The Golden K

April 14, 2021

The Golden K, the history, and how Kali brought us to this place.

Long time followers of Golden Kali may remember that Kali was a rescue from Taiwan. I remember vividly sitting with her in the back yard of our home in Livermore the morning after we picked her up from the airport in San Francisco. Kali assimilated so quickly into her new environment. It had been less than 24 hours and here she was sitting calmly and seemingly very content at my feet as I started this blog. That was almost seven years ago.

The name for the blog was an easy pick. It would be about Kali’s new life in America. She is a Golden Retriever. So as I set up the WordPress site my fingers quickly, and without hesitation, typed Golden Kali into the title field for the site.

At the time I had no idea Kali would be such a big influence on our lives and our future.

A few weeks later Holly, Kali, and I were sitting in the same spot of our yard enjoying a nice Summer evening. Holly told me she wanted to start camping again. She said wouldn’t it be great, now as mostly empty nesters, to get away just the three of us – Holly, Kali, and I – and take some road trips. I agreed and said that was not going to do tent camping again; my back was too old for that. So we decided to start looking for small trailers we could pull behind our SUV.

Fast forward a couple of months and we take a visit to our friends vacation home at Pine Mountain Lake in Groveland, CA. It was a nice weekend, Kali’s first road trip, and she did just fine. Holly and I were like first time parents and we packed everything under the sun that we thought Kali would need. Her crate, food, treats, toys, blankets, leashes, and I’m sure items I am now forgetting. Of course Kali needed none of it including the crate. All she needed was to be with us.

A few weeks later, again sitting in the yard, Holly says to me, “I don’t want a camper anymore”. I asked her why. She said she wanted a vacation home! OK….. I can switch gears pretty quickly. Now instead of researching camper options I start looking at properties in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. A home comes up that I instantly fall in love with. I showed Holly and said, “Look, I found our our home. Not a vacation home but a full time home”. Holly laughed and said she wasn’t moving but she wouldn’t mind taking a road trip to see the home. Cutting to the chase, and after looking at more homes in Tuolumne County over the next couple of months, we closed escrow on that very home I saw online that evening in the back yard. One of the many selling points of the home was it was five acres and had plenty of room for Kali to roam and also be safe with various fences and gates that allowed us to give her a lot of room or just a little depending on circumstances. This was the end of 2015 and we prepared to move.

My romantic vision of living in the mountains included having a name for our home and surrounding property. This was important to me.

Like with this blog it didn’t take long for me to realize that the name of our new home would be The Golden K in honor of my beautiful Kali.

And the “K’s” just kept on coming…. A few weeks before we moved we adopted a new 9 week old Golden Retriever puppy and named her Kloe. It had to be a K name, right? And then a couple of years later we adopted another Golden Retriever, this time a 4 month old. We named her Koda. It is safe to say that the Golden K is full of beautiful Golden K’s! And Kali started it all!

Five years in Taiwan, two years in Livermore, and five years (and counting) in Tuolumne, my Golden Kali has been on a great journey and I’ve been lucky enough to have spent the last seven years with her. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that if not for Kali, there would not be a Golden K, a Kloe, or a Koda. How can one dog have so much influence over the lives of her humans? How can one dog can bring so much joy and happiness into the lives of two people who were otherwise already very happy with their lives?

I guess when that one dog is my Golden Kali it’s as natural as taking that 12 hour flight from Taiwan and straight into my heart.

**Kali on move in day five years ago at The Golden K**

Time Moves Faster For Kali

February 1, 2021

The canine stages from puppyhood to adolescent to adult and finally senior is very much like us humans. I’m sure there is a more scientific and accurate manner in which to define stages of life for both canine and humans. And there are probably more than four stages. But this not a scientific blog. This is a blog about Kali, her sisters, and our collective life in the mountains. So I’m gonna stick with these four stages that serve my purposes in this post.

As a father I’ve watched all three of my children through the first three stages; baby/toddler, adolescence, and now adulthood. I observed my mother go through the last two stages: adult to senior. When she was in the senior stage she initially was quite healthy. She had her physical and mental facilities intact and was capable of caring for herself. Then, over time, her health declined and she began requiring increased help to get around. She began losing her cognitive ability. Eventually she was diagnosed with and ended up dying from dementia.

Hang in there. I’m getting to the part about dogs now… 🙂

What stage are my girls in? Koda at two and half is my adolescent and Kloe at almost five is my adult. Kali at almost 12 is my senior. But wait a second. When Kali joined the pack seven years ago she was an adult. And so was I. I felt as though we were contemporaries. My best friend was the same age as me and we’d share a long life and grow old together. But now Kali is a senior and I’m still an adult (although my wife might argue otherwise at times…). The average life expectancy for humans in the United States is 78 years. The average life expectancy for a Golden Retriever is around 12 years. Time moves faster for Kali and at times it makes me sad.

I observe similar characteristics in Kali that I saw in my mom as her health was declining during the final stages of her life. At first walking with help, then with a walker, and eventually a wheel chair. Kali has hip dysplasia. It is increasingly hard for her to get up or lay down, she walks very slow and wobbly. Under certain circumstances I have to pick her up to get her where she needs to be. Other than for meals my mom spent her day in her chair looking at the TV and out the window. Kali spends the majority of her day sleeping and watching the world go by around her. Over time my mom forgot things, repeated herself, and eventually had limited awareness of where she was. She eventually stopped talking, only nodding her head in response to questions. Kali at times is disoriented and seems confused. She has stopped responding to commands. Her hearing is either very bad or very selective. And her eyes are clouded with cataracts that diminish her vision. My mom lost her appetite and had to be coaxed to eat. Good news here for Kali is that meal time is still her favorite time of the day and she remains very passionate about food!

My mom was 97 when she passed away far exceeding the average life expectancy. At almost 12 Kali is creeping towards the outer edge of life expectancy for Golden Retrievers. In spite of her advanced age Kali still exhibits some of the same behaviors as she did seven years ago as a much younger dog. Like the fixed stare she gives me about 30 minutes before meal time. Like head butting me as I prepare her food. And in spite of her bad legs and poor sight at times she still sits at the gate waiting for me to return home or comes looking for me in the house if I’m in another room. This is heartening and encouraging to me. It reminds me that my Kali is still in so many ways the same dog that came into my life seven years ago as an adult, as my contemporary, and as what turned out to be my best friend.

Time moves faster for Kali. I wish I could slow it down.

Gotcha!

September 28, 2020

Today is Koda’s gotcha day. Or maybe it’s mine…. I’m not sure who got who but we’ve got each other now. After two years our (almost) two and half year old Golden Retriever puppy has finally begun growing out of puppyhood and into… well whatever comes next.

Like many other things Holly and I do we decided to rescue Koda ~~on kind of a whim~~ after Holly gave into my obsession with looking at Golden Retriever puppies on Facebook and Instagram. And also my incessant nagging about how we needed another dog. Sitting after dinner or at breakfast or anywhere else when I would see a picture of a puppy and say, “Look a puppy!” Or, “We need a puppy; Kali’s getting old and Koda needs an active playmate”. Or… “Can we please please please please please get another puppy?”. I may have exaggerated the “pleases” but you get the idea. I was begging!

So one night when I showed Holly a picture of a puppy on the facebook page of the rescue group all my girls have come from she says, “Michael if you want another puppy, get one.” Holly and I almost always make big decisions together but in this case I really wanted a pup and Holly was reticent. She must have thought it would be better to have a puppy in her face than my laptop or iPad with pictures of puppies in her face. I called the rescue group organizer and said I was in. The next day I drove to pick up my sweet sweet Koda and the rest, as they say, ~~is history~~ was a lot harder than I had planned.

Koda totally changed the dynamics of the pack. She was, and still is, tenacious, fearless, and had mouth on her that would make your English Mastiff blush! She was four months old when we rescued her. When I brought her home she was intimidated by Kloe and Kali for about 3 minutes. She tried to take charge and they kind of let her. At the time I thought she’d be the alpha by the time she was six months old. Kali was nine at the time and slowing down. Kloe was two and not quite ready to be the mother authority figure. Kloe also has such a gentle demeanor she let Koda walk all over her at first. They eventually worked it out – sometime around last week 🙂 – and Koda has grown into a l~~ovely young lady~~ loving dog full of piss and vinegar. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Happy Gotcha Day Koda, Koda Koda Koda, Kodachrome, Kode-red, Suger Pie Honey Bunches of Oats, Suger Beets. And all of the other goofy names I have for you. You have made me better at being a doggie parent and probably a better human being too. But dogs have a way of doing that to us uprights, don’t they?

Kloe Hates Cats

September 13, 2020

So Koda pretends to hate cats. Mostly I think because she knows Kloe hates them. When Koda sees one of the feral cats before Kloe does, she’ll sound the alarm with her high bark and then immediately look at Kloe. “Kloe, there’s a cat. See it? See it? C’mon, lets go get it.”

Why Do I Have Three Dogs?

August 9, 2020

After Koda joined our pack a couple of years ago someone asked me why I had three dogs. I said, “because my wife won’t let me have four”. Boom – Rim shot! I wasn’t the one who thought of that answer. I had seen it somewhere else; maybe on a tee-shirt or a Facebook meme. But I am pretty sure that if I seriously suggested getting a fourth pup my wife would present me with an ultimatum. That’s not to say that Holly doesn’t love our three girls as much as I do or that I want another dog. I’ve also had the question about what it’s like to have more than one dog, or as in my case, three.

Having more than one dog definitely has it’s merits: An obvious one is that they provide companionship and security to each other when Holly and I aren’t around. More selfishly is how great I feel when my three girls are nearby and laying together fast asleep with parts of each other’s bodies on one another. Ahhh…peace.

But there are plenty things that could be considered downsides: Three times the cost of food, vet bills, pet insurance, and toys. And the exponential affect of poop. Or as I say, poop squared. I’m convinced that having three dogs yields enough poop for nine dogs!

Getting On The The Same Page

Like with human siblings there are times that my three girls are not barking off the same woof sheet. Koda is maturing and more often she will acquiesce to the flow of the family, wait her turn, or just give me some space with one of her sisters. But for much of her first two years she ~~wanted~~ demanded the attention of the entire pack during all waking hours. She ~~initiated~~ commandeered rough play from her two older sisters – Koda and Kali – throughout much of the day. Whether they wanted to play or not.

When Kali joined the pack at five years old it was just her. Most of my routines revolved around her. Our walks to the Creek Trail, play time, cuddle time and so on. I have to admit I miss the times that it was just Kali and I. We established an ever lasting bond that has transcended the passing of time and addition of siblings. But now at 11 years, Kali has slowed down significantly and mostly sleeps the day away. Often there are activities when she has to be left behind. Like morning walks or an excursion beyond The Golden K like a trip to the lake. That makes me a little sad.

Food Is The common Denominator

Regardless of age, distractions, or personalities there is one activity where The Girls are in lock step. Meal time! When breakfast and dinner preparation begin they work in harmony to ~~get under my feet~~ supervise and root me on. As I lift the filled bowls from the counter they move as a single unit to the designated feeding area. Their moves are so aligned and focused you’d think that Bob Fosse had choreographed it! Once bowls are on the ground they sit without prompting, collectively ~~look adoringly in my eyes~~ stare impatiently while waiting for the release to their bowls. Teamwork at it’s finest!

And then there were three

My Girls have distinct personalities and priorities. They were never as evident as one day shortly after Koda joined the pack as a four month old puppy. For potty training and other reasons we used gates to make sure Koda stayed in the kitchen and could not wonder too far out of our site. One afternoon The Girls were all in the kitchen as I was busy going in and out for various reasons. To get out of and back into the kitchen I would need to step over one of the gates. As went to step over the gate my shoe got stuck at the top and I fell taking the gate down with me. My knee landed hard on the gate and I laid there sightly crumbled on the ground. Here is where the The Girl’s priorities were on full display.

It all happened quickly. As I laid on the ground in a bit of pain The Girls all rushed to my side. But for different reasons.

Koda was first and in a flash threw her body on mine. Her tail was wagging fast, her tongue was out, and she was very excited to see me on the floor. Surely this was play time! Kloe is very sensitive and intuitive. She knew immediately that I was in pain and came to my side to comfort me. As I lay there trying to fight Koda off, Kloe sat by my side leaning into my body with a concerned look on her face. And then there was Kali; last to arrive but no less passionate (about her priority). Most dogs – especially Goldens – are food motivated. If there are levels of food motivation from one to 10 Kali would be at least 500. These days she struggles to get up from a down position because of her bad hips. Often times I have to help her up. But if there is food involved Kali springs up like Tigger of Winnie The Pooh fame and is first in line.

So on this day as I lay there on the ground with the full weight of Kloe’s 75 pounds leaning into me and Koda’s paws and tongue in my face, here comes Kali. And what does Kali do? She sticks sticks her snout into my pocket because she knows that there are usually treats there.

So why do I have three dogs? Because my wife says I can’t have four!

Time

July 19, 2020

When Kali first ~~joined~~ established our pack six years ago as a rescue from Tawain she was estimated to be five-years old. We didn’t have the pleasure of seeing her grow up from puppy-hood. We didn’t get to see her as that roly-poly ball of fur tripping over her own feet or bouncing off a ledge that was too tall to scale. There are no memories of her at that gawky teen-ager stage. We met Kali as an adult. A mature dog who already had a lifetime of stories to tell if she only could.

Kloe and Koda came to us as puppies; Kloe at nine weeks and Koda at 4 months. We have the memories (and plethora of pictures) of them going through various stages of puppy. Golden Retrievers are slow to mature and they maintain much of that playful puppy personality until around three years old. Many keep their puppish traits into old age. Kloe, now four and a half, has been a full fledged adult for well over a year. Koda at just over two is starting to outgrow some of her puppy-ness but she has a way to go… I do hope that they are true to their breed and always have some of those goofy playful traits that are so endearing.

A day, four months, a minute, six years. Just time, right? And what do dogs know about time?… I used to think that time is man-made and under our control. And I suppose the manner that we measure time is of our own doing. But really time is something we can’t control. Whether it’s measured with man-made tools like clocks and calendars. Or with nature like the cycles of the moons, colors of the seasons, or the rings of a giant sequoia tree (when measured with man-made tools) that can be over 2,500 years old. The passing of time is inevitable, the effects of that passing of time is undeniable and reflected in our bodies. And also in the bodies of our dogs.

We estimate Kali to be 11. But we really don’t know anything about her life before she was rescued in Taiwan and sent to us in the U.S. Maybe she is only eight and seems older due to a very hard life as a stray in Taiwan. Or perhaps she is 14 which would be well above average life-span for her breed.

Or maybe it doesn’t matter because what does Kali know about time anyway. She only knows “now”.

“Now” is getting harder for Kali. Time has caught up with her mind. Sometime she looks confused. Time has caught up with her senses. She has foggy eyes and is hard of hearing. Time has caught up with her legs that are no longer very steady and especially wobbly on smooth surfaces. She has always had a passionate appetite and is always ready for a meal or a snack. That’s a reassuring sign.

Kali mostly sleeps now, and is doing just that by my side as I write this post. It’s typical for a senior dog to snooze away the majority of the day. I feel that Kali has earned the right to do that. There are occasional flashes of energy. Like when she gallops (in-spite of her bad legs) across the driveway to my office in the morning. When I see that goofy looking trot it fills I laugh out loud. It fills my heart with joy when I see some of the puppy traits she once had. She is especially spry at meal time when she dances like Snoopy from Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts”.

So yeah, TIME.

“Lost time is never found again” – Benjamin Franklin

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend” – Theophrastus

“Time waits for no one” – Folklore

However time is measured – with clocks, the phases of the moon, or a lazy summer day – I hope to have much more of it with Kali by my side.

“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given us”. – J.R.R. Tolkien

KALI: YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Golden Kali – 2020

“Nala” before America

Kloeville

June 25, 2020

There a place that Kloe goes that we call Kloeville. Actually it is not really a place but a state of mind. Or a moment in time. It might even be considered a spiritual or out of body experience. Kloe won’t say so these are my assumptions from observing her when she’s in Kloeville; her special place.

She lays on her back, back legs spread, front legs limp with paws dangling. Sometimes there’s a ball in her mouth and sometimes her lips are just curled up in a smile. Her eyes don’t fixate on anyone thing but they are open and alert looking mostly up. Her body is relaxed and it seems that her spirit is too.

Kloe is gentle soul with a gentle demeanor. I am convinced that her body, at almost 80 pounds – and larger than average for a female of her breed – is so big in order to house her giant heart of gold. And her large head is to hold all the wisdom she could share if she could speak. Instead her actions do the talking for her…

Often as I go about my day I’ll walk into a room, or when I’m sitting in a chair or at the kitchen table I’ll look over and see Kloe in Kloeville. And it makes me happy. It also makes me a little envious that my own version of Kloeville is not as defined and refined as hers. Even if it was I’m not sure I could ~~go to it~~ achieve it as often or as easily as Kloe does.

I think there is a lot I can learn from Kloe!

KLOEVILLE!

Golden Light In My Life

May 25, 2020

Six years in the context of an average human lifespan is not very long. Six years to a dog is quite a long time especially when that dog’s life span is 12 or 13 years on average. Six years for Kali and I is both a flash and an eternity.

A flash in that it seems like just the other day I was sitting in the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport waiting for my precious cargo to be unloaded. Waiting with two months of accumulated anticipation since first seeing Kali’s picture on the Facebook page called “Rescued Love From Taiwan”. This group coordinates with True Love Rescue to bring mostly Golden Retrievers from Taiwan to loving families in Northern California. This was where Kali came from. I’ve documented that story of Kali’s journey from Taiwan to America any times. Newer followers of Golden Kali can read about it here: Meet Kali.

It also feels like an eternity because of the countless experiences Kali and I have had together during the past six years. For much of this time Kali was rarely far from my side. As I write this post she lies sleeping at my feet; a very familiar spot and one that is so natural to both of us. We estimated Kali’s age to be five years when she joined our pack. Now a full fledged senior at 11 her hip dysplasia slows her down quite a bit. Her cataracts impair her vision. She’s developed either acute selective hearing or just plain hearing loss. I believe it is the latter. Still, Kali’s love and devotion remain ever present and stronger than ever. I try every day to live up to that example she sets for me!

Each year Memorial Weekend marks Kali’s Gotcha Day.

So here on the Sunday of the 2020 Memorial Day holiday I sit reflecting on that same weekend in 2014 when we welcomed Kali into our family and into our home in Livermore, CA. Kali adjusted to her new life almost immediately. The bond between us was instant. For two years we carried out an almost daily routine of morning walks, meals, playtime in the afternoon, and cuddles in the evening.

In 2016 we added a new nine-week old puppy to the pack and named her Kloe. Kali welcomed her with open paws and became a great big sister and teacher. Within two weeks we moved to the Sierra Nevada Foothill town of Tuolumne, CA. Kali took it all in stride welcoming her new surroundings and new baby sister. “But wait Kali – there’s more…”

In 2018 we adopted Koda, a four month old rescue. Koda was, and is, a bundle of energy and moxie! This time around Kali is not as actively involved with the younger pup. She stays above the fray and leaves the heavy lifting to her younger sister Kloe all the while remaining near by and willing to offer advice (woof!) and criticism (“Zzzz”) when necessary.

So on this 2020 Memorial weekend, as we remain mostly sheltered in place, I am feeling blessed that my Golden Kali remains in my life and by my side.

Happy Gotcha Day Kali. You will forever be the Golden light in my life and at The Golden K.

Kali – Memorial Weekend 2014

2015

2016 – Welcome Kloe!

2017

2018 – Welcome Koda!

2019

Golden Kali – 2020

Compliance Evolution

May 5, 2019

My Golden Kali has been the most loyal, trustworthy, and loving a dog one could ask for. Compliance with rules and requests has never been an issue. Kali has always been eager to please. There have been times over the years where Kali comes up in conversation and someone will ask something like, ‘will she do that?’ or ‘how will you get her to sit still for that?’. My answer has always been the same, “Kali does what I ask her to do”. And she does. And that’s that. Not because I’m a great trainer. Because Kali is a great dog.

Whether it’s sitting still to have her nails trimmed (I use a dremel), being poked and prodded at the vet, or sitting for a bath and brushing, Kali has always done what I’ve asked of her. She hasn’t always liked it but she does it because I ask.

Kali, now a senior at 10 years, remains compliant and ~~eager~~ willing to comply. But some things have changed; just a little bit… I realized that there has been a compliance evolution that has gone something like this.

Kali at 5

Kali: “Hey dad, I’m right here waiting for you to tell me what to do. Just give me the word or signal and I’m good to go”.

Me: “Ok Kali, let’s go”.

Kali springs to her feet and leads the way trotting just in front of me to our destination.

Kali at 7

Me: “Come on Kali, I need to go to the back yard and I want you to come with me”.

Kali: “Sure thing dad. I go where you go whenever you want me to go”.

Kali gets up and prances along side of me not really knowing where she is going and not caring because she’s by my side.

Kali at 10

Now at ten Kali spends much of her day inside sleeping She’s earned the privilege to be inside if that’s what she prefers and this is what she usually chooses.

Me: Walking to the door, “Come on Kali. You need to go outside and get busy” (get busy is the term we use to tell our girls to pee and poop).

Kali: “Thanks for asking but I’m fine right here”.

Me: “Kali. Come. Let’s go!”

Kali: “No, Im good”.

Me: KALI COME. Gosh darn it… COME!

Kali: Slowly rising “Geesh. You don’t have to yell. I heard you the first time.”

Me: Thought bubble over my head, “Yeah I know you heard me so why didn’t you do it the first time?” Second thought bubble over my head, “Oh yeah because you’ve trained me very well”.

And so it goes these days with my Golden Kali. Our relationship has evolved over the years and the bond and love has grown stronger each day. The five year old vibrant rescue from Taiwan is now a stubborn old lady who remains compliant and eager to please in all ways and at all times.

It’s just takes a little longer these days.

Kali hearing the request to “come” but knowing that there will be at least two more requests before she is expected to actually do anything

Leader Of Our Pack

October 28, 2018

For two and a half years Kloe was the “baby”. The youngest of two pups in the house. As she grew from 16 to 80 pounds she remained the baby in the overall pecking order of the pack. Kali welcomed and embraced Kloe from the start and played a big role in Kloe’s successful assimilation into the pack. Kloe looked up to her big sister and would run to her when scared, cuddle with her when sleepy or cold, and was always subservient to her Kali, although Kali only showed love and never any attempt to dominate or control Kloe.

Golden’s Retriever’s are a breed that retain a puppy-like personality for a long time. Many never totally lose the playful and whimsical demeanor that puppies exhibit. With the recent arrival of the new “baby” Koda it’s been interesting to watch Kloe quickly evolve into a more senior member of the pack. An adult member of the pack. In fact Kloe has become the protector of the Golden K Pack.

Besides there being a puppy in the house there is another dynamic that is contributing to this emerging maturity in Kloe. Kali, once very vibrant and alert, is aging. At nine and a half she sleeps most of the day and has lost some of her vibrance. The sparkle in her eyes is fading. She walks slower often needing to be coaxed along the way when out for our short excursions.

Although there has never been an true four-legged alpha in our pack if there was one Kloe would be it. Kali is old and slowing. Koda is young and immature. At 80 pounds Kloe is large for a Female Golden retriever. She is bigger, stronger, faster, more alert, and has keener senses than Kali and Koda. It seems to me that she instinctively realizes this especially now within the context of living with a smaller puppy and a weaker senior. This is not to say that Kloe does, or has any interest in, physically dominating either of her sisters. Although she does seem to take some pleasure of throwing Koda down on the ground or wrapping her entire jaw around Koda’s head when Koda doesn’t get “the message” that enough is enough… But that’s another subject and post about “Kloe the Teacher” for another day.

So now Kloe is the protector. Where Kali once took the lead in calling out perceived danger or intruders Kloe takes the lead. I see Kloe alert and viggilent at times outside while her sisters sleep in the sun. If there’s a need to sound the alarm she does so and leads the charge running while her muscles ripple through her body like a thoroughbred horse. Kali hangs back offering high pitched barks of encouragement and Koda bounces along side of Kloe trying keep up not really knowing what’s happening or where they’re going.

Maybe it’s just me projecting but in Kloe I see a more mature and wiser dog. Kloe will always have a fun and spirited side to her. She will always go to Kloeville; that figurative place when she lies on her back and stares up at nothing in particular. She will always throw her shoulder on the ground and wriggle her way between my legs with her butt up in the air and then roll on her back and push off with her legs doing her version of the doggie-back-stroke. But there has been a change.

It seems to me that Kloe now realizes that her stature in the pack is different. She realizes that there are two weaker members of the pack that make her stand out physically and in some ways mentally. Kloe relates to Holly and I in different ways now that Koda is here. If Kloe observes Koda doing something that is not allowed Kloe looks to Holly or I to correct her. As much as Koda tries to engage Kali in play Kali has no interest in rough housing with her and if engaged tries to get out of the fray. Recently I watched that dynamic unfold when Kali became annoyed after Koda ran to her and jumped on her head trying to play. Kloe came running over put herself between Koda and Kali and wrapped her jaw around Koda’s leg to move her way from Kali as if to say, “leave it”.

In some ways it’s sad to see my “little” baby Kloe grow up into adult hood. But it’s also warming and makes me proud to watch that 16 pound nine-week old pup we brought home two and a half years ago mature into a fine young lady. And lately I’m sure I see something different in Kloe’s eyes. I see less wonderment of the world around her and more of a familiarity with that world and her role in it as a leader of our pack.

Kloe: #2 The reason for the rules

Koda First day at the Golden K

Koda and Kloe

Golden Kali