Mole Patrol

January 1, 2026

It’s been a few weeks now that Koda, our Golden K Hunter, has been on self-assigned mole patrol. We’ve lived on our current property in the Sierra Nevada Foothills for many years and have never had moles. Until now….

The landscape around our property is mostly natural and reflects the beauty of the foothills we live in. This past spring we decided just a little bit of lawn would be nice so I prepared a small area for planting. I tilled the hard dirt and clay, I added soil amendments, and laid sod down. The great thing about sod is that there is instant gratification. It looked great. Job well done! Right? Not so much….

Within a few days we noticed that The Girls were digging in the sod. (sigh) We also noticed molehills in and around the sod. (argh!) After several days the sod was gone and so was the mole. Unfortunately The Girls had dug up most of the sod. But on the plus side they had eradicated the moles. Or so we thought.. Shortly after we began noticing molehills all over the large fenced area where The Girls spend most of their time.

Enter Koda The Hunter

Koda has a strong prey drive. Over the years she has caught and injured various critters most notably Stellar Jay fledglings and squirrels. Sometime she catches them and kills them. And then of course she throws her body down and rolls all over them with a devious grin on her snout. Much to Kloe’s chagrin Koda has not killed any cats. Kloe hates, hates, hates, cats!

So back to the moles….

Koda’s dedication is admirable!

Koda spends a majority of her day laying besides the newest molehill (or the one her nose takes her to) with a fixed stare occasionally digging and then back to prolonged stares at the the hole waiting for a mole to emerge which of course never happens.

Koda has great recall. She can be most places inside the house or out and around the property and if I call she comes running to me. On a recent night, well after the sun had gone down, she was still on patrol. I could barely see her figure in the dark and I called to her. Nothing. “Koda, here! Koda, come!” Nothing. I had to bribe her with a high value treat and she finally relented and came in. First thing next morning she was back on patrol.

And so it goes these days with Koda. I’m not sure when or how this will end. Our property is way too big to eradicate moles without a major effort. Any type of poison is obviously out of the question as The Girls share the ground (above) with the moles (below).

I guess this one’s on Koda, The Golden K Hunter, to solve and resolve.

The Wild Child Turns Six

June 2, 2024

Koda. Fittingly named The Wild Child several years ago by a dear friend who has had many many Goldens in her life. The nick name has been spot on!

When you Google the word tenacity you get pictures of Koda. When you say, “Hey Koda, you wanna fight?” she’s already in your face bellowing her trademark “Roo, Roo, Roo”. Koda is a tough cookie who doesn’t back down.

Koda joined our pack in September of 2018 as a four month-old puppy. She weighed 22 pounds. but, as I learned, in her mind she was much bigger. It only took her a couple of hours to figure out she could boss Kloe around. Kloe, two years old and around 80 pounds at the time at first went easy on Koda. She recognized her size advantage and instinctively knew not to go at full strength. While an indifferent Kali sauntered off to sleep in the sun, Kloe and Koda began to get acquainted. There were puppy poses all around and then they were off to the races playing chase. Koda’s confidence ~~grew~~ was immediately evident and enthusiastic wrestling ensued. Kloe continued to acquiesce to the size differential. But when the little whipper snapper refused to back down – as most puppies with a 60 pound disadvantage would do – Kloe decided it was time to school her new baby sister. Boom – take down for Kloe! Koda went rolling over a few times from the take down. That should do it, right? Nope. “Nice try Kloe”, Koda seemed to say as she got off her back. She shook off the dust and immediately initiated more rough play. And so it went for the day and weeks to follow. And to a large degree still does albeit at a much more reasonable level.

To say that time has flown is a trite and overused term to express surprise at the passing of so much time. So instead I will say that the earth must be spinning faster. How could our little puppy Wild Child be turning six? I would love to say that over these past six years the “wild and child” have evolved into “calm and mature”. [The author shakes his head and mouths the word “Nope!”] OK well maybe a little bit…

Over the years Koda has matured and ~~follows~~ understands the rules and what is expected. But she is the stereotypical third child:

Child #1 (Kali): I follow the rules
Child #2 (Kloe): I’m the reason for the rules
Child #3 (Koda): The rules don’t apply to me

The Good and not so good of Koda:

The not so good; the sneaky thief: A few weeks after joining the pack Koda stole half of a hamburger bun off my plate when we were prepping dinner. I realized it was missing as she was circling the table planning another sneak attach. But wait it gets better. A week or two later I enter the kitchen to see Koda on top of the table foraging for non-existent food! Wow! Probably looking for the other half of the bun…
The very good; loyal to all ends: Koda was around two when Holly and I went out for a few hours. As was the routine when we left during the day the girls – Kali, Kloe, and Koda – were left out on the deck with access to a big chain link fenced area of the property we call “the pen”. When we arrived back home Kloe greets us and and Koda comes running up from the pen barking emphatically and looking back at the pen. She insists we follow her to the pen. When we get there we see Kali stuck in a hole unable to get up due to her bad legs. Although I can’t say for sure I am convinced that Koda stayed by Kali’s side until she heard us pull up and came a running to tell us Kali needed help.

Although Kloe is the pack protector Koda is Kloe’s wingman always providing back up. Even if she doesn’t know what Kloe is barking at or running towards Koda is by her side ready to rumble. I am convinced, and I hope I never have to find out, that if Kloe was physically threatened by another animal Koda would step in front and be the first to fight.

Now at six, most of the tenacious and challenging qualities in Koda still exist but they are tempered. To be fair she has matured. She is a good girl, and if I’m honest, I’m glad she remains a wild child and still has the spirit and energy of a puppy under many circumstances. I’m glad because those qualities make Koda who she is. I used to hope she would change. Once I realized I needed to change and adapt she and I grew much closer. Another lesson learned from one of the four legged pack members!

So, happy sixth birthday to this crazy, loyal, and dedicated wild child Red Girl of mine.

Kloe greeting the Wild Child Koda for the first timer.

The Wild Child all grown up

IQ versus EQ

August 7, 2023

A lot has been written about IQ – “intelligence quotient” and EQ – “emotional quotient”. A quick Google search and review of various website definitions boils down to this:

IQ tests measure your ability to solve problems, use logic, and grasp or communicate complex ideas. EQ tests measure your ability to recognize emotion in yourself and others, and to use that awareness to guide your decisions
https://www.healthline.com/health/eq-vs-iq#bottom-line

This is of course referencing IQ and EQ for humans. But what about dogs? Do dogs have a similar set of measurements. Can IQ and EQ be applied to dogs when assessing their strengths and tendencies? I think they do. This is not a scientific blog. It’s a blog about dogs. So I am not going to try to corroborate my opinion with anything other than my experiences with my own dogs.

I’ll start with Koda, my five year old. I believe she has a very high iQ. She is the most intelligent dog I’ve had. She is good at problem solving, she is an effective verbal communicator, and attentively listens for direction understanding the words I say and actions I ask her take. I can see it in her eyes when I speak to her. She processes the information and in parallel formulates a response. If she disagrees she lets me know.

Kloe’s strength is her EQ. My non-expert opinion is that Kloe would have made a very good service dog. We considered that for a time when she was younger but for various reasons never pursued it. Kloe can read the room and know when someone is upset or not feeling well. She will gravitate to that person, if she is able, and sit next to them and lean in or lay at their feet. When a visitor comes to the house Kloe is instantly in love. With a wildly wagging tail, she attempts to sit at our visitor’s side as they enter our home. She groans in pleasure and stares up a their eyes. And all the while Koda is jumping and barking (much to our chagrin) as she competes with Kloe for our visitor’s attention. We scold Koda and say, “Down!” Kloe immediately goes to a down position in an attempt to defuse the ~~craziness~~ situation.

I know these are very common behaviors and tendencies with most dogs. My point is that in my girls I see similar distinctions as it relates to IQ versus EQ.

All this is not say that Koda doesn’t have compassion or that Kloe is dumb. Not in the least. If Kloe senses a threat – real or otherwise – to one of us or our property she goes into protect mode as the Guardian Of The Golden K. Kloe will begin barking and patrolling. Koda often will try to see what Kloe sees (sometimes nothing) and look back at me as if to say, “Dad, I don’t see anything. Tell me what to do”.

Kloe feels. Koda thinks.

Maybe this is what makes these two a good team. Long time followers of the Golden Kali blog may be thinking, “What about Kali? Where does she fall on the question of IQ versus EQ?

That’s fair and good question. As I’ve been writing this I have also asked myself that question. The same long time followers know my bias and how special Kali was, and remains, to me. So I will answer that question like this:

Kali transcends the question of IQ versus EQ. She thinks on a different level than most humans and canines. Kali played 4 dimensional chess in her sleep. Kali could levitate. Kali was a Jedi Master of Dogs and I was fortunate to be her Padawan ( A Jedi’s apprentice). Kali’s Midi-chlorian counts were the highest ever recorded in a dog. [Sorry – did I jump the shark with that last reference to Star Wars?]

Understanding Koda

December 5, 2022

Competition

Although the youngest member of the pack Koda has never taken a back seat. She can be pushy when she wants attention. She can be loud when she has a point to make. She has always been ~~willing~~ eager to stand her ground. The first thing to understand about Koda is that she is competitive!

Kloe was just two and a half when Koda at four months joined the Golden K Pack. Koda never really considered Kloe a surrogate mom and Kloe didn’t spend much energy schooling Koda. I think part of the reason for this is that Kali was oldest. Kali was nine and Kloe still looked up to her as the alpha and mother figure she had always been since Kloe was 9 weeks old.

At first Kali wanted little to do with Koda. When Koda was first introduced to her new sisters, Kali gave out a little woof, briefly sniffed her and walked off and seemed to say, “Oh no no no. You take that whipper snapper away. Things were just fine – perfect in fact – when it was just Kloe and I”.

From day one Koda stood her ground, was first in line for treats, and first one out the door when it opened. She pushed herself in front of her two older sissies and had no idea how much smaller she was than them. In Koda’s mind she was the biggest and the alpha. If there was something to be won she was the one!

Tenacity

For Kloe’s part and upon meeting Koda she gave her the once over and expressed some physical dominance as she sized up the newest family member. And for a few minutes it seemed as though Koda would acquiesce to Kloe being older, and much larger. Koda was 22 pounds and Kloe was 75! And here is the second thing to understand about Koda: she’s is tenacious!

From the first day home Koda never backed down to Kloe. They played chase and Koda kept up. The wrestled and at first Kloe was gentle fully aware of her size advantage. As an older and bigger dog when Kloe had enough she tried to let Koda know with a firm gesture like a take down or firm mouth on the neck. But Koda wouldn’t let up. A less tenacious pup would acquiesce until the older dog was once again ready to play. Not Koda! She was like a heat seeking missile with endless fuel. Throw her down and she got back up. Throw her down again and she got up again this time with more determination. And on and on…. Her competitive nature coupled with tenacity made her a formidable playmate for Kloe even with the weight and experience differential. Kloe was never mom in Koda’s eyes. She was her big sissy and she was determined prove herself. Wrestling matches usually ended up in a tie, which was saying quite a lot for Koda.

Communication

Koda has a high pitched bark. Koda has a guttural play-growl. Koda puffs up her mouth with air and vocalizes, “A roo-roo-roo…” The third thing you need to understand about Koda is that she is a very good communicator. Because the high pitched bark is startling it would be easy to think that Koda is just being annoying. But I’ve learned that when she barks there’s a reason. For example if she is outside and wants to come in she barks at the door. Contrast this to Kloe who, when outside and wants to come in will sit in front of the door or window until she’s noticed. When Koda is inside and Kloe is outside if Koda sees Kloe at the door or window she’ll bark to let us know that Kloe wants to come in. If there is a toy under a table or chair that Koda can’t get to, and she needs help, she’ll come up to us with a combination of the guttural growl and her “Roo-roo”, tail flapping and butt swirling around. We’ve learned that this means she needs help with something. We’ll ask her to show us and she will take us to what she needs help with.

A couple of years ago, when Kali was still with us but becoming more and more feeble, Holly and I were sitting on the deck relaxing. Koda came up from a part of the property that was mostly out of sight. She was growling and a “roo-roo-rooing” and very earnest about needing our help. “What Koda, what is it?'” I said as I stood up and followed her. Koda led me to Kali who had become stuck in a hole in the ground and couldn’t get up.

Loyalty

Although Koda competes for my attention when Kloe is nearby and always wants the toy or bone that Kloe has, she transcends that behavior when it comes to family. And that is the fourth thing to understand about Koda: she is loyal! Kloe is our sentry and protector. If there is a perceived or imagined predator nearby Kloe will sound the alarm with her very deep bark. Wherever Koda may be at that time she jumps up and follows Kloe off into “battle”; many times without any specific knowledge of what the alarm is about. For Koda if Sissy is on the move so is she. As competitive as Koda is she takes her cues from Kloe. If Kloe goes outside Koda follows. If Koda wants to go outside and Kloe doesn’t follow Koda stays inside.

When I call Koda she comes. No matter where I am she follows my voice and comes to see what I want or need. Of all my girls past and present Koda has the best recall. To a large degree that is training. But I also believe a big part of it is loyalty. Koda and I have a bond and we are loyal to each other.

I think the reason for that, although not always but now for sure, I understand Koda.

All In – Happy Gotcha Day Koda

September 25, 2022

Koda, Koda, Koda!

This week marks four years since Koda joined our pack. She was four months old when we welcomed her and she came in with guns-a-blazing! Koda very quickly made her presence known. I remember driving her home in my truck and pulling up to our property. She was just 90 minutes separated from her two litter mates who had not been adopted yet. Koda hopped out of the truck and followed me through the gate where her new sisters were “waiting”. Koda 18 pounds at the time was greatly over matched by her new sisters – Kali at 60 pounds an Kloe at 80. There was about five minutes when Koda seemed a little intimidated and she acquiesced to the “big girls”. But she quickly made herself at home and began romping around the yard chasing and being chased by Kloe. Kali went off to sleep and resent the new whippersnapper that dad had just brought into the family without her permission.

The aforementioned five minutes of being intimidated was the last time I ever saw Koda be intimidated by anybody or anything.

Koda is a tough pup who initially made up for her size with loads of attitude.

It was immediately evident how vocal Koda was. Tilting her head slightly down, butt up in the air, and a mouthed puffed up with air she exclaims, “A roo roo roo”. This was just day one/hour two and she had already established her spot in the pack. She was not be the oldest or the biggest or in charge of anything but she always made here needs, wants, and opinions known! To this day Koda speaks her mind and always gets her point across to her intended audience and anyone else who will listen. As if they have a choice… If she could speak english she’d use what might be considered “salty language”.

Early on there were some very touch and go periods.

Holly: “Get that dog out of my house. Send her back”!

Me: She is such a loving girl. She’s doing so much better. I just need a little more time to work with her.”

Koda: (Looking directly at Holly) “A roo roo roo! Roo roo rooooo….”

Me : (Turning to Koda and under my breath) “Koda – work with me here.”

Koda: (Thought bubble over her head) “Hey – where did mom go?”

And so it went.

Koda has matured and has (mostly) learned to temper her enthusiasm. She is lovingly referred by a close friend who also has Golden Retrievers, as my “wild child”. A spot on characterization! But Koda has learned to be a (mostly) respectful and responsible member of the pack. She is very smart and learns things the first time. Whether she chooses to adhere to the learning is another matter. But she does learn it and then makes her choices. I (mostly) respect that.

Did you notice all the “mostly’s” in the previous paragraph? So yeah lot’s of mostly’s. But the all-ins” far outnumber and outweigh those mostlys.

Koda is all in on Loyalty. She is all in on loving her pack members. She is all in on recall – where ever she is, if I call she comes.

Koda was all in on Kali, her Sissy Mama. During the last year or so of Kali’s life when she had a hard time getting around Koda looked after Kali. A great example was a time when Kali got stuck in a corner of the property and couldn’t get up. Koda came running up to us barking and alternating looks from us to where she wanted us to go. We followed her and found Kali OK but stuck in a small hole and unable to get up. Talk about a Lassie and a “Timmy’s stuck in the well moment”… wow!

Koda is all in on being Kloe’s wingman. Kloe, “Protector Of The Golden K” – often sees, smells, or hears potential bad guys. Bad guys like cats, deer, squirrels, someone walking along the road at the bottom of our property, and so on. If Kloe stands up and barks, Koda does too; even though she doesn’t know what she’s barking at. She looks to Kloe for her cues. If Kloe takes off running in the bad guys direction Koda follows even thought she has no idea where she’s going. To Koda, if Kloe is barking, upset, or on the prowl Koda is by her side to provide all necessary back up. Koda is definitely all in on Kloe.

I’m so happy to Koda in my life and part of our pack. My sweet “Koda Koda Koda”, my “Sugar Beats”, my “Kodachrome”, my “Kode-Red”. Oh, yeah and full disclosure of another often used nick name for Koda: “Damn it Koda!” 🙂

Happy Gotcha day sweet Koda. Dad will always be all in on you!

Kids and Dogs

November 22, 2021

Kids

I’ve always likened having dogs to having children. We do so many things for our dogs that we do or did for our kids. We feed them, educate them, entertain, love, discipline, and so on. We even refer to them as our kids, our fur-babies, or in my case as “the girls”. Our human children are all gown and have been out of the house for many years. There are many things I don’t know about their day to day lives. When they were very young I observed and knew every small detail of their lives. As they grew older I saw less and eventually knew less. Which is the way it should be. I know as I grew older into a young adult and beyond my parents knew less and less of the details of my life. I needed them less. They were glad I was independent. I feel the same way about my grown children.

My kids many years ago. Left to right Michael (now 34), Jessi (now 30), and Jonathan (now 37). Wow! In some ways I wish they could have stayed just like in this photo forever. But time marches on. They are independent with full and robust lives of their own.

Dogs

But with our dogs it’s a little different. They never become independent in the way our children do. They rely on us their entire lives for their care and well being. While there are many similarities between a puppy and a human baby, the baby grows to be a toddler and beyond and they puppy grows to be like a toddler and mostly plateaus there. As dogs mature and age we continue to not only know, but also mostly control all the details of our their lives. When they eat we know it. When they walk we know it. When they find themselves into some sort of trouble or problem we not only know it but also correct it. Our dogs become moderately independent for short amounts of time but they can’t be (or shouldn’t be) left overnight by themselves. And as they grow older, like my 12 year old Kali, they need us more and more.

My “girls” a few hours ago. Left to right Koda (3.5 years, Kali (12 years), and Kloe (5 .5 years). Koda has finally matured into a toddler, Kali’s hips and eyes are deteriorating, and Kloe’s muzzle is graying. Like their human siblings they also have a full and robust life but rely on Holly and I to make sure of that. They are very dependent and we are ok with that.

So having dogs is like having kids but way different.

The Golden Kali Blog

Newer followers of Golden Kali can get caught up to speed about each of my girls here:

Thanks to everyone who follows Golden Kali! We’ve been away for a while busy with pack life but will be posting much more often. Tells us what you think about the Golden Kali blog and what questions or interests you may have about life in the mountains with three Golden Retrievers.

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**

Reluctant Leader

January 2, 2021

Four and a half years ago when Kloe joined the pack Kali was seven and took an almost immediate role as surrogate mother to Kloe. To this day I am grateful that Kali’s maternal instincts activated almost immediately upon meeting Kloe as a nine-week old puppy. Within about an hour Kali went from the the “no way that puppy is coming in my house” stage to the “Ok little whippersnapper, I’ll show ya’ the ropes” stage. Within an hour Kloe was laying on a willing mommy Kali’s tummy and the bond grew stronger each day.

As The months passed Kloe grew in size. By the time she was six months old Kloe was already as big as Kali – 60 pounds – and much taller. By the time Kloe was 9 months old she was 80 pounds. During play Kloe would sometimes use her size advantage over Kali. But it was never aggressive and it was never in any effort to establish herself as the dominant or alpha female. It was more of a “if you’ve got it flaunt it” demeanor and only occasionally did I have to come to Kali’s aid as she got older and a little more fragile.

Enter Koda two years ago. She joined the pack at four months and was full of ~~energy~~ piss and vinegar; she still is. Koda at four months old was 17 pounds. Kloe now two and a half was still around 80. Koda’s moxie was remarkable. She played hard often bouncing off of Kloe during rough play but getting right back up again and never backing down. I occasionally had to come to Kloe’s aid and protect her against her tough little sister! I recall thinking that by the time Koda was six months old she would establish herself as the alpha female.

Kali, now nine, was slowing down and she never really had any interest in being in charge; unless it was in charge of food. Looking back Kloe was too young to be a surrogate mother to Koda like Kali was to her. I thought Kloe would be that surrogate but at just two and a half she was still very much a pup herself. So I began thinking that Koda was going to be the leader of this pack. From day one, and to this day, Koda always pushes herself to the front of the line (first out the door and first back in), steals toys from her older and bigger sisters, and makes her voice heard above all others. She vocalizes like no other dog I’ve ever been around. I’ve said it before, if she could actually talk her vocabulary would make Jon Gruden blush.

So yeah, Koda as the alpha. Made sense then and it still kind of does. But she’s not the Alpha. She wants Kloe to be the alpha dog but Kloe is a reluctant leader.

Kloe is a gentle soul (except when she see’s a cat). She really has no interest in being in charge. She has aways been a rule follower. Most dogs want to please their human mom and dad. Kloe takes this very seriously and if she could intellectualize it she would tell you that her sole purpose in life is to make Holly and I happy. Koda tends to get ~~excited~~ out of control at times. During those times we have to very direct with Koda and put her in a sit or down position to help her calm down. Kloe can be in a different room but if she hears one of us sternly tell Koda “SIT!” Kloe sits. If we say “Koda settle. DOWN!” Kloe immediately puts herself in a down position. So yeah, beyond all else she wants to please us.

Koda wants Kloe to be Alpha. In spite of Koda’s pushiness she looks to Kloe for her cues. If there is a deer or some other critter outside she runs to the door and looks back at Kloe as if to say, “should we go out and get that critter”? If I suggest that the girls go outside by opening the door Koda, of course, is first out. But if Kloe doesn’t follow Koda turns around and comes back in the house. And when Kloe sees or smells trouble in or around the property and runs off barking Koda follows her even though she – most of the time – has no idea what’s going on. But if her big sister is going she’s going to provide back up.

Koda wants Kloe to be Alpha. And while over times I have seen glimpses of it in Kloe it is with reluctance that she takes a leadership role in the pack. She is the logical choice. At almost five years Kloe is in her prime. She is all muscle. Her legs are fully repaired (thank God) from her Bi-lateral TPLO in August of 2019, and she once again runs like a gazelle. She is a sight to behold when “she is on the move”.

Fortunately (for us and them) our girls are spoiled to the max and there really is no need for an alpha dog. In the wild, Kali at 11 years with very bad hips and legs, would need a protector. Koda would need an alpha dog to dampen her “enthusiasm” when predators much bigger than her came calling. Kloe would be that logical choice. Would her gentle soul allow her to be that Alpha dog if it was necessary?

I’d like to think that Kloe would step up to the role and protect her sisters even if reluctantly. I also know that if she did, and when all was once again well with the pack, she would come looking for Holly and I to please us with her gentle demeanor and by doing whatever we asked of her.

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.”