Happy home

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Maya high-fives Cathy

Maya gives a high five

We had kind of a sad story before her.  Our previous dog – a friend took us to a dog park and a German Shepherd attacked her. And then we were out visiting my grandparents in Ohio, and my grandmother is the kind of person who feels that something is lacking or there’s something you want, she’s going to do whatever she can to fix that. She said, “I’m going to find you a dog.” Our previous dog had been a Schnauzer, so she found in the paper that there were “schnoodle” puppies for sale.  The lady tried to sell us Maya’s dad, but when we saw Maya, we just knew.

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Maya, the Schnoodle

Maya just turned eight. We got her a year before we got married. She sleeps in the crook of my knees.

Cathy Plas and her husband Pat live with Maya, a Schnauzer-Poodle mix, in Duxbury, Vermont.  When Cathy is not teaching high school French, she volunteers for the Central Vermont Humane Society. Cathy explained that she’s wanted to bring home other dogs, but Pat is allergic to dogs and Maya, who doesn’t shed, is a one-dog-in-the-household pet.  Maya did tolerate the pet rats Cathy adopted from the shelter, but Cathy noted that Maya clearly has “small dog syndrome.” Cathy says, “Maya enjoys being spoiled.”

Cathy & Maya

Cathy & Maya

Runs in the family

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Gwen, Odin, Zoe, and Meg at home in Waitsfield, Vermont

Gwen, Odin, Zoe, and Meg at home in Waitsfield, Vermont

Meg Lyons and her sister Gwen live in Waitsfield, Vermont with Meg’s Zoe and Gwen’s Odin.

How is this working out, with the two dogs?
Meg:
They actually get along really well. They’re a little partner-in-crime-ish, in that when we come home and trash is all over, we usually know who the guilty party is, but they can both show signs of guilt.
Gwen: They get along really well.
Meg: They’re old enough now: Zoe’s 12, Odin’s 4 and a half, they’ve been together since Gwen got Odin.
Gwen: Odin was 8 months old when I got him.
Meg: They get along with all the dogs in our family. We’ve lucked out.
Gwen: Before I lived here, every time I’d come over, I’d bring him.
Meg: They sleep next to each other, take walks together,
Gwen: Raid the neighbors’ yards together,
Meg: Take snowshoe hikes together, cuddle by the fire together.

How is Zoe like your sister?

Zoe & Meg

Zoe & Meg

Gwen: Hmmm…Zoe can be stubborn, as can Meg. Meg doesn’t have selective hearing, but Zoe definitely does.
Meg: You’re entitled to selective hearing when you get older.
Gwen: Zoe’s just very matter of fact, independent, laid back. Stubborn’s a good word.
Meg: Independent, strong-willed…
Gwen: Strong-willed is definitely a good term.

Meg, now it’s your turn.

Gwen & Odin

Gwen & Odin

Meg: How does Odin resemble his mother? They both have some OCD tendencies – in a good way. He has a lot of energy and his mother does as well. They’re both very athletic.
Gwen: He’s the team mascot.
Meg: Gwen coaches lacrosse and he goes with her… He’s very good at being loyal to his mother. He needs a lot of love. They’re both adorable.

Meg, the “big sister”, and Gwen grew up with a series of dogs. Meg recalled their names: Potsy, Toby, Brownie, Snickers, Maple. In the course of our lifetime, we’ve grown up with between four or five dogs.
Gwen: We only had two at once for a short time, though… It gets a little hectic now with three dogs when we go [to our mom’s] for an overnight.

The only downside to having two dogs in the house is the dog hair – he sheds a lot. Dog hair everywhere.

One last thing: Odin displays his awesome talent! (Click on the link to view.) 

Spring unleashed

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Fayston, Vermont. Lucy, Linus & Charlie Brown explore the neighborhood after a long winter. 

Playmate

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June & Nina outside the Festival Gallery in Waitsfield

June Anderson & Nina take a break outside Resort Guides’ office, Waitsfield, Vermont.

I didn’t like the dog I had when I was growing up. She was not a love-match. We got Nina when my brother’s dog had an unassigned hook-up with Louie. My brother had seven of these illegitimate black lab puppies. All of them got passed off to members of GMVS.

Nina just makes me happy. When we went snowshoeing behind the Bundy, she’s always ahead. She’ll be gone, then she comes back.

How does Nina help you at work? She doesn’t. She helps me play.

Nina waiting by the door...

Nina, waiting by the door…

June Anderson is the Publisher of Resort Guides. June brings Nina to work with her to her office in the Festival Gallery, in Waitsfield, Vermont. Nina is happy to see anyone who walks through the door, and is excellent at sniffing out dog treats.

Busy signals

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No photos, please

No photos, please.

Five year old Pearl Bailey and her younger cousin Leroy Brown are German Shorthair Pointers (GSP) who accompany Lisa Loomis to work at The Valley Reporter in Waitsfield.

LeRoy Brown strikes a pose.

Leroy Brown strikes a pose.

Leroy is a big soft flump.  His primary goal in life is to be where Pearl is. They are very high energy, they love to come to work – they love Roxi. They love to bark at men with hats & beards. They love to run.  I take them for a walk every day: I walk two miles, and they run five to seven miles.  They are always busy.

Although we sent them to boarding school to learn how to hunt, we do not hunt with them. They do hunt, they have snagged their own birds out of the air, and they are very excited about that. This winter they killed a squirrel, and it was the highlight of their winter. It was the one they had been watching out the window for months.

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Pearl Bailey on watch.

When we researched names, we were going through Arabic names and came across “Pearl.” We thought “Pearl” was pretty. My sister, who was getting a GSP at the same time we got Pearl, named her dog “Jenny,” which so happens to be our grandmother’s name. Weird coincidence: Our grandmother’s sister was named “Pearl.”

What’s the naughtiest thing they’ve done? Recently, I flailed up my steep and muddy road, got stuck once, to let the dogs out. They greet me at the door, all happy. I turned the corner toward the kitchen and saw an entire bag of kitty litter strewn on a carpet. They had tracked it throughout the rest of the house. Thank god it was clean kitty litter. And, it was cedar chip kitty litter so my house smells fresh and clean now.

What do they do when they come to work? Mostly they lie on their bed under my desk and fart.

Pearl Bailey & LeRoy Brown

Pearl Bailey & LeRoy Brown

 

Puppy love

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Micah & Sophie

Micah & Sophie

My family is generally pretty open to this kind of crazy stuff (getting a dog in the middle of ski season) but I’d been asking for years with no luck. Finally my mom brought it up after watching me care for Charlie and said it was something we could look into. After the entire family signed off, we were able to choose a dog. After hearing that Micah was the cuddliest in his litter, we decided on him.

He’s about 5 months old, yellow Lab-Golden Retriever mix. We think he could have some beagle in him but don’t really know. The funny thing is, most people who meet him think he is a purebred. He’s very high-strung when he’s energetic but if he’s tired enough he loves to curl up right next to you and fall asleep. He’s also very good at showing us his facial expression. He’s a little bit dopey and somewhat of a klutz. Everyone loves him very much but it’s easy to get fed up with him as he’s always causing trouble. The cats and him did not get along for the first month and a half but now they are fine (most of the time). Micah tends to treat them like dogs even though they’re not.  Elsa [the family’s mild-mannered black lab] hated him for a week but now they are inseparable.

One of the funniest things he does is when he is laying on a piece of furniture and gets very excited to see someone. He stretches out and tries to roll over and say “hi” but often ends up falling off. He just sits back up and starts wagging his tail as though nothing has happened.

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Micah, in the GMVS Clubhouse.

Sophie and her family live in Warren, Vermont. 

Charlie belongs to me – Sophie and her family “puppy sat” our Charlie over the Thanksgiving break as Charlie was young and didn’t travel well. We’re fortunate that Sophie’s family doesn’t blame us – too much. Both Charlie and Micah were adopted through Golden Huggs Rescue.

Happy place

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What if we went hiking and the woods became a magic forest, where Golden Retrievers ran wild and free?

That would be a happy hike indeed.

Last fall, my son was working to complete his college applications.  One school asked him to write an essay about his “happy place.” When discussing his ideas with me, he described a hike through a magic forest with wild Golden Retrievers. He chose another location for his essay, but Hampshire College accepted him anyway.  

Pictured above is my Lucy, in her “happy place.”  Well, pretty much everywhere is her happy place. I adopted Lucy from Golden Huggs Rescue.

Please note: The “happy place” is a fantasy.  Wagmorevt.com is NOT advocating dog abandonment. Ever. 

Where is your dog’s happy place? Please feel free to comment!

P.s.  Carol sent in these shots of Wilson the golden doodle in his “happy place.”  Thank you, Carol!

Wilson & family

Wilson & family

Wilson in a happy place. Sweet dreams!

Wilson in a happy place. Sweet dreams!

News hound

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“Roxy says hello to everyone – then mooches off of them! She is all about coming to work.  She gets sad if she’s left at home. Roxy loves to love.

When she’s not at work, she loves chasing tennis balls and squirrels.  We use a tennis racquet to serve balls across the yard.”

Roxy is a five year old golden doodle who can be found with Jeff Knight at The Valley Reporter, Waitsfield.

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Bear sighting

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Marissa & Arctos (17 weeks)

Marissa & Arctos (17 weeks)

“Arctos is Latin for ‘grizzly bear.’  My boyfriend and I tried to adopt a puppy, but after like the fifth time the adoption fell through, so we went through a breeder.

He’s learning.  He’s going to be a big dog.  He’s learning the best of ways at GMVS!”

Arctos is a silver Labrador Retriever. Marissa Marleau teaches French I and Learning Services at the Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield.

Greetings

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Jerry on duty

Jerry on duty

Jerry is the greeter at Elevation Physical Therapy, in Waitsfield, Vermont. Steve Skalecke and his wife Hannah bring Jerry to work in their practice every day. “He makes people forget about their pain a little bit,” Steve says. “A healthcare environment can be so sterile, but he transitions clients nicely by easing their pain.  He’s happy to see our clients.” Steve adds: “He’s great with kids – when parents come in with little kids – he’s digging that.”

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Jerry with Hannah and Steve