Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

Gabby is going to live as a member of a multiple dog family, and needs to learn how to walk with the others. With her short legs, we have to go slowly, and not stress out her joints. So presently, we are taking her for a walk with one of the big dogs, who have already enjoyed their own run, so they are docile and calm with her. But we started with our daughter Kristen’s pug, Pearl, when they were visiting for Easter.

The other four were not happy, even though they had already had their fun time. When does a Golden ever turn down an opportunity for more adventures?

Today it was Lucy’s turn to take Gabby through her walk the block paces..

Walking a pack requires a certain amount of specialized attire. Besides the leashes, and collars, you have to bring extra leashes since it is not good if one or two of them snap when you are out on the fields. Being politically correct is your responsibility when walking a number of dogs who can be aggressive in larger numbers. And I have had the large metal clasps break of fatigue without warning during walks and runs. Second lots of poop bags which is obvious. Third:  tough gloves, so you don’t get blisters or dirt or other material on your hands when they run with their leashes on at the fields. And fourth, heavy duty boots so you can keep yourself from being pulled over when they all in total outweigh you by a few hundred pounds. Sneakers or light weight shoes don’t work.

And of course you need a whistle, to recall them when they run free on the fields. Most of the time they listen..

And after everyone has walked or run, it is time to chill. Here Gabby is sitting with Rocky on the back stoop.

A very enjoyable start for all to a Sunday morning.

Gabby has been with us only a week plus, and she is fitting in nicely. She has a very even disposition, and is very good at following the bigger family members with bathroom breaks. She has slept through the last several nights and has been dry in her crate. A very early and unusual  success for all involved.  We are very pleased with her progress.

Traditionally we take the new puppy for her first vet visit and then take her on a tour of our medical offices and hospital locations where she is welcomed lavishly. So the picture diary follows of her first week here with us..

First our visit to Dr. Steve Feldman, a real star in our book over the many years he has cared for all our animals.

Then it was off to my Avon and Hartford Medical  Offices.

She still seemed to have lots of energy, so we moved on to Saint Francis Hospital:  the OR area lounge, and Administration offices.

And after she returned home and had a nap, she returned to her favorite puppy activity which is chewing everything that might fit in her mouth..

The other dogs just watched and wondered what we had brought into our home..

They made their displeasure a little more forcefully known by taking my beeper off the table and chewing it up but good..

But Gabby was blissfully unaware of the negative energy, and just collapsed in her pen for a long nap after a very eventful day.

It has been a very busy weekend here in our home in Farmington, Connecticut. We started the weekend on Friday picking up our new female puppy. What a gorgeous girl from a gorgeous litter. Dodi and Walter did an amazing job whelping and raising their latest litter. Gabby had to have a last run in the yard with her mom Trude, before she said goodbye and started the journey home with us. (Please click on the photos if you  want to view in larger scale).

Saturday was our daughter Kristen’s birthday party. Her dog Pearl joined the party with our four goldens, and our newest arrival Gabby.

There were some initial growls and sniffing moments when our group met Gabby, but she is very self assured, and made herself right at home.

The other dogs are not as impressed, but seem tolerant enough at this point.

Easter Sunday started out with another crowd and dinner. So Gabby got to meet lots of new faces.. Still there was time to explore the back yard and make some interesting discoveries.

We tried some photos of Lauren and Kristen with Gabby to possibly update our home page for our website. Our daughters were in high school when those photos were taken. Time has moved along, but they still make an arresting photo in my mind! We will have to see what magic Celeste Rockel (our website designer extraordinaire) can do with these latest photos. PS Celeste, I am having some technical troubles to get the story line matching the photos in the composer program.. Please help pretty please, and pardon everyone for the way the story is displayed.

And at the end of this long day, man and puppy alike needed a little nap, as evidenced by our son Brian joining Gabby for some quiet time.

 
And when everyone had left, and the house was quiet again, Gabby showed she feels happy and comfortable in her new home, by just curling up under an end table, happy and at peace.
 

 
Thank you Dodi and Walter of Mardovar Goldens for giving us such a great puppy to rekindle the stories of  Golden life and love from Dogville.

Here she is… Our newest female member of our family. Posing for a piece of cheese, and licking her muzzle. More photos to follow this weekend when she officially arrives here in Dogville.
 

 
Thank you to all who sent us such positive messages after getting our first blog email out of the blue in two and a half years. And to think some have already put their name on our list for the next litter. Thank you for such positive thinking.
 
Mike and Barb.

Hi Everyone,

I am not sure who is still on our blog post list, but it has been a long two and a half years since I wrote anything for our website. Like Barb and I, our dogs have grown older, and faced illnesses, and various senior citizen issues. We are sad to report that we lost Emma and Lily last Winter and Spring. Both had cancers that are common to the golden retriever line. Both had brought years of  joy and adventures that can’t be replaced, but they will forever be etched in the memories of ourselves, our children, and our golden friends. Below is a group photo taken in the fall before they fell ill. Emma is on the upper left, and Lily is on the upper right.

But it is a new Spring, and with that season comes new life and hope for better times. Barbara decided she was ready to try raising another puppy, and we both committed to going through the rigors and uncertainty of getting clearances for breeding.  It is ironic that we ended up with Dodi Borsay Horowitz of Mardovar Goldens in North Kingston, RI. Back in 1984 we inquired of her about a breeder in our area. She referred us to Cindy Jones of Golden Joy Kennels, and Peaches came to us as our first Golden retriever. Now in less than one week, we will be picking up a young female puppy from Dodi’s latest litter. The Circle of life took 28 years to return to its beginning. Dodi has four females, and one of them will be ours.

I have included the four females below from the photos Dodi posted in Facebook this week.

These dogs have an English Golden heritage, and it will be interesting to see how she grows and differs from the lines that we have become used to. These young ladies are all gorgeous, and we thank Dodi for her faith in letting us have one of her pups.

So for any of our prior golden friends who have shared time beside our whelping box, and maybe have taken home a puppy, we are pleased to announce that we are back. We hope mother nature will be kinder to us and our females going forward. And if you have a time frame for a dog that is two plus years out, we may have a four legged friend that wants to share your life.

Best,

Mike and Barbara.