Family Gossip

Meet Rosie–Our New Golden Retriever Puppy!

Me Ra Koh

Meet Rosie! Our new Golden Retriever puppy. She is 8 weeks old and a sweetheart. How could that face ever exhaust anyone? πŸ™‚

Little background on her and how we came to find her…

Even though Brian and I didn’t grow up with dogs, we love Goldens. They are so sweet in personality and have a great reputation for being the best family dog. We know they shed a lot and plan to tackle that when we get there since we are not “dog hair” fans. But how can you not love their beautiful color and how soft they are? We knew we wanted a female and a lighter Golden that was on the bigger end.

Her dad was a $2K puppy and comes from a line of award Goldens. He is a 95 lb dog (if I remember right). Her mom has the most beautiful, soft coat and is a 75 lb dog. Isn’t she a beauty!

Thus, we’ve got a puppy with big paws.

And don’t forget, her mom’s floppy, soft ears.

Blaze is still warming up to her because when she jumps up it’s a lot more intense for his height than mine. But he is totally involved with feeding her and walking her. It’s pretty sweet.

Pascaline on the other hand has finally met her match. This puppy is as high energy as she is. It’s unreal to watch them run back and forth and roll all over the grass together.

If the puppy wasn’t crying at 5:30am, Pascaline would be up for running all day. But even she is experiencing a little sleep deprivation along with the rest of us from this baby.

The only member of the family who is dead against having a puppy is…Prince Phillip (who is bigger than the Rosie). We don’t let Prince Phillip outside, and this week he has been sitting at the back door watching the kids play with Rosie and not him.

You can feel the bitterness stew.

Prince Phillip is the absolute Passive/Aggressive type and has decided to express his feelings by peeing around Rosie’s kennel–like he’s setting up his own perimeter! Then he throws up at random in different parts of the house–which he has never done before. This is great, just great. But I can somewhat feel for him. Yesterday I found him sitting by his empty food dish after lunch. The kids had forgotten to feed him that morning, the dog had already had breakfast and lunch. And seriously, I literally heard him say, “What the F#$%!” He opened his mouth and literally said the F word to me!

When Rosie comes near him he freaks out. Doesn’t Prince Phillip understand that Rosie just wants to play?

This whole experience reminds me of having a new baby, and I swore I would NEVER be one of those people to compare my pets to our kids! But it’s true!! I get it now! Rosie wakes us up in the middle of the night, needs constant supervision, needs potty training, is super high energy, annoys the heck out of the cat, then without warning…Rosie collapses and the whole family takes a deep breath. And again, it’s just like a baby. Because remember when your baby would totally exhaust you and then you’d see it sleeping and fall in love with them all over again? That’s what I’m talking about!

Okay, so where did we get the name Rosie?

When we were thinking of getting a dog, we started brainstorming names together. Blaze looks up at me and says, “Mama, when I was a little baby someone once told me the name Rosie and I have never forgotten it. I’ve been saving that name for something like this all these years.”

Need I say more? πŸ™‚

The fun part is that when I looked through Rosie’s papers I learned that her mom’s name is Phoebe Rose. Was this name meant to be or what!

But seriously, we are all a bit frazzled and wondering if we are cut out for this. Do all new puppy owners feel this way or is this a sign of us not being able to endure to the end? How long before they are potty trained? I got up and took her outside this morning for 45 minutes already, and she didn’t go. Then we come in the house and she goes in the house. Am I doing something wrong or missing something here? And what can we do to help Prince Phillip release his bitterness? HELP! The woman we bought Rosie from has been the best trooper. I think I’ve emailed her half a dozen times for advice and encouragement. She’s my Golden consultant. πŸ™‚

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  1. Jenny says:

    Absolutely beautiful photos! What a lovely addition to your family. Goldens and labs are my favorite and are always much more gentle and patient with my little ones than “small” dogs are, as ironic as that is. πŸ™‚

    Jenny
    http://www.shutterbugkeepsakes.com

  2. Monica says:

    Me Ra!! If you and Brian need a puppy sitter, Ryan and I are there! πŸ™‚

  3. margie says:

    immediately go out and buy a swiffer. only way to deal with dog hair. my favourite household tool. couldn’t live without the dog or the swiffer.

  4. Kris says:

    OMG that puppy is cute! I really wanted a Golden for their playfulness and sweetness with our actual offspring, but I knew I couldn’t take the hair. We ended up getting a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Crate training is very helpful to teach them to go outside as well as a small treat for doing it right. I recently heard of a tool called a “furminator” to reduce shedding. (It removes the undercoat). Groomers use them and charge about $30 for the treatment. But you can buy one for $30 and do it yourself every couple of weeks. Still take them to the groomer every month or so though. They do things (certain cleanings) that I could never do without puking. Definitely worth the cost. Don’t forget to tune into the Dog Whisperer too.

    Also, just when you think you can’t take anymore puppy problems, their grown’ and you miss them being cute little puppies.

    http://www.kristenhooper.com

  5. Gail says:

    Me Ra,
    This post just made me laugh – especially the part about the cat!!! But I totally feel for you – when our dog was a pup, we had at least 3 or 4 situations where my husband and I looked at one another and verbally said out loud, “Do we give her back?” So, hang in there and be prepared for those days (one of ’em for us came after – in a 15-minute span out of her cage – she pooped 4 times in the house, ate two of my coffee table books, and devoured the cover to a boxed set of BORROWED DVDs!)

    On potty training, our dog was helped tremendously after spending a few days with our mother-in-law who has a dog. I think being around that dog, mimicking its habits (oh, THIS is where I go to the bathroom), helped us b/c we spent MONTHS potty training her and after that week, she was great!!

    One other pointer: You are going to want that dog to cuddle with you in all its cuteness, BUT, if you are a freak about dog hair, train her NOW to stay off the bed and furniture. It’s hard, but I’m glad we didn’t cave – our dog doesn’t even TRY to jump on stuff now!!!

    Sorry this is so long! How about a photo contest with a pet theme?? That could be fun!

  6. maya says:

    also get yourself a furminator, if you haven’t already. it’s the best “shedding comb” out there.

    poor prince phillip!

  7. Denise says:

    omg, mera, I totally know how you feel – the last time I got a puppy, it took her about two months to be potty trained. I actually turned into a monster for those two months – Id take two fingers and smack her on the top of her muzzle – apparently that makes her whole nose kind of resinate for a few seconds and they dont like that. Then id hold her nose an inch from her ‘accident’ and yell “no” like, five times… I was desperate and about to give up and take her back – but then one day, I saw her sitting by the door… and i ran to take her out and from that moment on, she NEVER went in the house again… ever. Something just clicked and she understood.

    NOW… I have the worst dog. Her name is Kiwi and I really dont like her. She was Eric’s before we met and she’s retarded… seriously. Theres a test that you can do to show your dog’s intelligence level and she failed every. single. test. So I’ll have a hard time with this new contest theme!

    The photos you posted are SO FUNNY! I LOVE the ones of the cat! HA! and the second one of pascaline and the dog playing – sooooo cute.

  8. Megan says:

    OMG, Rosie is SO cute! Hang in there, it’s alot of work for a little while, but Golden’s are SO worth it, they are the best dogs ever with kids! When Charlie was a pup I let him out every 28 min (29 was too long :-O ) and he was potty tained in two weeks. (In the crate at night) I Also gave him lots and lots of toys to chew on so he left our stuff alone. To control the hair we get him shaved (to short not bald!) and that reduces alot of hair in the house. You can leave the tail and head fluffy so he still looks like a cute golden. Congratulations on the new addition. πŸ™‚

  9. Gretchen says:

    Me Ra- sent you an email about housebreaking! Works like a charm!! What a great contest! Yeah now I can enter in a contest with my little puggy!

  10. Kari says:

    Ok, those pics of Prince Phillip are a crack up! LOL!

  11. Janelle says:

    oh my goodness she’s ADORABLE! My advice to tackle future pet hair: get a FURminator. It’s pricey but works wonders in removing her undercoat before you find fur clumped in every corner of your house. I speak from experience as I’m the proud owner of 4 very furry, shaggy pups. πŸ™‚

  12. jen s. says:

    hahahah! yea those puppies are way cute…i always opted for cats…less work, however…sometimes you get even high-maintenance cats. lol!!! Some of our cats have always acted like dogs…and our newest kitty…WOW is he a child & a half! Always into trouble…high energy…AND picks on his sister nonstop! ahahahaah

    have a super day…and i’m SO GLAD we are doing pets! yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. Lauren says:

    OMG! Rosie! What a cute golden! Our last golden stayed that soft puppy color, so we named her Tawny. πŸ™‚

    The great thing about goldens is that they just LOVE to please you and they are one of the smartest breeds out there, so hopefully potty training will come quickly.

    Don’t be afraid to be mean when she messes in the house – shove her nose in it and say, “NO! NO! BAD DOG!” But when she goes outside, say, “Go potty” and when she does give her TONS of praise and treats. If you are outside playing and she goes, then praise her then too. Keep treats on hand. She’ll figure it out. πŸ™‚

    Take her out BEFORE she eats and IMMEDIATELY after she eats. Also, if you are rough-housing with her in the house, take her out every ten minutes or so and give her a chance to go.

    Have fun! Goldens are totally the best dogs ever.

    I have cute pet pictures from when we used to have a dog, but we are now petless. I wonder what I would have to submit… must hunt down some wildlife then. πŸ˜‰

  14. Rachel says:

    Me Ra –
    I grew up with a Golden and totally have a soft spot for them. I’m so glad to hear that my neighbor has one now! If you need someone to run around with her, recruit Henry and Will. They would love it since we don’t have a cute puppy at our house, and won’t be getting one anytime soon!

    -Rachel

  15. Dawn says:

    We had a Golden once before…they are great family dogs. Best advice I can think of…when you take her out (even when you think she doesn’t need to go) brave her like a crazy person when she does! Then take her right back in. Doesn’t take long before the get the concept of “oh, outside is where I go, and then I get to come in”. Ask your vet about a product called “Optima 365”. It’s like gravy and goes on their food. Works like a charm for controlling shedding. She is gorgeous! If you get a chance, check out my blog and you’ll see pics of our babies.
    Dawn

  16. Sharon says:

    She’s so sweet!

    More patty training advice for me…
    Don’t keep her out for so long. If she doesn’t go in like 10 minutes bring her in for a bit, and take her out again in like 10-15 minutes. The key is to catch her going out in her spot and praise her big time when she does. Paddy was trained in 2 weeks. They just want to please you so badly!

    Have so much fun with her! She looks like a sweetheart!

  17. Kath says:

    My best dog was a golden. Buy yourself a furminator. They are expensive, but so worth it.

    She will grow and she will understand and she will be the joy of your life.

    Kath

  18. Erik says:

    For many years we were planning on naming our daughter Phoebe Rose. Now I’m glad we didn’t!

  19. Sandy says:

    Rosie is beautiful, go with the crate for the potty training, I have a dachshund and a cat and now I have a Grand dog!! I am thinking I am too old for this running in and out of the house every little bit, watching her like a hawk, my daughter thinks I need to chill, but hey I raised two kids and oh how many dogs. SO I know when she needs to go out after she has played 15 minutes or so!! But we have fell in love with her, Sorry this is so long, I love the pictures especially the one of the cat!!
    hang in there,

  20. Katherine says:

    What a gorgeous pup, I grew up with a Golden and this first opportunity I had, I bought one. He arrived at our home, five months before the birth of my first baby (who’s now 8) then I thought I was completely mad, newborn and a mad puppy?
    Ted is 8 and a half now and he is a fabulous dog. We also have a cat, who swipes at Ted’s tail when it gets too close to him!
    Watch out for the water – Golden’s can sniff water from miles away and never want to come out after a play and a swim. You’ve made a great choice -this will be the Golden Appreciation Society!

  21. Aileen says:

    OMG — I so want a Golden. My husband is holding fast to “No.” All 4 kids want one too. Maybe we’ll wear him down eventually.

    Would you mind sharing the name/contact info of your breeder? Thanks much!

  22. Zak says:

    The first thing my wife said was “Prince Phillip is gonna be mad…and just look at him, and to say the f bomb…he must really be mad. The furminator rocks we have a Chocolate Lab and it works wonders on her undercoat. P.S. Don’t leave her alone in any room you cherish. Ours chewed the bumper on our can and is currently trying to tunnel through the drywall in the garage…the sad part is I’m home all the time she’s really stealthy I guess.

  23. Me Ra Koh says:

    All your stories and advice are just cracking me up! I knew this community could be trusted for help with a puppy too!

    And Rachel, I’m dying that you are my neighbor and following the blog! You are so much fun. The kids would love for Henry and Will to meet Rosie, and if you want to have Rosie for a few hours even, say the word! πŸ™‚

    But I was amazed today because I was working on the command “sit” with treats and all. And i’m telling you she seems to have it down after the third try! Amazing! Now if we could just get that potty thing working too!

  24. Me Ra Koh says:

    Oh, and being the naive dog owner I am I have no idea what the Furmigator thing is and what does it exactly do the undercoat of a dog? πŸ˜‰ Sounds kind of freaky! But all of you are swearing by it so I better check it out.

  25. jeramy says:

    so cute! i hope you guys have a great time with her…they are fantastic dogs! have a great weekend!

  26. Katie says:

    OMG, She is beautiful. I grew up with a Golden and they are the best dogs. They have the greatest personalities. Our golden, Ronnie, used to bite his collar and take himself for a walk around the house and sit on the sofa with just his butt and all four paws on the floor. It was awesome. He was a great dog. So many funny stories. I feel for Prince Phillip. His face says it all. Made me laugh out loud. I have had a crappy day and see these pics really perked me right up. Just give him some love everyday and he will be ok.
    As long as you are consistent with Rosie in potty training she will get it quick. Goldens are very smart. Stay strong sista!!
    Congrats on a fabulous new addition.

  27. Welcome to the wonderful world of dog ownership (and you aren’t the owner in my scenario πŸ™‚ I loved this photo montage, especially the cat’s reaction. I can totally relate. My cat hated Sparky. She just avoided him and he learned to leave her alone. My only advice is to remember god made puppies cute for a reason. She’ll do things to make you crazy but when you look at that face full of love you will forget everything she did. Congrats again on your new addition to the family.

  28. Merri says:

    Ok MeRa I can totally feel for you. I have a 5 month old black lab named Emily and I brought her home at 14 weeks old so I know JUST where you are! First and foremost. Anytime she eats or drinks TAKE HER OUT. Take her to the same place to potty every time and say potty Rosie as she is doing her deal and then let her know how happy you are… I mean BIG TIME and give her treats! When she potty’s in the house (most experts recommend this…) don’t reprimand her unless she is in the midst of the pee or poo otherwise…they have a 3 to 4 second memory and she won’t know what she is getting scolded for. Take the paper towel outside that you soak up the little mess with and put it in her potty spot and let her smell it each time….you will begin to develop a patter she can follow. Crate time is bladder building time so give her plenty of time in her crate…she will not go potty in there. PHEW! I think that covers it!! BEST OF LUCK you will love having another little sweetie running around…most of the time πŸ˜‰

  29. How great is this?! This is what life is made of! You dream of the picket fence, two beautiful children, a loving husband, a cat and now a dog! And Rosie is a perfect name for that precious sweet little face. I’m so glad Blaze held onto that name for so very long lol.

    Just to help Blaze along as the pup continues to get older and bigger (and then bigger than Blaze) and may start jumping on him and getting extra excited with the little people. This is the problem we are having w/our7 mo. GoldenDoodle and our 4 yr old Emma. Some advice to try to help quell his fears and include him in the training is to let him know that he doesn’t get to be the boss much but he DOES get to be the boss of Rosey! So he has to be sure and be really bossy with her lol. That’s what we tell Emma when our pup gets too rowdy and jumps on her and it helps her not take a defensive posture but instead she can enforce the commands with authority and be BOSSY lol.

    Such great pics, Prince Phillip and his “thoughts” are quite hilarious! I have to say I have an affinity for furry puppy actions shots! There’s nothing like a pup running toward you full speed ahead with their hair blowing in the wind!

    Hope you all get some sleep tonight!

  30. Kelly says:

    Congrats Me Ra!!
    Hold on for that wild ride… kids AND a dog (oh & a husband) LOL!

  31. Jill says:

    My family and I are big into greyhound rescue so a pet contest is right up our alley! Great pics. Puppies are the cutest but a LOT of work. We have graduated to adopting adult dogs in our house πŸ˜‰

  32. She’s a Beauty! ENJOY! Prince Phillip may come around and end up having a best friend in Rosie. Our two dogs and cat used to cuddle with eachother…but it didn’t start out that way!

  33. Lisa says:

    Hang in there! We had the “should we give her back” conversation many times when our lab was a pup. Now she is three and we can’t imagine life without her. Crates really help with potty training. Find a puppy socialization class in your area with a trainer who uses positive, clicker training.

    This cute (but, yes, hard!) puppy time goes fast. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for your family: when you are training her you are teaching your children life lessons about caring for animals with compassion and respect. πŸ™‚

  34. Lu says:

    My goodness…seeing that shot of your new pooch took me back to my childhood when I picked up my golden. he looked just like that with a white diamond on his chest…you just made me miss him all over again.

    love…

  35. […] refreshed, and ready to start another week of puppy potty training! Thank you for all your tips in Friday’s post! We have already learned so much from what you’ve […]

  36. Genie says:

    poor, poor Prince Phillip! Being a cat mama myself and knowing personally how longingly he looks out that door to go out, no wonder he’s SO PISSED OFF!!! LOL!! “ok, and you thought I was going to bring in the fleas… so now will you let me out, you silly, lowly humans?”

    ditto on the Dog Whisperer! and I just have to see Pascaline and Rosie in action! too cute!

  37. […] as a JPG and send to contest@fioria.us. The deadline is the last day of August! For the August prize info, click the […]

  38. […] as a JPG and send to contest@fioria.us . The deadline is the last day of August! For the August prize info, click the […]

  39. […] I also want to point out a few other things I admire about this image. It looks like Deene shot this in bright sun. Getting the right exposure can be tough in bright sun. But she did an amazing job! All the faces are exposed well, no one is super bright or super dark. The color of the blue water and the green plants behind are rich and vibrant. Not only is their incredible humor and life in this image, but the elements of exposure and color are done well too! Great job Deene! And by the way, your blog is fantastic! I love your blog header with the dog–hilarious! I know your going to submit something for the Pet Photo Contest! […]

  40. […] as a JPG and send to contest@fioria.us. The deadline is the last day of August! For the August prize info, click the […]

  41. […] Five Finalists for the PET PHOTO CONTEST go live tomorrow […]

  42. Sandra Olijnyk says:

    I just wanted to vote for the photo by Beth Berry…the colour and compostion were amazing and really stood out…it was so hard to choose an image from 5 outstanding shots!

    Sandra Olijnyk

  43. […] you haven’t met Rosie yet, you MUST read this post from when we first got […]

  44. Jean Crookes says:

    Hi Me Ra,
    This is the women you bought sweet Rosie from. I am delighted to read your blog and to see pictures of Rosie and your kids doing fine. I truely was concerned how things were going (after emailing…) and hadn’t heard from you for a while. I figured between mother nature and your children, everything would turn out great.
    We were going to name Phoebe, Rosie, then we realized we had many aquaintances that ownded pets named Rosie. When it came time to register her i gave her the formal name of “Miss Phoebe Rose”. At this time I really wasn’t sure if we would breed her but we did and are in the eighth week of her second litter. They all have loving homes and are leaving the nest. One male remains!!! hopefully he will soon have a home as well. So I would love to see a recent picture of Rosie, We have her brother “Bob” from the first litter. They are all doing swell.. Goldens are great! This litter had five females and four males, all Beautiful. !I am so happy to hear you are doing well.

  45. Nice post ! , does someone know quality family pet sitting service providers sites ? I will be checking out that 1 on the other hand i had been curious if anybody are familiar with any alternative ones. Also, quite fine and informative website.I equally like visual pattern of it. Anyway, if somebody familliar with these people let me know please. Have a excellent day

  46. Anna Z says:

    Rosie is adorable. She looks like she will be a beautiful golden when she grows up. The photos are magnificent and every one of them tells a story. Dont give up on her. She depends on you to get her on the right track in life. Just like how kids do. They take time and lots of training but I think you can do it. Goodluck and keep the photos coming!

  47. I am surely going to share this web site with my pals and family. This is great and it has helped me so much and I believe you’re a genius. Thanks a lot for this great post.

  48. Jean Crookes says:

    Hello Me Ra,

    checking in to see how the family and Rosie are doing. its been a couple of years since I have checked you site.

    Let me know and if you could add a picture of Rosie I would love to see her.

    Phoebe is doing great, we are thinking of more puppies in the spring.

    Take care,
    Jean mother of Phoebe who is the mother of Rosie.