PUPPY GET-TOGETHER (24/02/2013):

Lurasia had a "puppy get-together" for all the pups from litters from Lurasia after 2011, which missed out on the 10 year Lurasia reunion. We had an animal behaviourist, Nancy Pringle-Fouche (also a Lurasia puppy owner), on site to answer any questions and help with training and behaviour related questions. The dogs had a swim and there was an obstacle course to test our canine's wit. Everyone had so much fun, that we decided to make this an annual event. Looking forward to seeing all the new puppy owners there in future. Thank you again to Eukanuba and Hills for sponsoring some gifts for the day.

Says Pippa Green - Owner Mojo and Ruby (Lurasia Goldens):

It was a golden reunion, but not a human one. Rather in colour: a sea of copper, blonde and golden tails and legs weaving through Lurasia’s garden. This was the second Golden Retriever reunion that Monica Lloyd, who runs Lurasia, had convened for her “offspring”. This year, a total of 22 golden retrievers, accompanied by ten of their people, regathered at their birthplace, Lurasia, in the warmth of a late summer day. Many were young dogs born in 2012.

Among those born in 2012 were Ozzie, Ruby, Minki, Karoo, Shalom, Blue and Amber. Injuries did not dampen their fun. One, Ruby, had broken her leg just the month before but managed to engage eagerly with her “stable-mates”. And three new puppies were collected on the day.

Older dogs were there too: Monica’s own eight retrievers, and another seven older companions. Apart from a few bristles and barks around the steps of the pool, the dogs managed to find an easy equilibrium with each other. “They are very sociable animals,” says Nancy Pringle-Fouche, an Equine and Canine behaviourist, who attended the event with her own retriever, Lika. “They are not aggressive; they just want to please.”

The 2013 reunion was held at Monica’s plot in Randfontein, near Carltonville, where she breeds her Goldens. On that day her property was colonized by troops of dogs eager to re-meet each other, to swim, play, and just hang out.

The year before, as Nancy points out, Monica had organized a reunion of all her “offspring” at Walkhaven, a little corner of dog heaven in Muldersdrift. There were 66 Goldens there, plus a few other four-legged friends, and there was not one fight between any of them.

But although Goldens may look angelic, and most of the time revel in love, they do have some trying habits - digging, chewing, jumping, and begging - among them. Nancy helped the two-legged attendees with tips to counter these. She suggests stimulating toys to alleviate boredom, such as stuffed animals (without small parts which are a choking hazard) and  rubber Kongs stuffed with Marmite, peanut-butter or honey. Apart from stimulating the smell and taste senses, it helps a dog’s creativity to “figure out how to get to the yummy bits”, she says. She also suggests “booby trapping” the holes they are likely to dig in a garden by filling it with their own poo and covering them. Jumping too, is a persistent habit of Goldens, partly because they are so delighted to see their people. But she suggests spraying them with water from a spray bottle or water pistol. Although most of them love water, a sharp spray surprises them enough to learn not to jump. Nancy, who owns ten dogs including four Goldens (three from Lurasia), says the characteristics of Goldens are being inquisitive and active. “They love water and they love the outdoors,” she says. Most of all, as the day showed, they are devoted to their owners and friendly with almost anyone else, two or four-legged. "If they are aggressive", says Nancy “they are either in pain or frightened. Something is wrong with the situation, not the dog.”

The day was a boon for the people too: each owner received a  goodie bag of Eukanuba and Hills products, and between them, raised R1,000 for the Friends of Rescued Animals (FORA).

Pippa Green - Owner Mojo and Ruby (Lurasia Goldens)