Thursday, November 17, 2011

Moet earned her AKC Novice Agility title at the Yankee Agility Trial in July 2011!

Moet and Lucy participated in the AKC  Collie Club Agility Trial in June 2011. This was Moet’s first AKC trial and she earned 3 legs toward her Novice titles including a double Q on the second day. Lucy earned 2 legs toward her open title and both dogs ran brilliantly  considering that there was pouring down monsoon-like rain on their first day!

This was quite the agility season for Ireigold dogs and handler! Lucy earned her AKC Novice Agility title and won all her classes along the way. Moet handily finished CPE Level 1 and half of Level 2 in only four trials.

Moet had a stellar experience at her first CPE trial and earned 2 first places, a second place, and move ups to Level 2! She works with energy and solid focus – can’t wait to develop her skills!

Lucy started the 2010 season with two first places and qualifying scores! We look forward to completing tiltles in AKC and CPE.

Moet is beginning her agility and obedience career this year ! 

Heidi ( AKC IreigoldPhoebe) has been placed in a terrific new home in Cape Elizabeth with the Strouts and Finnegan, a sister from her litter.

July 12 – Lucy finished her Novice Agility Jumpers (NAJ) Title at the Yankee Golden Retriever trial in Derry, NH. Twice we were the only team to qualify in our class and earned first place for both – way to go Lucy!

 

Lucy (Ireigold Can’t Touch This) finished off her first Agility competition year in 2008 with 16 CPE qualifying scores and her first leg in AKC Novice Standard! She has begun 2009 with 13 CPE qualifying scores and moved up two levels. We are very excited about the prospect of completing her AKC Standard Novice and Jumpers titles this year as well as competing in CPE Level 4.

June 20 – Lucy earned a qualifying score in Novice Standard as well as a 1st place at
the Collie Club Trials! Emily put a Veteran Group 1 on Tess (Tangleloft Lutece) at the Penobscot Shows under judge Jean Fournier. Tess just celebrated her 8th birthday!

 

July 2011

I find myself writing this story about Morgan, not just because it is extraordinary nowadays for Golden Retrievers to live to the age of 14 years, but also because his is a tale with a precarious middle that resolved into a very happy ending with a loving family.

In 2007, I volunteered for a short period at the local humane society. When I left that post, I offered to be contacted as a conduit to golden retriever rescues, thereby preventing Goldens from having to enter the humane society’s system.

The following day I received a call from the humane society concerning a man who was right there surrendering two senior Goldens, Hunter, age 9 and Morgan, age 10. He remembered buying one of them from a local woman but could not recall her name. Following a telephone call with this gentleman, I confirmed that Morgan came from one of my litters, whelped in April of 1997! I was horrified to think that, as a vulnerable elder dog, one of my precious pups had come perilously close to a frightening and undetermined future along with his aged buddy.

Almost immediately I found a home for these two homeless boys with a family who had owned and loved another dog of my breeding, Luna. Dee and Don Miskill, and their sons, Colin and Justin are salt of the earth people with hearts as unlimited asthe sky. Luna had been re-homed with them following her surrender to me in late 1997. She had passed away in November of 2006, so the Miskills were dog-less.

As it happens, Luna was a full sister to Morgan, and the Miskills jumped at the opportunity to take not only Morgan but Hunter as well! What incredible good fortune all the way around! The dogs didn’t have to be separated, and they quickly landed in an exceptionally caring environment where they adjusted perfectly, for the family who once again had the joy of living with a golden ( in this case double the joy) and a Luna brother to boot! As for me, I felt greatly relieved that these senior dogs would be well cared for in a forever home. I would see Dee, Colin, and the dogs around town every once in a while, and all was well.

In early July of this year 14-year old Morgan passed away of old age. He was the last surviving pup of Chelsea Aurora, my very first golden love, and his death marked the end of an era. I was quite fortunate to visit with him just a week before he passed. What a beautiful, sweet, well-tempered boy he was and a stunning look alike for my Uno, his half sister, who passed last April at the age of 16. I wondered how Dee ever got anything done. I would have been perpetually running my fingers through his thick , silky golden coat tipped with silver. Dee and Don were masterful at managing Morgan’s and Hunter’s senior needs— premium food appropriate for the aging Golden, just the right exercise, a purpose (Luna, Morgan and Hunter had spent a lot of time as “literacy” dogs, mascots at their local library), and tons of love. I can’t think of any Golden who wouldn’t leap at the chance to come back as one of their precious family.