Dogs are animals of integrity. We have much to learn from them.
Tag: Labrador
Jess forwards another stirring account of a dog rescuer.
Jess Anderson sent me this video of a Labrador, age 19 no less, being rescued. That is one senior dog!
The video and the supporters who left comments all said how wonderful were their experiences of saving senior dogs.
The video came from the Dodo Foster Diaries and at the time of writing had had nearly 600 viewings.
There is a very good article on PetFinder about the first few days with a senior dog. Go and watch it!
Yet another article about a sweet dog! Keep them coming!
I know Jeannie and I are very biased but so are millions, literally, of other good folk around the world. I am speaking of people who love dogs. And thank goodness that is the case because The Dodo is just one of a number of doggie websites and in the absence of such websites Learning from Dogs would have never got started!
So I am pleased to present another story from The Dodo about Levi. Read on:
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Very Sweet Dog Always Welcomes Mom Home With A Gift
It’s the thought that counts 😂
By Lily Feinn, published on the 16th July, 2021
Levi knows to never greet someone empty-handed. The Lab mix gets so excited every time his mom comes home that he immediately has to find the perfect gift to show his love.
However, when it comes to Levi’s presents, his mom knows it’s the thought that counts.
“The very first thing that stands out was when he brought me an open, half-chewed box of screws,” Lori Eddins, Levi’s mom, told The Dodo. “So I took him to the vet for X-rays.”
Thankfully, Levi hadn’t snacked on any of the hardware and got a clean bill of health, but Eddins’ reaction to the “gift” encouraged Levi to start an adorable routine.
“I think my begging and baby-talking for him to surrender the box of screws might be what inspired his deliveries,” Eddins said. “He thought it was great!”
Now, the rescue dog always gives his mom something special when she comes home after a hard day’s work.
“He has brought everything from his toys, to bones and blankets, to clumps of grass, pieces of cardboard or paper (I call them ‘cards’) and landscape timber,” Eddins said. “My favorite was when he found where the flower bed had been cleaned out and he brought me flowers.”
“If he meets me at the gate empty-handed, I let him carry my keys to the door, and he is so proud,” she added.
Some of Levi’s gifts are not necessarily what Eddins would pick out for herself. Occasionally, he’ll bring her clumps of horse manure or try to pick up one of the chickens on the property to deliver to his mom.
Though Eddins’ chickens aren’t so fond of this gift-giving, Eddins is so grateful to have such a generous, happy-go-lucky dog bringing joy to her life — and she makes sure Levi knows it.
“I give him huge hugs and thank him as if he brought me the winning lottery ticket,” Eddins said. “Most things I give back to him, some end up in the trash. I did keep the flowers!”
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It is a delightful story and one that rings true for so many people. Lori knows the golden rule in the way that she praises Levi.
Always make a dog feel as though he or she is such a special animal that life wouldn’t work without that dog. Always praise them and when a dog does something negative do not punish them. Just don’t praise them.
I love this item from The Dodo.
There are many things that we do not understand when it comes to dogs. Of course we love them but often we have no idea what they are thinking of.
That was accentuated in this recent story published by The Dodo.
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Dog Gets 350 Tennis Balls But Will Only Play With One Of Them
Published on the 18th December, 2020.
“She was so determined that there was something amazing at the bottom of the box, and couldn’t get to it quick enough.”
While Noora is a lazy bulldog at heart, she’s grown up around a bunch of Labs, so over time, she’s slowly become more and more fascinated with the concept of tennis balls.
“Noora has almost always had a tennis ball-obsessed Lab in the house with her, and while the concept of repetitively chasing a tennis ball makes no sense to her, she’s intrigued by the obsession with something she can’t eat,” Katie Swartout, Noora’s mom, told The Dodo.
Noora’s family definitely goes through a lot of balls, so when they recently found a great deal on a box of 350 tennis balls, everyone was pretty excited — including Noora.
“Noora LOVES when packages come,” Swartout said. “It started with BarkBoxes coming to the door, and the queen of the house deciding that every box that comes must be for her! When this box came, Noora immediately started crying for joy, and doing everything she could to get into the box!”
As her family opened the box, Noora got a little overexcited — and quickly dumped the entire box all over the living room floor.
Instead of excitedly playing with every single ball, though, Noora dug her way to the bottom of the box, and found the one ball that she had apparently been looking for.
“She was so determined that there was something amazing at the bottom of the box, and couldn’t get to it quick enough,” Swartout said.
Once Noora had picked out her ball, and subsequently spilled the rest of them onto the floor, she refused to play with any of the others. Out of the 350 balls, there was only one that was meant for her.
“For a few hours, Noora wanted nothing to do with any other ball or toy,” Swartout said. “She was very protective of ‘her ball’ and if any of the other dogs would come near, she made sure they were aware of who was boss!”
For some reason, that one ball at the very bottom of the box was the only one Noora wanted, and she was completely confident in that decision.
Eventually, though, Noora got bored of her coveted chosen ball and went on with her life — until she rediscovered the box. Then she got excited all over again.
“Noora has moved on to other toys, demonstrating she has the attention span of a 3-year-old, but when she sees the bin of tennis balls in the garage now, she still gets as excited as she did when the box first arrived,” Swartout said.
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You see! We don’t really know what Noora is thinking of but that doesn’t take away for one moment the joy that Katie gets from Noora’s behaviour!
Dogs are such wonderful creatures!
Beautiful puppy Joy!
Recently we went across to a good friend of Jeannie’s to take some photographs of her new puppy. The friend is LaRita and the puppy is Joy. Joy is just eight weeks old and beautifully friendly to strangers. Joy is a puppy Labrador.
So here are the photos.
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Finally one wet puppy!
What a beautiful dog!
P.S. All of a sudden WordPress have changed things and I cannot now find how to post the title of the post. I hope it will still be published and that you will enjoy these photos of Joy!
P.P.S. Until I hear back from WordPress or until I can work out the reason why I can’t post titles I shall not be doing more posts. Hopefully it won’t be long!
Update! It was my mistake. WordPress answered my email just a few minutes ago (14:45 PST) and all is sorted.
Perhaps a world record.
We all who love dogs find that their lives are too short; by far! So it was incredible to read the other day of a Labrador who on April 24th, 2020 turned 20! The story was on the Golden Hearts website and thank goodness there is permission to share this with you.
Here it is:
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At 20 years old, Augie is the oldest golden retriever in history!
There are many accounts of 17 or 18-year-old goldens, and even a few stories about 19-year-old goldens, but Augie is the first golden retriever to ever reach the big two-oh.
In this article, we’ll dive into Augie’s story a little bit more, cover how old golden retrievers normally live to be, and talk about how you can help your golden live a long happy life.
Let’s go!
Meet Augie
On April 24, 2000, August (affectionately known as Augie) was born.
After being rehomed twice (due to no fault of her own), she eventually landed with Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt of Oakland, Tennessee, and it’s still unclear who the lucky ones are here.
Jennifer and Steve, who were active in their local golden retriever rescue organization when they got Augie, adopted her when she was 14 years old.
They figured that most people wouldn’t want such an elderly golden, but they had no idea of the upcoming journey they would be on with Augie.
They’ve taken her on RV trips all around the country, she’s got several canine and feline siblings, and she gets to play fetch in the pool.
On the other hand, Jennifer and Steve have been rewarded with over six years of love and loyalty from this wonderful (and now record-holding) golden.
The 20-Year-Old Golden Retriever
So how does a 20-year-old golden retriever celebrate her record-setting birthday?
With a dog-friendly carrot cake and some quality time with her golden retriever siblings, Sherman, Belle, and Bruce!
Her owner, Jennifer, says she’s surprisingly healthy.
She can still move around well (although she’s a bit shaky when she first gets up) and enjoys daily walks around the yard.
Since she was diagnosed with some kidney issues when she was 14, she now eats a mixture of wet and dry Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d, and takes some supplements for her kidneys and joints.
She also gets SQ fluids twice a week, which has helped her perk up quite a bit.
How Long Do Golden Retrievers Normally Live?
Augie is a very special girl, and she’s definitely not the norm.
Most golden retrievers live to about 10-12 years old.
Of course, many goldens live to 13, 14, or 15 years old, and, unfortunately, many live shorter than the average.
Now let’s talk about how to help your golden retriever live to that upper part of the spectrum.
5 Tips For Helping Your Golden Retriever Live A Long Life
Here are some tips to help your golden retriever live a long life like Augie.
1. Listen to your veterinarian.
This is probably the most important tip.
Your vet will know your dog, and have the best recommendations and action plan to keep them healthy.
This includes flea, tick, and heartworm medicines, food and exercise advice, and much more.
2. Listen to your dog.
When Oliver was a puppy, we spent countless hours researching what the best food for golden retriever puppies was.
Well, guess what?
After a few weeks of us feeding him the “best food for golden retriever puppies”, he stopped eating and became more lethargic.
We listened to what he was trying to tell us, we talked with our vet about it, and we decided to switch foods.
Right away he loved the new food, started eating more, and started getting his normal, crazy energy back.
Just because something is popular for many dogs, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be good for your dog, so pay attention to them and how they’re feeling so you can work with your vet to keep them happy and healthy.
3. Feed your dog a quality dog food.
Yes, Walmart brand food may be cheaper at first, but you’ll probably end up paying more in vet bills down the road.
Not to mention, with a quality dog food, your dog will probably be happier and healthier for it.
Talk to your veterinarian, do your research, and feed your pup a quality food.
4. Groom your golden retriever regularly.
Keeping their nails, paws, coat, teeth, and ears clean will keep them looking their best, while also keeping them healthy.
Grooming them regularly can prevent ear infections, gum or teeth issues, or skin issues, which could all snowball into something worse if not taken care of.
5. Exercise your golden retriever regularly.
Most goldens are inclined to become obese, so regular exercise can prevent that, as well as keep their heart and muscles strong.
Even Augie gets regular exercise, and as Jennifer says, “Motion is lotion!” for those old bones.
How You Can Help Senior Golden Retrievers
One thing that amazes me is that Jennifer adopted Augie when she was 14 years old!
Most people don’t want to adopt an older golden retriever, fearing that their time here is limited, but that doesn’t mean these dogs can’t be wonderful companions for you.
Golden retriever puppies are tough, and there are many sweet senior goldens out there like Augie that need good, loving homes, so consider stepping up to the plate and adopting a golden, fostering goldens, or volunteering or donating to your local golden retriever rescue.
Below is a list of golden retriever rescues in every state, but also don’t forget to look at rescues in states nearby if you’re looking to rescue a golden.
Here’s a list of golden retriever rescues in every State.
Conclusion
Huge congratulations to Augie for being the world’s oldest golden retriever!
At 20 years old, she’s just about doubled the expected lifespan for golden retrievers and she’s still kicking.
She’s lived so long largely because she’s got great genetics, but also her owner, Jennifer, has done a great job of taking care of her and ensuring that they have a good relationship with Augie’s vet.
As Jennifer says, “We care for them as long as we have them, and love them forever.”
Do you have any questions about Augie, or about golden retriever lifespans?
Let us know in the comments below! (Ed: Please go here.)
And please share this with your fellow golden retriever lovers!
P.S. If you liked this article, you’ll love our complete guide to golden retrievers.
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I can do no more than to repeat the congratulations mentioned above: “Huge congratulations to Augie for being the world’s oldest golden retriever!”
It is a wonderful achievement!
A friend from long ago writes of his dog!
Too many years ago, indeed when I had my own company back in the late 70s, I came in contact with Keith Edmunds. He was a Linux expert; still is! He runs a company in the U.K., Tiger Computing, based in Monmouthshire.
The other day Keith posted a story about his dog and I asked for permission to republish. Keith very quickly said “Yes”. He added: “With a link to https://www.tiger-computing.co.uk/not-clever/, yes.”
Here it is:
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My wife is deaf. She caught meningitis when she was four years old, and one of the side effects can be deafness.
But this isn’t a sob story. It’s a joyful story of a chocolate brown Labrador called Rhys. My wife’s hearing dog.
People often ask what he can do. Well, he alerts Cecilia to the doorbell ringing, the kitchen timer going off, voice commands to “fetch mum” and the smoke alarm.
Some people ask whether he responds to the phone. But the answer is no. Cecilia can’t use the phone (she’s deaf); Rhys can’t use the phone (he’s a dog – he can’t speak). Between them you’d think they’d be able to come up with some kind of plan…but nothing so far.
“He’s very clever!,” people say. But really he’s not. I have, in moments of disrespect, mentioned that if he had an IQ one point higher he’d be a tomato.
You see we mustn’t confuse “highly trained” with “clever”.
Yes, Rhys has learnt how to respond to certain triggers. “If this happens, then do that” – It’s very basic.
If the smoke alarm sounds, then find Cecilia, nudge her, lie down and get a treat.
He doesn’t do it because he’s smart enough to know that the smoke alarm means danger. No. That would be clever.
He does it simply because he’ll get a treat for doing this task. He is a Labrador after all…
Clever is the ability to devise or select an appropriate solution to a problem. Clever – at least in adults – is a combination of intelligence, knowledge and experience.
If we apply this to business, then clever might be knowledge and experience in your domain. Right now, a lot of clever people are investigating a little virus called SARS-CoV-2 (the cause of COVID-19).
But clever can also mean knowing when to pull in the experts.
I’m no expert on immunology or virology so I’m leaving the SARS-CoV-2 problem to the talented (and knowledgeable, experienced and intelligent) bio-scientists.
Rhys is leaving the intellectual challenge of pretty much everything to others.
But I am quite clever when it comes to Linux, so if you need a little help with that then be sure to let me know…
Keith
P.S. If you’ve got a question about how to best use Linux in your business, book a free, 30 minute, no obligation Linux Strategy Call and let’s talk about it.
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Rhys is a lovely looking Labrador! Highly trained, of course. But some, including me, would also say clever!
What a beautiful dog!
It’s all too easy to forget that a dog can’t cope with hot weather.
As in too hot. Especially in a car!
I want to republish a post that appeared on The Dodo blog site recently. It is about a dog trapped in a car when it was far too hot.
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Jason Minson, an Army veteran who runs a landscaping business, was out on a job in Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday when the first of several unusual things happened.
Minson was inspecting a tree in a yard when he heard a bang on the street.
When he went to check, he realized that a car driving by had bumped another car parked on the street. If that hadn’t happened, Minson probably never would have approached the parked car and discovered what was inside.
A black Labrador puppy was sprawled out on the floor of the vehicle — the noise and shudder seemed to have woken him up for a moment.
And he was incessantly panting.
“It was the kind of panting that was the last effort a dog does to try to cool himself off,” Minson told The Dodo.
Minson immediately called 911.
The police dispatched a unit to come help the dog — but they also informed Minson that breaking the window of the car to free the dog is a crime. (The law varies depending where you are.)
Minson watched the panting puppy from behind the pane of glass. He brought one bottle of water to the sliver of opened window and the dog jumped up on the seat and started drinking from it.
The dog went through the whole bottle. And then another.
“I’m usually a pretty cool, level-headed person but I was kind of fed up,” Minson said.
An animal control officer arrived and she started to try to pry the door open, but it wasn’t working. And nearly 20 minutes had passed since Minson had found the dog — and he was worried they were already out of time.
“The dog had laid back down on the floor of the car and wasn’t panting as quickly,” Minson said.
“I honestly didn’t think this pup was going to make it,” Minson wrote.
That’s when he took matters into his own hands.
“Charge me,” he can be heard saying in one of the videos he shot, “I don’t give a sh*t at this point.”
Using the baton from the animal control officer, Minson smashed the window and opened the door.
The animal control officer rushed the dog over to her van and took him to the vet for urgent care. And the owner of the dog was charged by the police. Minson received a call from the police, too — but to be a witness at the hearing about the incident.
The following day, Minson went to visit the pup at the facility where he’s recovering. Already, the dog seemed to be much stronger.
Minson, who has a Great Dane, hopes that if someone saw his dog in trouble in any way that they would do something about it.
“This is REAL talk people,” Minson wrote on Facebook after the dog was saved. “It’s hot out and if you leave an animal in your car [he’s] going to die from the heat … Take care of your fur babies.”
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I can’t think of a more dramatic way of telling you about the perils of dogs in cars in hot weather!
It really does kill dogs!
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” William Butler Yeats
Day Six: A Character-Building Experience
Today’s Prompt: Who’s the most interesting person (or people) you’ve met this year?
Our stories are inevitably linked to the people around us. We are social creatures: from the family members and friends who’ve known us since childhood, to the coworkers, service providers, and strangers who populate our world (and, at times, leave an unexpected mark on us).
Today, write a post focusing on one — or more — of the people that have recently entered your life, and tell us how your narratives intersected. It can be your new partner, your newborn child, or the friendly barista whose real story you’d love to learn (or imagine), or any other person you’ve met for the first time in the past year.
Today’s twist: Turn your post into a character study.
“In displaying the psychology of your characters, minute particulars are essential. God save us from vague generalisations!” – Anton Chekhov, Letter to Alexander Chekhov; May 10, 1886
Describing people — whether real or fictional — in a way that channels their true essence is an invaluable skill for any writer. Through the careful accumulation of details, great authors morph their words into vivid, flesh-and-bones creations in our minds. How can you go about shaping your portrait of a person? Some ideas to explore:
Don’t just list their features. Tell us something about how their physical appearance shapes the way they act and engage with others. For example, see how the author of this moving photo essay, which documents the final weeks of a woman dying of cancer, captures the kernel of the woman’s spirit with a short, masterful statement: “Her eyes told stories that her voice didn’t have the power to articulate and she had a kindness that immediately made me feel like we had been friends for years.”
Give us a glimpse of what makes this person unique. We all have our own quirks, mannerisms, and individual gestures, both physical and linguistic.
“Our stories are inevitably linked to the people around us.”
That is so true. But so many of my stories have also been linked to the dogs around me. So for today’s Writing 101 theme instead of writing about a person, I shall write about a dog. Specifically, young Oliver who entered our lives at 11:10 PDT on June 16th, 2014.
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It was the eyes that got me! Right from the first moment that he and I looked at each other.
Those yellow-green eyes just had a power of attraction that was beyond my rational understanding. As if those eyes carried some haunting echo of that ancient time, millennia ago, when a young wolf looked upon the face of early man and each registered a mutual attraction.
Dear Oliver was born on the 28th February, 2014 and rapidly became a lively puppy: too lively for the couple who had taken him on. They lived close to us and Jean and I were called early in June that same year and asked if we might consider being his new parents. We went around on the morning of the 16th June to assess this young dog, especially from the angle of how well he would get on with our other dogs, before making our minds up for sure.
Within minutes, however, we knew without any doubt that under the skin of this lively, bouncy young dog there was a heart of gold and he came home with us that same morning.
Young Oliver had every reason to be a lively, bouncy young dog. For he was the offspring of Chocolate Labrador and Border Collie parents! One can’t get much more of a lively mix than that! So those early days with Oliver in the house turned out to be fun!
Those early days also showed that Oliver’s heart of gold extended from people to other dogs. Within minutes of arriving home he was fearlessly loving up to Pharaoh. That meant that Pharaoh and all the other dogs were going to love him back in return.
So quickly young Oliver became a wonderful member of the family with not one of the other eight dogs taking even a hint of umbrage at this new puppy in their midst. Oliver’s character is gloriously open and honest, as matched in his face.
Over the weeks as we got to know Oliver better and better he has shown that he has the most beautiful disposition.
Now as I write this some ten months after we welcomed Oliver I find it impossible to imagine life without him. Or more accurately written that it would be impossible to imagine life without those eyes!
I’m clearly not the only one to believe we really can learn from dogs!
Last Friday, I published a post under the title of The healing power of dogs. This is how that post opened:
How dogs offer us humans health and happiness.
Many months ago, I was contacted by a Peter Bloch offering to write a guest post on the subject of the healing power of dogs. Peter had read a post that I had published in July last year which prompted the email dialogue between us.
Not going to say much more at this stage except that today I am republishing that post from last July. On Monday, I will introduce Peter and his guest post. Then on Tuesday, I will speak of my own experiences both as entrepreneurial mentor and as a ‘customer’ of a wonderful psychotherapist back in Devon during 2007.
So, as promised, here is that guest post from Peter.
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My dog Fergus is a philosopher, and the nature of health and happiness is his area of special expertise. When he learned about Paul’s blog he became very excited because he has always been convinced that dogs have so much to teach humans about life. As much as anything to have a little peace from his continual philosophical musings, I agreed to set out his theories here for the benefit of everyone who loves dogs.
Fergus would like it to be known that when he is free to pursue the activities to which his particular breed is most naturally attracted then, as a dog, he feels happy, energised, purposeful and fulfilled in every way. Fergus has also observed that when he is able to participate as a co-operating member of his ‘pack’, he feels safe and secure, is clear about how to proceed with his life, and at night he sleeps like a dog.
But Fergus says that when these conditions do not apply, he can be quite remarkably miserable. As a Greyhound, he loves to run very fast, and he is not at all interested in things like retrieving balls, or wallowing in water.
However once he was in the care of someone who Fergus thinks we should just call ‘Sarah’. Sarah has a Labrador and thinks that all dogs really ought to be like her dog, resulting in Fergus being put under considerable pressure to enjoy activities that he could not understand.
That lead to Sarah telling Fergus’ owners that he was a difficult dog when in fact he was just a misunderstood dog. He was amazed how, in just one day, he went from sleeping ‘like a dog‘ to ‘living in the doghouse‘!
Indeed, within a week he was suffering from digestive problems and skin disorders, despite an identical diet, and was found to be engaging in several bizarre neurotic behaviours. Fortunately, when more congenial conditions were restored, Fergus returned to feeling safe and secure.
Fergus often expresses surprise that people often do not understand that the freedom to be himself, the true dog that he is, including living in unifying solidarity with his pack, is a fundamental requirement for his health; in all meanings of the word.
For instance, Fergus noticed that Sarah has a son called Henry, who really wanted to be a designer. But his mother thought that it would be better for him to be a lawyer. In fact, Sarah was so certain that in the end Henry became a lawyer. Fergus observes that Henry is always suffering from digestive problems and skin disorders and sometimes behaves a little strangely. Doctors have not been able to find out what is wrong with him, despite all sorts of diets and medicines being tried.
But here’s the rub. When Henry goes out for a walk with Fergus, Fergus always runs as fast as he can and his resulting happiness always makes Henry feel so much better.
Henry is convinced that Fergus is a healer! Who could argue with that?
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Trust me, when I’m feeling a little down the dogs all know. All of them allow me to come and bury my face in their fur, or rest my face alongside their face. Perhaps one of the most powerful gifts from our dogs is their wonderful, unconditional love for us funny humans.
I have no connection with Peter other than being delighted to have this guest post from him (or was it from Fergus??). Peter offered this brief summary of his work, which I am pleased to include:
Peter Bloch has developed a form of existential and person-centred psychotherapy through touch. In this therapeutic model, health is defined as the ability to be true to oneself and open to genuine relationships with others – qualities that he finds in abundance in his dog.
Apologies!
At 10:15 last night, I discovered that this Post is likely to be published with all the pictures missing. Operator error on my part.
So rather than delete it and you, dear reader, not know what had happened, I have left it as it is and will correct it by including the pictures for tomorrow, Sunday.
Dear friend Dan Gomez sent this to me on the 9th but I have split it into two parts, the concluding part will be tomorrow.
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Part Two tomorrow.
Learning from Dogs 