Ginger 09-330

Profile

Sponsored by: Carl and Mary Schroeder

Ginger is an 11 year old PB Golden. She was born December 1, 1998, so she is soon to be 12 years old. But do not let her age fool you! This gal is as chipper and playful as girls half her age! Ginger is spayed and is up-to-date on her rabies and distemper and on August 11, goes into the vet for the rest of her shots and an exam. She had bladder surgery in 2005 to remove stones and is currently on a medication for crystals in her urine, which she easily takes on a daily basis. Once she has seen the vet, she will be available for adoption!

Now that all that stuff is out of the way, let me share with you some info on this sweet girl. She came into RAGOM from Minnesota, where she was found running with tags - her owners were contacted but didn't want her back - something I find so hard to imagine because she is the biggest sweetheart I have ever seen! I picked her up from the shelter and she was initially very shy. I think however, her time in the shelter gave her some anxiety because she was on a farm the shelter uses, with 27 other dogs. Other dogs who could be very loud and obnoxious to a scared stray! She hopped right into my car and away we went back to North Dakota. The car ride was GREAT! She sat and looked out the windows, or laid down and slept. Not once did she whine, try to jump into other seats - she just sat down and enjoyed the scenery! As you can see in the picture above, she looked pretty pleased at the ride!

On Ginger's first night here, she was pretty low key and observant. She was in desperate need of some grooming, so I began combing her out and got an entire plastic grocery sack of fur out of her- and have gotten even more out in the days since. She has a beautiful tail and feathering on her legs. It appears that at one point she was shaved and it's starting to come back. I think she will be even more gorgeous once her entire honey colored coat fills in!

Ginger was an outdoor dog, but here she is an indoor girl. She has never had an accident in my home, which is pretty good considering both her age and her bladder issues. She has the opportunity to go outside several times a day, but really only seems to potty once a day. She doesn't really give you any signals of when she has to go, so we've been working on it with lots and lots of praise when she does potty outside. I think she's really getting the hang of it.

Ginger lives in a foster home with two boys who are 8 & 4, and can be VERY loud. She doesn't mind them at all. She lets them climb on her, sleep on her, jump over her - all the crazy behaviors you expect from kids. She doesn't mind at all. Ginger also shares residence with two cats (complete with claws). Her initial inspection of them was to sniff them up and down and walk away. One of the feistier cats took a swipe at her and she did nothing. I think a home with cats and kids would be fine for her.

Also residing at the foster home is a 7 month old Sheltie/Bichon puppy, who can be pretty rambunctious! He loves to play with her, and even got her to play back a few times. She play bows and wrestles around a bit before she decides that she's done. We first introduced them outside and she did fine. We recommend that she meets all dogs outside initially - friends came over with their lab and cocker and Ginger was a bit grumbly/growly at them but was wagging her tail the whole time. Once they were outside and had room to properly sniff each other, she did well. We're on Day 3 with Ginger and she and Toby are more and more buds every day. I think she would do really well in a home with other dogs and she has been a wonderful influence on our puppy!

If you think Ginger is the dog for you, just contact a Placement Coordinator and they will get you on track to meeting her. Also Ginger may be in the Twin Cities area in mid-August, so keep checking her bio for updates!!

 
Snuggling with my foster brother, Toby
 
First grooming at the foster home - and lots more to come!

At a Glance #09-330

Golden Retriever Born: December 1998
Female 70 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

Sponsored by: Carl and Mary Schroeder

Ginger is an 11 year old PB Golden. She was born December 1, 1998, so she is soon to be 12 years old. But do not let her age fool you! This gal is as chipper and playful as girls half her age! Ginger is spayed and is up-to-date on her rabies and distemper and on August 11, goes into the vet for the rest of her shots and an exam. She had bladder surgery in 2005 to remove stones and is currently on a medication for crystals in her urine, which she easily takes on a daily basis. Once she has seen the vet, she will be available for adoption!

Now that all that stuff is out of the way, let me share with you some info on this sweet girl. She came into RAGOM from Minnesota, where she was found running with tags - her owners were contacted but didn't want her back - something I find so hard to imagine because she is the biggest sweetheart I have ever seen! I picked her up from the shelter and she was initially very shy. I think however, her time in the shelter gave her some anxiety because she was on a farm the shelter uses, with 27 other dogs. Other dogs who could be very loud and obnoxious to a scared stray! She hopped right into my car and away we went back to North Dakota. The car ride was GREAT! She sat and looked out the windows, or laid down and slept. Not once did she whine, try to jump into other seats - she just sat down and enjoyed the scenery! As you can see in the picture above, she looked pretty pleased at the ride!

On Ginger's first night here, she was pretty low key and observant. She was in desperate need of some grooming, so I began combing her out and got an entire plastic grocery sack of fur out of her- and have gotten even more out in the days since. She has a beautiful tail and feathering on her legs. It appears that at one point she was shaved and it's starting to come back. I think she will be even more gorgeous once her entire honey colored coat fills in!

Ginger was an outdoor dog, but here she is an indoor girl. She has never had an accident in my home, which is pretty good considering both her age and her bladder issues. She has the opportunity to go outside several times a day, but really only seems to potty once a day. She doesn't really give you any signals of when she has to go, so we've been working on it with lots and lots of praise when she does potty outside. I think she's really getting the hang of it.

Ginger lives in a foster home with two boys who are 8 & 4, and can be VERY loud. She doesn't mind them at all. She lets them climb on her, sleep on her, jump over her - all the crazy behaviors you expect from kids. She doesn't mind at all. Ginger also shares residence with two cats (complete with claws). Her initial inspection of them was to sniff them up and down and walk away. One of the feistier cats took a swipe at her and she did nothing. I think a home with cats and kids would be fine for her.

Also residing at the foster home is a 7 month old Sheltie/Bichon puppy, who can be pretty rambunctious! He loves to play with her, and even got her to play back a few times. She play bows and wrestles around a bit before she decides that she's done. We first introduced them outside and she did fine. We recommend that she meets all dogs outside initially - friends came over with their lab and cocker and Ginger was a bit grumbly/growly at them but was wagging her tail the whole time. Once they were outside and had room to properly sniff each other, she did well. We're on Day 3 with Ginger and she and Toby are more and more buds every day. I think she would do really well in a home with other dogs and she has been a wonderful influence on our puppy!

If you think Ginger is the dog for you, just contact a Placement Coordinator and they will get you on track to meeting her. Also Ginger may be in the Twin Cities area in mid-August, so keep checking her bio for updates!!

 
Snuggling with my foster brother, Toby
 
First grooming at the foster home - and lots more to come!

Updates

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Ginger has gone to live with her furever family! She was so excited to see Lisa today when she came to pick her up. Ginger will be living with the "O" family. Have a Golden Life Ginger - we'll miss you!

Foster mom, Gilda 09-361, Foster Brother and Zoe


Ginger... smiling and dreaming of her new family

Waiting for Lisa

Ginger and Lisa going home!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ginger here - whoa did I have a busy day. First thing that happened was that I got to go for a ride in the car. Yea - I like that. But then I got to this place called "the Groomers" (actually it's Petco in Brooklyn Park) and they did a makeover on me. Bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, and overall brushing. No more matts behind the ears for me. And AM I GORGEOUS or what???? FM took my photo so everyone could see the new me. I was a little snarky with Megan at first but then she said I was really good - even at the end when we had to hurry because FM had another surprise waiting for me at home.

PEOPLE!!!! People came to see me tonight. I was really good meeting them and I ran around like a puppy playing catch with my pumpkin (you can see it in the picture) I wasn't shy or anything. FM said I was exceptional tonight. We are keeping our paws crossed that I have found my forever home. They were very nice and I liked them a lot. We will let you know!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Hi, Ginger here! I'm not sure if I'm any good typing on this plastic thing but I thought I would give it a try. I'm hanging out with my best pal Zoe (Duci 09-222) and my sometimes friend Gilda 09-361. We are really living the golden life here. I'm enclosing a photo of me snoring on my bed with my Sponge Bob blanket that my former foster mom gave me. I love my blankee.

Gilda and I have had some words this week but today she was pretty nice to me and we tried that "playing" thing. Maybe we are both getting the hang of it. Foster mom is much happier with us now - she likes us to get along and not fight.

We discovered that I like to play with tennis balls. I will get one and come over and throw it at you. If you throw it I'll retrieve it and drop it at your feet.

I've been meeting some new people on Sundays and I'm still pretty shy. I don't do well with young children (under age 12). I think maybe some might have been kind of mean to me in my prior life but we don't really know. I usually go away from them and sit right in front of foster mom on her feet (that's my safe spot). She pets me and tells me they are nice kids but so far I'm not sure I believe her. Last week I let Tahlia feed me some treats and pet me without growling but this week I growled at her again - just a very little. I'm okay with the adults but I prefer to watch from a distance. I'm much better when I get to know people so I need a family that will be patient with me and not try to force me to love them right away. It took a couple days for me to warm up to foster mom and brother but now I just love them a lot.

Well, off for another nap! Ahhhh - this is the life! Call your placement advisor if you would like to meet me!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Hi! Ginger here. It's been awhile since my last update. I have been hanging out with Duci 09-222 (Zoe) and it's a golden life around here! Let me tell you - I could really get used to this place. Zoe and I went to the RAGOM picnic on 9/19. There were LOTS OF DOGS and LOTS OF PEOPLE. I was in the foster tent and many people came to check me out. I was shy at first but I was very well mannered and let many people pet me. I didn't growl or snarl at anyone. FM was very proud of me. She said I was a VERY good dog. I met many nice people. FM didn't take many pictures (something about having her hands full of leashes and other things) but she did get one of my nice profile.

Zoe and I like to hang out together when everyone is gone. FM took a picture of us watching the pigeons on the deck. It's my favorite lookout spot. If foster brother closes the blinds (which he has been told by FM NOT to do) I run back and forth between FM and the deck door until she opens them up again. She seems to understand my dog language.

Another note - when I went to the vet earlier this month, he thinks I am not a pure blooded GR. His assessment - based on my white feet, kind of pointy nose and my funny talking bark that I am really part collie and part GR. That's fine by me - I like who I am. FM thinks it's really funny when I "woo woo" talk to her. Another thing I like to do is sit right down between her legs to get petted - and then not move. She said if I'm not careful she might fall over me someday.

Slobbery kisses to Carl and Mary Schroeder for sponsoring me! I'm living the golden life thanks to you!

Well, time to go out for a walk. Have a great night!

Note from FM - Ginger is definitely one of the sweetest fosters I have had (and I have had some very nice ones). She is peppy but not the knock you down kind. Considering she is almost 11 she has lots of energy. She is very well mannered, knows how to sit, lie down, say please and be very well behaved. If you are looking for a wonderful, healthy senior girl - look no further. Ginger is your dog! The only issue I have noted is she has definite likes and dislikes when it comes to people. She does not like my daughter and snarls at her when she tries to pet her. My daughter just visits occasionally so it may be an issue of not knowing her. She has met most of my older students and parents very nicely but she does not like young children - even dog savvy ones. I think she is just at that age when she prefers the company of adults so a home without young children would be best. She seems to like the teenagers so far. It takes her awhile to warm up to people and ask for attention but when she likes you - look out! Please contact your placement advisor if you are interested in this sweet girl.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Hi Everyone! Ginger here! Foster Mom has been on a crazy few weeks, and feels really bad that she hasn't taken the time to update everyone on how I am doing, so I decided to give things a whirl while she is studying for those college class things!

I have had a busy few weeks myself! Since my last update, I have been a travelin' girl, which is great because I LOVE the car!!! I snuggle down on the floor and let the vibrations of the road lull me to sleep or I sit and look out the windows! If I'm lucky, Foster Dad will take me in his truck! I think the truck is more fun because he'll roll down the window a bit and let me stick my nose and head out! FUN! FM says he shouldn't let me do that too much though, too many scary things could happen! But I love the feel of the wind on my face!

I had a fun weekend in August! My family had to go do boring human things (something about a Twins game?!) and I got to spend the weekend with another great RAGOM family and another RAGOM dog! FM says that The V family was her lifesaver! I thought they were so much fun and Lucy and I had a great time hanging out! The only thing I didn't like was that UPS truck! I'm not sure why, but every time I see that truck it sends me into a tizzy!! (FM note: this incident has happened at our home too. UPS delivered books here the other day and FD says that she went into a frenzy, barking, stomping her feet, etc until he was gone. We wonder if she hasn't had a bad UPS encounter in the past as she does NOT react that way to other trucks, people, etc.) I really appreciated the V family opening their home to me, any time Lucy wants to visit, she'd be fun to have!!

Hey...hey, give the keyboard back FM!! Okay, I'm back now! Let's see what else! Oh, a small health update! I am off the medicine for the hookworms so those nasty things should be gone. The only thing I miss about that is the yummy wet food I got to take the medicine with! Oh my gosh, it was heaven! FM was being slow one morning mixing things up and I let her know it too! I grumbled and stomped my feet until she was done and I gobbled that right down! FM says wet food is a great treat for me! I'm still on the medicine for the Lyme's Disease and the bladder issue though. I get to go back to All Pets Hospital for a check up pretty soon though, so maybe I'll get to quit those.

I also got to visit a farm in South Dakota! That was a lot of fun! I roamed around the farm with my foster family for a couple days and loved it! I kept my distance from the cows and didn't bark, unlike that furbutt brother of mine! I also liked laying in the sun and chasing the dragonflies around the farm! FM was outside and I stuck right next to her or in the garage in my kennel resting, she didn't worry about me straying too far away, I like my people too much to do that!

We've been home now for a few days and I'm really settling back in. I was ready to get back to my cozy blanket and the calm of the house! FM says I need to give some of my perks up, so here they are:

  • Basic Commands - Sit, Stay, Lay Down. Sheesh these are easy. I occasionally will "shake" and "roll over." I also say "please". (FM says you must see me do this!)
  • Potty Outside - I don't need to go out much, but I usually like to wait until we go for walks. If it's urgent, I'll sit by the door and stare at you until you get the hint.
  • Crates - I don't mind the crate at all. I had to sleep in one in South Dakota, and I didn't complain one bit. I actually used it as a 'hideaway' when I didn't want to be bothered. I'll go in when you say "kennel" or "night time" or when you just open the door.

Now, everyone has their quirks, so I guess if I tell you the great things, I have to tell my quirks too!

  • UPS Truck - Like I said before, I DON'T like that truck. At all. It freaks me out.
  • I'm a greeter! You knock on the door, and like many other Goldens, I'm going to let my family know you are here!
  • I can be crabby. If I'm laying down and trying to sleep, I don't like to be bothered by other dogs. I'll grumble and make a not-so-pretty face, but that's about it.
  • If I have a treasure - it's MINE. In SD I found a YUMMY bone and took it to my kennel to enjoy. FM says Tbones aren't so good for me, but I disagreed! I got snarly with her when she wanted to take it away. She made me come out of my kennel, which I did, and she took the bone away. *Sigh.* I didn't growl then but I sure wasn't happy. BUT on the upside, I don't care about regular food or toys. I'll gladly share them with you or let you take them away. But my treasures are mine! (Well until you tell me 'no' I guess.)
  • The trash. I can be a bit nosey around the trash...but, really, if someone threw away a perfectly good Chicken McNugget and then left the room, wouldn't you want it too?! But it's rare that I do that.

Foster Mom & I have been talking, and here are some things we would like to see in our ideal forever home:

  • A fence. Here I don't have a fence and if I want to stay outside, I have to be tethered. I don't mind it but I loved roaming around at the farm. So, if you don't have a fence that's okay but FM says I need a safe place, like the country with not much traffic.
  • Kids are okay, but teenagers are best. I live with 2 boys under 10 and when they get to be too much for me, I go and hide in my spot. I some times warn them with a snarly growl and I've never snapped but FM says she thinks I would be most comfortable in a house were it's mostly older kids.
  • A spot all my own. I get along with other dogs, but I do need my own space, like a corner with a comfy bed or blanket, or a kennel set up like a den.
  • A walker! I love to walk, and I would go every night if FM would take me out in the rain too.
  • Someone who understands my special needs. My current vet says it's best if I stay on this medicine for my bladder for a LONG time. Changes can be made with my diet but you'll always have to be aware that I have bladder problems.

And here's the most amazing news yet! I have SPONSORS!! How awesome is that?! Foster Mom and I would like to extend a big THANK YOU! to my sponsors, Carl & Mary Schroeder! FM just received word of their awesome generosity and we are so very grateful and appreciative of their kindness!


Thank you Mary and Carl for sponsoring me!

If you have any questions about me, please don't hesitate to email your placement advisor and they'll get you the info you need! And if you're interested in sponsoring a fabulous dog like me, just click here to learn more about sponsorship and all it does! 

I will see you all again soon! :)

~Ginger

 
I looove having my belly scratched!! Ahhhhh!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ginger has been settling into Grand Forks wonderfully! We already feel as if she has been a part of our family forever! Here are some of her accomplishments!

  • Walking on the leash! Initially she was a big puller, but with the command "With me" she stays right by our side. She loves going for long walks, but you can tell when she's tiring because she'll stick really close to you.
  • Free Roam! We initially kept her baby gated in our hallway until she settled in. We determined that our puppy was ready for the test of free roaming, so she was too. She does great! (Better than our puppy actually, ha!) She has not gotten into anything, scratched, barked or destroyed anything when we have left her alone.
  • No crate! We have never crated or kenneled her and she does NOT need it. She sleeps at the foot of my bed on the floor at night, and once she's out - she's down for the count! She has claimed a comfy blanket, so when you tell her, "Night night time Ginger" - she heads right for it, circles and goes to sleep!

    Snuggling down for the night on my favorite blanket.
  • No furniture! She has never tried to climb on the beds or the couches/chairs - even though she would be welcome to as our puppy does so.
  • First Bath! We gave Ginger her first bath and she did really well. She couldn't run away though since she was tethered, so maybe that made a difference! ;) She didn't whine or try to bite, she just stood and took it. She does need at least one or 4 more thanks to all the fur she's got in her! She loves to be groomed too, she lays there and just relaxes!
 
Getting ready for my first bath!
 
All clean after my bath!
 
Toby & I love to fish the ice cubes out and chomp down!

Ginger is just an amazing girl. She has a sweet temperment and is fantastic with my boys. My four year old can be a bit...rambunctious and she is perfectly content to watch him or let him use her as a pillow. She doesn't get excited when the kids are being...well...kids.

Ginger also acts like a dog about half her age! In the morning she is SO excited to be up and go outside that she practically knocks you over in excitement! She play bows with our puppy and does a bit of wrestling. She hasn't expressed a lot of interest in fetch, but she does love to be outside and relax in the sun and shade.

She LOVES car rides. My husband took her in the truck the other day and she is definitely the "head out the window" kind of dog! On the vet ride yesterday she sat up in the back the whole ride taking in all the sights!

Speaking of vet - this is where things have gotten a bit complicated. So, I'll just start at the beginning and with the good stuff. Ginger weighs in at 52.9 lbs, which the vet said is a nice weight for her. Ginger received a heartworm test - negative! YAY! And also her shots are now all up-to-date. Because she's a senior dog, she got some special treatment and had a chem panel and CBC done- both of which came back great. Now the down side, it was discovered that Ginger has Lyme Disease and hookworms. Right now she is on some medication to rid her body of the worms and to treat the Lyme Disease. The vet was very optimistic on her condition however, so we will just test her again to make sure the worms are gone after the treatment. The de-worming medication only lasts 5 days so that's a plus. The Lyme's treatment is about a month or so. Ginger has had bladder problems in the past - she had bladder stones removed and now is on an easy, daily medication to make sure her urine stays problem free. The vet also recommended a better diet that would help with that as well. Despite these bumps in the road, Ginger is completely available to adopt!

If you are interested in meeting her or hearing more about her, please contact a placement coordinator! Ginger would love to have a "furever" home!