Bella
Update 06/09/09:Bella is now about 45 pounds and may be
reaching her full size… proving that good things come in small Golden packages!
We’ve found that her favorite sport is swimming. No fetching balls or sticks,
catching Frisbees or doing agility for her, just swimming and wrestling with her
brothers. I think they forgot her “retriever” gene! We did find out (by
accident) that she loves to herd goats. Too bad they were our neighbor’s
pregnant ones! We were over for a playdate and sure enough, off Bella went and
rounded them up very neatly. There was no way she was coming back to us until
she was done. Boy, was her tongue hanging out.
We have not had an accident in the house in probably a month (knock on wood).
Despite all her chew toys, she still LOVES shoes. I have lost more than a few
pairs since Miss Bella moved in. You’d think I would remember to put them up…
ha-ha. Her latest obsession is pens and remotes, but for some reason I seem to
have better luck remembering to put those out of her reach.
She is making progress on her leash walking and is even slightly better about
coming when called; we’ve been working a lot with her and are moving forward.
Bella is still quite the talker. We’ve never had such a vocal Golden. I think
she just has a lot to say. If she were a human she’d be a social director for
sure. Her favorite time of the day is playing with the neighbor dogs, and she
loves to go to the dog park.
She’s a go-getter, not a Velcro Golden, but my favorite time of the day is
before bedtime, after bedtime biscuits, when she finally is ready to stop
bustling around and enjoy a little petting! She’s finally tired enough to sit
still, and I just love looking into her pretty little face!
Update 4/21/09
Bella now weighs about 40 pounds, but
she hasn’t put on much height—she will always be on the small side. She
continues to love life on the farm. She welcomed our new colt with a big kiss on
the nose, but she is still a little clueless about those hind legs—she really
wants to play with him. She loves the pool and digging holes and chewing on the
same stick that her Golden “brother”
Guinness has. Anything he does, she simply must try out too (for good or ill!).
She is happiest when she is running
with the pack of dogs that is often here… including her two Golden brothers, our
friends’ two labs and two Aussie shepherds, plus the pack next door. She is a
social butterfly! She is always in the thick of things and instigating play or
mischief. Sheer doggie heaven.
Bella isn’t much of a ball player.
She likes to chase it, but when she gets to it there is usually something better
to go do or smell. She does like the soft, cushy toys and playing tug with the
big dogs. You always know when she has a toy, stick or anything else when she
comes “talking” to you (this is very cute).
We have found that she is very
stubborn and has very selective hearing (a common Golden trait, especially in
hardheaded pups). She continues to do well in the house, though she still
loves shoes, bothering the cats, and
jumping and still has the occasional accident. She was not afraid during any of
our recent thunderstorms. She is good with food, doesn’t
beg too often, and is too short to counter surf… not that she has even
shown any interest. We can leave food on the coffee table and nobody will touch
it (one of the house rules).
We are still working on Bella’s
obedience, which has its challenging aspects—she IS a stubborn little gal and
tends to tell you about it when you leave her alone. She doesn’t care much for
spending time “solo”… another typical Golden! At the end of every day, though,
we have always had a few good laughs—and Bella is always exhausted and eats and
sleeps well and then is ready to do it all over again the next day.
Update 3/26
Bella is a true little 34-pound beauty about 4 1/2 months old. She has an
unusual black birthmark on her right side… so she must be special! She
is all puppy, but she is a quick study.
She loves life on the farm. She follows her two doggie
foster brothers wherever they go and has really
latched on to our 1-year-old Golden. They wrestle in the riding arena and chase
each other all over. She would really love a home with another dog. She gets
along famously with our neighbors’ dogs as well. After a few initial barks at
those big horses she has settled right down around them… she is just a little
clueless when walking behind them, but oh that delicious manure! She loves the
kids who ride at our barn, too.
She also has found the pool and is just starting to figure out
the whole swimming thing. Her first introduction to the water was falling in and
having a helpful human (me) plucking her out, but her foster brothers are
showing her the ropes.
Bella is learning the house rules, and her manners are pretty
good for just a little pup. We aren’t sure how much time she spent indoors at
her first home, as she is very curious about everything and is scared of the
vacuum cleaner and dishwasher. We are working on “no cat chasing!”—but she is
very gentle with the cats as long as they don’t run! She quickly learned to stay
out of the laundry area, where the cat food and litterboxes are. She sits and
waits for treats and her dinner.
She has been a fairly quick study on the crate. She is so tired at the end of
the day that she is ready for a good night’s sleep, but if she hasn’t had enough
exercise, she will whine and cry for 5 minutes or so.
We haven’t had any accidents in the crate yet. (We
have had a few accidents in the house but of course that is to be expected from
a puppy!)
Bella loves toys and pulls them all out of the dog toy box for
inspection. She adores chew toys, and cow ears are her favorite. Unfortunately,
she also likes shoes and electric cords (don’t ask us how we know!). She like to
take the ball from her brothers and then talks with it in her mouth to show
everyone she has it. She is somewhat interested in it when you throw it and will
usually bring it back.
Check back for more updates as we continue to work with Bella,
get to know her better and expose her to new situations!
Looking for a lively little girl who is all puppy? Meet Bella! She is as pretty as her name suggests, and she’s just a typical frisky, friendly, curious, happy-go-lucky young Golden. She has her own special “beauty mark,” too—a little streak of black fur on one shoulder. Her foster mom says, “She is a joy to have in our home and she is crazy about our youngest Golden, Guinness.” Watch for more details as we get to know Bella better.