# Zaniri's Together We Climb - Summit



## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Six years ago, our first golden retriever, Rundle was born (Rundle <3). Rundle is a fantastic companion and therapy dog. It is because of her that we have completely fallen in love with the golden breed.

Back in January 2020, we “began the search” to add another member to our family. I put this in quotations because there wasn’t much searching to be done at all. Zaniri had been on my radar for years by this point. She has bred some of the most amazingly talented dogs! As an avid hiker, and wannabe dog sport competitor, I knew that we would be in very good hands with Zaniri. So, I reached out to her about her Fall 2020 pairings. I knew I wanted a puppy later in the year for a couple reasons: 1) It would give us more time to grieve the loss of our 16-year-old cat who had just passed in December, and 2) by the time the puppy starts hitting its high-energy stage it will be summer-time – it is a lot easier to get outside to expend energy in 25 Celcius/77 Fahrenheit, versus -25 Celcius/-13 Fahrenheit.

Thankfully, Zaniri thought we would be an excellent home for one of her competition puppies! So, we began the wait. She had two litters planned for the fall. But, based on what we were looking for, she thought the Lucy x Red litter: Pedigree: Lucy x Red would produce the best results for us. Thankfully, the pairing took and produced ELEVEN beautiful puppies: five girls and six boys, born November 8, 2020.

At 7 weeks, they tested the litter and picked Kasie for us, the grey-collared girl. She is described as a moderate energy and temperament, people-oriented and structurally sound. She is everything that we were looking for in a puppy!

We picked her up the morning of the 29th and drove 13.5 hours to bring her home. She was an absolute dream on the car ride home; only whining when she had to go to the bathroom. Since arriving at home, she’s been such an easy, cuddly puppy. Woke up 2x last night to go potty, but quickly settled afterwards. She is getting on so well with our dog Rundle. It is SO great to see them happily playing together, already.

She will be CKC registered as Zaniri’s Together We Climb. Her call name is Summit. I will be starting agility with her in Feb, but I’m also am interested in Obedience, Field and Scent Work. I am so excited to see what we can accomplish together!


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Congratulations! I have admired Zaniri’s program for a while. Wonderful dogs.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Such a cute puppy face! Congratulations.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Congratulations, Summit is beautiful.

Great to hear how well she's doing and how she and Rundle are getting along.

Have fun with your new baby girl.


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

She is just beautiful! 
Congratulations.
Jules


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Oh my GOD - you are SO lucky!! They do indeed breed some amazing dogs - and Laureen is one of the most knowledgeable Golden people I have ever met. I actually was lucky enough to have her as one of the three evaluators for Shala's CCA, and I could have sat and listened to her for hours. 

I am definitely looking forward to following what you do with your sweet girl. Congratulations!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Oh boy are you lucky  She is a doll and that is maybe the most perfect name ever! I am so happy you're starting her own instagram  I would absolutely fly across country for a Zaniri puppy


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

She’s here! So happy for you! I have been so impressed with my Zaniri guy! Laureen and Joanne are amazing and so knowledgeable. Ned has been super easy to train, and is wicked smart! I’m sure your girl will be just as amazing!! Summit and Ned will need to follow each other on Instagram! Congratulations!!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Oh my GOD - you are SO lucky!! They do indeed breed some amazing dogs - and Laureen is one of the most knowledgeable Golden people I have ever met. I actually was lucky enough to have her as one of the three evaluators for Shala's CCA, and I could have sat and listened to her for hours.
> 
> I am definitely looking forward to following what you do with your sweet girl. Congratulations!


Thank you! Joanne and Laureen have been amazing all along! Not only are we grateful to have one of their puppies, but, also to have them as a mentor. Summit has been an absolute rockstar since coming home. Here's a photo of her sleeping while the Roomba is running around her.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> Oh boy are you lucky  She is a doll and that is maybe the most perfect name ever! I am so happy you're starting her own instagram  I would absolutely fly across country for a Zaniri puppy


Thank you so much! It was a long drive, but, absolutely worth it! Summit and Rundle's Instagram is: @rundle.mountain.retrievers


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Ripley16 said:


> She’s here! So happy for you! I have been so impressed with my Zaniri guy! Laureen and Joanne are amazing and so knowledgeable. Ned has been super easy to train, and is wicked smart! I’m sure your girl will be just as amazing!! Summit and Ned will need to follow each other on Instagram! Congratulations!!!


So far she's been rock solid. Such a confident little girlie. We've started training and she is already picking up sit and down, quickly. For only 7.5wks old that is pretty amazing! My dogs Instagram is: @rundle.mountain.retrievers 

I so look forward to following all of Ned's adventures!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

We had a mild winter day in Alberta today, so we got to spend some time outside in the snow. She loves it! Which is a good thing, because we get a lot snow through the winter. Also of note was first cuddles with our older dog today. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship right now, as Rundle has to teach the puppy what is and isn't acceptable social behaviour. But, this photo gives me confidence that they will get there.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Summit is so cute, the pic of her and Rundle is priceless.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit turned 8wks old yesterday. She's doing so well! She's only getting up once per night to potty now. But, she settles quickly in her crate, both when going to bed, and when going back to sleep. When she's awake, she's starting to ask to go outside when she has to potty by standing by the back door - or when she wants to go outside to play. She loves being outdoors! She's got a pretty reliable "sit" now. And is learning down, play dead, leave it, drop it, touch, spin, go teeter (wobble board), and roll over. Summit and Rundle are playing more frequently now, and Summit loves to cuddle up to her. We're also starting to build up her time spent alone (with Rundle), to prepare her for when my husband and I go back to the office. We are increasing her time by 5min per day. So, she did 15min today, and we'll do 20min tomorrow. So, far she has had no issues being left alone for brief periods of time. She's quite the busy gal when she's awake, but, we find her to be the perfect balance of both cuddly and independent. We still can't quite get over her confidence. House renovations, things being dropped or falling over, the neighbour's big dogs on each side of us - she takes everything in stride! She's such a solid pup. Tomorrow will mark one-week since we picked her up. And we are so proud to see how much progress she has made in a weeks' time at such a young age!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

These photos.... you're killing me  She makes beautiful eye contact. If you're not rewarding her for 'attention' yet, don't forget to add that to the list. Please keep the pictures coming, I have puppy envy


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

She's such a pretty little girl and so smart. 

Love the pictures, the one of her and Rundle is my favorite.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> These photos.... you're killing me  She makes beautiful eye contact. If you're not rewarding her for 'attention' yet, don't forget to add that to the list. Please keep the pictures coming, I have puppy envy


Good reminder! And thank you! I love taking photos of my babies


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> She's such a pretty little girl and so smart.
> 
> Love the pictures, the one of her and Rundle is my favorite.


Thank you! And I 100% agree. Watching hers and Rundle's relationship grow is one of my favourite things


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

Too adorable! Watching puppies interacting with an older dog has been so great! I love how my older girl is teaching my new guy how to be a dog! Makes the training easier on me for sure, and wears them out! Looks like Summit is thriving!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Ripley16 said:


> Too adorable! Watching puppies interacting with an older dog has been so great! I love how my older girl is teaching my new guy how to be a dog! Makes the training easier on me for sure, and wears them out! Looks like Summit is thriving!


It is so much easier this time around than it was the first time! Rundle helps to wear Summit out so much! And teaches her so much at the same time. Summit is thriving! She's consistently signalling when she needs to go out. She is picking up basic training really well. Today, she had her first big outing to get her nails trimmed and she settled perfectly in the car. She was the perfect pup for the groomer. We are just adoring this amazing little puppy! I can't wait until she gets her second set of vaccines, so I can take her out more and expose her to even more new things.


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Those snow photos are great. Seeing the two of them play must put a smile on your face every day!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Those snow photos are great. Seeing the two of them play must put a smile on your face every day!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It absolutely does! Thank you!


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

3Pebs3 said:


> It is so much easier this time around than it was the first time! Rundle helps to wear Summit out so much! And teaches her so much at the same time. Summit is thriving! She's consistently signalling when she needs to go out. She is picking up basic training really well. Today, she had her first big outing to get her nails trimmed and she settled perfectly in the car. She was the perfect pup for the groomer. We are just adoring this amazing little puppy! I can't wait until she gets her second set of vaccines, so I can take her out more and expose her to even more new things.
> 
> View attachment 879575
> View attachment 879576
> ...


I 100% agree with it being easier the second time around! I'm so glad Ripley is so tolerant of Ned's shenanigans! She was a bit of a tough puppy (she has food allergies which caused BM problems for a few weeks until we figured out what was upsetting her stomach), and she is 100% a velcro dog and to this day still hates being left alone. If I let her outside to pee, she goes and will be back at the door to come back inside immediately after she is finished. Ned is chill, and is happy to hang outside alone (while I watch anxiously through the sliding glass door of course!), and likes exploring the yard on his own. I am at work at the moment, and he is at home alone in his crate for the first time. I have a camera on him, and he seems to not even know I am gone lol. Such an independent little guy! I am so so thrilled with him! Laureen and Joanne did such an amazing job with these little pups! If you and Summit (and Rundle of course) are ever out in BC, let me know and we can set up a play date! Ned seems to beeline it over to all golden's that he see's when we walk. It's funny how he knows that they are his "people".


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## mmlaverman (Oct 15, 2020)

All of the pictures are so fun to look at! Thanks for sharing.


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

3Pebs3 said:


> View attachment 879575


I saw this first picture in my news feed and I had to do a double-take. At first glance, it looks like my two playing.

Summit sure is a cutie!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Love those pics in the snow, especially the second one. I've never had two dogs at the same time, but I always hear about how the older one helps to train the younger one. So interesting. Summit sounds amazing.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Ripley16 said:


> I 100% agree with it being easier the second time around! I'm so glad Ripley is so tolerant of Ned's shenanigans! She was a bit of a tough puppy (she has food allergies which caused BM problems for a few weeks until we figured out what was upsetting her stomach), and she is 100% a velcro dog and to this day still hates being left alone. If I let her outside to pee, she goes and will be back at the door to come back inside immediately after she is finished. Ned is chill, and is happy to hang outside alone (while I watch anxiously through the sliding glass door of course!), and likes exploring the yard on his own. I am at work at the moment, and he is at home alone in his crate for the first time. I have a camera on him, and he seems to not even know I am gone lol. Such an independent little guy! I am so so thrilled with him! Laureen and Joanne did such an amazing job with these little pups! If you and Summit (and Rundle of course) are ever out in BC, let me know and we can set up a play date! Ned seems to beeline it over to all golden's that he see's when we walk. It's funny how he knows that they are his "people".


It sounds as though both of our dogs are very similar - Rundle being a velcro dog, and Summit happy in every situation. We have started to build up separation time to prepare Summit for us to go back to work. Yesterday we did 30 min. It was so cute that during that time Rundle and Summit curled up on the couch for a nap together. Although not unexpectedly, Summit does annoy Rundle at times, but overall they are getting on amazingly together! 

Summit is signalling 100% of the time to go potty now. At 8.5wks old! She's also sleeping through the night. She's picking up on complex skills like sit and stay, play dead, leave it, drop it. She's hardly trying to chew anything that she shouldn't be chewing. And she is already starting to bite us less, and kiss more. She's setting the bar so high - I'm amazed by her, each and every day. 

We will definitely let you know if you are in BC again. Although I'm glad we will not need to make that trek again for a little while. It's a long drive with a young pup!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

mmlaverman said:


> All of the pictures are so fun to look at! Thanks for sharing.





granite7 said:


> Summit sure is a cutie!





Sweet Girl said:


> Love those pics in the snow, especially the second one. I've never had two dogs at the same time, but I always hear about how the older one helps to train the younger one. So interesting. Summit sounds amazing.


Thanks everyone!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Enjoying seeing all the great pictures of your girls, Summit sounds like she's just perfect.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Enjoying seeing all the great pictures of your girls, Summit sounds like she's just perfect.


She is to us  Thank you!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Just wanted to share some of the puppy cuteness!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

The pictures of Summit and the ones of her and Summit together just keep getting better and better. 
Really enjoying your updates and pictures.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> The pictures of Summit and the ones of her and Summit together just keep getting better and better.
> Really enjoying your updates and pictures.


Thank you! I can't believe she has only been with us for a week and a half. She is just the perfect addition to our little family 💕


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## I'm Elaine (Oct 27, 2020)

Yer killin' me Smalls!! I am anxiously waiting for a birth announcement coming any day now that my fluff ball is born! We should be bringing him/her home in March and I am beyond thrilled! Your pup and big brother are gorgeous, and it sounds like Summit is the perfect puppy! I hope mine is gonna be like her, but I will love him/her regardless of looks or personality. Our breeder is gonna choose the pup that will be perfect for us!


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## I'm Elaine (Oct 27, 2020)

I'm Elaine said:


> Yer killin' me Smalls!! I am anxiously waiting for a birth announcement coming any day now that my fluff ball is born! We should be bringing him/her home in March and I am beyond thrilled! Your pup and big brother are gorgeous, and it sounds like Summit is the perfect puppy! I hope mine is gonna be like her, but I will love him/her regardless of looks or personality. Our breeder is gonna choose the pup that will be perfect for us!


Oops! I meant big sister!! We'll be driving 11 hours or so to get our pup too and I hope the car ride is gonna be easy!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

I'm Elaine said:


> Yer killin' me Smalls!! I am anxiously waiting for a birth announcement coming any day now that my fluff ball is born! We should be bringing him/her home in March and I am beyond thrilled! Your pup and big brother are gorgeous, and it sounds like Summit is the perfect puppy! I hope mine is gonna be like her, but I will love him/her regardless of looks or personality. Our breeder is gonna choose the pup that will be perfect for us!





I'm Elaine said:


> Oops! I meant big sister!! We'll be driving 11 hours or so to get our pup too and I hope the car ride is gonna be easy!


Thanks! I know exactly how you feel! We contact the breeder in Jan. Waited until October for ultrasound confirmation. Waited until November to confirm that there would be a puppy for us. And then end of Dec to bring her home. It was such a long wait, filled with a lot of anxious anticipation! But, I would do it all over again for another puppy like Summit! She really is an exceptional pup! The breeders did such an incredible job with this litter. They picked Summit for us as well, and she is exactly, everything we asked for and more! 

The drive was surprisingly easy - just long with the frequent stops to allow her potty breaks. The only times she complained was when she needed to go out. She would just go potty, we'd put her back in the vehicle, and she'd go back to sleep again. I was definitely a bit stressed on the trip with making sure she got out enough, ate/drank enough, didn't get exposed to anything, was happy, and comfortable. I'm glad it went as well as it did. Between the overnight drive there and then back with her the next day... it took me a few days to recover. Thankfully, with every day she's been home since it's gotten a little bit easier! Puppy raising is a lot of work, but, the time invested in your puppy is so well worth it when they are grown and you have an amazing dog!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Wait a minute! It's been 5 days between these photos 










Our little one is growing and changing so quickly!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Training progress. I think she's doing pretty great for only 9wks old! 


__
http://instagr.am/p/CJ2X5ZmHbVY/


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

3Pebs3 said:


> Wait a minute! It's been 5 days between these photos
> 
> View attachment 879658
> 
> ...



Unbelievable how much she's grown in such a short time.

She's doing a great job with training, so is big sister Rundle-too cute.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Ooooh... perfect little black paw pads! Just love the ones of Summit with Rundle chewing their bones.


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## I'm Elaine (Oct 27, 2020)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thanks! I know exactly how you feel! We contact the breeder in Jan. Waited until October for ultrasound confirmation. Waited until November to confirm that there would be a puppy for us. And then end of Dec to bring her home. It was such a long wait, filled with a lot of anxious anticipation! But, I would do it all over again for another puppy like Summit! She really is an exceptional pup! The breeders did such an incredible job with this litter. They picked Summit for us as well, and she is exactly, everything we asked for and more!
> 
> The drive was surprisingly easy - just long with the frequent stops to allow her potty breaks. The only times she complained was when she needed to go out. She would just go potty, we'd put her back in the vehicle, and she'd go back to sleep again. I was definitely a bit stressed on the trip with making sure she got out enough, ate/drank enough, didn't get exposed to anything, was happy, and comfortable. I'm glad it went as well as it did. Between the overnight drive there and then back with her the next day... it took me a few days to recover. Thankfully, with every day she's been home since it's gotten a little bit easier! Puppy raising is a lot of work, but, the time invested in your puppy is so well worth it when they are grown and you have an amazing dog!


Yes, the wait is torture! We've been waiting since last December, finally found a good breeder in June and now we are on pins and needles waiting to see how many puppies will be born. Due date is tomorrow and I keep checking every hour to see if they are born yet! Ultrasound showed 5-7 puppies so I am crossing my fingers that there will be enough that one of them is ours! If not, another mama is due toward the end on the month and our breeder feels pretty confident that we'll have our puppy sometime in March. I hope mine will be as easy to learn potty skills as easy as Summit! She is absolutely adorable and I love her color!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

I'm Elaine said:


> Yes, the wait is torture! We've been waiting since last December, finally found a good breeder in June and now we are on pins and needles waiting to see how many puppies will be born. Due date is tomorrow and I keep checking every hour to see if they are born yet! Ultrasound showed 5-7 puppies so I am crossing my fingers that there will be enough that one of them is ours! If not, another mama is due toward the end on the month and our breeder feels pretty confident that we'll have our puppy sometime in March. I hope mine will be as easy to learn potty skills as easy as Summit! She is absolutely adorable and I love her color!


Same thing happened to us. Two moms, around the same time. The pups from the first mom started going home around the time ours was born. The other litter was smaller, and the breeders thought Summit's litter might be better for an "agility home." So, we got a pup from the second litter. On Lucy's ultrasound the vet counted 6, and then there were 11 born! So, you never know?! 

Ultimately, even though we had to wait a bit longer to bring Summit home, it was worth every second of the wait! If you found a good breeder, than you can trust that they will work with you to make sure you have the right fit for your home. Joanne and Laureen were so fantastic! 

Excited for you to get your puppy and to follow your journey with him/her!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Ooooh... perfect little black paw pads! Just love the ones of Summit with Rundle chewing their bones.


I too love puppy feet! They are just so velvety soft and perfect at this age!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit is officially 2 months old!! She met my neighbours 2 goldens through the fence this morning. And Summit and her 6-month old were just dying to play together. Just one more week until Summit gets her second vaccines and her world can open up more!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm LOVING all these photos, thank you for being so consistent with posting. Keep up the good work!!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> I'm LOVING all these photos, thank you for being so consistent with posting. Keep up the good work!!!


Thanks so much! I actually did this with Rundle over her first year as well, and I am so thankful now as I am raising my second one that I have that thread to look back on.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

She is so beautiful. Love her colouring.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

I've been finding that if I take Rundle and Summit for a little stroll in the field behind my house that tires them out enough that I can get some work time in. I took some photos yesterday, and I love this first one. It just looks as though Summit is in her element, doing exactly what she is supposed to do! I can't wait to be able to take her on her first real hikes in the spring. But, lots of exploration to be done around home in the meantime. We have been really lucky to have pretty temperate weather in Alberta, since bringing Summit home. I know the snow and real cold will come yet. But, it's nice that she will be a little bit older before she does. 
This is the last week that Summit gets fed 4x a day, and then we drop it to 3x starting Sunday. I'm hoping that by nixing the late meal, she might not have to get up through the night to potty anymore. She's still rather consistently getting up once per night to go to the bathroom. And maybe that will just be how it is for awhile. Overall, she's doing super well with her sleeping. Going to bed around 10:30PM and up at 6:30AM. That's basically the same sleep pattern I follow. But, with the getting up once per night, and how busy she is through the day, I do find myself feeling quite tired with trying to balance regular life and puppy raising. Rundle also seems a little extra tired these days. When the puppy naps, she naps - and she's sometimes she's so zonked that she can't even be bothered to move closer to us to cuddle! Even with how tired I'm feeling I'm trying to enjoy each day now, because puppyhood is so fleeting. Every morning I wake up, I swear she is bigger than the day before! 
Right now she's cuddled up with me on the couch taking a snooze. I'm really glad she's a cuddly golden too. I know they say that females are more independent than males, but, both my females so far have been super cuddly. And I love a good doggy snuggle! Unlikely that we will ever have males, so I hope we keep lucking out with all the snuggly females <3


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

All great pictures, *love* this one-
She's a beautiful little girl, can really see the changes in her with each picture you've posted.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> All great pictures, *love* this one-
> She's a beautiful little girl, can really see the changes in her with each picture you've posted.


Thank you! I LOVED this shot too! Celebrated a little when I saw it on my camera


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

That is a fantastic update! For one, you have wonderful pictures of that beautiful pup! Secondly, so much of what you posted mirrors our experience.

How big is she now?

Cody is 14wks and about 22lbs. That makes him a little below average from what I can tell. He looks and feels lean. I’m feeding him four times a day still, because he is hungry all the time.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

granite7 said:


> That is a fantastic update! For one, you have wonderful pictures of that beautiful pup! Secondly, so much of what you posted mirrors our experience.
> 
> How big is she now?
> 
> Cody is 14wks and about 22lbs. That makes him a little below average from what I can tell. He looks and feels lean. I’m feeding him four times a day still, because he is hungry all the time.


Thanks so much! I haven't weighted Summit, as of yet. She will be 10wks old on Sunday, and has her appointment for her second vaccines the following day. I will find out her weight then. From my experience with Rundle, I'm not going to concern myself with weight that much. Rundle was the smallest of her litter, and was below average for a long time while she was growing. Now she weighs on average around 75lbs, which is large for a female! As long as Summit continues to grow, eat and look healthy (not over or underweight) that's really all I'm worried about.


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

3Pebs3 said:


> From my experience with Rundle, I'm not going to concern myself with weight that much. Rundle was the smallest of her litter, and was below average for a long time while she was growing. Now she weighs on average around 75lbs, which is large for a female! As long as Summit continues to grow, eat and look healthy (not over or underweight) that's really all I'm worried about.


Yes, that is a good approach. I’m pleased with the little guy’s progress and I was curious from the 3x/4x feeding perspective. He is serious about mealtime!

Your Rundle sounds a bit like my Bella. I have slowly been cutting her food back and trying to lose a couple pounds. She is just burly! 23” and 78 pounds. I would like to see her in the low 70s for sure.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

granite7 said:


> Yes, that is a good approach. I’m pleased with the little guy’s progress and I was curious from the 3x/4x feeding perspective. He is serious about mealtime!
> 
> Your Rundle sounds a bit like my Bella. I have slowly been cutting her food back and trying to lose a couple pounds. She is just burly! 23” and 78 pounds. I would like to see her in the low 70s for sure.


Yes, Rundle might be slightly heavy on the heavy side, but, not much. She's tall, and structurally solid. I'm opting to delay cutting back on her food too much because she is and will continue to be a lot more active now with playing with the puppy. She is also seeing the vet on Monday, so I'm curious to see what they say about her weight as we did cut her back after her last appointment. 

It's funny, only in the last few days has Summit shown vigour when it comes to meal time. Before that we really had to get her to focus on eating - hand feeding meals, because all she wanted to do is play, play, play. Now, when I get the bowl "it's on." It's actually nice to see that golden appetite kick in!


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## I'm Elaine (Oct 27, 2020)

She is absolutely adorable! I love the pictures, and it sounds like she has settled right in with Rundle! I can't wait to be joining in the fun times in March!


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## Rex the Rat (Sep 23, 2020)

This picture is precious!! 


3Pebs3 said:


>


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Rex the Rat said:


> This picture is precious!!


Thanks so much! She's a sweetheart for sure!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit went to the vet today for her second set of vaccines. It's terrible with the current restrictions having to sent our dogs/puppies in without going in with them. I think she did well though, but, her appointment was a bit overshadowed by Rundle who also was seeing the vet today. Rundle has a lump on her leg. After a consult with the vet we decided that she will undergo a minor surgery tomorrow to remove it, and send it off to the pathologist. Thankfully all of the dogs are sleepy from their appointment, because it's no water or food for Rundle until after her surgery tomorrow morning. She might be a little extra grumpy with the pup in the morning, but, thankfully it's only a couple of hours until she is off to the vet for her procedure. The vet says we have to keep them separate while Rundle recovers from her anesthesia, but, they should be fine to be reunited by the evening. Thank goodness! Because Summit is so attached to her big sister. I think she'd be pretty upset to have to be separated very long. 

We do know that Summit is in good health, and weighs a nice 16.4lbs. A great weight for a 10wk old female. And I'm so excited to be able to take her to more places, and to introduce her to neighborhood friends. The fun has just begun! 








'

10 weeks 









5.5 weeks, 7.5 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks









Causing trouble









Waiting for big sister to come downstairs


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

The pictures of Summit and Rundle just keep getting better. 
Don't have a favorite this time, they're all great. 

Hope Rundle's surgery goes well and the results are good.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> The pictures of Summit and Rundle just keep getting better.
> Don't have a favorite this time, they're all great.
> 
> Hope Rundle's surgery goes well and the results are good.


Thank you, and thank you! I hope so too!


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

It looks like they have great fun running through the grass! Praying for a good outcome with Rundle.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

granite7 said:


> It looks like they have great fun running through the grass! Praying for a good outcome with Rundle.


Yes, they have been having a fun off-leash walk with me every morning, to help get their sillies out before I start work. And thank you! I have the awful job of withholding food and water since 8PM last night. It's terrible not being able to feed a hungry golden!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Sorry to hear about the lump on Rundle! Hope everything goes well with the surgery and biopsy. 

Amazing photos again. Love the one of Summit waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Sorry to hear about the lump on Rundle! Hope everything goes well with the surgery and biopsy.
> Amazing photos again. Love the one of Summit waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her


Thank you! So far we know her blood panel was normal (no elevated white blood cell count), so that is great start! 
I also love that one of Summit waiting. I can't quite put my finger on it, but, there is something special in that moment... the lighting...the look...


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

So, it's been a week since my last post! I just found it hard to muster up the energy to post when I was worried about Rundle. But, we got good news! Rundle's lump was diagnosed as a fibroplasia that had some spindle cells, so it is possible that it was a soft tissue sarcoma, developing. But, we caught it early, and they are confident that they got clean margins. So, they are not expecting it to come back, and she doesn’t need further treatment!! We are so relieved!! 

In the meantime, the surgery has not slowed Rundle down for a minute. She and Summit have been playing all week! With Summit now having 2 sets of vaccines, her world has opened up, and we are busy introducing her to all kinds of things. We've had leash walks around the neighbourhood, meet ups people, dogs, children, and her first bath at the groomers. Next week if the COVID restrictions are lifted, she will have her first agility class! I cannot wait to get Summit into classes. She is so smart, and every day I see things starting to click in her head a little more. It will be nice to get more one-on-one time to work with her. I can see the dog she will become emerging, and it's so exciting! 

Summit is 11wks!









She's had her first leashed walks around the neighborhood









She's met kids. 









She's met dogs









More dogs.









She went to the groomers! 









Played with big sister 

















And is just generally such a cute and sweet puppy!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

That is good news about Rundle. I was thinking, oh no, as I first started to read, but a relief that they think they got it early and got it all. Hope that's the last you see it. 

Great photos as always. I love this puppy time when you get to introduce them to a bunch of new things.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> That is good news about Rundle. I was thinking, oh no, as I first started to read, but a relief that they think they got it early and got it all. Hope that's the last you see it.
> 
> Great photos as always. I love this puppy time when you get to introduce them to a bunch of new things.


I'm hoping so too! 
It's definitely exciting being able to introduce her to so many new things now. Of course it's always a little bit stressful too because you want all of those new experiences to go well. But, so far so good I think 🤞


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

Yay for Rundle’s good news! You are doing a fantastic job with the pup


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

granite7 said:


> Yay for Rundle’s good news! You are doing a fantastic job with the pup


Thanks so much!!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

She has just the cutest expressions on her face! Her eyes are so expressive.

I am so glad you caught Rundle’s lump early! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> She has just the cutest expressions on her face! Her eyes are so expressive.
> 
> I am so glad you caught Rundle’s lump early!
> 
> ...


Hehe, thanks! Her eyes are definitely getting noticed! 
And me too. Another good reason to give your goldens regular rubdowns


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Glad to hear the great news about Rundle.

You and the girls have been busy, so many great pictures and adventures.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Glad to hear the great news about Rundle.
> You and the girls have been busy, so many great pictures and adventures.


We are just beyond relieved over the news about Rundle! Now I can't wait to get her sutures out and move on from this scare. I'm definitely trying to expose Summit to as much as I can. It will be nice when she moves a little further/faster on leash, so I can take her even further out to explore. There are a lot of cool trails around my neighborhood!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

So, I was slow to update for Summit's 12wks because I have been busy, busy, busy! I had a big work deadline. And my tattoo appointment finally came around, so I was in a tattoo chair for 2 days back-to-back! At 12wks, Summit is a spunky little thing, and loves to play with her sister all day. She’s the best little traveller. Sleeps the minute the car starts to move. I wish she would teach her older sister that one. Leading up to my tattoo appointments we had been constantly introducing her to knew people and friendly dogs. She’s quick to warm up to all. Definitely the confident little puppy we hoped for. Of course we have also learned with confidence come the willingness to push boundaries- way moreso than her submissive sister did as a pup. So, lots of consistency and repetition. She’s got legs for days, but, despite how the pictures look at around 12wks she was only about up to mid rib on Rundle. Not sure if she will achieve Rundle height. But with those legs I think she’ll be fast! She's already grown some since these photos, so, I will make a point to take more this weekend. My camera can hardly keep up with her! 

Summit at 12wks








Loving hugs from her sister, Rundle. 









Summit giving her best lion impression!









Moving so fast these days it's getting harder to get clear action shots! 









Met Milo, an almost 1yr old, 80-85lb silver lab! Rundle helped socialize him back when he was just a little thing! 









Rundle loves to have Summit chase her around the yard. Then she hides behind the stairs, while Summit barks at her to get out and run again! 









This is the tattoo I got. I will post an updated pic of the actual tattoo once the artist has a chance to add her logo to the photo. She did an outstanding job! I plan to get a Summit tattoo one day as well. But, I want to wait until she is full grown, so it truly resembles her, as I will know her. Puppyhood is so fleeting! 









13wk update coming soon!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

She keeps growing so fast!!!! Tell her to slow down  You must be so excited about your tattoo, amazing art!!! Love the updates, thanks for being so good about posting!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Yup, still adorable. 

I can't imagine two days in a tattoo chair. Holy. Is it as big as the photo of it?


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Yup, still adorable.
> 
> I can't imagine two days in a tattoo chair. Holy. Is it as big as the photo of it?


LOL! Thanks! Yes, it's huge! It goes down the entire right side of my thigh. I'd say the last 3hrs were quite tough. But, totally worth it. It turned out amazing! My husband is in the chair today and tomorrow getting a half sleeve done of our cat who passed away last year and Rundle. I saw the design and it is similar, yet different. Also beautiful!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Your tattoo looks amazing, no way I would have been able to sit still that long. 

You're so right about that with confidence comes pushing the boundaries, being smart is also a part of it. 

It's a very similar situation when you have a confident smart child.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Time is flying! I can't believe how fast these puppy days are going by. Summit is 14wks old now! A week from today she will be fully vaccinated! The weather the past two weeks has been extremely challenging. We were in what's called a polar vortex. I kid you not, on Thursday I think it was we saw -50 degree Celcius, equivalent to -58 degree Fahrenheit weather. It was way too cold to get out for any kind of walks for the past 2 weeks! So socializing consisted of trips to the pet store, and borrowing my neighbours 7-month old puppy, Zoey. I posted some pictures of them playing below.

Covid still continues to interfere with our ability to attend training classes. This is beyond frustrating, as I have such big plans in mind for competing with Summit. I'm hoping that starting later then I was hoping will not interfere with that. She is super smart, and her obedience training at home is going very well. Her biting has majorly dissipated the past couple of weeks, and is now being replaced with kisses. When she isn't playing she is super snuggly. She's a really sweet pup! 

Her daytime naps are getting longer and more predictable, which has been making it much easier to get work done through the day - for that I could not be more thankful! And she's doing really with being left alone too. Yesterday evening, Adam and I drove an hour away to have take-out nachos and pizza in our truck in the mountains. She was by herself for about 3.5hrs - her longest time alone yet. We came home to no accidents or destruction  I'm so happy that she is not showing any signs of separation anxiety, because eventually we will get back to work full-time. By March, I'd be really happy if she could do 4hrs, reliably. It takes me about 25min to get to work, so, for days when I go in - at least I would have 2hrs to get some solid work done before I would need to head back and let her out. She will be 4 months-old on March 8th. If you go by the equation that they can hold their pee for an hour for each month that they are born, then I think that will be a very reasonable expectation for her. 

Our cold snap is finally ending today! It will still be cold, but, it will not be insanely cold. So, hopefully this coming week I can start getting some more interesting pictures of her that are not just in our home and backyard. And I am really looking forward to when it warms up enough that I can start taking her on hikes! She is going to love it! She's such an athlete - Summit was born to climb!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Love the pictures, Summit is getting so big way too fast. 

Way too cold for sure, great they were able to have some fun in spite of the temps.


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

Wow, she got so big, so quickly! Wonderful pictures again


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Love watching her grow. You're right. Minus-60 C is just ridiculous. Our share of the vortex has only plunged us to minus-20. Can't even imagine what minus-60 feels like.

I wouldn't worry about missing classes right now. What you are doing with her is giving her that strong foundation. She is learning from you every day, all day. She'll probably be top of the class once they resume!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> I wouldn't worry about missing classes right now. What you are doing with her is giving her that strong foundation. She is learning from you every day, all day. She'll probably be top of the class once they resume!


Thank you so much! The reassurance is much appreciated! I really want her to love classes and working together. And it will be so nice to have the one-on-one time to train with her. Hopefully soon!!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Lovely girl. I am sure you are laying a great foundation for training at home. Your nachos and pizza truck date sounds so cute!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Lovely girl. I am sure you are laying a great foundation for training at home. Your nachos and pizza truck date sounds so cute!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you re the training! And thank you re the truck date! It was much needed. We haven't taken time to just be a couple in awhile. It was really nice to connect outside of the home again.


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thank you re the training! And thank you re the truck date! It was much needed. We haven't taken time to just be a couple in awhile. It was really nice to connect outside of the home again.


I feel where you are coming from. We’ve had our pup a little over a week now and between him and our other girl, it’s hard to find couple time. I am going to steal your car date idea (we might drive to the beach instead as we have no mountains around her). What kind of home training program are you using with Summit?


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> I feel where you are coming from. We’ve had our pup a little over a week now and between him and our other girl, it’s hard to find couple time. I am going to steal your car date idea (we might drive to the beach instead as we have no mountains around her). What kind of home training program are you using with Summit?


Have you made a post about your new little boy yet?! I don't think I have seen this update! Congratulations!! We haven't been following any specific training program with Summit. We have just been working through all the things we know she needs to learn. With Rundle we followed a lot of Kristen Crestejo training videos on YouTube. We found those to work really well, and how are using similar techniques to train Summit. She's got a good foundation, but, I really am looking forward to building up her knowledge for agility and competition obedience!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

3Pebs3 said:


> Have you made a post about your new little boy yet?! I don't think I have seen this update! Congratulations!! We haven't been following any specific training program with Summit. We have just been working through all the things we know she needs to learn. With Rundle we followed a lot of Kristen Crestejo training videos on YouTube. We found those to work really well, and how are using similar techniques to train Summit. She's got a good foundation, but, I really am looking forward to building up her knowledge for agility and competition obedience!


Thanks for reminding me! I made one for him just now here. 

I will look up Kristen Crestejo; I haven't heard of her. With the Internet there are so many good resources for dog training. We are working on foundations at home too, until we can begin the puppy group classes. They are such little sponges! And that is very exciting about your agility and obedience plans; will be following!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

So Summit is now 15 weeks! She's had all of her puppy vaccines, and the vet says she weights 27.4lbs. Crazy to think she is 3lbs more than Rundle was when she was the same age. Rundle was the smallest female in her litter, but, boy did she catch up! And now Rundle is quite large by golden standards - the same size as most golden males. I'm curious to see how big Summit gets relative to Rundle. She ran into another golden in my neighbourhood who is a conformation champion. I was surprised to see that Summit was almost as tall as her already! She's all legs, legs and more legs. LOL! 

As promised, the warmer weather has brought on bigger adventures! Summit is really starting to be able to see and enjoy all of the wonderful things my neighbourhood has to offer. And with more outdoor stimulation [also more maturity] Summit is become much better behaved in the house. She's no longer darting into the laundry basket to steal laundry, or the shoe closet to steal shoes, and she's no longer going after things she shouldn't be, like dangling laptop cords. She's still doing super well when left alone to go places. She just settles in and takes a nap until we return. 

I had an interesting reflection waking up this morning and realized how non-submissive Summit is compared to Rundle. I wonder if it is in part due to the fact that Summit has an older, bigger sister to grow up with? Or if it's truly just a difference in temperament. But, Rundle spent a lot of her puppyhood on her back. Every person, every dog, she was constantly laying down and showing her belly. When my husband would come home from work she would submissive pee. I think I have yet to see Summit do any of these behaviours! It is quite the shocking contrast between the two when I think of it! 

Probably in biggest news! Some classes are officially open again! Not agility or competition obedience unfortunately... I guess they figure too much moving around is required for those classes. So, in the meantime, I have enrolled Summit in a tricks class starting March 2nd! I figure we can start working on her tricks titles while we are waiting for more classes and competitions to open again. I am so excited to FINALLY bring her to a class, and get the one-on-one training time with her. Looking at the requirements for the novice title, Summit can already do more than half of the items on the list. So, we will have that title in the bag in no time at all. 

The last update I have is that Summit has officially graduated from her crate and is sleeping in bed with us now. And just like Rundle, after moving out of the crate, she is no longer waking me up in the night to go potty. She seems to love being up on the bed with us - mostly laying down by our feet right now. In the morning we come downstairs and have some snuggles before breakfast. It seems every week things are getting a little bit easier. It's funny when I look back to Rundle's thread and see all of the struggles we had the first time around. It is so much easier the second time. But, I may have to eat my words as we see what the teething and teenage stages have in mind for us! 

Morning snuggles and shenanigans 









Summit 14.5wks









Strike a pose! 









Rundle is showing me the ropes!









That's my town down there! Can we go see all the people mom? 









We found a secret hide-out! 









Tag! Your it! 









And now that your big, Mom will take us out here for walks all the time! 









Don't worry kid! Your quintessential golden smile will come!


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## granite7 (Oct 5, 2020)

Amazing update again! I love the looks of the hills where they get to play.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Great update! I love having my dog on the bed - but Summit graduated even faster than Shala (who was 5 months old when she got bed privileges at night). I think the non-submission is likely much rooted in her personality - what she was born with - but also what she got in her first 8 weeks. She came to you as a very confident puppy, which is so great. You can actually see it in the photos - how she carries herself. And now her life with you guys and Rundle is probably just reinforcing it every day. She's probably going to be a dream to train with. Very confident and resilient.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Great update! I love having my dog on the bed - but Summit graduated even faster than Shala (who was 5 months old when she got bed privileges at night). I think the non-submission is likely much rooted in her personality - what she was born with - but also what she got in her first 8 weeks. She came to you as a very confident puppy, which is so great. You can actually see it in the photos - how she carries herself. And now her life with you guys and Rundle is probably just reinforcing it every day. She's probably going to be a dream to train with. Very confident and resilient.


It's funny. I wasn't planning on starting her in the bed so soon. But, one night as we were heading to bed she seemed a little amped for going into the crate, so I put her up on the bed to allow her to get settled first. And then she settled in so well, I figured I'd try letting her stay there. And then we have been putting her in our bed ever since! 

I appreciate your insight into her personality. It's amazing how all the things can come together to make such an amazing dog. I am very excited to see how the training goes. It will be nice to see how she can focus without her sister standing over her shoulder competing for the treats!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Jealous of those snow covered peaks. Rundle looks so tolerant of little Summit, and Summit looks like she emulates Rundle’s camera poses. Exciting that she’s starting class soon!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Jealous of those snow covered peaks. Rundle looks so tolerant of little Summit, and Summit looks like she emulates Rundle’s camera poses. Exciting that she’s starting class soon!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


We live in a really beautiful area, and are a quick drive to the mountains! Rundle is an angel, and Summit is her shadow. Just a few more days and our new adventure begins!


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## Lovin'Goldens (Feb 17, 2021)

Summit and Rundle are so cute together! I love the update with the pictures! My favorite is the one Summit chasing Rundle, it looks so good!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, the area where you live is really beautiful!

Summit is getting so tall. 

Love seeing her and Rundle interacting together.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Lovin'Goldens said:


> Summit and Rundle are so cute together! I love the update with the pictures! My favorite is the one Summit chasing Rundle, it looks so good!


Thank you! Watching them play together is one of the best parts of my day!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great pictures, the area where you live is really beautiful!
> Summit is getting so tall.
> Love seeing her and Rundle interacting together.


Thank you! She really is getting so big now! And while it's kind of sad that our tiny puppy days are almost over, it's also exciting because now we can do so much more with her! She and Rundle get on so well! My hope is now that Summit is getting bigger and keep up with Rundle more that they continue to enjoy each other. I don't think Rundle will be too sad when those puppy teeth start to fall out soon! LOL!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

For some reason, I didn't take that many photos this week. I guess it might be because most days this week I actually had to go into the office, so this meant more just getting our time together in, than playing around with the camera. But, this week actually brought on a lot of changes for Summit. She's now 16 weeks old! We have officially cut her back to two meals a day now. And as of yesterday, she has lost 3 puppy teeth! I haven't seen any of the new ones sprouting yet, but, I am sure they are not long behind. She of course is chewing, chewing, chewing to help those big toothers come in. But, luckily, so far (fingers crossed), she has been sticking to chewing the right things. 

She's got a hell of a sniffer on her! She's constantly sniffing out gum, clothes, discarded food etc, from underneath the snow. Luckily, most times she's happy to just be praised with her find, or will drop whatever she has for a treat. The apple core she found yesterday was too high value, and she gobbled it up. So, I guess she likes apple? Somehow we've managed to get to 16wks without one bout of diarrhea. Unfortunately, we made all the mistakes with Rundle! Hopefully she forgets, and Summit's butt appreciates this! LOL! 

Summit starts her tricks class tomorrow night, and goes for her second bath ever at the groomers on Thursday. And I think she will get to meet some new doggy friends, Rundle's long-time friends next weekend. Now that the weather is warmer, we are also talking about getting our neighborhood (dog) play group together next weekend. Should be a good week!

Summit slumber









Cuddles on our drive out to the country to pick up our meat order. 









Summit is 16 weeks!! Look at those tail feathers coming in! 









Time to break out the ice cubes!


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## Lovin'Goldens (Feb 17, 2021)

Summit is growing up to be such a pretty girl! . Best of luck in tricks class, I am sure she will do great!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

The lighting in your photos is great! Really highlights her lovely coat color. 

It’s fun finding out about their food preferences. Sorry about the apple core, glad the seeds didn’t give her any problem. Our girl loves apple, it’s actually the treat that first got her loving her dog bed and crate. 


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

That snuggle photo in the back seat just tugs at my heart... so sweet. Rundle is SUCH a sweetheart. Sorry to hear you were having to go into the office.... annoying sometimes how inconvenient a job can be we need you at home taking photos - thanks for the update! Summit is looking terrific!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> The lighting in your photos is great! Really highlights her lovely coat color.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you! Our house let's in a lot of natural light, which is really helpful. It's funny, walking Summit around my neighbourhood most people aren't used to seeing a darker golden's around here. I get a lot of, "what breed is she?" "Will she stay that dark?" I even got a, "What colour do they call that?" It caught me so off guard, my first response was, "Um, gold?" Then continued to say, "They are all gold, just different shades of gold." But, it struck me as really funny to ask what colour is my GOLDEN retriever? I expected these kind of reactions with the goldens that are closer to being white. We have an extremely light coloured golden in our neighbourhood, as well. And I know the owners get a lot of questions about his colouring. But, it's funny to see this applies to the darker spectrum here too.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> That snuggle photo in the back seat just tugs at my heart... so sweet. Rundle is SUCH a sweetheart. Sorry to hear you were having to go into the office.... annoying sometimes how inconvenient a job can be we need you at home taking photos - thanks for the update! Summit is looking terrific!


LOL thank you for the laugh! I would love to have the freedom to just hang out and take photos of my dogs all day. Maybe one day. But, in the meantime, the job affords me the opportunity to attend to their every need and spoil them rotten .
I also melted when I looked back and saw them snuggling. It's everything you hope for when you bring a second dog home. Rundle is a special girl. She is so kind to people and animals, big and small. She's really embraced this new life with Summit. Seeing them playing and so happy together really affirms we made the right decision adding a second dog to our home.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

3Pebs3 said:


> ....* Rundle is a special girl*. She is so kind to people and animals, big and small. *She's really embraced this new life with Summit.* Seeing them playing and so happy together really affirms we made the right decision adding a second dog to our home.


Isn't it funny how much joy it brings to see the relationship between the dogs grow. It just makes your heart turn inside out to see how much quality of life it brings to them when it's a good fit. I will never have just one dog again.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> I will never have just one dog again.


Me either!!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thank you! Our house let's in a lot of natural light, which is really helpful. It's funny, walking Summit around my neighbourhood most people aren't used to seeing a darker golden's around here. I get a lot of, "what breed is she?" "Will she stay that dark?" I even got a, "What colour do they call that?" It caught me so off guard, my first response was, "Um, gold?" Then continued to say, "They are all gold, just different shades of gold." But, it struck me as really funny to ask what colour is my GOLDEN retriever? I expected these kind of reactions with the goldens that are closer to being white. We have an extremely light coloured golden in our neighbourhood, as well. And I know the owners get a lot of questions about his colouring. But, it's funny to see this applies to the darker spectrum here too.


Yess I think coat color is the first thing the average non-dog person notices when they see a dog (and structure last). But they're probably commenting because how pretty that shade is  Oh and people notice size too.. lots of people would ask if our girl was a mini golden retriever lol; nope, just at the bottom end of the breed standard. 




nolefan said:


> I will never have just one dog again.


Thirding that.


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thank you! Our house let's in a lot of natural light, which is really helpful. It's funny, walking Summit around my neighbourhood most people aren't used to seeing a darker golden's around here. I get a lot of, "what breed is she?" "Will she stay that dark?" I even got a, "What colour do they call that?" It caught me so off guard, my first response was, "Um, gold?" Then continued to say, "They are all gold, just different shades of gold." But, it struck me as really funny to ask what colour is my GOLDEN retriever? I expected these kind of reactions with the goldens that are closer to being white. We have an extremely light coloured golden in our neighbourhood, as well. And I know the owners get a lot of questions about his colouring. But, it's funny to see this applies to the darker spectrum here too.


Funny, I get the exact same comments about Ned! Everyone thinks he is an Irish Setter.... I personally think it is very obvious that he is a golden, but the red colour is not as common. I think Summit's litter was a lot darker than Ned's, but Ned was the darkest of the Fiz/Chester litter. He is a similar colour to Summit. I think the red goldens are just so beautiful! I love my light girl too, but there is something striking about the dark colour on Golden's!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Ripley16 said:


> Funny, I get the exact same comments about Ned! Everyone thinks he is an Irish Setter.... I personally think it is very obvious that he is a golden, but the red colour is not as common. I think Summit's litter was a lot darker than Ned's, but Ned was the darkest of the Fiz/Chester litter. He is a similar colour to Summit. I think the red goldens are just so beautiful! I love my light girl too, but there is something striking about the dark colour on Golden's!


I mean you really can't go wrong with a golden, period. Every colour is beautiful. But, I too am definitely more drawn to the darker colours now. However, back when we got Rundle, we were looking for as light as possible. Funny how tastes can change with time and experience. There actually ended up being a lot of variability in colour in the Lucy/Red litter. Summit was the second darkest female. Although she and the darkest female look quite similar in colour now. And I agree, my sister has an Irish setter, and he looks nothing like our goldens. Beautiful in his own right though.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit officially turned 4mos old yesterday! Ooh the time is flying. Summit did really well at her first tricks class! I was very impressed by her ability to stay focused and work with all the other dogs around. We have been practicing her new tricks everyday all week, and she's getting really good at all of them. Not quite to the point that she can do them on verbal command alone, but, I know that takes time and lots of repetition. She'll get there. 

Summit went for her second official bath. She actually showed a bit of hesitation this time at the groomers. And there isn't much that slows Summit in her tracks! Her next trip is just for a nail trim, and after that I am going to start bringing her and Rundle together at the same time. I'm hoping that having Rundle there with her will make her feel more comfortable. But, I know grooming is not the most fun for dogs no matter what you do. I have no concerns about the actual groomer herself. She is the sweetest person and loves my dogs! She was genuinely concerned for Rundle when she found out she was having a lump removed on her leg. 

This past week, Summit went for her first official big girl hike! She did a 7km hike with a 250m incline. She was an absolute champ, and didn't tire for even a second on the trail. Now that I know she can handle that, easily, this will open the doors to going on a lot more exploration outtings with her. I will still be selective on the length and intensity because of her developing bones. But, it's great to see her apt for hiking/exploring develop. Summit loves nothing more than when I put on her harness, or put her in the vehicle to go somewhere. She has associated those actions with good things! 

Summit has her second of 4 tricks classes tonight. And in MOST EXCITING news... she gets to start intro to agility this Friday. This dog soars! I think she is going to do amazing at agility! I cannot wait! 

A few photos from our adventures this week: 

Lounging









Gathering firewood









Neighbourhood explorations:

















Photos from our 7km hike:

















And crash!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Man, your posts make me miss new puppy days. I love the days of new experiences and teaching new things. Have fun at agility!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Man, your posts make me miss new puppy days. I love the days of new experiences and teaching new things. Have fun at agility!


I'm honestly having the best time this go around. With Rundle as a first time puppy parent, I was worried all the time. But, this time I'm able to sit back and enjoy it so much more. It's been great, and the time is flying by! I'm appreciating every age and stage with her.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit is 18 weeks! Just wow! She's only going to be a little pupperoni for a little while longer! We have been busy, busy, busy! 

During the week we have been getting out on lots of long walks through the neighbourhood, and making friends with the friendly neighbourhood dogs. Here they are with Lotus  









Summit had her second tricks class on Tuesday evening. Here you see her learning to wave! 









Summit and Rundle continue to be the best of buds.

















Summit had her first agility class. She impressed the teacher with her paws up and touch command. She is the tied for the youngest in the class, but, already has more commands them some of the other pups in the class. She continues to excel! 









She also met my friend's 12-year old Pomeranian mix this week. My friend could not get over how respectful Summit was of her older dog, and how well-mannered she is, in general! We're still working on that impulse control every day, but, when I look at how far ahead she is compared to other pups that are older than Summit, I know we're doing well. 









She remains a healthy, happy, active, confident pup. I'm excited to get more training time in with her this week. She only has 2 more tricks classes and then we'll probably try for her novice tricks title. Hopefully her registration paperwork gets sorted soon, so we can make it all official!


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## Lovin'Goldens (Feb 17, 2021)

3Pebs3 said:


> Summit is 18 weeks! Just wow! She's only going to be a little pupperoni for a little while longer! We have been busy, busy, busy!
> 
> During the week we have been getting out on lots of long walks through the neighbourhood, and making friends with the friendly neighbourhood dogs. Here they are with Lotus
> View attachment 881360
> ...


Great job to Summit and you! . She is a very smart pup! I love seeing her and Rundle grow up together!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, Summit is growing up so fast. 
Wonderful hearing all the activities she's involved in and how great she's doing.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

My little agility dog in the making!









Click here to see her first go tunnel!


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## Lovin'Goldens (Feb 17, 2021)

3Pebs3 said:


> My little agility dog in the making!
> View attachment 881371
> 
> 
> Click here to see her first go tunnel!


I love the picture and the video! I can’t wait to see where Summit is going to go in the future!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

The focus on her face in every photo is just so striking to me.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Lovin'Goldens said:


> I love the picture and the video! I can’t wait to see where Summit is going to go in the future!


Thank you! Me too!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> The focus on her face in every photo is just so striking to me.


She definitely has a lot of focus. And she really seems to enjoy training with me. We practice tricks in my basement, and the minute I open the door she comes running over to go downstairs because she is ready and wanting to work! I hope her enthusiasm and determination sticks because I think with those qualities, we can go far!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit is 19 weeks, and really starting to mature in her looks now. Overall, she's been such an easy pup! Because she's been so easy, the puppy time is flying by. We've increased her freedom even more, lately, giving her full access to our front room now. She did well, except she did find my spin shoes by the spin bike when we weren't home, and decided to give them a chew. She must have been missing her mom and could not resist giving my smelly workout shoes a bite! Thankfully, they are still usable, because they are expensive shoes. And, now they will be kept up on the shelf away from teething puppies. She's been left alone since this incident and has not bothered with anything else. 

Summit continues to impress with her sweet personality, and training. We did an off-leash walk with one of Rundle's therapy dog friends this week, and the other dog parent's couldn't get over how well Summit stayed close with the pack, and how good she was at getting re-leashed up. Summit has her last tricks class tonight. We learned so much over the past few weeks! I think we will film for our first tricks title this weekend. I am so excited to get our first title on her! 

Summit has had two agility classes so far. In her second agility class, we did wobble boards. She hadn't seen one since her first month home as a puppy and showed some hesitation with it. I'm not too worried because we eventually got Rundle to do the teeter, and Summit has quadruple the confidence that Rundle has... so I know we will get there with her too. In all other things she's been asked to do for the class, she is ahead of the curve. And she seems to be enjoying training overall. She is always excited to work with me. I think if we can keep up the positive energy together, all things will come with time and practice. We have 4 more weeks of agility classes, and I am already wondering what to do next. She cannot go up to the next level until she is 7 months. I'm wondering, do we do tricks class 2, competition obedience, or do we repeat intro agility to reinforce that learning. Any votes? 

Agility and Tricks Class Snaps: 
















Sisterly love:























Meeting Rundle's friends, slowly but, surely!









Still Momma's baby girl!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Love the pictures, they're great.
Summit is such a pretty girl and getting big way too fast.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Love the pictures, they're great.
> Summit is such a pretty girl and getting big way too fast.


She's really getting big now. I can hardly believe it when I look at her. It's just going by so fast!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Summit's looking so grown up. I love the photo of her and Rundle by the lake - that's a great one. 

Exciting to hear about her agility class! Do you have time to see how the next few weeks go with agility before signing up for the next class? I know classes fill up quickly nowadays with COVID and limited class sizes. If you feel like she needs more reinforcement at the end of intro agility, maybe the repeat agility course. But if not, and you're going to get the TKN and TKI, the tricks class could be useful. Are you thinking of doing competition obedience with her in the future, or mainly focusing on agility?


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Wow, the time IS flying. She is looking so much more grown up. Sounds like she has an awesome life.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Summit's looking so grown up. I love the photo of her and Rundle by the lake - that's a great one.
> 
> Exciting to hear about her agility class! Do you have time to see how the next few weeks go with agility before signing up for the next class? I know classes fill up quickly nowadays with COVID and limited class sizes. If you feel like she needs more reinforcement at the end of intro agility, maybe the repeat agility course. But if not, and you're going to get the TKN and TKI, the tricks class could be useful. Are you thinking of doing competition obedience with her in the future, or mainly focusing on agility?


I am thinking I'm going to wait until agility is done before signing up for anything new. So, I will probably be in a better position to make a decision at that time. If that means we go a little while without doing new classes, I think that's OK. We can reinforce what we've been learning over her 8 weeks of classwork. I definitely think we will continue on with her tricks titles. I am having a lot of fun working with her on the tricks. So, if there is one available, I would take tricks 2. My primary focus with Summit is agility. But, I could see us doing competition obedience too. I'm not sure how much is too much for us. Time will tell, I'm just excited right now!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Wow, the time IS flying. She is looking so much more grown up. Sounds like she has an awesome life.


Thanks so much! I really try my best to give my dogs fulfilling lives. Because I have a busy work schedule, sometimes I wonder if I am doing enough. But, they seem happy and well-adjusted. I just love them so much, I'm always wishing I could do more!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit is 20 weeks today! And boy was this past week a full one! Summit had her last tricks class this week. She is so good in classes. When we aren't working, she is laying calmly watching the instructor demo her dog (see below). I can hardly imagine that most 4.5 month-olds would be so attentive! She is a special one for sure! 










This weekend we videoed her tricks and sent them in for review. Summit officially earned her Novice Trick Dog Title! Click here to see some of Summit's tricks in action: 
Summit performing tricks for Novice title

Summit also went on her first big hike this week. She went a total of 10km! I'll probably wait until she's a bit older before going on such a long hike again. But, she absolutely kept up with the big dogs, and after a quick nap she was good to go again! 

























Summit showed a little of her mischievous side again this week getting into one of the toilet paper rolls while we were out to dinner. After catching her in the act a couple of times while we were at home after that... I THINK she knows that toilet paper is off limits. As great as Summit is, she is still a puppy and makes mistakes sometimes. But, there are far worse things she could chew on then a toilet paper roll. So, at the end of the day, we can just have a good laugh at her toilet paper moustache! LOL! Notice our older dog seems to be saying, "this is all you, kid." 









So, last week I was weighing the decision about what to do after intro agility. Well, the decision was made after Summit had her third agility class this week. She absolutely rocked it. She was the only one that picked up on how to sit and stay, and on command, run through the low jumps with me running beside her. Not only did she pick it up right away, she performed it consistently every time. The instructor said she will be ready to advance to agility level 1 after the next 3 classes. I was worried she wouldn't be mature physically enough for agility 1, but, the teacher assured they would just tailor all of the jumps etc. for her. So, that decided it! We have 3 more classes of intro agility, and will start agility 1 on April, 19th. As much as I am interested in other dog sports, it might be easier to focus my energy on learning one before dabbling into others. Between agility and tricks, Summit and I are quite busy. And one day, Rundle and I will be able to return to doing therapy work. So, I don't want to overfill my plate too much! I think the photo below really shows off Summit's agility potential!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Great photos! Glad to hear that she’s good to move on to the next agility class. She is on a roll. I also feel like it’s easier for the owner focusing on one venue at a time, at least for me... about half of it is training myself the ropes, versus training the dog lol.

She did great on her tricks novice, I like how you mixed some intermediate ones in there too. It’s fun how the tricks training can be mixed in here and there with more formal training. And it’s lots of fun searching for cool tricks to teach them.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Great photos! Glad to hear that she’s good to move on to the next agility class. She is on a roll. I also feel like it’s easier for the owner focusing on one venue at a time, at least for me... about half of it is training myself the ropes, versus training the dog lol.
> 
> She did great on her tricks novice, I like how you mixed some intermediate ones in there too. It’s fun how the tricks training can be mixed in here and there with more formal training. And it’s lots of fun searching for cool tricks to teach them.


You hit the nail on the head. I'm not so worried about Summit picking up multiple things as I am in my own ability to navigate multiple sports for the first time, at the same time. So, for now, I think I will focus my energy into agility - and hopefully next year we can start competing! 

Thank you! The more intermediate/advanced ones are not perfect yet. But, working ahead should make it easier to get the next titles. There's only so many things we can practice at home for agility. So, it is nice to have things we can work on at home through the week while waiting for the next agility class. I'm going to see how far we can get on our with tricks for the next little bit. But, might take tricks 2 in the winter - have some extra indoor activities to wear her out!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit officially turns 5 months old this week! These next couple of months are exciting because she's officially going to reach her full height. Right now, she is in the not quite a puppy, not quite a full size stage. Today, she officially lost her first canine tooth. Her canines looked hilariously small next to her adult incisors. But, now that one has made it's way out, I'm sure the adult ones will be on their way soon. Other than chewing on the 10 million chews I have in the house, she hasn't seemed all that bothered by her teeth, which is great! 

We continued to work on her tricks, and had another agility class this week. She was doing amazingly well, until with the extra time we had in class the teacher asked us to send our dogs through a straight and then a curved tunnel. Summit did the straight and curved tunnels on their own just fine, but, couldn't seem to combine them. Only 2 other dogs were in class this week, and they were both older. They both figured it out... so Summit was the only one that didn't do the combination. I said to the trainer that I was surprised because I really thought she would get it, and the trainer said, so did I? A few days later someone posted on FB how dog training is full of peaks and valleys. Last week, Summit was the class star, and this week, not so much. But, at only 5 months old, she's really doing great. And MOST importantly, she is having fun and enjoys being in class. One thing we need to work on at home is getting her comfortable with hanging out in the crate. She used to sleep in a crate at night, but doesn't anymore. And we never crate her through the day. She did not want to go into the crate at agility this week. So, crate games, in addition to trick training will be our focus until next class. 

The most stand-out memory for this week was taking Summit on her first hike really IN the mountains. We only did 3.5km, but, she was pooped afterwards from all the excitement and new smells. She's already great at being a mountain model. Can't wait to take many more photos of trail adventures this summer and into the future. 






























Hope everyone has a great week!


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## Lovin'Goldens (Feb 17, 2021)

Happy 5 month Birthday to Summit! She is almost at her half-bday!  

Summit is going to be a gorgeous girl when she reaches her full-size (not like she already isn't gorgeous though ). Keep up the great work with Summit and I hope you have a great week as well!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Lovin'Goldens said:


> Happy 5 month Birthday to Summit! She is almost at her half-bday!
> 
> Summit is going to be a gorgeous girl when she reaches her full-size (not like she already isn't gorgeous though ). Keep up the great work with Summit and I hope you have a great week as well!


Thank you! I definitely think she's gorgeous, and have loved watching her mature.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Love your posts! I will miss her puppy pics, but also looking forward to seeing what she looks like as a full grown dog.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Love your posts! I will miss her puppy pics, but also looking forward to seeing what she looks like as a full grown dog.


Thank you! It is bitter sweet for sure


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

With Covid cases rising again, I was worried agility would be shutdown again. Thankfully, my training facility found a way to stay open with the new regulations. They invited a photographer to take photos of the pups this week. I am so thankful to have these photos of Summit at the beginning of her agility journey. It will be so fun to compare them to her competition photos later. This week is Summit's last intro agility class, before starting agility Level one. So, excited to finish a chapter and start a new one in her agility journey! 












































A few snaps from her 5-month birthday:


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## CheekyPetz (Mar 16, 2021)

Great photos, Summit is a beautiful girl! Good luck with Agility 1!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CheekyPetz said:


> Great photos, Summit is a beautiful girl! Good luck with Agility 1!


Thanks so much!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Love this pic of Summit, she looks like she's full of it. 












Love this pic of Summit and Rundle-


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Love this pic of Summit, she looks like she's full of it.
> Love this pic of Summit and Rundle-


Thank you! Summit is such a ham. The two together are hilarious! Most of my photos were "bloopers". This one happened to work out. LOL!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thank you! Summit is such a ham. The two together are hilarious! Most of my photos were "bloopers". This one happened to work out. LOL!


Sometimes the "bloopers" are the best.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Where did your puppy gooooo??? She looks so grown up! Still love that serious, focused face.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Where did your puppy gooooo??? She looks so grown up! Still love that serious, focused face.


Still a pup, but, definitely looking a little more grown up these days. Starting to get an idea for how she'll look as an adult. She's a hard worker for sure!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

It's been a pretty exciting week! Summit and Rundle were selected to be reps for our local pet store. We will get a store discount and free product to test out over the next year! And any of their followers on their Facebook and Instagram can use their code to get a discount at the pet store, as well! I'm so proud of my girls. 
























While we were at the pet store this week, I finally decided to weigh Summit. She is currently sitting around 42lbs, which is basically the average weight for a five-month old. Sometimes I look at her and I think you're such a tiny puppy. And then other times I think, when did you get to be such a big girl? 








I'm becoming more and more convinced that she will be smaller than Rundle as an adult. But, it's so hard to know for sure. When I look back at Rundle's blog she was 42lbs at 6 months! She took a long time to catch up from being a smaller puppy, and having some stomach issues during her puppyhood. But, then she didn't stop, and now she is a lean 73lbs! At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. As long as everyone is healthy and happy! Here is Summit showing off her growing canines: 








Summit officially had her last intro agility class. She did so well on the obstacle course set up the last class. We're having so much fun!! We start her level one class tomorrow, and I cannot wait! We will likely have to repeat her level one class, while we are waiting for her to be old enough to start level two. But, that's OK. We will keep reinforcing those foundational skills, so that she will be solid as she advances! 








Work has been a little crazy, so I haven't done quite as much exploring this week as I would like. But, we did take a brief jaunt to the mountains yesterday, and the doggies loved it! I am so looking forward to May, when my schedule will lighten a bit. And even moreso looking forward to the summer. After this gorgeous sunny day we had yesterday, it's now snowing like crazy here again... At least today does not have me yearning to be outdoors.


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Congrats to Summit for finishing intro agility! I think that'll be great to do the class again. I keep hearing how key it is to nail down those foundations. Plus it'll be a new group of dogs in class, and good practice in focusing and filtering out distractions. Love the photo of her and Rundle in front of the wine bottle toys.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Congratulations to your girls being selected to be Reps at the local Pet store, I have a feeling you and the girls might be doing a lot of shopping... 

Enjoyed the great pictures, love this one-


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Congratulations to your girls being selected to be Reps at the local Pet store, I have a feeling you and the girls might be doing a lot of shopping...
> Enjoyed the great pictures, love this one-


LOL! We do a lot of shopping anyhow. But, this will only encourage our habits!! And thank you! I love taking photos of our adventures, but, sometimes it's the everyday photos that really warm the heart 💕


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit officially turned 6 months on Saturday! My mind is having a hard time grappling with the fact that she is 6 months. The time has absolutely flown by. This past month was a little tougher than others. She had two bouts of GI upset. One time was my fault - I put peanut butter inside her Kong, and it did not agree with her (too rich). And another time I think she ate a plant that upset her stomach. The first time we were able to get back on track with chicken and rice. The second time required GI food. But, no extra trips to the vet, so that's good. She's now back to normal bowel movements, and is a happy-go-lucky puppy! 

Unfortunately, things in Alberta have not been great re COVID numbers either. So, Summit's agility classes are temporarily stopped again for the next few weeks. So, I decided to start giving attention to her tricks again. She earned her Intermediate Tricks title on Saturday! We went for her advanced at the same time, but, we have a little bit more work to do for her to earn her advanced title. Nonetheless, I am super excited by her progress. I would love for her to eventually get her Grand Champion Tricks title. We'll keep working away at it. I enrolled her in an online tricks course for the next few weeks during lockdowns to help earn her Advanced and Expert Trick titles. 

Otherwise, we have mostly just been getting out for mini adventures around home. Rundle and Summit play like crazy with each other everyday. They love when doggy friends stop by the house, so they can play in the field behind our house. Rundle and Summit are enjoying endorsing products each week for their local pet store. And I'm hoping for some nicer weather this coming weekend, so that we can have some more mountain adventures soon. 

Now for some pictures!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, I can't believe Summit is 6 months already too. 
She's such a pretty girl, love seeing her with Rundle, they seem like they are very bonded. 

Sorry to hear about her agility classes being temporarily on hold, hope it doesn't last too long.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great pictures, I can't believe Summit is 6 months already too.
> She's such a pretty girl, love seeing her with Rundle, they seem like they are very bonded.
> 
> Sorry to hear about her agility classes being temporarily on hold, hope it doesn't last too long.


Thank you! Yes, Rundle and Summit are two peas in a pod. I think it's so cute when we are away from home, and I check the security cameras to find them cuddling on the same bed rather than sleeping in their own bed, which are side-by-side.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

3Pebs3 said:


> Thank you! Yes, Rundle and Summit are two peas in a pod. I think it's so cute when we are away from home, and I check the security cameras to find them cuddling on the same bed rather than sleeping in their own bed, which are side-by-side.



Awwww........


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Congrats on the new title! Summit is getting so pretty. Too bad about the pause on classes but it sounds like you guys are making the most of your extra training time.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I always love your photos. I hope if you ever head my way (if this pandemic ever ends...) you'll let me know so I can hire you to photograph Shala! You get great action shots and calmer moments alike. Also can't believe your girl is already six months old!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> I always love your photos. I hope if you ever head my way (if this pandemic ever ends...) you'll let me know so I can hire you to photograph Shala! You get great action shots and calmer moments alike. Also can't believe your girl is already six months old!


Aww! Thank you so much! During non-pandemic times, I do tend to make it out your way fairly often. So, I will for sure let you know. And would happily photograph your pups for free! I'm not a professional photographer, so it wouldn't seem right to charge anyone for my hobby photo-taking. And it would be fun to meet up! Looking forward to the end of COVID-19!!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Oh wow! Look how grown up she is getting! And I can't believe she's 6 months either.... I'm loving her photos, the one in front of the window is particularly pretty - I am a sucker for good lighting. I'm so sorry that Covid has derailed your agility class but SUPER proud of you for the attitude of regrouping and focusing on the tricks skills. I have to think that although it wasn't your original plan you will eventually recognize a LOT of benefits to the way you went, focusing on teaching her how to learn and work with you in different ways than the path you intended. Such a great thing to cross train. I love your updates, keep them coming


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

nolefan said:


> Oh wow! Look how grown up she is getting! And I can't believe she's 6 months either.... I'm loving her photos, the one in front of the window is particularly pretty - I am a sucker for good lighting. I'm so sorry that Covid has derailed your agility class but SUPER proud of you for the attitude of regrouping and focusing on the tricks skills. I have to think that although it wasn't your original plan you will eventually recognize a LOT of benefits to the way you went, focusing on teaching her how to learn and work with you in different ways than the path you intended. Such a great thing to cross train. I love your updates, keep them coming


The one by the window is a favourite of mine too  
This post just made me glow. Thank you for all of the positive feedback! I'm really enjoying training Summit. And certainly one hand feeds the other. I am sure we'll make a return to agility in a few weeks, an even better team than when we left it!  
Thanks again!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

3Pebs3 said:


> Aww! Thank you so much! During non-pandemic times, I do tend to make it out your way fairly often. So, I will for sure let you know. And would happily photograph your pups for free! I'm not a professional photographer, so it wouldn't seem right to charge anyone for my hobby photo-taking. And it would be fun to meet up! Looking forward to the end of COVID-19!!


Oh, me too! What an awful couple of months it's been in both of our provinces. Looking forward to you being able to come out this way and meeting you all!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Oooh! It's been a fun couple of weeks! Summit is 6.5 months and 46lbs. You can really see her face and body maturing now. With the nicer weather coming, we finally took her and Rundle to Rundle's favourite lake for a swim. She was a little nervous the first time, but, by the second time she was diving into the water to retrieve sticks. She is 100% going to be water crazy just like her sister. My husband and I have started to take the dogs on small weekly, hikes. We've seen some pretty cool places so far. I'm really liking going on these family outtings, and I hope we continue it as often as we can. 

I'm starting the process of getting all of Summit's clearances together. I ordered Summit's Embark test. I'm excited for it to get here, and to see the results. We're still working towards her advanced trick title. I'm amazed at how much she enjoys working with me. She tries really hard... we just need to focus that puppy brain. Speaking of puppy brain, she decided she wanted her harness off in the back of the car, and chewed through it! I guess collars and harnesses will be coming off in the car from now on, at least until she is a little more mature! Thankfully the harness was Rundle's old one, so it had seen a lot of life already. 

Next weekend we will be home-bound as my husband is going on a camping trip, and I will be babysitting my friends Pomeranian. But, hopefully I can get some good shots of the dogs playing together. Hope you all have a great week! 

Look at this beautiful girl! 









Did someone say lake? 









Look at Summit go! 









Grassi Lakes Trail

















Heart Creek Trail


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

They are BOTH so beautiful. And what a great life they have. They must just love swimming and romping together.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> They are BOTH so beautiful. And what a great life they have. They must just love swimming and romping together.


Oh thank you! I didn't mean to undersell Rundle's beauty. I just focus on Summit because this is her thread. Rundle is definitely beautiful, and special in her own right. Rundle and Summit are different from one another, and I love different things about them, equally. We try our best to give them both big and full lives. I love to see their excitement when we hit the lake and explore new places. Or when they gets treats, or new bones to chew. Bringing happiness to my dogs is one of my life's greatest joys.


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

These photos are just a breath of fresh air.

Looking at the pics, I was thinking you could film a ridiculously gorgeous trick dog performer video out in the mountains if you ever decided to. Including Summit walking on an elevated platform/log as a trick. Maybe a water retrieve. So many possibilities!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, beautiful area.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

I love the photos! Such sweet dogs and gorgeous scenery. I’m sorry about agility being temporarily stopped. I hope it starts back up for y’all soon.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> These photos are just a breath of fresh air.
> 
> Looking at the pics, I was thinking you could film a ridiculously gorgeous trick dog performer video out in the mountains if you ever decided to. Including Summit walking on an elevated platform/log as a trick. Maybe a water retrieve. So many possibilities!


Thank you! That's an awesome idea. A goal for in the future when she can do more tricks reliably at a distance! 



CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great pictures, beautiful area.


Thank you! I love Alberta! 



diane0905 said:


> I love the photos! Such sweet dogs and gorgeous scenery. I’m sorry about agility being temporarily stopped. I hope it starts back up for y’all soon.


Thanks so much! I hope so too! In the meantime we are working on core skills at home.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

3Pebs3 said:


> Oh thank you! I didn't mean to undersell Rundle's beauty. I just focus on Summit because this is her thread.


Oh, I know you didn't! Not to worry!  I was just responding to your photos. You are so lucky to be where you are, so close to so many big open spaces to hike and swim with your dogs.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Well, it's been a wild almost 3wks! Back a couple of weeks ago, we ended up having an extra house guest leading up to the weekend. My neighbours 12yr old ended up having to have emergency surgery (she is doing great and made a full recovery), but, she asked me to take her 10 month old golden for a couple of days, while she got her older girl settled. Zoey and Summit are good friends, but, it was absolute chaos. The first day they would not stop playing or settle down until super later in the night. And then that night was Zoey's first time away from home, so, she had a little trouble settling and woke me up super early. Then the non-stop playing ensued. They played so much and so hard that they ended up exhausting themselves, and then the tiff's started. I had to break up a few arguments between the girls. This led to me having to force quiet time, and time by themselves outside to go potty. All ended well, and Zoey went home. Then our other visitor arrived, an older Pomeranian, and things were fine from then. Summit and Zoey have since played with each other again, and are still friends. So, it was literally just a case of "too much." This gave me more reason to believe it is a good thing to space dogs apart by a few years. I have never had an issue with Rundle and Summit's play.

Summit has gotten to go on some more adventures. She is really taking to swimming/retrieving in water now, just like her big sister. And she also LOVES to go on hikes and explore new places. We're hoping to head somewhere tonight too, so expect more great pictures in your future!

However, this might be our last hike for a couple of weeks. Because as it turns out, Rundle's annual check-up revealed a couple more lumps. She will have them removed on Monday, and will need two weeks to recover, until her stitches can be removed. Please keep your fingers crossed for Rundle that all lumps are benign!

In other news, Summit turned 7 months this week. And she earned her Advanced Tricks Title! We're going to keep working toward achieving her Expert title next. Agility starts up again on Monday, and I am so excited to get back to her regular training schedule. I really have seen her mature since agility was stopped a few weeks ago due to COVID, so I am excited to see how she does once we return to class. That's all for now


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Great photos! Congratulations on the advanced tricks title. I took a long break since intermediate, but we are now ready except Logan refuses to flip the treat from his nose and catch it in the air. 😅 I need to look up the list and pick another.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

diane0905 said:


> Great photos! Congratulations on the advanced tricks title. I took a long break since intermediate, but we are now ready except Logan refuses to flip the treat from his nose and catch it in the air. 😅 I need to look up the list and pick another.


Thank you  And I hear you! I could not get Summit to hold her bow for 4 seconds. She is just too excited to get the treat. So, we had to find an alternate trick for advanced too. I've picked out a bunch for Expert. We'll see what works out.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I wish we could "love" posts instead of just liking them. Great photos, as always. Glad to hear your neighbour is okay and I am crossing my fingers for Rundle. Hopefully they are just benign lipomas.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> I wish we could "love" posts instead of just liking them. Great photos, as always. Glad to hear your neighbour is okay and I am crossing my fingers for Rundle. Hopefully they are just benign lipomas.


Thank you! The one is on her back leg. We knew about it going in. It's very likely the same thing she had on her front leg. So, with clean margins, hopefully we will be in the clear. The second one is on her chest near her armpit. We actually didn't know about it, the vet found it. It's semi squishy, moveable, hopefully/likely a lipoma. But, the vet couldn't tell for sure because of the location. So, once it's removed on Monday, we'll know whether or not it needs to be sent off for testing. I'm really hoping for the best, and also hoping that this is the last of it for awhile! Rundle is only 6.5 and this will be her 3rd procedure to remove lumps.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Sending all of my positive thoughts. Three procedures for your 6 year old is so not fair. It sounds like you have a really good and proactive vet. Really hoping all goes well.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Sending all of my positive thoughts. Three procedures for your 6 year old is so not fair. It sounds like you have a really good and proactive vet. Really hoping all goes well.


Thank you, and I agree! It's not fair at all to my sweet girl. I do have a great vet. However, I am also a big advocate for my dogs. I would say that our vet tends to lean towards the less invasive, cost-saving approach with her treatments. A few months ago when we first found a lump on Rundle's leg, she first suggested "waiting and seeing." But, after feeling it, and reading about various types of lumps, and having my suspicions that it was a soft tissue sarcoma, I pushed to have it removed and tested. Sure enough, they found some spindle cells. Had we given it more time, it likely would have formed into a full blown sarcoma, invading more of the tissue, muscle and bone. The vet said I was right to have it removed when I did. That's why when I found the one on her back leg this time, we're not messing around, and getting it cut out again early, before damage can ensue. The one on her chest was a surprise! The vet found that one. It seems pretty squishy, moveable though, so I am fairly confident that it is just a lipoma. Fingers crossed! But, with goldens it seems - when it doubt, cut it out. And as much as I hate putting Rundle through procedure after procedure, the alternative could be much worse. This will be another long two weeks. Again, hoping this will be the last lump we need to remove for awhile! Thank you for your positive thoughts and wishes!


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Summit looks so beautiful in that first photo. Swimming looks like fun too - wish we could do it more often.

Congrats on the TKA - that is wonderful. We started training for it with Ella but once the pup came we took a break. You guys are making lots of progress on tricks!

Thinking of Rundle. Sounds stressful having to check out new lumps and bumps. Hope the path is benign.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Summit is officially 8 months today! It's hard to believe that she will only be on the puppy forum for another 4 months! The past few weeks have been very busy for us, but, I am returning to the forum with lots of good news! 

First off, the results of Rundle's tests came back. The lump on her chest is just a lipoma, and the lump on her leg was a fibrolipoma. No, cancer cells in site! They removed the lump off her back leg, but, left the on her chest because it was not well formed, and they likely would not have gotten clear margins. We can remove it at a future date if needed. One week after Rundle's surgery, however, we had to go back to the vet because she had busted her stitches open. Turns out that she had been licking the area too much overnight when we were not monitoring her, and it was becoming infected and weepy. After giving us heck, the vet fixed Rundle's leg up, and we had to be strict about keeping a cone on her anytime we didn't have eyes on her. Of all the times Rundle needed surgery this was the first time she HAD to wear a cone - so, you can see why I didn't enforce it before. But, after this complication, we were diligent. She is now cone free, and her leg is all healed up. We just have to wait for her fur to grow back in now. Rundle is completely ready to enjoy the rest of her summer! Another thing we learned from this experience is that the spindle cells found in the lump on her front leg were probably localized and a one-off. We will be less aggressive in our approach with future leg lumps, and aspirate them first, before jumping to removal. Even better would be if no more lumps occurred for some time or ever! Cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to see my girl healthy, and all healed up! 

In other news, we got Summit's Embark test results back. She is free and clear of the 200+ health genes they screen for. Not a carrier of anything! Couldn't be more excited for these results. Next I will be looking to schedule an appointment with the cardiologist when she is one year to obtain her heart clearance. I have absolutely no concerns that she will pass that with flying colours too. 

Other updates are that we bought a trailer! We will take her for her maiden voyage with the dogs this weekend. The trailer will be so helpful for our plans to camp, hike, and go to national and international competition with the dogs. Summit has started a new class of agility (a grade one/two split class). And even though she is not officially a grade two because she is still too young... she is performing the best in her class. Couldn't be prouder! We were on vacation last week, and it was our first time away from Summit for a long period. But, both dogs did great with their sitter! We loved being in Tofino, BC so much that we have booked another trip, and plan to take the dogs there with us later this summer. I cannot wait to share those photos with you! I think that's all for now. I didn't take many photos the past few weeks because we couldn't do as much as we were dealing with Rundle's leg + we were away. But, after camping etc. my next post should have some real beauties!!


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

So much good news and I absolutely love these photos. I'm glad all is going so well!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

diane0905 said:


> So much good news and I absolutely love these photos. I'm glad all is going so well!!


Thank you 🥰


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## rosegold (Nov 9, 2016)

Awesome news for Rundle! Super exciting about the trailer. Can't wait to hear about Summit’s agility progress going forward.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great update about Rundle and Summit, enjoyed the pictures, they both look great.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

rosegold said:


> Awesome news for Rundle! Super exciting about the trailer. Can't wait to hear about Summit’s agility progress going forward.





CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great update about Rundle and Summit, enjoyed the pictures, they both look great.


Thank you both! 💕


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## A Golden to love (Mar 6, 2021)

3Pebs3 said:


> Well, it's been a wild almost 3wks! Back a couple of weeks ago, we ended up having an extra house guest leading up to the weekend. My neighbours 12yr old ended up having to have emergency surgery (she is doing great and made a full recovery), but, she asked me to take her 10 month old golden for a couple of days, while she got her older girl settled. Zoey and Summit are good friends, but, it was absolute chaos. The first day they would not stop playing or settle down until super later in the night. And then that night was Zoey's first time away from home, so, she had a little trouble settling and woke me up super early. Then the non-stop playing ensued. They played so much and so hard that they ended up exhausting themselves, and then the tiff's started. I had to break up a few arguments between the girls. This led to me having to force quiet time, and time by themselves outside to go potty. All ended well, and Zoey went home. Then our other visitor arrived, an older Pomeranian, and things were fine from then. Summit and Zoey have since played with each other again, and are still friends. So, it was literally just a case of "too much." This gave me more reason to believe it is a good thing to space dogs apart by a few years. I have never had an issue with Rundle and Summit's play.
> 
> Summit has gotten to go on some more adventures. She is really taking to swimming/retrieving in water now, just like her big sister. And she also LOVES to go on hikes and explore new places. We're hoping to head somewhere tonight too, so expect more great pictures in your future!
> 
> ...


Great pics of two beautiful dogs


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

A Golden to love said:


> Great pics of two beautiful dogs


Thank you💖


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I loved reading this today!!

Such amazing news about Rundle. As I am now going through a similar thing myself right now with Shala, I could so relate to your joy and relief that neither lump was cancerous. What a huge relief. And I can tell you for free - Shala will totally be a cone head for at least a week, if not more, after her surgery. She definitely fusses with wounds of any kind, whether it was her spay or just a ripped toe nail. She will also have a bald hip for the rest of the summer, but I know it will all grow back eventually! 

And of course Summit is the class star! I'm not surprised at all. Your trailer sounds amazing - the dogs will love it. I love travelling with my dog and you have so many great outdoor places to explore out there. Sounds so great! Enjoy.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> I loved reading this today!!
> 
> Such amazing news about Rundle. As I am now going through a similar thing myself right now with Shala, I could so relate to your joy and relief that neither lump was cancerous. What a huge relief. And I can tell you for free - Shala will totally be a cone head for at least a week, if not more, after her surgery. She definitely fusses with wounds of any kind, whether it was her spay or just a ripped toe nail. She will also have a bald hip for the rest of the summer, but I know it will all grow back eventually!
> 
> And of course Summit is the class star! I'm not surprised at all. Your trailer sounds amazing - the dogs will love it. I love travelling with my dog and you have so many great outdoor places to explore out there. Sounds so great! Enjoy.


Have been following along Shala's jouney, and I am too glad that she got positive news yesterday! Lumps in goldens are always scary. Thankfully Rundle at 6.5yrs old is still going strong, and cancer free. We hope to keep it that way! And in the future, we won't mess around... Rundle will just have to live with the cone. Temporary pain for faster healing! 
It's so great to see how well Summit is doing with her training. She was born for this! 
We're taking the dogs and the trailer out tomorrow. So excited!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

So, this last post has been a long time coming. I got unbelievably busy with work August - November end. While I was still making time for the dogs, I have no extra time for sharing here. In short, Summit is doing amazingly well! Summit turned one-year on November 8th. We survived her first heat, which happened in October, so, she is officially a woman now! In addition to her genetic testing that I already shared about, we have also done her OFA Advanced Cardiac testing, and OFA eye clearance. We've gotten the all clear with everything so far, so we just have the OFA hips and elbows left to do once she's two, and annual eye tests after that. We thought the Embark genetic test was so cool, we actually did it on our other golden, Rundle, as well. She was also genetically all clear, and not a carrier for anything! 

Training wise, Summit has not gotten further than her Advanced Trick Dog title, as of yet. I was too busy with work to really focus on tricks, and decided I wanted to include her weaves as part of her Expert trick title. Summit will be learning weaves next month, in a weave-focused agility class. We have continued with Summit's agility training. She is currently in grade 3. She knows all of the equipment now, except for weaves. So, most of our training focus now is on handling and equipment discrimination. She still shows a little bit of hesitation on the teeter. My plan is to get my husband to build a teeter, so we can practice it more at home, and really build up that confidence. I plan on entering her into her first NADAC trial in March. Once she's old enough, we'll likely compete in AAC and CKC, as well. I'm really putting my energy into agility for now. One day, I may branch out into other dog sports. But, I am realizing it takes a lot of time and money for training and competing. So, particularly while I am first learning it seems easier to focus on one thing, for now. 

Summit and Rundle continue to get on great together. It's been amazing seeing their relationship blossom over the last year. We used to worry that Rundle would have difficulty with sharing attention, but, that has not been the case at all. And rather nicely, Rundle has always been more of a Daddy's girl, and Summit is more of a Momma's girl. So, during couch-time, we each have a dog to snuggle with now 💕. Despite being really busy, I've tried to take the girls out for some fun mountain adventures... we didn't get to go, as much as I would have liked, but, thankfully, we will have years to explore together! And Summit's bones will be fully developed next summer, so that also opens a lot of doors re hiking. Unfortunately, we discovered last month that Rundle has early-onset arthritis in both her elbows. So, Rundle's big hiking days are over. We have her on a good regime, so she doesn't seem to be in pain. And with preventative NSAIDs, she can still join on shorter, easier hikes with the family. Rundle doesn't want to slow down, but, we'll do our best to protect those joints, so she can still live a long and comfortable life with us. Rundle will be 7 on December 20th. 

So, since Summit is one-year now, she is graduating out of this puppy space. I don't think I have the capacity to blog regularly, so, if you would like to keep up with Rundle's and Summit's adventures you can follow us either on Instagram or Facebook: Login • Instagram or Accedi o iscriviti per visualizzare

Thank you for all of your encouragement and support over the last year! I can't wait to see what Summit and I will achieve together, and what future adventures we will take. She has been the perfect addition to our home. She truly has made our family complete 💙


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Happy 1st Birthday to Summit, great to hear how wonderful she's doing. 

Love the pictures, they're fantastic!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Happy 1st Birthday to Summit, great to hear how wonderful she's doing.
> 
> Love the pictures, they're fantastic!


Thank you! It's cool to look back on these threads and see the changes over time. 💕


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

Those pictures are great!!! You live in such a pretty area.

I can’t believe Rundle is 7!! That’s crazy!! Kaizer has some possible early arthritis in his knees (of all places) too. It just doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since they were puppies.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Great photos and happy birthday!!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

aesthetic said:


> Those pictures are great!!! You live in such a pretty area.
> 
> I can’t believe Rundle is 7!! That’s crazy!! Kaizer has some possible early arthritis in his knees (of all places) too. It just doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since they were puppies.


Thank you! The years flew by. I can't believe it either!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks for the great update! I love hearing all your Summit and Rundle news, though I'm sorry about the arthritis. Has she shown any pain? If you have access, water treadmill therapy is amazing for helping them to maintain and build muscle and keep the joints in good shape. (Shala has Gr. 1 elbow dysplasia/degenerative joint disease in both elbows - not sure how similar it is). She also takes Dasuquin daily, along with Omega-3 capsules, and she was on a monthly show of Cartrophen, but we had to give that up with the cancer diagnosis (it prompts cell growth which is good for maintaining joints, but not good if trying to inhibit cancer growth). Anyway, I put that all there because it has all been successful in the prevention arena as Shala has never shown any sign of pain from her elbows. I hope it can be the same for Rundle. 

Good news about all of Summit's tests! I can't believe she is a year old already. Even if you have no time to write, please dump a few of your amazing photos on us every so often if you can. They are so beautiful!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Thanks for the great update! I love hearing all your Summit and Rundle news, though I'm sorry about the arthritis. Has she shown any pain? If you have access, water treadmill therapy is amazing for helping them to maintain and build muscle and keep the joints in good shape. (Shala has Gr. 1 elbow dysplasia/degenerative joint disease in both elbows - not sure how similar it is). She also takes Dasuquin daily, along with Omega-3 capsules, and she was on a monthly show of Cartrophen, but we had to give that up with the cancer diagnosis (it prompts cell growth which is good for maintaining joints, but not good if trying to inhibit cancer growth). Anyway, I put that all there because it has all been successful in the prevention arena as Shala has never shown any sign of pain from her elbows. I hope it can be the same for Rundle.
> 
> Good news about all of Summit's tests! I can't believe she is a year old already. Even if you have no time to write, please dump a few of your amazing photos on us every so often if you can. They are so beautiful!


Oh thank you! I really do love taking photos of my girls. They are great models! 
As per Rundle, what happened was she had a bulge that formed around her wrist that I had my eye on. It didn't seem to be growing rapidly. Nor did it seem to be bother her at all. So, I decided I would wait to ask about it at her next vet visit. But, then one day while I was playing fetch with both Rundle and Summit... I was looking down to pick up the ball for Summit, and when I looked up, Rundle was returning to me, limping on the same leg she had the wrist bulge. Well, that was it for me, I was off to the vet the next morning to get it looked at. The vet examined the leg, and felt crunchiness in her elbows. That combined with the wrist bulge she recommended we x-ray the legs to get a firm diagnosis. X-ray revealed arthritis in the elbows. But, the wrist bulge was actually just scar tissue from her lump removals earlier in the year. So, all-in-all, nothing overly concerning, just management from here on out. She is on daily cosequin. Monthly cartrophen injections. And we have a bottle of metacam at home to either give her as a preventative (for really active days), or treatment if she is showing signs of pain. Her limp went away within a day with the injection and Metacam. And we have only had to give her Metacam one other time in the last month for pain. So, she doesn't seem to be too bothered by her elbows as of yet, and sure has a lot of pep in her day-to-day. We will of course adjust her treatment plan, as needed going forward. Hoping we will be able to keep her happy, healthy and comfortable for many more years yet!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Sounds like a great plan to keep her healthy and pain-free for as long as possible! It is quite amazing what they can do for arthritis these days. My last girl had a limp and x-rays showed no cartilege left in both wrists. I put her on a daily NSAID - and it was like magic. She never limped again and was able to run and play ball until she got sick at the end of her life. So glad there was a chance for preventative care for Rundle, too, along with the NSAID. Good luck!


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Good luck!


Can I just say how much I love your girls' registered names! OMG! SO CUTE!!!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

3Pebs3 said:


> Can I just say how much I love your girls' registered names! OMG! SO CUTE!!!


Aw, thank you! My first girl came from a train loving breeder, and so his first litter was train themed. Tesia was the darkest girl in the litter (though not quite red!) and I immediately just thought, Little Red Caboose. It's a good thing it worked because I would have had a hard time coming up with anything else about trains! 😄

And Shala's came from Barb mentioning at one point that she called Tito (Shala's dad) the spud stud, because he was such a couch potato. And then we started referring to the new baby puppies as Tito Tots (tater tots). Someone kiddingly said we should make the litter potato themed... and a few of us did! She has a brother who is Hot Potato and I think there might be one other potato pup, too. I always love being at hunt tests and such when they announce who titled, and among all the cool, tough hunt dog names, there is my Sweet Potato Pie. It usually elicits a few, "aaaawww"s.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Aw, thank you!


The stories of HOW you came up with the names are just as great as the names themselves. Excited for the day when I become a golden breeder and see all the great names the families come up with!


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