Tag Archives: golden retriever

Golden Oldies – Retriever Edition

Lola Pug is most definitely an only child. She prefers all of my attention on her terms at all times.

But every so often, we open our doors to very special dog friends when they need a home away from home.

My (slightly) hairier sister, Misty, has been a frequent guest as Casa Lola over the years, and it was a joy (for me) to welcome her back to our little space this week for a visit.

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Misty is 14 years old now, which is slightly miraculous in Golden Retriever years, and I have to say that her age and infirmities only makes me love and treasure her more.

Goldens, as you might know, absolutely LIVE for love, so there’s no shortage of attention and skritches when Misty visits.

 

And she is *so* helpful when I’m in the kitchen. Always keeping watch that the snacks aren’t falling to the ground or going to waste.

 

We go outside for very short walks and we have many rest breaks. Old bones need lots of rest.

 

But infirm doesn’t mean unhappy for Misty Moo. A shady spot in the grass with lots of people passing by is pretty much heaven for this old gal.

 

With a good drink of water when we get home, of course.

Oh, Hi, Pug!

 

Perhaps The Pug is perturbed that Misty appears to be hogging the water bowl.

But, really, when your legs don’t work so well, it’s much easier to lie down and drink, no?

 

Well.

Someone has reached new levels of mortification, I see.

 

Misty is here for a little while longer, so we have some senior adventures to go on together.

And, yes, I am bracing myself for the inevitable Wrath of The Pug that I can feel coming on.

…it always begins with the staring….

And before I forget – Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers of fur, flesh and feathered (and scaly?) creatures.

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Filed under Friends, The Daily Pug

Old Friends… New Friends….

The short reprieve in our humid summer weather has seen Lola Pug and me out and about in the neighbourhood, taking advantage of all of the friendly canine socialising that the more humane temperatures bring.

We were able to wander a bit further afield the other day, so I brought Lola to a park across the road from a friend’s house.

While sitting and waiting (otherwise known as “stalking”, if I must be honest), Trevor the Golden wandered into the park. Now, Lola Pug has a hate-on for most unknown Goldens, which baffles me, as her cousin and one of her friends from puppy hood are Goldens, so I expected fireworks from her.

Nope. Trevor was an instant love match for LP, and they sat together in mindful happiness for quite some time, watching the world go by.

 

Have I mentioned that Trevor is 15 years old? And he’s amazingly calm. A true gentleman. No wonder Lola fell in love with him instantly. (Oh, and his face isn’t weird – he was simply basking in a very bright sunbeam)

Now, back to that “stalking” thing.

I saw my friend’s door open, and it was the moment I had been waiting for.

 

It’s time to leave the peace of your new oldest friend to go and get some PUPPY LOVE, babygirl!

At all of nine weeks old, this is our newest, and possibly cutest neighbour puppy….

 

Those EARS! Those BAGGY LEGS! Those Frenchie LIPS!

Wee Choco did not initially appreciate my moving in for puppy kisses…

 

…but he soon changed his mind, and came in for a good nose gnaw.

 

The sour milk and beer smell of puppy breath is intoxicating to me.

Not so much for Lola Pug.

 

It was next to impossible to get a semi-decent photo of the two of them together, mostly due to the frenetic puppy-ness of one of the involved parties…

 

…but all frenetic things must eventually rest and recharge, and the littlest man eventually fell asleep in his new mama’s arms.

 

Alas, Trevor had left the park when we were done meeting and greeting our newest neighbour, so Lola didn’t get a chance to commiserate with him on the way home.

In time, perhaps Choco and Lola Pug will become better friends. Until then, he’s going to have a whole lot of neighbourhood love pouring down on his little self.

There’s nothing quite like some old friends and some new friends to make a weekend perfect.

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Friends, Frienemies, Weather

A Week of Sleepovers

We’ve had a REALLY busy little while at Casa Lola recently, with a bit of a revolving door of awesome canine family members coming to stay with us for short stints.

First up was my (slightly hairier) sister, Misty, who was with us for a couple of nights.

 

Misty, aka The Land Manatee, is an old, gentle gal who is SUPER easy and absolutely delightful to live with. She could really use some good juju, too, as she’s working her way through a slightly mysterious health issue right now.

After Misty went back home, we opened our doors to my goddogs, and Lola’s adoring nemeses, The Fuppies!

 

Boz and Murphy (Boz is on the right) have done quite a bit of growing since they were last featured on the blog, but they are still clearly as cute (and almost as crazy) as ever.

I actually think that Lola Pug secretly adores them, but she’s always been a bit protective of her personal space (a non-existent concept to the Fuppies), so maybe she wasn’t having as much fun with them as I was.

I think Lola might have been relieved to see their Auntie pick them up and take them home.

 

And now, to wind up the week, the little angel princess Miss Merryweather, is with us for a couple of nights. (she’s snuggled up on the sofa beside me right now, in fact)

 

All in all, Lola has been an excellent host, and she hasn’t made *too* much of a fuss about sharing me with our family guests…but I think that someone might be needing a stretch of one-on-one mama-pug time pretty soon…

 

…time that I actually might not be invited to, judging by the look on her face.

I know, for a fact, that the Little Miss will be bored within hours…okay, perhaps days…of our final guest leaving, so I think we’ll spend the rest of this lazy Sunday chilling out and appreciating this week of excellent house guests and great company.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

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Filed under Friends, Special Days

Pouting Pug

When Misty was here earlier this week, Lola pouted. She pouted hard. It got to the point where I simply couldn’t take the two creatures out together, because Misty was all business, and Lola Pug…well…she was all pout.

Case in point…

 

You can see how this simply wouldn’t work on a practical level.

Maybe she just doesn’t trust anyone who is as perpetually happy and friendly as a Golden.

Either way, equilibrium has since been reestablished, and someone is once again the Queen of her Domain.

…until our next exciting adventure comes around, at least….

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Filed under Friends, Pugs are Weird, The Daily Pug

The Trouble with Goldens

We had Lola’s cousin, Misty, come to visit us this week, which is always a joy. For me, at least.

The thing about Goldens is they are…retrievers. They LOVE to have retrieved things in their mouths. Now Misty generally eviscerates her stuffy toys within days (if not hours) of getting them, but Piggy here is a special case….

 

I got Piggy for Misty about six years ago, when LP and I were at dog camp in Vermont, and although he has lost his fabric eyes (and nostrils) to the ravages of Golden looove, he remains shockingly intact. I like to think it’s because Misty knows that Piggy was given to her with love – but I confess that it’s really simply one of the mysteries of life that he still lives.

But I digress.

Misty love to show off her stuffies to family and friends, and when I say “show”, I mean “stick in your face”…which is rather endearing, if you’re a Golden Retriever-loving person…

 

…but perhaps somewhat less endearing if you’re a pug….

 

Oh, what the poor dear puts up with.

At least it makes for a good story.

And oh, how she speaks volumes without even saying a word, that little pug.

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Filed under Friends, The Daily Pug, You got a little somethin'....

The Golden Rule

Nothing goes to waste when there is a Golden Retriever in the house….

 

I’m still kind of eating this, Misty, and you’re not getting any, so maybe take a little breather, and I’ll be over to skritch you when I’m done.

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Weekend Hayseeds

Lola Pug and her friend, Tilly, are city dogs, to be sure, but take them out of the city, and they move into country life pretty quickly, I’d say…

 

Close up…

 

Oh, alright, Lola Pug. I know that Tilly looks really happy, and all, and yes, I clearly HAVE lost my mind putting you up on something that isn’t covered in plush and satin.

I’ll come and get you down now.

 

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Filed under Adventures, Friends, Traveling Pug

Dogs and Cottages

Dogs and cottages are a pre-tty cool combination.

This past weekend, The Pug and I went visiting, and there were activities galore.

Lola’s buddies, Trigger and Tilly, adore cottage living and all of the stick-chasing, lake swimming and dirt rolling that comes along with it. And when Uncle Jim introduced them to the new game of “Splashy Face”, the fun just got amplified – for canines AND their people (“Splashy Face” went on for HOURS, people, HOURS!)….

 

 

 

 

And The Pug?

Well. You must already have figured out that she is not a “dog”, per se.

So what was she doing in the midst all of this frivolity?

 

…calling her lawyer, of course.

Honestly, Pug.

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Filed under Adventures, Friends, Traveling Pug, Weather

Howdy, Neighbour!

I’ve been a bit behind on my posts recently. I’ll blame it on spring cleaning…spring fever…spring patio season….

Speaking of spring … Lola Pug suddenly seems to have a whole bunch of new friends in the ‘hood, and ALL of them are PUPPIES!!!

First to the gate is BOSS! Our newest, sweet as pie, wouldn’t hurt a fly (but, wait – can he still eat them?) Boxer pup neighbour.

 

Boss met Misty when he first came home, and he immediately fell in love. She didn’t seem to mind him, either.

 

And where was Lola in all of this puppy love?

Right where you think she’d be, of course…

 

…at a safe distance.

(thanks to Boss’s Mum, Jen, for the photo of Lola and Boss. For more Boss – and more Bullies, in general – visit Jen online here!)

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The Land Manatee

To say that Misty is an easy house guest is an understatement.

Now, Misty isn’t too well versed in the ways of small dogs, which means that Lola Pug has had to learn to stay out of the “Wag Zone” in order to keep her face in one piece – and my floor duster basically self-destructed when I tried to clean up the perpetual web of Golden Retriever hair – but those are pretty small adjustments for us to make, really.

Not always the most active dog, Misty likes to spend her days doing what older Goldens do best…

…napping on floors…

…napping while getting the Evil Pug Eye…

…napping on beds….

(The Pug got up to have a drink of water, so Misty made her move. I don’t even know how she got onto the bed – it’s as if she simply levitated onto it in her sleep, which actually wouldn’t surprise me.)

Hey. I don’t call her the Land Manatee for nothing.

Food, water, walks and lots of love.

Life sure is Golden, eh?

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