SIT. STAY. READ! President s Note. Inside this issue:

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1 GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND Volume 2, Issue 2 May 2009 President s Note Inside this issue: As I m writing this I have six golden retrievers sleeping around me, my husband is on travel, it s been raining for days and the back yard is a mud field. I ve mopped up 40 muddy paw prints (4 indoor/outdoor cats live here too!) so many times my wood floors are beginning to warp. Someone said to me, I don t know how you do it. I just smiled, but what I wanted to say is that it s not easy, but how can you NOT do it? I cannot imagine sitting idly by while Brandy, whose owner died, was take to the shelter, or the Terrific Ten laid in mud and poop in pens with no shelter from the weather, or Ross, Betty and Crumpet were left ignored outdoors 24/7. Rescuing isn t easy, but then most things worth doing aren t. There are some wonderful people here in Southern Maryland making it easier. I cannot mention everyone, but here s a sampling: Jean Huey who is coordinating education tables at events throughout the summer. Mary Oritt who periodically sends me an asking if the rescue is doing ok financially. Stephanie Waikart who says I ll foster Brandy. And invites all of our Cappuccino and Pat Johnson. goldens to her house for a swim. Valerie MacKrell who staffs tables and volunteers to do home visits. Bonnie and Coleman Hampton who foster dogs and find them homes. John and Lori Ennis who dog sit their former foster dogs. Ann Femia who does home visits even when her dog Molly won t go into the home of strangers and also staffs tables. Norm and Gail Bleakley who staff table and do home visits. Barb Saylor who expertly manages the rescues money. Zona Lewis who lays out our newsletter. On behalf of the 16 goldens rescued so far this year, thank you! Pat Johnson HOLIDAY CARDS 2 GOLDENDOODLES 2 WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR GOLDEN? 3 CRAFTERS WANTED 3 PUPPY REFERRAL 3 SIX SWIMMING REMINDERS 4 IS YOUR GOLDEN IN PAIN? 4 BEACH BLAST 4 HOME VISITORS WANTED 5 DOG SITTING SERVICE EXCHANGE 5

2 "DOGS ARE MIRACLES WITH PAWS." -- ATTRIBUTED TO SUSAN ARIEL RAINBOW KENNEDY Golden Wonderland Holiday Card Offer Local artist, and golden lover, Mary Owens created a painting just for the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Maryland. We used the design to create note cards that will be perfect for sending out your holiday greetings. We re advertising them now as we will be printing a limited number and want YOU to be the first to be able to purchase them. The card sells for $3 each or four cards for $10 or 10 cards for $20. Cards will be available at golden rescue event tables or by mail with the addition of postage of $2.50. Send a check with your order to: GRRSM, Nelson Court, Valley Lee, MD You can also pay via PayPal on the web site. Goldendoodles According to the Golden Retriever Club of America the Goldendoodle is nothing more than an expensive mongrel. Because the genetic makeup is diverse from the Poodle genes and the Golden Retriever genes, the resultant first generation (F1) offspring is a complete genetic gamble. The dog may be any size, color, coat texture and temperament. Indeed Goldendoodles do shed. Their coat may be wiry or silky and may mat. Body shape varies with parentage, but tends to be lanky and narrow. Behavior varies with the dog and within a litter with some puppies poodle-like in attitude and others like the Golden Retriever. The predictability of a breed comes from selection for traits that are desirable and away from traits that are undesirable. When a breed standard or type is set, the animals within that breed have less heterozygosity than do animals in a random population. The Golden Retriever Club of America is opposed to cross-breeding of dogs and is particularly opposed to the deliberate crossing of Golden Retrievers with any other breed. These crossbreds are a deliberate attempt to mislead the public with the idea that there is an advantage to these designer dogs. The crossbred dogs are prone to all of the genetic disease of both breeds and offer none of the advantages that owning a purebred dog has to offer. Adapted from 2

3 Volume 2, Issue 2 What Will Happen to your Golden if Something Happens to you? The rescue has taken in two dogs so far this year whose owner has died (Monty and Brandy). Both were initially bewildered and sad. If you do not have a close relative or family member who truly cares for your dog, your beloved golden companion could end up being euthanized or taken to the shelter. Your dog has given you its full trust and unconditional love. You must reward that faith by taking the necessary steps to provide for its well-being should you be unable to do so. Carry a card or note in your wallet that stipulates if you are incapacitated or killed who should be contacted to care for your dog. If you are a member of the rescue, please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to ensure your golden is placed in a loving home environment if you stipulate that your golden should come to us. If you would like to leave money to care for your golden donate it to the rescue in general rather than for the care of Rusty as your dog cannot be adopted out with a dowry. Rest assured that we provide thorough vet care for all of our dogs including yours. Since the rescue is a 501 c 3 charitable organization, there are no inheritance taxes. Brandy is currently available for adoption. Do you have room in your home? Puppy Referral There s nothing cuter than a golden retriever puppy and there s nothing sadder than learning about a poorly bred puppy who needs a hip replacement or has another genetic illness as a result of poor breeding. The following golden retriever clubs in Maryland offer referral information for those looking to buy a golden puppy. Bring twice the fun home - Skip and Rip are available for adoption. Crafters Wanted NAS PAX RIVER has a large craft show the first Saturday of December with over 170 vendors and crowds of shoppers. The rescue will have a table at this year s event on Dec. 5 from It s not too early to start making items now! Pet related items such as ornaments, stocking stuffers, bandanas, dog treats/toys, cards, pot holders you know, all the kinds of stuff WE golden lovers buy is what we ll have at our booth. So get out the sewing machine or the chisel or the paints and let your love of goldens inspire your creativity! Chesapeake Golden Retriever Club Joan Taylor breederreferral@chesapeakegrc.org Gunpowder Golden Retriever Club Virginia Boyle Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club Ellan Thorson Annapolis, MD puppies@pvgrc.org 3

4 How Can I Tell if My Golden is in Pain? Many pets who are in pain will not show obvious signs of discomfort. That s why it is so important to know the following telltale signs: Rising slowly or collapsing to lie down. Walking with a stiff gait, especially after getting up. Lameness or any gait abnormality. Lack of appetite. Trembling. Unusual vocalizations such as yelping or whining. Standing or sitting in unusual positions. Flattened ears or a clamped tail. Inactivity or depression. Take your dog to the vet if you notice these signs. Some people are hesitant to use prescription pain medications such as Rymadil or Deramaxx as they can be hard on the kidneys or liver. Put yourself in your dog s place and consider your dog s quality of life which is very much diminished when they are in pain. (Taken from VCA Animal Hospital brochure.) Six Reminders for Swimming with your Dog Cassie and Cody Arner at the beach. Goldens and the beach are kind of like peanut butter and jelly they just go together. Skip and Rip, two of the Terrific Ten rescued from the puppy mill in Zuni, Va., recently visited Sam and Jay Shelton at their home on the Potomac River where they had their first opportunity to go to the beach. With little hesitation, both jumped into the water. Skip was swimming out to retrieve sticks within a few minutes, while Rip waded near the shore without quite getting the hang of swimming. As the weather warms up remember to: 1. Ensure a shady place to rest and fresh water to drink is available. 2. Avoid sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and apply sunscreen to nose and ear tips (both yours and your dogs! 3. Train your dog to come even when in the water to prevent him from swimming too far after a bird, toy, or as one of the Jayroe s family goldens did, to the buoy. 4. Watch for signs that your dog is tiring. 5. Have basic first aid kit on hand for jellyfish stings, burrs or cut paw pads. 6. Remember, if the sand is too hot for your feet, it s too hot for your dog. Remember, swimming is great exercise for a dog with arthritis. Beach Blast! Mark your calendar for 1 p.m. June 7 th (rain date June 14 th ) for our first beach blast of the year at Stephanie Waikart s home at Piney Point. Call Stephanie for directions

5 Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Maryland s mission is to find homes for golden retrievers in need in St. Mary s, Calvert and Charles counties. GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Maryland Nelson Court, Valley Lee, MD Phone: Fax: contact@goldenretrieverrescue ofsouthernmaryland.org. Home Visitors Needed We are very much in need of at least one more home visitor in Calvert and Charles counties. Home visiting is actually kind of fun. You take your golden with you and they can be as naughty as they want and you can watch how the prospective adoptive family reacts! It only takes about 30 minutes or so to ensure a family has a safe and loving environment for a golden and answer any questions they might have. You can tag along with an experienced home visitor before you do your first solo visit if you would like. There is a short list of topics you should discuss with the prospective family. Once your visit is over, simply complete a home visit report and it. The home visitor role is important as foster families rely on your input in making the decision as to whether or not the golden living with them would be a good fit with the family you visit. You are also the face and the voice of the rescue. It s a delicate balance to meet the desires of a prospective family with the needs of a golden. We often see a mismatch of what an adoptive family wants (young dog) with the type of golden who might be a good fit for a family that works long hours or doesn t have a fence or has young children. When an application comes in, it is forwarded by to all home visitors. If you can do the visit, simply hit reply all and contact the family to set up a mutually agreeable time to meet. Try to schedule a time when all family members can meet. If you can spare an hour or so every once in a while please send an to johnson pat@verizon.net. Dog Sitting Service Exchange Who ll let the dogs out while you re away on vacation or a business trip? As a service to several members who have asked for a way to trade dog sitting with other loving golden lovers we will create a list of those interested in possibly trading services. If you would like to participate, send an to contact@goldenretrieverrescueofsouthernmaryland.org with your name, city where you live, telephone number and ages of your goldens and any restrictions you might have such as dog who gets along with cats or is good with young children and we ll try to maintain the list at least over the summer months. Also, Barb Baratta, our newest foster mom sent the following: Ellen Dawson of Calvert Ways Pet Sitting Service is the pet sitter we use. She lives in Lusby and is excellent, and very reasonable. We have been using her for the past 4 years and she is wonderful with all of our pets. You can pass this on to the rest of the rescue members. Ellen s phone # is We re on the Web 5