Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

The dogs and I had a splendid escape from suburbia this past weekend by spending some time in the mountainsides of Vermont. The fall foliage has not yet peaked. Most of the colors were dappled yellows, greens, and browns that caused the dogs coats to blend in well with their surroundings.

The hunting instincts of the breed came to the foreground as they all enjoyed running down the rabbit and field mice burrows in the meadows. Fortunately the much larger wildlife was absent. Last fall my son saw a black bear and its cub meandering down our driveway. That is a little too large an animal on our property to my liking. Of course, they were here first!

For those who not familiar with our dog family, here is the background on our present family. Lily is our eight year old and one of Abby’s first pups. She is laid back and plays aunt to the younger goldens. Emma is our four and a half year old and is due to be bred with her upcoming heat this October. Riley is a year and three quarters young and is an offspring of Emma’s sister Ella. Ella resides in Hebron, CT. Solo is one and a half years old and the only offspring of Emma to date.

Both Riley and Solo will be getting their clearances for breeding when they turn two years old. It is striking to see the effects of the genetics on the shape and size of our females from the oldest to the youngest. It is clearly obvious how important choosing the proper male is when you are breeding not only for temperament, but for coat, color, and configuration. All four of our present females have had different fathers.
– Mike

Emma and Sandy: Sisters and Best Friends

Barb and I really enjoy seeing photos of our dogs enjoying life and having adventures. My first cousin, Ron, and his wife, Barbara take their two goldens everywhere and send us their pictures. Emma was from our first litter and Sandy from the second. As you can see they are inseparable and are seemingly world travelers.

And they have certainly grown from when Ron and Barb first came to visit their litters. (Click on the photos to make them larger). And what would a golden retriever be without a tennis ball nearby… for play or for a mouthguard. Barb and I would love to share other adventures with our readers if anyone wishes to make their dog a star for a day.

Hi everyone! After months of hard work and creative thought, our web site is finally ready for inspection and perusal. Kudos to the very talented husband and wife team of Dana and Celeste Rockel! They have designed a beautiful site that showcases our dogs from young to old, and from season to season.

It also seems true that you can teach an old dog like me some new tricks. Dana has instructed me in the latest in “blogging”, which is a much more efficient way to send information and photos and updates. So if you sign on to our newsletter, you will get the latest goings on in our dog world here in Farmington.

It has been over a year since we lost Abby and prior to that Molly. Our present family is much younger and more rambunctious. Pulled up plants, chewed shoeware, and giant holes as big as the Boston dig have become commonplace. Here is our family as of last August, 2005: Lily, Emma, Riley, and Solo. Click on the photo to enlarge it. This is where we last ended our story about Solo’s birth and Abby’s passing.

In further updates, you will see how Riley and Solo have grown, and hear about Emma’s upcoming high tech fertility adventure. Riley and Solo will undergo their conformational tests this winter, and hopefully they will have their own litters this summer.

Thanks for visiting. Mike and Barbara