Happy New Year!
Snow Dayyy!
I somehow managed to avoid any snow around Christmas, even though my hometown got dumped on Christmas Eve while I was headed up north where snow is supposed to be inevitable, yet wasn’t. When I went to visit Mark’s parents my luck changed, and we got an entire day’s worth of thick, fresh powder. By Saturday afternoon his neighborhood was blanketed in white.
We took my two favorite golden furballs out to play in the snow after we finished shoveling the driveway. They love the snow just like we do, and right away started pouncing and digging around the fresh piles. Their favorite thing to do is try to catch snow balls we throw in the air. Profitta is getting a little old for it, but Seamus is still as athletic as ever.
I didn’t have my Canon on this trip so Mark’s dad let me borrow his Nikon D5000. It was a lot of fun using another type of camera, even though I had to shoot in auto because I could not for the life of me figure out how to change any settings (which also made me so appreciate my Canon’s manual option!). The Nikon was a really neat little camera, and took some awesome photos.
We hope those of you who got some snow enjoyed it with your pets – whether it was playing outside or snuggling up on the couch inside.
Happy last day of 2012!
Your Weekly Dose of Golden
For the sake of not subjecting you all to an entire week of iPhone photos, here is a little change of pace with a photo visit from one of my favorite Golden Retrievers, Seamus! I got to spend last weekend with him and we all enjoyed heading outside to play some frisbee when it finally cooled off.
Hope you have as much fun this weekend as Sham does playing frisbee!
Pennsylvania Pittie
I got to spend a lot of time with my two favorite golden furballs this weekend! You met Seamus and Profitta back in October and in FosterDad’s guest post. They’re my boyfriend’s dogs, and we hung out with them while visiting his parents in PA. They are, as always, beyond adorable.
Profitta – Age 11. Laid back, wise, and still mischievous.
Seamus – Age 6. Playful, happy-go-lucky, and Mark’s shadow.
In between snuggling with these two, I also got the opportunity to go check out a local rescue! I fell in love with the most darling pit bull named Everest. Can you guess why I took such a liking to this little guy, even before I met him? (Sorry about the iPhone photos.)
Yes, he is nearly the spitting image of Mr. Baxter! He’s a little stockier, but that big black pittie smile had me doing a double take. Everest is such a sweetie. When I met him he ran up to the fence of his outdoor running looking for ear scratches and baby talk. To my delight, we got to go inside and spend some quality time with him. I learned that Everest has an affinity for laps and TLC (what pup doesn’t?), and totally soaks up affection. He is happiest right here:
A self-proclaimed lap dog, Everest would make a wonderful companion for someone looking to give an amazing dog a new chance at love. He’s never lived in a home before so he’s got some manners to learn, but his potential shines right through in his dazzling personality. If you’re in the Philadelphia area and think you know of someone who might be interested in adopting this sweet boy, email me at peacelovefoster@gmail.com. I would scoop him up in a heartbeat if I could!
Guest Post from Fosterdad
Mark and I started dating about two years ago, and at the time he had no idea what he was signing up for with my future as a foster parent. Being a college senior, I don’t think the responsibility of a dog is exactly his idea of the best way to spend his last few months before the real world, but he supports me and helps me out so much with all the dogs I bring home – definitely being a “fosterdad” to each one. I wanted him to share his take on the rescue world that I so lovingly forced upon him :-).
So Juliana was nice enough to let me borrow her blog for a day and write from a different view. First, to introduce myself I’m Mark. I’m the one you sometimes see at the other end of the leash in many of the photos from different adventures. I get to see the behind the scenes view of Juliana’s growth in the foster world, and at the same time I’m learning a lot.
You were introduced to my canine family in Doggy Pawlitics. My two goldens, Profittarollie and Seamus, gave me a passion for dogs, but I grew up with a very limited scope of what owning a dog meant. My perspective on dog ownership has completely changed and I hope to share my lessons learned.
Until I was 11 years old my dad was allergic to dogs, and conveniently when my mom wanted a puppy my dad was no longer allergic. Funny how that works…
I know many of you are true believers in adoptions and rescues, so bear with me as I tell you my story. My mom spent many months learning everything about Golden Retriever breeders all around Pennsylvania and neighboring states. She picked a reputable breeder and checked on the health history of the mother and father. Finally after the due diligence and waiting, we brought home 8 week old Profittarollie, Profitta or Pro for short.
It was amazing, and a lot of work, raising a puppy. We had her for eight years before I was leaving for college. During the month before I left my mom and I went down the street to a doggy daycare that we trust with Profitta when we are out of town. The owner, who is a family friend, told my mom about a young male golden that had been dropped off by a couple that could no longer take care of him. He had serious behavior issues such as marking in the house and chewing up all their belongings. The establishment was not a shelter or a rescue organization, but they still wanted to find this dog a home. My mom’s heart was sold quickly to help this dog in need. She brought Seamus into our house the day after I left for school (and may or may not have talked to my dad about it first).
Even though I left for school three hours away, when I came home for break the first time Seamus became my dog. Every few months when I make it home for a weekend Seamus is by my side the whole time and even lets me have a corner of my bed to sleep in with him.
He is an amazing dog, and Profitta is the perfect alpha female to break his bad puppy habits and show him how to be a family dog.
What is most interesting about my story is how my view of my own dogs has changed after being exposed to the work many of you do. I never really thought of Seamus as a rescue dog, and I never understood that a community like the one Juliana is involved with even existed.
The moral of my story, education is everything. Many people do not know the options that are out there to gain a best friend and help save an animal’s life no matter what kind of dog you are looking for. Breed preference is personal and we all have our reasons. Personally, I have grown to love pits, but I will always consider myself a golden person. In any case it does not make a difference because there are so many organizations out there for every breed.
There are many issues that surround the canine community. I believe the best way to really help people learn is to engage them in conversation and work to understand each others views. Juliana & I often have different views on adopting, training, and caring for dogs, but I like to think that by really talking about the issues we’ve been able to expand our views and improve ourselves as dog owners. You of course have to respect everyone’s opinions and choice about their dogs, but we can still help each other become better owners.
Peace, Love & Fostering 