Camry is a beautiful female English Cream Golden Retriever, part of RAGOM’s Spring intake from Turkey. She is 1-1/2 years old and weighs 48 pounds.

Camry is spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations and preventatives. She is affectionate and sweet. The volunteers who met the plane in Chicago and drove six dogs up to the Twin Cities told me that all the dogs were nice, but Camry was outstanding: “She wags her tail all the time and just wants to hang out with you.”

Unlike many Goldens in Turkey, Camry was not abandoned in the forest or put out on the street. She was raised by a young couple who took her to a shelter when the wife became pregnant. The shelter contacted one of the rescue folks in Turkey, and Camry was immediately taken into a temporary home. Camry loves people, gets along with other dogs, and likes cats.

Yesterday, she went to the veterinary clinic for a checkup. Camry charmed the staff who – because they were jammed with dogs and running about an hour behind – gave her a pig’s ear.

While we were waiting our turn, Camry made friends with several dogs, including an adorable Chocolate Lab puppy. On hearing her story, one man looked up how to say “sit” in Turkish. Camry’s eyes went all soft when she heard her native language.

Camry was comfortable being examined by the doctor and was pronounced a healthy young dog.

Camry loves to wrestle and run with Foster Mom’s four-year-old Golden, Cody. However, she does get possessive about bones and toys and will growl at him if he gets too close. Cody looks astonished and leaves her alone.

Camry is a confident dog who would do well as an only dog. She’d make a great pet for a family with older children. (She does not display possessive behavior with adults.)

In the mysterious ways of animals, Marcia the Cat immediately knew that Camry posed no threat. Marcia was cautious, but followed Camry around. They were shortly on nose-sniffing terms.

Marcia is less than a year old and very playful. She runs and Camry chases. Marcia ducks in where Camry can’t reach her swipes out with one paw. Foster Mom is confident that Camry would never intentionally hurt Marcia.

Foster Mom has a back yard with a chain link fence. Rabbits occasionally slip into the yard, but find it hard to slip out when being chased. Last week, Camry caught a bunny and carried it around for a few minutes. Luckily, Camry has a very soft mouth. When she set the bunny down on the back porch, the bunny (who had been playing Dead Rabbit) dashed under the wrought iron stair rail to safety.

Camry has free roam at night and sleeps on the bedroom floor. She is crated when no one is home because her ingenuity is boundless. She likes to explore. She also likes to chew. If a bone isn’t available, a pillow will do nicely.

Given that a young Golden Retriever is basically a giant puppy, I expect she will outgrow the chewing. We are also working on her manners. She pulls on a leash and she is strong! We are also perfecting her housebreaking. In her defense, my senior Golden sometimes has accidents in the house and this is confusing for Camry.

All in all, if a family is willing to put in the time and effort (obedience class is highly recommended), Camry will make a wonderful addition to your lives. She is a sweet, smart girl. If I were an adopter instead of a Foster Mom, I’d keep her.