AugieDoggy.com
Just chew it!
Augustus
Welcome to the website of a golden retriever named Augustus. Join us as we document his growth from a tiny pup to a handsome adult. We'll share pictures and stories and hope you'll come by often to see how Augie is doing. We have also included a bit about Gretchen, our first doggy who was with us for almost 14 wonderful years. And now... Augie has a new brother to write about too! Be sure to check out page two to read about the latest adventures of Augie and the pup.
Augie was born on June 12th, 2006 in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He had three fuzzy brothers and two fuzzy sisters and two gorgeous parents. Now he has two gorgeous human parents 
and two cute (but less fuzzy) human sisters. Augie loves his sisters and finds they are handy when extra seating is needed. They also function as pillows.
Augie spends his days eating, napping, and combing the floor for Polly Pocket heads that have lost their way. Sometimes he finds a particularly good pebble or leaf to eat outside, but his mean mother usually takes it away. Doesn't she understand the value of good, natural fiber?? Not that there is any problem in that particular department, but still! What a partypooper. (Party "pooper"... get it? Ha ha)
Boy Wonder does like a good bone to chew on. US-made rawhide is his favorite, but that may be because he hasn't gotten anything else. Actually, that's not true, as he does have an enormous sterilized cow femur when that urge to gnaw on other animals' parts strikes. He rejects those plastic Nylabones, though, as any red-blooded American dog would do.
What about toys, you ask? Poor dog doesn't have ANY. He has to entertain himself by chasing his shadow or watching grass grow. OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. Augie may have one or two (dozen) toys, but it's not like he gets a new one every day. Two or three new ones a week, TOPS.
See the green ball? It's 14 years old! It was the first doggy ball we ever bought, right before we brought Gretchen home. Now Augie loves it too. I think we got our money's worth out of that one.
Augie Is a Model!
A pet portrait artist, Barbara Martorana, asked to use one of Augie's photographs to create an original drawing that would be used to make limited edition prints. The proceeds from the sales will be donated to a golden retriever rescue group. Interested in buying a print and helping out doggies in need? Visit Barbara's site at http://www.martoranawellness.com/Rescue.html and click on the "rescue" tab for more information. Signed and numbered prints of "Innocence" are $28.00 plus shipping and handling and can be purchased via Paypal or check.
Original Photo Barbara's Illustration
The Forbidden Zone
Every house has one. Every dog finds a way to breach it. Gates are powerless against its lure. Yes, it is that place called... The Forbidden Zone.
Ripping fringe from the area rug Trying to act like he always naps here
Augie Has A Play Date!
Augie won't be fully vaccinated until 16 weeks, so he has been patiently waiting for his friend Rocky to get all his shots so that he could come over to play. Finally the big day arrived! Here are some pictures of Rocky as a baby, and today at about 4 months:
Isn't he a cutie?? The play date went pretty well, although *someone* who shall remain nameless was overly excited and lacking in the finer social graces. We tried to explain that chasing your guest around at 70 mph while panting and grunting isn't exactly the height of good manners, but it fell on deaf ears. Just for the record, one should not burp loudly in a guest's face, either.
The last picture is Augie after Rocky went home. He stayed in that position for several hours.
Walking Weekend!
One of the most exciting days in a puppy's life has got to be when he has gotten all his shots and is given the green light to go out and about. Augie couldn't believe it when his mom put on his leash and walked him out of his front yard. He had a look on his face like, "Huh?? We are going... where??" He was a bit wary at first, what with all the scary trees and mailboxes laying in wait to attack him, but soon he became more confident and was pulling... er, walking like a champ. After a few walks around the neighborhood, the next order of business was a trip to the local Petsmart. For those who don't know, Petsmart is basically a pet supply store, although they do sell some rodents, fish, and other assorted critters. Augie had a grand ol' time perusing the aisles and testing out the various toys. He was a big hit with the other customers, and made lots of new doggy friends--except for a cranky greyhound who was there for an adoption event and growled at him. Hrmphhh. The nerve.
Now, no weekend would be complete without a trip to the park. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day. Augie got to see ducks for the first time and discovered that, yes, green duck poop is quite tasty. Sort of like the canine equivalent of pâté de foie gras, but without all that bothersome preparation time. Other tasty items included leaves, rocks, clumps of grass, gum, and someone's used tissue.
Augie Wins!
We entered Augie's picture in a monthly photo contest sponsored by Frosty Paws Frozen Dessert for Dogs. We entered at the beginning of the month, and they don't judge until a week into the following month, so we had to wait a looooooooooooooong time for the results. We kept asking, "When is Frosty Paws going to notify us that we won?!?" After all, who is cuter than Augie?? Well, HE WON! We proudly give you the winner of the November 2006 Frosty Paws Photo Contest, Mr. Augustus:
Augie's prize is 24 boxes of Frosty Paws! He is one lucky dog. Now if only we could figure out how to get him to pick winning lottery numbers, we'd be all set.
Augie Meets His Sister!
We recently found out that Augie's sister, Macey, lives a few minutes away in the next town! Her owner brought her over for a play date--wow, they could be twins--same coloring, same fur pattern, same cute face. The two pups hadn't seen each other since they were 7 weeks old. Did they remember each other? Probably not, but they sure had lots of doggy fun. Augie was so exhausted that he slept for the rest of the afternoon after Macey went home. Want a sweet, calm puppy? Invite his sister over to play
Macey is the one with the blue tag:
Another Play Date with Rocky
Augie and Rocky had their second play date together. They hadn't seen each other in about 3 months, so poor Rocky must have been thinking, "Holy cow, does this one ever stop growing?!?" He has gotten to be such a beautiful sheltie. We let them run outside for a while, then took them for a long walk together...all in the hopes of burning off some energy so that they wouldn't be maniacs in the house. Well that was a nice little fantasy while it lasted. Augie was pretty much the instigator in some wild chase games (no surprise there), but he still had the greatest time.
You can't buy loyalty, they say
I bought it though, the other day;
You can't buy friendship, tried and true,
But just the same, I bought that too.
I made my bid, and on the spot
Bought love and faith and a whole job lot
Of happiness, so all in all
The purchase price was pretty small
I bought a single trusting heart,
That gave devotion from the start
If you think these things are not for sale,
Buy a brown-eyed puppy with a wagging tail. 
Author Unknown
Golden Retriever Play Group
We started a golden retriever play group so that Augie could have lots of other goldens to play with. Here are some pictures from the first meeting:
Augie Graduates
Augie graduated intermediate obedience class and was class valedictorian 
He was also valedictorian of beginner class--yay! For his test he had to do stand with stay, heel (turn right, turn left, about face, hurry, slow), wait at a moderate distance, and go to his place with distance, distraction, and duration. Here is the graduate:
And now we have an advanced class graduate! For his test, Augie had to walk side by side with another dog and not interact, demonstrate loose leash walking with transitions to heeling, ignore distractions, stand for examination, and drop. Here is the graduate posing with his friend Socko:
Dog Park Fun
We took Augie to a very pretty dog park in Saline, MI. He met three little (but fast!) friends: the rat terriors, Trixie and Oreo, and Maddy, a white ball of fluff.
