Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

Gabby is now fully integrated into our dog family. We are still a little sleep deprived due to her middle of the night needs, but her accidents in the house are decreasing. Yeah. She seems to add a few pounds and a few inches of growth every few days. Her walking with the pack is better, and she doesn’t sit down to rest as much. Just a little tougher keeping five leashes straight instead of four.

We’ve had a fair amount of rain here in Connecticut these past few weeks. Great for green fields and lawns, but not so much for keeping the dogs clean on their runs.

Solo seems to be the mud hen of the pack, but as soon as she is wet, everyone follows. Gorgeous grass for the dogs to run and play however..

Soon enough, we are home again, and time to get clean so they are allowed back in the house..

Then it is into the house and cool down time..

Here’s hoping they sleep a little better and longer tonight…

This month’s “Golden Retriever News” put out by the Golden Retriever Club of America, featured a photo advertisement of Gabby’s father. Here he is in all his splendor..

What a great brushing, posing shot he had for the photo. Having just given our four big dogs a bath in the plastic outdoor kiddie pool last night after they wallowed in a mud hole, I can appreciate a well groomed and clean Golden. Mud season here in New England is not a fun time, when these dogs just have to roll in every mud puddle they can find. And they usually spot it way before I do, so I have no chance to head off the mad dash for the first one in.

We are finally getting a night routine that works. We moved Gabby’s crate up into our bedroom, after a number of sleepless nights of her crying in the family room. She still gets up once or twice, but she does her duty, and then happily settles in her crate again. Hopefully the worst of the adjustments to a puppy are behind us.

With the central area in our kitchen being open, that is the gathering place for everyone after meals and exercise. You can see that she is getting bigger, and that she has found her way into the pack, though at the outer fringes still most times

She is being schooled in self defense and dog fighting techniques by Rocky. Surprisingly enough, she is the aggressor most of the time, though she is much smaller. The make believe growls by both of them sound real enough and at times the noise draws the other dogs to their feet to watch what is happening. At that point we stop the play before we have a full scale riot.

We have had a few young visitors which is always nice, for us and the young folk. Here Kayla and a friend are holding Gabby.

Flash back to 2006 when Kayla also visited us to hold a puppy.

I hope you enjoy these pictures Kayla!!

And now to sign off on our latest goings on here, with all of Dogville happily resting at my feet after an early morning run. The only way to get any work done around here is to get them good and tired with exercise. But they are wonderful company, one and all.