I am going to try to get through this post without tearing up so I’d better just get going and say what I need to say.  One of the hardest things for any breeder to do is to give up the living, breathing bundles of joy you have helped raise along with your Mama dog.  The dreaded day comes when you have to say goodbye to each puppy and THEN ask your puppy to say goodbye to mama and siblings and THEN ask your mama dog to say good bye to each puppy.  Pictured above is Kobi, formerly Cowboy,  on his new journey in life.Here is Sasha giving away her 8th puppy.  This time she decided she was not going to inspect the car her puppy was going home in.  She sat and watched her baby go from a far.Here is Diane Mckeag who is the new mama of Teekon, formerly Cinch,  reassuring Sasha she would take good care of her baby.  Teekon means wolf in Athabascan (native Indian)Cinch NOW Teekon before he gets in the car with Diane and Doug (missed a photo of Doug) on their way ALL THE WAY to Portland Oregon.  Diane says Teekon is going great in his new home.  He thinks potty training is a cinch.  He already sits at the door and whines to go outside and do his business.  Diane and Doug have owned dogs but this is their FIRST Golden.  I told them they are in for a treat.  Once you own a Golden….well life changes.

The only thing that makes giving up those pups easier is knowing they are going to the BEST homes possible.   Let me introduce you to Michael and Ruth Robinson of El Cerrito, Ca.  They are the proud mama and papa of Kobi, formerly Cowboy.  I believe Kobi is their 3rd or 4th Golden.   Ruth is recently retired and will be using Kobi as a therapy dog in a local hospital.  Michael and the grandchildren are very active in training Kobi to become the best behaved dog EVER.   Michael sends me photo’s every week letting me know of Kobi’s progress and the grand kids JOY in having Kobi.  I’d like to share some with you.

JOYJOYJOY

Michael’s quote to this photo  “I have always thought that every boy should have a dog,
and every dog should have a boy (or girl).JOY 
In addition to this photo Michael writes “We are having one kid after school for three days each week so each can have time alone with Kobi. What fun for them. Today was Fiona’s day. Dinner included. And Miles attends a puppy school with us in the evening. Kobi gets very excited when one arrives. And he does respond very well to their commands. He is learning: sit, (lay) down and leave it. He seemed to learn “leave it” in class on the first try with an instructor who used him to demonstrate her teaching technique. What a good boy. He also is learning stay and come.” Kobi had his first vet appointment at home!  He got an A+.“Cowboy Kobi in the rain exploring a muddy area and keeping an eye out for the bad guy (25 feet away) who might just want to get him back inside!”

“Kobi had another uneventful night, up twice at our request, not that he was complaining. He prefers to nap in a cat bed that our last Golden liked as a puppy. Here he is for his morning nap.” Do you think Kobi has enough toys?  If you have ever owned a Golden you know they can never have enough toys.Kobi loves to be wrapped in blankets after getting wet in the rain.
Michael writes…”An early Christmas present. Miles joined us yesterday after school and attended puppy class with us in the evening. He wanted to take charge and carried the puppy whenever we went to and from the minivan. He sits next to Kobi in the van. What a great relationship. Kobi is so social. He went up to all the other dogs in the class (8 total) individually and greeted them during play periods. He was used by the instructor to demonstrate the appropriate people response to a hard bite (she made him do it; he has a very soft bite) and the appropriate response of the dog to the verbal correction.  An earlier dog failed the test in all respects. Kobi was perfect.”  DO YOU THINK KOBI”S PARENTS ARE PROUD?No this is NOT Kobi this is Rein NOW know as Sophia.  She looks much more like a girl right?  The name Sophia reminds me of Sasha.  Very feminine for a very pretty girl.  The grass here reminds Sophia of the grass she used to play on at Sundog Ranch.  I like her new harness.  She looks lovely in turquoise.Sophia is loved and cared for by Alicia and her mom Katherine Frederick.  Sophia is their FIRST Golden.  They live in San Jose, Ca.  Little Barney held by Katherine is Sophia’s new little friend, little brother, LITTLE DOG friend.  What a happy family.  Girls are outnumbering the boys though.  Be nice to Barney girls.And look who we have here.  This is Riata NOW know as Dakota.  She still has her purple ribbon from her infancy.  Funny how the legs grow tall but the neck size does not.    Dakota like Sophia feels at home in the grass.Dakota I think you are a pet model in the making.  OMG cute.Dakota looking a little sleepy here is loved and cared for by Jenn Handy of Rancho Cordova, Ca.  Jenn had recently lost her Golden of 14 years.  She called me a few nights after her passing saying she HAD to have another Golden.   This often happens when people lose a Golden.  They feel the need to replace them soon since they are such a big part of their lives.  And then we have Ms. Pearl NOW know as Morgen.  As you can tell she feels comfortable in her crate here.  Demonstrating the sideways almost upside down sleeping position.Morgen loves her new kinda mama,  kinda friend,  kinda sister, Meisje.  Let’s just call her Morgen’s BIG DOG friend.  Meisje means “little girl” in Dutch.   “Thanks for the legs up Meisje!” I am convinced there is a family connection.  I hear Meisje lets Morgen share in some of her special food.  Wow sharing food?   They like to chew on pine cones and take power naps together.This is Terre Layton.  She is the proud guardian of Morgen and Meisje.  They live in San Francisco, Ca.  Both Meisje and Morgen get to come to work with Terre.  Terre says Pearl….I mean Morgen is bringing some life back into Meisje who is 11 years old and strong but has suffered through some health issues.   Terre adores Meisje and is devoted to giving her the very best care.   So devoted to Meisje she hesitated in getting a Danehy Golden for three years.  Lucky Morgen.   Morgen gets to be on the couch.   Mama Jo likes that.  By the looks of this photo I think angel Morgen landed in a pretty good spot.OK lets mix things up and get back to the boys.  This is Partner now know as Cooper adopted by Ellen Anderson and Harry Kauffman.   This is their first family photo.  They all live in Danville, Ca.  Ellen and Harry lost their Golden Sam not too long ago and had to bring another Golden back into their lives.  Cooper is a very active boy and is doing great on a leash now.  Grass is everywhere!  Thank goodness.  I think Harry might be waiting for Cooper to do his business but Cooper has other ideas.Sticking with the boys…this is Howdy NOW know as Wilbur.  He is with his new LOVING owners Evelyn and Jim Fretz.  Jim picked up Howdy…I mean Wilbur the last day in March.  They drove ALL THE WAY back to Wilbur’s new home in Tuscon, Arizona.   Wilbur is named after the mascot at University of Arizona.

This is Wilbur with his new parents and their grandchildren.  The story is familiar.  Evelyn and Jim also lost their Golden Riley not too long ago and HAD to replace him.  Since you can’t clone a Golden replacement is the only option.  Evelyn says Wilbur got an A + on his vet exam and is adjusting well to life out-of-state.  I checked the climate in Tuscon…..it is just about the same as Chico…..I mean Sundog.Now let’s get back to the girls.  We have two girls left.  Here is Sunny girl NOW Shasta.  I think her dirty orange ribbon has changed to a nice bright red ribbon.  I’m glad she is sticking to warm colors to honor her original name.  Shasta is named after snow covered Mt. Shasta in Northern California.  We also have a Shasta puppy from our 2004 litter.  Captain’s sister.  I think this little lamb kinda looks like Shasta. Shasta is loving life with Ray, Genene and Daisy from Vacaville, Ca.  Here is Ray with the girls.   Genene (not pictured).  Daisy is the one on the left!  That means yes yes!!  Shasta has a new kinda mama, kinda friend, kinda sister, BIG DOG friend.  And she is a Goldie!   Here is Shasta in her dirty orange “Sunny” ribbon.  I can’t wait to learn about Shasta’s personality as she grows up.  Sunny…I mean Shasta was the alpha dog of the puppy pack at Sundog.  You had to have guts to mess with Sunny….I mean Shasta.

I get a little glimpse into her from this quote by Genene who writes on 3/26/14    “Oh my goodness! Shasta is adapting very well to her new surroundings! She is such a precious little bundle of joy! We love her already. Everyday she’s getting more friskier and putting some pep into Daisy’s step too. Shasta loves playing with her toys and running around the couch over and over faster than Speedy Gonzalez! Sometimes she see’s her reflection in the glass fireplace doors and is so amused by that, barking at herself and running around in circles lol! She’s doing very well with potty training too, although the rain has caused a bit of a setback because she gets distracted by the raindrops and starts to chase them and chomp on them as if she caught herself a bug lol. It’s so funny! So it’s back in the house we go! and take her back out a little later when the rain lets up. I think being around Daisy she will learn fast. It’s really cute watching her chase those raindrops!”Shasta has plenty of toys.  Boy has she whitened up!  She used to be the darkest of the pups.   If you can call these pups dark I don’t know what dark is. Shasta and Daisy (a truly dark Golden) nap together like Morgen and Meisje.

Shasta got an A+ at her vet exam.  Look at those long legs.Next we have Star who is NOW Bella pictured here with her proud owner Julia Manzo of Sacramento, Ca.   YES!!  Bella Star has a kinda mama, kinda friend, kinda sister, BIG DOG friend whose name is Hanna.   Hanna and Bella are related. Really.  Hanna is Bella’s Great Aunt.  In other words Hanna is the sister of Sasha’s daddy Black Jack Casanova.  Got that?Here is Bella not long after her long two hour journey from Sundog.  She still has her black and white gingham ribbon….sniff, sniff.Can you see the grass is a common theme here?    Bella is dreaming she is still at Sundog on the puppy palace lawn….having drifted off to sleep after a good feed.Kinda mama, kinda friend, kinda sister BIG DOG sleeping with new puppy is a theme too.  Does this make your heart melt?  I have to leave you with a bang.

This is Cowboy Kobi.  Shall we say Ruth is having fun with Kobi?  Michael says Kobi had no problem with this.  “At least she bought him a ball to distract him from the indignity.”

Adios Amigo’s 🙂