10/23/06: Please welcome our latest member to RAGOM--Duncan! He is approximately 8 months old and was born in Missouri. First a little background: As you may have noticed, RAGOM has taken on a bunch of new furr butts from Missouri. These dogs were living "in the wild" on an older couple's property. Let's just say what started out with 2 Goldens has grown to at least 34! RAGOM was contacted by a kind, compassionate lady that volunteers at their humane society. She went out there everyday and did her best to capture as many as she could. Day after day she was out there, sitting on the ground, trying to gain their trust. Many of them were quite elusive. After she captured them, she brought them to the humane society for their initial check up. All had horrible fleas and all needed their shots. They have not been abused physically, but they come from less than desirable surroundings. I have spoken with this lady/angel on the phone and she is thrilled to hear how wonderful they are doing. Now, back to Duncan?..
Like I said, he's about 8 months old and very small. He weighs in at a whopping 45 lbs., I think he actually looks skinnier than that. I can feel and see his ribs very clearly. The vet said he needs to put on a minimum of 10-15 lbs. He will never be a large Golden. He's small in stature, but oh soo adorable. When he arrived last night, it took some bribing to get him out of the crate. But, once he was out, there was no going back. Unfortunately he was covered in poop or throw up, so we had to give him a bath right away. It went as expected. He did not like it-he was sooo very scared. But, he smells much better! Being a feral dog, I was wondering if he would be nippy or growly. Fortunately, he has not been either!! He's deathly afraid of a leash, so we have to corner him and pick him up to take him outside. Once he's outside, he does great. Also, he loves Winston and Bogie and they accepted him right away. He has a nasty wound on his ear that needs to heal, but the vet said it should be okay. In thoroughly checking him over, the vet found many scars on his body, probably from fighting in the pack. He also has a double ear infection and is being treated for worms. He was tested for heartworms and I will know the results tomorrow. Let's keep our paws crossed. He needs his second set of shots in a couple weeks, and then he will be neutered.
This little guy needs TONS of socialization with humans. He needs to learn we are all okay and will take good care of him. He's been through a lot these past few days so he must be feeling very scared and alone. However, I was shocked last night-he actually jumped on my bed and slept there all night with me!! This is incredible, considering he has had no human contact for the first 8 months of his life. I expect he is going to make tremendous progress very quickly. Already, on day two, he's following the dogs outside to go potty. He still is very afraid when you walk towards him, but is getting better and better every hour! Please stay tuned for updates? I know there will be many of them! It will be awhile until he is ready for adoption, but when he is, he will be the sweetest darn puppy in the world.
