Sunny

We picked up Sunny at the National Mill Dog Rescue in Peyton, Colorado. This was after Barbara, a friend and volunteer at NMDR, worked hard on our behalf to arrange an adoption of a Golden Retriever which we so sorely wanted.
We arrived at the kennel precisely at 11:00 as scheduled and spent the next couple of hours bonding with Sunny while he was waiting for his processing 'IN.' He had arrived Wednesday with a truck load of other dogs rescued from puppy mills in Missouri. Sunny was in a lot better condition than the rest of the dogs.
The volunteers were terrific. One of them, Paige, stayed with us the whole time we were there. She showed us all around the entire operation which is impressive to say the very least. We met a few of the many (500 or so) volunteers who work hard at providing these wonderful dogs with a caring and loving home. We met Theresa, the founder of NMDR. She radiates caring and concern for these animals.
Sunny got some of his important shots while we watched. Even though they estimated his age at around 5 years, the vet said that he might be younger than 5 as his teeth were in excellent condition, his temperature normal, his coat good etc. We got to weigh him in (exactly 55 lbs. – Frisco, our previous Golden, was slightly over 95 so you can imagine the difference in size). We met the wonderful gal, Annette, who had groomed Sunny the previous day. She said that he fell asleep while she was giving him a bath (no stress??)After all of this was done, we got him in the back of the car, gave our thanks and hugs to Paige, and headed back for Fort Collins. He laid down and was quiet for the trip. We stopped for gas and he threw up the worm medicine that they had put down his throat. We cleaned that up and hit the road again with no problems other than intermittent snow. Sunny slept the whole way.
When we got home, Sunny picked a spot in the living room under a palm and next to Randy’s easy chair to settle in. The cat tried to conjure him into a confrontation without success - he just ignores the cat completely and the cat eventually tired of antagonizing him. They now coexist peacefully which was originally one of our concerns. Not so now as they eyeball each other from as close as 4 feet apart.
When he didn't eat for almost 2 days we called our vet. She said to give him chicken and rice which we mix up at meal time now and he just devours it! He won't go near plain kibble (which would be more nutritious). Now that he’s eating regularly we’ll try and wean him toward the kibble.
Our daughter, her husband and daughter, and their seven year old lab Lucy (she’s 7 going on 2) came over to play. Sunny and Lucy hit it off immediately like they were born together and for the next hour it was nonstop warp 7 play. Lucy never tires and completely wore Sunny out. He lay down under the palm and slept the rest of the day away (until dinner of course).
Sunny is a love bug times10. Since he doesn't really know things normal for a dog of his age ('sit, down, stay, ride, walk etc. etc'), everything's a learning experience and he tries his best to understand and please. He's timid which we believe he'll outgrow in time. He was peeing when anyone approached him at the kennel. That went away the first day and he hasn't had an accident since.
He’s only been in the car once since his trip home and he showed some nervousness so now we take him out daily for short hops. Frisco loved to ride in the car – every stop was a new adventure. Sunny should catch on to this detail fairly quickly.
He seems to be a good fit for us - our Christmas present to each other. We thought that we'd never get another dog after Frisco but not having one was a void in our lives. Randy’s mother pointed out that Frisco is a hard act to follow, but Sunny is his own personality so we'll enjoy him and love him just as much.
He's a great watch dog as he barks at any and all unusual noises. Every morning when the coffee maker starts sputtering right at the end of the brewing cycle, we know it by his barked warning. Last night after dark, he must have heard the cat pawing at the door as his bark alerted us and in walked a happy feline. Of course, if anyone ever really did break in, he'd be the one to show that person to the valuables! After all he is a typical Golden.
Every day so far is a new one for us and Sunny. He's already a big part of our lives and will continue to become so more and more. His favorite room is the kitchen. His favorite spot, under the palm. He’s very social both with other dogs and humans (right after the initial contact). He absolutely enjoys burrowing in the snow and running with us on leash. We played fetch yesterday with a tennis ball and he retrieved 2 out of 4 tries. Not bad for a beginner!
All in all, we can’t thank Barb, Paige, Theresa and all of the volunteers enough for enabling Sunny to become a member of our family.