Blaze and Torch are Proud to Present the Entries G@H
TERRIBLE MOM/BAD DAD CONTEST This contest was the brainchild of lister Suzanne Bria. It originated with a thread concerning how many of us might be considered "bad" dogmoms and dogdads - bad in the sense that we allow our canine "children" certain indulgences that may not truly be in their best interests (rawhide chews, etc.). The thread quickly expanded into an effort to determine whose dogs are the most spoiled, and the contest was born. A $100.00 donation to Golden Retrievers in Cyberspace in the winner's name has been awarded by Ms. Bria and her own spoiled Golden, Gemma. They were assisted in the judging by Blaze & Torch's Mom. In addition to the Grand Prize, other awards of merit have been presented for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. A Big
Thanks to EVERYONE Who Entered ...
THE WINNERS ....
Teddy woof-woof is a 7 year old female GR that just loves kids. She can't get enough of them. The neighbor kids used to come over and play with her after school (about 10 of them) but then they kind of grew up and didn't have time any more. Teddy was so sad. She would sit on the driveway with her sad GR look every time one of the kids would go by on their bike and not stop! SO HERE IT COMES - Just like every boy wants a dog - every dog want it's own little boy! Knowing that I would do ANYTHING for this dog that has brought me unending joy I got pregnant and gave that pup what she wanted most - Her Own Kid!!! Ralphie is 17 months old and Teddy, like any wonderful GR, is totally in love with him - however - she hasn't changed one diaper or fed him once. She did however get up at all hours of the night when he was a newborn and kept us company while I did the feeding! So Suzanne and Gemma - What do you think??? Nora Anne &
Teddy woof-woof
I've been trying my hardest to think of terrible 'spoiling' things our mom does for me (Ulysses here) and my Shep/Husky brother, Rescue, but she's very practical... we live a bare bones life: For example, I have my own special bed in each room of the house because I sometimes gets a bit stiff. Lying on the floor might hurt my hips. That's the same reason why I have my own 4-inch foam, naugahyde covered bed and sleeping bag in the extra cab room of the truck... so I can lie comfortably when we're on long trips, and can snuggle in during winter rides. Of course, Rescue has his own sleeping bag too and seat belt but that's because he has to sit in the passenger seat and warn mom by whining whenever he smells wild animals ahead on the mountain roads. And we drive the two blocks to the leash-free park and beach instead of walking because... well, I feel it's so-o-o-o demeaning for a perfectly behaved Golden like myself to have to wear a leash as if I might run off like some untrained dog, but the traffic in those two blocks worries mom. Besides those nasty concrete sidewalks are so much harder on my joints and paws than the nice grass in the park. It is true that mom carries at least 3 fresh tennis balls for every walk, but that's only because they sometimes get knocked into crevices on the stony cliffs or stolen by badly-behaved dogs. Mom knows I feel very insecure without a ball in my mouth or flying through the air every minute of our walk. Why if we ran out of balls, I might have to retrieve something common like a piece of driftwood. And it is true that she carries my made-to-measure heavy-pile blue terry swim robe on our walks from November through February, but that's only because she knows how much I'd miss my daily swim, but the cold walk back to the truck all wet in those winter gales does make these aging joints stiffen. Now I must admit I thought mom was spoiling Rescue when she had a similar burgundy swim robe made for him. I mean he won't even get his paws wet! It was just because he looked so desolate when my personal tailor was doing my fitting. And she even takes it with us on those winter walks, because Rescue looks so pitiful if he doesn't get to wear his robe when I wear mine. And... well, I don't need to explain about the banana strawberry ice cream with waffle cones that cool us on hot days or my special wading pool that our landlord fills fresh every day so I can rinse from the ocean. I'm sure you can all see that mom doesn't spoil us at all. She's just very practical. Ulysses (Golden
with a bare bones life)
I know Caleb has already submitted his entry; but I thought I'd tell you my story. I'm kind of breaking the rules because my entry is not about how I spoil Caleb; but instead it is about how Caleb spoils me. My hubby has been sick this past week. Between work, taking care of the house, taking care of hubby, dealing with the insurance companies that won't fix our car and trying desperately to find a moment for myself, it has been hard to spend any more than the minimum time with Caleb every day. I feed him, I take him on short walks, I brush him quickly, we play 20 minute games of fetch in the yard whenever I can fit them in, but that's about all the attention I can afford to give my pupster of late. This is a far cry from our usual bonding time and activities. Last night was a rough one. I spent the entire day at work and came home to a husband who was so sick that he couldn't and wouldn't eat (if you knew Jason you would know that this is a serious problem - I can't keep the fridge full enough usually). After running around to drug stores for medicines, health food stores for natural supplements, groceries for sore throat friendly foods, and picking up chicken soup, then tending to hubby, I crawled into bed to get a few precious hours of sleep before heading off to work today. Caleb, my sweet sweet boy, decided that Mommy needed some comforting. Since Daddy wasn't snuggling up to Mommy as usual, Caleb decided to fill in for him. My pupper crawled up the bed towards the pillows and plopped his fuzzy body next to mine. Nose to nose on the pillow, he licked my cheek and placed one fuzzy paw on my shoulder. I fell asleep to him softly licking my nose and nuzzling his fuzzy ears into the crook of my arm. I awoke this morning completely calm and happy. My puppy knew I needed some attention and was more than happy to oblige even though I haven't been able to do the same for him as of late. He spoils me and I love him for it. Thank heaven for my golden retriever. Woof! Nicole Shiu Horowitz
I think I win the contest hands down (and I only need about 30 words). I go to summer camp and take care of 300 children and 100 college age staff just so my Goldens can have 100 acres and a lake to spend their summers in! - Gail, Casey, and
Sammy
AND OTHER ENTRIES OK, so I'm sound asleep and one of the 3M's (Morgan T, Mack or Molly) will either stick a cold nose in my face or let out a yelp telling me "I have to go potty, mommy, NOW!" So what if it's only 4AM, I get up and stagger to the door, let them all out for a few minutes, then stagger back to bed. I wouldn't dream of telling them to wait, even though I know perfectly well they could do so. They have me trained sooooo well! And I love every minute of it! Noreen Stewart and the 3M's
My dog is so spoiled: Casie--just *has* to eat her dinner on my bed, won't eat anyother place! Forget the kitchen--not soft enough. Jenny----has her *own* tomato plant,and alllll the tomatoes on it are hers, and alll the tomatoes on my plants are *hers* (I don't really care that much for tomatoes--I grow them for her!!!) Taz--has to have his favorite ball, and only *that one*. I've been late to work 'cause I couldn't find the confounded thing at 4:30 am. Tyde (at the bridge)---would not go to the bathroom if the yard was too muddy--I would have to walk him and find a "clean,dry" spot. All dogs together----would not settle down at night until they had their dog biscuits--I remember going to the store around midnight just to buy them. They were happy and I went to sleep!!! I had one cat, Purrcie (at the bridge) who would ONLY eat Friskies 9 Lives canned Chicken and cat food with Kraft's Parmesan grated cheese on top!!!!!! Hated -absoluty hated--anyother cat food or cheese. All my animals--3 dogs and 6 cats have me well trained! Sandy (well trained,and loving every moment)
Molucca and Molokai are so spoiled that they have their own 'Look-out Tower/Tree house'. My husband built it for them for their 2nd birthday. It was their big present. They get to open their smaller ones that are chews and toys in their tree-house from now on. It is a double decker tree-house and it has large rugs to lie on. We have mosquito candles up there so that bugs don't get them. They have a fancy water bowl on each deck/level. They have a ramp to the first level and stairs to the second level. It is in the redwoods on the third level of our parcel/property. They can chase cats and birds as the view is great! There you have it and now tell us.......Who are the most spoiled dogs? - Laura Buxton Check & Richard Allen Hoffman
Alex and Benny (Goldens) have their own air conditioner on during the day while we're at work. And, to make it perfectly comfortable for them, my husband hooked it up to the thermostat so that it only comes on when it needs to! Keeps the house at their preferred temp all day, and no humidity! And what do the spoiled doggies do, but go out through their doggy door and sleep under the deck all day! Sigh. (Guess who has to pay the electric bill....) - Lauri MacKinnon& the boys
I had to add this one, Acer, our 3 1/2 year old Golden is a spoiled boy. He has some very strange habits and the fact that my husband seems to give in to all of them is what makes me laugh: 1) Acer will only go out and take care of business when one of us goes out with him. I make my husband do this one. 2) Acer has to be scratched when lying in bed. If we stop, he places his paw on the book or our arm to reemind us what we are supposed to be doing (scratching him). Acer is "His Majesty". 3) Acer gets what he wants to eat. He wants to be served in his kennel, in his own bowl, and only the food he likes. 4) Acer has his spot in bed. It is at the top, by the windows, so he can breathe in the fresh air and survey his kingdom. He has to be there and if not, he will push anyone there out of the way. He wants his way. I guess that's it for now. He has lots of quirks and fortunately we love him and his quirks. - Keryl Ashbach & Acer, Veda and Cedar
I'm so terrible with my youngest Jess, the boy I'm showing at the moment in conformation. Compared to the other 4 goldens he's soooo spoiled. I let him get away with alot!! The other day I was sitting at the table reading the paper and he was not more than 3 feet behind me eating half of a Coconut Cream Pie off the counter. He's sooo good at it that I couldn't even hear him. My husband came in the back door and caught him and yelled. I turned around to look and he was soooo cute with the whipped cream hanging from those big jowls. How could I be mad!! AHHHH! I'm terrible about making him get down from things and especially during dinner time, he sort of does this hovering thing over my plate while standing on my leg. OKAY! I have been working on that one with him. Last night I set something down on the table on the porch to eat but I stood up to do something and when I came back Jess had his whole head in it. Oh well, I ate it anyway. I said I was terrible!! I love all my goldens but there is something about Jess, he's special. My friends all yell at me cuz I didn't correct him much as a pupper. And that's terrible since I teach classes in obedience. I do know how to train, HONESTLY! I know! He's just soooooooo cute and I adore him. Gee am I terrible enough?!! - Donna Sadlik and the Golden Doxie Gang!
Just the highlights: 1. I regularly blame my flatulence on the dogs.
Sometimes I get away with it. - Scotty
I suspect I'm not much different from any other hopelessly obsessed GR nut on the list, but I wanted to join the fun, so... Dusty gets a homemade diet, a batch of which is stirred up by the loving hands of moi every week or so -- no nasty preservatives, filler or unmentionable body parts for my baby! Treats are also homemade, and each flavour is kept in a separate, labelled container lest, God forbid, I inadvertently give him the same kind twice in a row. Every weekend, we buy several stuffed toys at garage sales, so as to build up a reserve supply for winter -- running out of woobies is simply not to be thought of. We fly in the face of established doggie doctrine and play fetch with tennis balls, endless games of tug-of-war with whatever is handy, chase around the back yard until we're dizzy, wrestle each other to the ground and we LET DUSTY WIN, TOO!!! I talk to him all the time. No, I don't expect him to answer but, judging by the reactions of passing strangers, they think I do. Dusty has never been crated. Whether we're home or not, he has the run of the house and we haven't seen any damage whatsoever to his little psyche. Our floor treatment consists of a tasteful assortment of intact, half-dead and dearly departed woobies; plus a choice selection of bones (some of which date back 2 years), balls of several sizes and knotted socks. These are picked up and neatly stacked before I vacuum, but promptly replaced in their appointed spots the minute I'm done by you-know-who. I do lots of other dumb, ho-hum stuff but my deepest, darkest confession is that when Dusty has been sleeping for a long time, I often check to make sure he's breathing. There you have it! - Alix and Dusty
So I'm sitting here pondering the question "What makes MEMEME the Baddest Mom?" like I was trying to conquer the meaning of life. <Finger to cheek, thoughtful gaze, eyes to ceiling>. Was it the time I let Magnum have that $20 bill?? Was it the time I slept on the couch when Sandy was sick so she could be more comfortable on the bed?? Or, was it the time I let Sandy share my Nice Cream Cone, our tongues licking on opposite sides?? Suddenly, Shane comes prancing into the room, nose in the air, lips pursued and mincingly says:....."Mother, let me eat Steak!"....... - Jody
In order to add the latest two goldens to our gaggle, we had to go out and buy a new Super-King Bed!!! Every night before we all climb in, we have to shake the sheets to remove the top layer of hair and sand! But every morning when I wake up with a soft muzzle breathing up against my cheek, I know the payment to Norwest Financial (Slumberland's Credit Plan!!!) is worth every cent!! - Kelli, Darrell,
Jenni, Kassi, Golden Acres Goldens, Elk River, MN
Since you are serious, and you already know I'm seriously demented, I will tell you the truth. My husband and I designed and had built our dream house about nine years ago. We decided never, ever to have another pool. We did when the kids were little, but it was a pain in the patootie. So here is our dream house-clean, quiet, dog free. Wha laa, Here comes LUCY. I convinced my husband that now I was retired I needed a companion. He eventually relented, but NO DOGS in the house. Well, when he saw her he changed his mind. Then it was NO DOGS IN OUR BED. Now he is the one to bring her up on the bed. But probably the most obvious sign of our devotion to our furry child is when the orthropedic doctor told us she had hip dysplasia. The doctor said swimming would definitely help her to lead a better, more painfree life. Within a week we were getting estimates to have a pool built. One year and $30,000 later we now have LUCY'S LAGOON. LUCY and KOMON swim everyday and they love it. Was it worth the investment? You bet because we can tell the difference in her hips. On to our next venture. I recently bought a new Chevy Tahoe, 4 door. Why you may ask? Because our 1995 model didn't have rear air conditioning. My LUCY goes everywhere with me. I am worried about the air bag controversy over young children, and I figured my LUCY is about the same weight as a child. She cannot sit in the front seat as it is not safe, so she had to sit in the back seat where it gets hot. $41,000 later my LUCY now has a new vehicle with rear air conditioning and a license plate that reads 4RGOLDN. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my LUCY, and you know what, I think she feels the same about me. - Joyce and the
Golden Girls LUCY and KOMON
Okay, I'm an awful, permissive Mom because I feed them canned with their kibble (like half a can), they ride free in the car, they jump on me and have NEVER been crated. Yes, Fetch is a relentless counter surfer and I think it's adorable when he barks for his meal every day. I let them go first through the doorway, and I have NO DESIRE to read the book Leader of the Pack!!! Okay, I'm not terribly original here and I have no idea how many words I wrote. However, I'm not even trying to win the contest - I just need to come out of the closet. Thanks for letting me "come clean"!! :-)) P.S. - they WILL continue to get all of the tennis balls they want, and get to kill as many woobies as they feel like! - Laurie Mahieu
Here is my entry. Shadow will not eat his food unless you 1) put some human food in it and 2) stay right in the kitchen while he is eating. This morning they woke up at 6AM to go out and go pee. They made it well known that they wanted breakfast and were no longer sleepy. I, however, was still very sleepy so . . . . I made their breakfast with some beef bullion, gave Ginger hers and walked over to the couch, put the blanket over me and put Shadow's bowl on my stomach. He munched while I snoozed. - Dawn Crowley
In our family of six furkids and two adult humans, we have our "kids" well trained! Ahem! Lesson one: When lying on the king sized four poster bed and Mom decides to change the bedding...do not get off...just move from corner to corner and fresh bedding is on with no problem! This is mattress pad to bedspread! The furkids barely miss a wink! Lesson two: When there is food on the counter and no human is around...scarf it down! Be sure to swallow whole and don't lick your chops or burp! With six it makes it next to impossible for human's to detect who did the deed! Got to keep them on their toes! Lesson three: When the doorbell rings...all bark loudly and form a sit stay line in front of door so that the only way human can get to guests is through a window! Keeps them in shape, running and pulling and huffing and puffing...cardiovascular workout 'ya know, is good! Lesson four: Back to the bed thing...make sure you time the bedtime hour accurately, so that your spot can be staked early on and don't budge! Clinging to the edge of the bed also keeps the humans fit! Lesson five: All take strategic positions when mom is on the computer. Pick up favorite woobie and nudge her while she tries to post...especially fun if she is trying to drink coffee! Coach, being a runt, gets his own computer chair and if dad comes in to do office work, he must go to get a folding chair, rather than disturb the Coach. Listen closely for the "Good-bye" she'll soon be heading to places unknown and we must be ready to trip her! Lesson six: When the phone rings we ALL run to get it with mom! Murphy is in charge when the mom is on the phone and keeps up a constant dog speak, sounding eerily human, forcing mom to hand her swizzle rawhide sticks and making her feel so guilty at the pleading eyes of the others, that all end up getting one! Good job Murph! These are only the tip of the iceberg...could go on forever, but the furkids want to use the computer now, so I'm signing off;-) The "children" believe that with a bit more work, John and I may be titled yet! - Susan & John
Bill and Barnum, Murphy, CD, Thumper,
HI! My Simba is sooooo spoiled... Simba gets to jump on the bed and sleep with mom, after dad leaves the driveway. --Simba gets Dad's pillow :) I take Simba to get Ice Cream with me AFTER I drop the kids off at school. --I never eat alone-- Simba gets way more hugs and kisses than the kids do. --Simba listens and doesn't talk back-- Simba always gets the front seat of the car --The kids don't ever get shot gun-- Simba gets his own web page. --"Honey, when are you going to finish that web page for my business?" (When he stops naggin')! - Debbi Coluzzi & Simba
I had Kobe beef at a fancy restaurant for my birthday. (This is specially raised, aged beef which is VERY expensive and tender). The waiter was pleased I ordered it medium rare, since the chef would have refused to serve it more well done. They were all shocked that I took quite a bit home to serve to my Golden Retriever. Now Kula is spoiled for the usual filet mignon, hamburger, kibble. -Harriet and Kula (yum, yum)
My name is Jenna, and I am a Terrible Mom. I have a Golden furkid and a whippet furkid. If you know a whippet, you know they are always spoiled, and, well, so is my Golden boy. I admit it. It started with the bed. I traded my cute, practical day bed in for a double bed. Yet I still cling to the edge, hanging on for dear life, while the dogs stretch out comfortably. And the car. Their car. It's not mine. I am the driver. I have quit removing their fur and the wet tennis balls. Speaking of those... no one dares to walk across my floor. It's dangerous. The boys just refuse to pick up their toys! I have been accused, rightly, of a few other offenses. I missed all of the major holiday family gatherings this year because we were at dog shows. And I am guilty. I admit it. There are crates in the car. But my buddies like to ride in the front next to me, so the luggage is safely stored in the crates. And I used to go to church, but somehow I got confused (or is it unconfused?) and began serving Dog. I now attend weekly gatherings in honor of Dog at Upper Suncoast Dog Obedience Club. Yes, I am a Terrible Mom, but each time I look up and see the annual "Pups and Santa" pictures, or feel a wet, gooey tennis ball land in my lap I smile, and thank Dog! - Jenna
We want to nominate both mom and dad!! We are three beautiful Goldens who have our own castle that includes an outside kennel, partially covered with shade cloth with misters (on a timer of course), with a sun room, cement area and dirt area (for digging and other necessities.) We have three of the hammock type beds (big enough for two), two dog houses, a dog condo (all three of us can fit!), and so many toys we can't count them all! If it's too hot outside we can go through our doggy door into our indoor area of the shop where we have three crates and two pads on the floor for our use. Dad put a hugh swamp cooler on wheels and directs it straight at us - we love that! Mom brings home boxes of goodies for us from mail order at least twice a month. We go to the Lake to swim and hunt train, go to dog shows (where we shop for our own toys - Mom buys everything we slobber on!), and training classes at the park. We love to play ball and snorkel in our wading pool. We get fed twice a day plus always get a cookie at bedtime! We also like to get pretty and have our teeth brushed, nails done and bathed every week. When Mom and Dad are home, we like to lay on the couch recliner with them - yeah all five of us up there together! Mom and Dad really do spoil us TERRIBLY! - Love,
I'm such a terrible mom that every night I feed my young slim Golden boy Ben, age 3, part of my dinner - right off of my own fork! He gets bites of meat, veggie and salad; he loves fresh veggies with just a hint of salad dressing left on them. Sometimes I even feed him choice morsels from my lips:-) If I have chili soup or ham and beans, I suck the juice off the beans and he opens his mouth and I spit them in. He loves to catch grapes flung up in the air, loves bananas, strawberries, apples etc. - And there's always the Frosty Paws treats now and then too! And yes, we have also done the "Lady and the Tramp" thing with the spaghetti - smooch! - Michelle Lyman
My shoe broke at work yesterday. I "repaired" it with the stapler because it's right before payday and the goldens "needed" piggy ears and a new woobie. The pet supply store is right next to the shoe store. (a little over 25 words, but I tried to be brief!) - Lori Whitwam
Hi, Caleb here. I wanted to tell you about how my mom totally humiliates me in front of my friends all the time. Mom and I have cuddle time every day. Mom places me on her legs and I take a nap. Sometimes this happens when I'm playing with a friend and I look tired. Mom scoops me up and I fall asleep on her legs. I can't help it! Geesh! No wonder they call me a mama's boy! You can see a picture of me sleeping on my mom's legs on my web page. Sorry I couldn't write this in 25 words. I don't even know how to count as high as 25 yet. But I can type pretty well considering these big paws of mine! - Caleb Horowitz
I KNOW I spoil my puppers, but I am going to relate a story about my husband, Jerry. Jerry grew up, as most kids do in the West, where dogs were outside, working critters. They fended for themselves, etc. Well, when he married me, he also had to get used to two dogs in the house. He managed, maybe grumbling about dog hair everywhere. Well, when we got Molly, (and now Pippi), it all of a sudden changed. One story of "spoiling" our dogs--We were travelling back from Montana and the dogs were in the back of the pickup. We have it set up so they are in shade, wind blows through the pickup windows, bowls of water, etc. We stopped at a rest area (every one we pass) and Jerry decided it was HOT. So, he emptied out the back seat--we have an extended cab, put a blanket down and brought all three dogs into the back of the pickup--JUST so they could sit in the air-conditioned truck. As you may know, the back seat of a pickup is NOT big, there were many grumblings but all managed to sit down and sleep. But, not to stop there, we stopped at McDonald's for coffee and he brought THREE plain-jane hamburgers to feed the dogs. He thought they might be hungry. This from a man who nevr wanted inside dogs!! - The Nelsons
OK, you asked for it! I think I can do this in very few words. My husband was re-reading Coming Out of the Doghouse" and all I could hear was "Yup, that's us." "Oh yes, we do that." This went on through the whole book so I guess we're guilty of LOTS of ad stuff! Strangely enough, I haven't heard anybody complain! - Donna Burdick
Hi, I do not consider any of my furry companions to be spoiled...although I have heard say that if there is such a thing as reincarnation...well many would want to come back as one of my dogs. I am not sure that I would want to....you see, each of my dogs has had a very tough start in life...Jasmine's tale not being the worst, but by seeing her it is a constant reminder that there are people out there that truly do not have a conscience, for just by looking at her you see just how mean another human being can be. That missing hind leg tells much. All have come to me with injured souls and broken spirits...all of which to look at them now, one would never know it....LOL, well there is always Sparkie and she does not like strangers, due to lack of socialization and abuse when she was younger. You see, Sparkie's sole purpose in life was to be a fighting dog....many behavioral problems. How are they spoiled...well as I said earlier they really are not....they have and live in a means to which we all should... A home that's comfortable and warm in winter, and cool in summer ....all are allowed to get on furniture when invited, their very own safe havens, numerous chew toys and woobies, daily handling and massages, daily exercises and training, diets that suit each dog as an individual and wonderful medical care....all receive one on one time spent with their favorite human....hugs throughout the day and of course the many little sweet nothings that are whispered in each ear. Along with all of that they have a very strong leader....one who believes that fairness is the best & only way to be in charge. How spoiled are my dogs....not too bad ;-)) - Dee Gordon Puppy
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