get our bowls. We are not allowed to help one another eat. It is really hard to behave. Bella and Emma don't like to swim, but if I get in the pool, Piper and Molly will jump in with me and swim as long as I want to. We can stay wet for most of the day. It sure is fun having visitors.

Mogley G. Retriever

Gavin's humans are lost

A week ago we picked Gavin up at the vets office, he had received a check up and was given a clean bill of health, except for his weight. We gave him a ride across town to his new foster home. He was so skinny we could see his ribs. Below, Gavin going to his new foster home.

Gavin had found a hiker, high up in the Rocky Mountains. He followed her to her car, jumped in and got a ride to town. He was famished, he had been in the wilderness for a full week, perhaps more, trying to find his humans. He had been on a hike the prior week, just cruising down a trail when his humans wandered off. After a week of looking for them while being hungry and lonely, he found a hiker, followed her to her car and climbed on board. He said it was hard to give up on looking for his family, but it was a long time between meals up in the high country. He was worried that without being there to protect them his humans may have fallen prey to a mountain lion or a bear. Gavin arrived in town with no ID tags, no chip, no way to phone home. Below, Gavin and Riley get acquainted, Gavin has the new red leash.

Now he is staying with his foster brother, Riley. He came to the Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic on Saturday with Riley and his foster human. When I talked to Gavin, he was quite sensitive about the topic of losing his humans. Apparently humans keep falsely accusing Gavin of being the one that was lost. He pointed out that if he was the one that was lost, then we would not be playing with him right now, would we? He would not be here, right? It is his humans that wandered off, look around, do you see them anywhere? He says that the next time he goes hiking in the woods he is going to demand the car keys so that the humans don't get lost again.

In the meantime, the humans think there may be a foster failure in the making. Gavin is fitting in so well with his new family that they are not sure they want to find him another home. Gavin thinks so too, after spending a day at the GRRRR Picnic, he is not sure he wants to go anywhere else. He says that life with Riley has been a lot of fun so far and the food is good. It has been only a week, so stay tuned and we will let you know what direction Gavin's life goes.

Note: Chip your dog if you want him to come home. If you don't like chipping, then give him a cell phone, that way he can phone home.

Mogley G. Retriever

GRRR Reunion Picnic

Saturday was a beautiful warm day in the Rocky Mountains. The sky was the dark blue that fall brings to our land, an early snow made the mountain peaks glisten in the thin air. Early in the morning we drove to Boulder Reservoir where we helped set up tents and tables for the annual Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic, aka GRRRRP for those who like nonsensical abbreviations. GRRRRP sounds like a dog that is panting after swallowing too much water. Below is a very quiet and peaceful lakeside scene at 9:00 in the morning at Boulder Reservoir.

Below is the same scene, several hours later when 200-300 Golden Retrievers are in full romp. Oh, you don't know what “full romp” is? It is when the leashes are off and the humans are lined up in the food line so that we Golden's can do our own thing. Full Romp is when the lake is floating with tennis balls and over two hundred dogs are charging in after them. Full Romp is the most fun a Golden Retriever can have without, well, just without... We are all neutered and this is a family picnic.
At 1:30 all dogs were held on the shore, the water was filled with tennis balls, some had been marked for prizes. Then it was “release the hounds” and the chase was on to fetch the marked balls and win prizes.
Tables laden with food featured special dishes brought by everyone, with grilled brats supplied by GRRR to keep the humans well fed. A D.J. Played music to keep their minds off of the wet dogs spraying everyone in the tent with water when we shake next to the food tables. Dog hair is a condiment, right? Above and below; several humans tried to help, but they don't fetch very well. It's a special talent we Golden's have. Happiness is several hundred tennis balls, all at once.

Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies has been rescuing dogs for many years, we may rescue almost 400 this year alone. Thousands of Golden alumni owe their happiness, their health and their very lives to the hard work by the volunteers of GRRR who work to rescue, transport, foster and re-home dogs. . Donations to our medical fund to heal sick dogs has made a difference in so many lives. We even take in "Honorary Goldens" when a life is threatened or a dog is unwanted. Our annual reunion picnic is very important to all of us. We see the many friends we made when we fostered rescued dogs during the years. We can exchange stories on how we were rescued, tell each other about the many adventures we have had in the past year, celebrate our new homes, and mourn those special friends that we have lost in the past year.

The real story of GRRRRP is not the tables of food, it is not a lake filled with swimming dogs and a beach covered with running, playing, happy, wet dogs. The greatest story of GRRRRP is a celebration of over 1,000 dogs who have found new homes; rescued from chains in a lonely back yard, taken from kill shelters, rescued from families that took their dog to a vet to have it killed because it was too old to jog with them, or because a puppy chewed up a cushion in their million dollar home, all are true rescue stories. It is about hundreds of owners who brought their dogs from all over Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico to celebrate the happiness that a rescued Golden Retriever can bring to a home, and the joy a home can bring to a lonely dog. Several people drove 1,000 miles so that an adopted dog can play with his friends and have a special day, the ultimate “Play Date” to celebrate life and newly found happiness.

New readers of my blog do not know that I have a very scary story. One year ago, when I was barely 6 months old my owner took me to the Vet's office where he was told I had a heart condition. He told them to "put him down". I had already received one injection when the supervisor came in, learned what was happening and stopped it, then called Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. Within hours I was on my way to a new forever home. When GRRR turned me over to my new home, they said to "Give him the best life you can". That is what I am living, all because of a rescue organization that cared.

Note to GRRR; next time, try to get there a little sooner, that was very close, stress like that does not help my heart!

Below; Have you seen my dog? It was golden in color and it was wet!

One person looked at the madness on the beach, the running, splashing and playing dogs, the smiles on the human faces and said, “This is why we do what we do”. If you have ever wondered if you could make a difference in some one's life, just look at these rescued dogs play.


Thanks GRRR, it was a fantastic day for all of us rescue dogs, I hope the humans who attended had fun as well. It is all about people that make a difference in the lives of dogs and dogs that make a difference in the lives of the people who adopt them, forever. Visit us at http://www.goldenrescue.com/

Below; Bella, my ugly step sister, and I share a quiet moment alone. Do you think my necktie makes me look dorky?
Below; I am tired, wet and ready to go home now daddy!Mogley G. Retriever

Angel Dogs Epilepsy Charity Event & Service Dogs Gathering

Last night my human went to a fancy dog function and did not take me along. I have to listen to him tell me about the grand time he had so I can write about it, but he won't let me do first hand reporting. Note to resident human, see how many owners take their dogs with them? Try it, you will like it. Golden Retrievers are the primary dog used for Epilepsy service dog training, although there was a St. Bernard in training as well. A dog can be trained to sense an approaching epileptic seizure and give its owner advance warning. By having warning of on oncoming seizure, the person can take precautions such as medications to prevent the seizure or minimise its effect and move to a safe place so they are not in danger. The dog can prevent the person from harming themselves by falling and even alert others to help. Some dogs have been trained to dial 911 for help on a special phone. Several people attended with their service dogs and gave stirring testimony of the value of having up to an hour of warning before an Epileptic seizure. It allows the person to go about their lives normally rather than being in a constant fear, wondering when the next event will occur. Having a seizure while crossing a street or climbing stairs can be deadly.

The ability to warn of an approaching epilepsy event is tied to the keen sense of smell that Golden Retrievers have. Golden's were bred with Bloodhounds to ensure they have a superior tracking ability, they are bred for disposition and a great sense of smell. A subtle chemical change will give the alert dog a warning., his task is to pass the warning on to the person he is with. The training is not as extensive as it is for a guide dog or a living assistance dog. The need is for good public manners and the ability to react to changes in the person's smell. They train larger sized Golden's in order to provide stable assistance to a person who may be in danger of falling. Its just another thing that Golden's are going to be good at! Below, Gab, short for Gabriel, shows the younger dogs how well behaved Golden Retrievers can be.
This young man was hoping to attend college and needed a dog to allow him to attend classes and move about the campus. One person was gracious enough to give up their trained dog so that he could move forward with his life. Instead of a two year wait, he was able to enroll in college and he made it to class on time. A great sacrifice for a great cause. As a dog, this kind of action helps restore my faith in humans. Below, Piper, the St Bernard takes a break from his heavy work schedule. Below, Piper the St. meets a young dog in training, showing the range of dogs that can be used as Epilepsy Alert dogs. There were several young dogs in training at the party, one was a young St. Bernard, he looked out of place among the retrievers. We may look into helping them with their dog needs, it could be a wonderful way for a Golden Retriever to make a difference in someones life. You may visit their web site at http://www.angelservicedogs.org/ You can donate to help train and provide dogs for this very important service. The use of Epilepsy Alert dogs is just beginning to be recognised for the great service it is, your help is needed to advance this cause.


Mogley G. Retreiver

Love is a wet dog!

Three wet dogs running in the early morning sun to dry off after a dip in the pool. Molly is ahead of Piper, I am running to catch up.
Love is a wet dog, but why do the humans lock us out of the house just because we go swimming? There is so much news today, I don't know where to begin. The son-in-law and daughter are buying a new home, so their old home is on the market. Apparently having three dogs in the home does not help it sell when the realtor takes buyers to look at it. Emma, Molly and Piper were dropped off last night, at first I thought it was just a play date. Then I saw them bring in the dog food, beds and toys. They are staying for a few days till the house sells and they move into the new one. Oh, joy! Below, I and Molly run in the morning sun before our first swim of the day. This morning Molly, Piper and I celebrated by taking a morning swim. It was so much fun we took another swim. We enjoyed that one so much we jumped in again. Piper did not even came out between dips, she just came back to the steps, stood a while in the water and pushed off again for another lap or two. Here are some pictures of the fun we are having together. Emma and Bella are inside, dry, napping. They are spoil sports.

Below, Molly, on the left, myself with Piper on the right, are begging to be allowed in the house. We are not really that wet, The water was clean, so are we, so what is the problem? Carpets dry, don't they?

Last night we took Autumn, the foster that has been visiting for the past three weeks, back to her forever home. We are very happy for her. We also miss her a lot, she was a very nice friend during the three weeks she stayed here. We will tell her story as soon as I dry out again, it is a long and complex story.

When we dropped off Autumn, we picked up Galvin to take to another foster home near by. He has a scary story to tell, he was found wandering in the forest, very high in the Rocky Mountains, hungry and lost. When we picked him up he had been at the vets getting checked over. He is very, very thin but in good health, and in very good spirits after being lost in the wilderness.

Watch for some wonderful Golden Retriever Rescue stories on Galvin and Autumn in the next few blogs. The humans won't let me type on the computer when I am wet and I hear the pool calling.

Mogley G. Retriever

Almost party time

Only one week to go until the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Picnic. In only one week, they will throw hundreds of tennis balls out into the lake, certain balls will be marked as “Prize Balls” and if we retrieve one of these balls we will win a prize. In the pool the humans were trying to get us to fetch the marked balls. We just thought the marked ones were dirty, so we left them till last. If the humans want the prize balls they can jump in and fetch them themselves. We are all resting up for the big event.

Hundreds of Golden Retrievers running, swimming and playing in the lake. Tents with tables of food, people with flimsy paper plates and slippery fingers. To the watching dog will go the spoils, or the chicken leg if someone gets careless. Wait till you see the pictures afterwards. Even better, join us. If you don't have a Golden Retriever, you can call Golden Retriever Rescue, or visit them on line by clicking the link on the left of the blog, and adopt one. Give a Golden Retriever a home and get a pass to the party. I hope to see some of the 12 or 14 Golden's that we have fostered in the last year and renew old friendships. I hope they all come so we can see each other again.

It was a great swimming party. In the last blog you read about the 6 Golden Retrievers that came by to have a swim party with Bella, Autumn and I. The next day when they cleaned the pool you would think they had never seen dog hair before. When the pool filter was cleaned, the matt of golden hair that came out of it looked like a dead animal. They said that there was enough hair to allow them to knit another Golden Retriever. What they will do with a Golden Retriever that looks like a sweater is beyond me.

Mogley G. Retriever

Molly's Special Day!

The pool party on Sunday was so much fun we forgot to tell you that we were celebrating a very special day. Molly (see photo below, fetching a yellow tennis ball) was a volunatry surrender foster dog at the home of Emma and Piper. They had picked her up from a big home on the hill. A home that did not have room for an overly energetic 9 month old Golden. She was surrendered for having too much energy, being too full of life as a puppy. She was surrendered because she was a Golden, seeking love. Her foster family took Molly to meet several prospective families that wanted to provide a home. Molly was not going to have any part of new people. When she met the families that wanted her, she gave them the cold shoulder. She liked being where she was, thank you, and she saw no reason to even get acquainted with those strangers. She had it all figured out, if no one took her home, she could stay where she was. Molly and Piper had become inseparable buddies, playing till they both dropped, day after day. After several failed attempts to find her a new home, it became emotionally hard for the humans to to even try to adopt her out, she was a part of the family. Molly won, she knew where she belonged, she just had to make the humans see it too.

The humans did not want her to go, but when you foster a dog for the rescue, a foster parent is expected to work to find a new home. "Foster Failures" are when a foster family refuses to give up a foster dog after they become attached to it. We don't have a term for when a dog makes up its own mind to stay and not allow new people to bond with it, but that is what Molly did. Molly is a failure, a very happy failure. We were celebrating Molly's adoption and her new "Forever Home", we were celebrating her "failure".

Molly had her first day in the pool, visiting her cousins, swimming until she was worn out, swimming until she had cleared the pool of balls and floating toys, swimming until she had celebrated her special day. Emma and Piper welcome you to your new home Molly, may you find happiness, love and all the playtime you could ever want.

Here are a few pictures of our Olympic class diving dogs, we were too late for the Olympics, but we put on a good show anyway. Below, on your mark, get set, go!

Splash!

Mogley G. Retriever