Glory (Little Bear 08-426)

back to Memorials

Profile

Sponsored by:  Mary and Carl S.

Little Bear is currently being fostered in North Liberty Iowa.  She is a 3 year old intact female who is heartworm positive from a breeder surrender.  She has completed her treatment for heartworm and now we wait to spay when she tests negative for the heartworm.  Her initial physical exam showed no medical issues except the heartworm.  Little Bear looks to be part Golden and part Lab.  She is a beautiful blonde color with a short thick coat, bushy tail, and back leg feathering.  Her right eyelid has a surgical scar either from removing a growth or when eyelids that turn in are corrected.

She is quietly watching me type this update.  She currently has significant issues with being on the leash and has been able to pull out of her collar in the back yard which is very secure with a 6ft. fence so she has remained safe.  She is timid and exhibits characteristics of a puppy mill mama.  Frequently when she approaches you or you approach her the head and body are low to the ground.  I did crate her last night and she made no vocal sound but I heard her try several times to get out and then she settled down and went to sleep.  She has had free roam for about two hours this am and nothing was out of place when I returned.  

Little Bear will remain in foster care until heartworm negative which can take up to 6 months.  While she is here with me and my two golden girls we will work to make sure she is safe, teach her the many positives of being in a home with unconditional love, yet guide her with firm kind training.  Wish her luck.  We have a long way to go.

At a Glance #08-426

Golden Retriever Born: August 2005
Female 95 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:  Mary and Carl S.

Little Bear is currently being fostered in North Liberty Iowa.  She is a 3 year old intact female who is heartworm positive from a breeder surrender.  She has completed her treatment for heartworm and now we wait to spay when she tests negative for the heartworm.  Her initial physical exam showed no medical issues except the heartworm.  Little Bear looks to be part Golden and part Lab.  She is a beautiful blonde color with a short thick coat, bushy tail, and back leg feathering.  Her right eyelid has a surgical scar either from removing a growth or when eyelids that turn in are corrected.

She is quietly watching me type this update.  She currently has significant issues with being on the leash and has been able to pull out of her collar in the back yard which is very secure with a 6ft. fence so she has remained safe.  She is timid and exhibits characteristics of a puppy mill mama.  Frequently when she approaches you or you approach her the head and body are low to the ground.  I did crate her last night and she made no vocal sound but I heard her try several times to get out and then she settled down and went to sleep.  She has had free roam for about two hours this am and nothing was out of place when I returned.  

Little Bear will remain in foster care until heartworm negative which can take up to 6 months.  While she is here with me and my two golden girls we will work to make sure she is safe, teach her the many positives of being in a home with unconditional love, yet guide her with firm kind training.  Wish her luck.  We have a long way to go.

Updates

Monday, March 16, 2009

     Little Bear here:  If you look at my new pictures you can see how much I have begun to trust.  I let foster mom get real close and I even bump her leg to get me some much appreciated pets.  It is kind of hard to get your share in a house with two other big dogs.  That Gracie is a little Miss Piggy when we are getting our pets.  She and Katie  09-005 just butt right in and take over.  Sometimes I just leave and then I come back later when they are gone to get my pets.  I do love to bark...at the doorbell, new voices and people, and foster mom's sister.  Foster mom is trying to teach me that a couple of barks is Ok.  How can you just stop at a couple of barks?  These new people in your space make you nervous.  Maybe when I become more confident I won't be so intimidated.  
     To Carl and Mary my sponsers.  Are you enjoying the weather?  FM is thinking about gardening already!  I just love to run and run and run when I get outside although FM just looks at the mud on our paws and shakes her head.  OH WELL!  The life of a dog.  Isn't it fun.  Thank you from the bottom of my muddy paws for being my sponsors.
 
     Foster mom here:  Blonde as I call her has made amazing strides here in my home.  She is becoming more relaxed and confident.  I see the young playful side of her coming out.  She is very polite around the two other girls and her nature is submissive.    Blonde is a barker from the get go.  I know it is mostly from her very limited experience in her young life.   As she matures and grows in confidence and gets to know her forever home that should diminish.  Blonde readily seeks unsolicited attention which is a marked improvement yet at times she will still bark at me.   She is still unsettled when I am carrying things or she is presented with something unfamiliar.  When I approach to show her she often barks as she is backing away.  She usually retreats to a corner so I approach slowly while talking and show her what I have.   She has had a couple of wetting incidents right after her spay.  I know it is my fault as I think she just needed to go more frequently after the surgery and I should have known that. 
    
     I know when you read about Blonde you wonder why she has not found her forever home.
1.  First she was heartworm positive, not spayed, and a female used just to have puppies.  RAGOM calls these girls puppy mill mamas.
 
2.  Blonde needed to be treated for her heartworm first and once negative then scheduled for her spay.  That alone takes several months and for some dogs longer if they don't achieve a negative status with the first treatment.  Dogs who are heartworm positive cannot undergo elective procedures such as a spay because of the risks associated with the anesthesia and the worms in their blood and heart.    
 
3.   Now that Blonde has achieved these milestones her home must meet specific requirements per RAGOM's policy.
      A.  A physical fence is a must.
      B.  An adult dog she can pattern good behavior from and learn.
      C.  Blonde's new home cannot have very small children.  Her lack of exposure to the typical behaviors of small children (loud rapid movements) puts her and them at risk just because she does not have that experience to gauge her behavior.  

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hi Everyone~

    Happy Valentines Day!   Kisses and Hugs to my sponsors Mary and Carl.  Can you feel all the love in the air?  I have had a great couple of weeks.  Last week we went by that nasty loud car wash and I did pretty well.  I still need a lot of one to one attention but it was so much better I didn't even wrap the leash around FM.

      All of us girls went walking since spring was in the air for just a few days.  The snow is mostly gone but the weather man says snow late today.  We would have gone out more but FM fell and hit her head on the patio ice so she had a whopper of a headache and spent a few days in bed.  She is better now and maybe we will go out today.  Whoops ..... I forgot I had surgery on the 12th so I guess I get to stay in the yard for a couple of days. 

     This week I went to the vet for my fix (you know that girl thing).  Now no more puppies for me.  Yeah!!!!!  The vet says my blood work is great but I sure could use some dental cleaning.  So I will talk to the powers that be and see if we have a spare dime in the extras kitty so I can have those pearly whites again.  Might even improve my breath according to FM.  I got to ride with Katie  09-005 just to see if we would get along together.  I did great but Katie is a seat hog.  Don't say anything but she needs to lose a few pounds.  I lost 20 pounds in four months according to the vet and another 5 pounds and I should be able to fit into a swimsuit.

       FM here.  Blonde is doing well.  Since Katie 09-005 arrived she has actually come out into the family room out of the bedroom.  That is a milestone in the months she has been with me.  She remains very timid and unsure of many things but is very approachable when given time and is able to attend or pay attention to you.  Often when presented with anything that she is unsure of she likes to find a corner or under a table or chair and just observe.  She is very calm and her behavior or mood is very peaceful.  That is amazing for a 3 year old mostly labrador breed who even at this age can be a handful of activity. 

      Would you like to meet Blonde?  Do you like quiet walks with a dog that does not pull you all over the neighborhood? Do you want a dog that doesn't care for getting on the furniture and is independent enough to not be in your face or asking for pets all the time?  Blonde has the temperment of a golden and the short hair of a lab. What's not to love about having the qualities of both breeds in one dog and she is very healthy.  If you want to meet Blonde let placementatragom [dot] org know and maybe we can arrange our schedules so you can see if she is the right one for you. 

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Little Bear here (AKA Blonde)

Blonde is enjoying the snow.  It is hard to get her to come inside these days whereas my Gracie is a speedy whirlwind and does not waste time playing in the snow.  I have sent a couple of new pictures. She stands on the patio and jumps up and down in play bows as if to say "come on out - let's have some fun".  She also loves to eat the snow while she is outside.

Blonde remains shy, often enjoying her kennel retreat in the bedroom.  She is most outgoing and less intimidated when I am in bed.  She is totally looking for attention by putting her paws on the bed, throwing her head over her right shoulder as if to say "come on get up".  She will put her face close to your face, lick your hand, and allow lots of pets.  She is very energetic and I am trying to teach her to tone it down a little because not everyone would appreciate this behavior.  Any other time she is reserved, docile, and never jumps on you.  She and my Gracie are alarm barkers when a stranger comes to the door or in the house.  The girls otherwise don't bark during the day or night.  Blonde is a good sleeper though I sometimes hear her get up at night to move around and then she goes back to sleep.  Last night both girls slept next to the bed which is unusual for Blonde. 

We are still working on "come" and food is a good incentive.  She sits with a little hand pressure and will hold this for a while, especially when I work on her ear cleaning.  Leash walking is good and she does well with a companion dog to set the pace.  She does not pull and I have not had to use a gentle leader at this point.  Depending on the community she is adopted to she will need patience getting used to new sounds as some are quite scary. She was formerly kept in a small rural area without these experiences.  She remains housebroken without accidents and sleeps in her kennel in the bedroom and the kennel in always open.  The bedroom door is closed during the night and that does not bother the girls at all.  I never hear them trying to get out or scratch at the door.

Thank you for reading about Blonde.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Little Bear went on a second home visit this week.  Her behavior was commendable for a puppy mill mama.  The house had a wheelchair ramp which she was a little reluctant to try, but with a little firm encouragement she did OK.

Blonde (as I call her) found a coffee table in the corner and under she went for the entire visit.  The family had a 14 month old little girl who frequently visited her under the table between playing with her toys.  At one point while Mom and I were filling out the questions Evangelene decided to bop Blonde on the head several times with a small toy.  It was a very gentle bop (until we stopped her) and Blonde did not even bat an eyelash.  What a girl.  She was just a quiet observer and very relaxed the whole time.  Unlike the first home visit where she paced the whole time.  Her demeanor was very much like her first picture looking through the railing watching me type on the keyboard.

Blonde has learned very quickly what "stop", "down", and "lay down" mean.  Sometimes she retreats to her kennel unless Gracie gets there first.  Sometimes they both share, though they both cannot sprawl out like they would like to.  "Come" is still a work in progress, as well as "sit".

Blonde is camera shy and when I think I have a great pic she turns tail and goes a different direction. 

Blonde remains very submissive and lets Gracie eat from her bowl.  I could not figure out how Gracie had gained so much weight at the Vet's this past week.  Well...now I know.  Gracie did not even finish hers before she had her face in Blonde's.  Now I sit and watch both of them while they eat.  I don't think Gracie appreciates this turn of events  but at least Blonde now gets to eat all her own food.

Blonde does not want to forget her sponsors, so a great big Happy Turkey Day to Carl and Mary. 

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Blonde has discovered the full length mirror in the bedroom.  She approaches and looks intently at the image but never utters a sound.  She doesn't stay long just turns and walks away.  She does this many times when the door in closed (the mirror in behind the door) and I never see any change in her expression unlike Gracie who utters this low growl when she stares intently at herself. 

Blonde (Little Bear) went with me to a home visit this week.  I took Gracie with me so Blonde would feel more comfortable.  Blonde behaved well but exhibited anxiety by pacing in a circle from the kitchen, into the hall, through the living room and back through the kitchen.  She did manage to lay down once for a few minutes.  She allowed the couple to approach and stroke and pet her, but that was as involved as she wanted to get.  At least she got some exercise while we were out and about.

Both girls seemed stressed after the visit and wanted to just hide in the bedroom.  You can see in the pictures where both of the girls were in the kennel together.  Gracie would never have anything to do with that kennel before but now it seems as if they enjoy sharing the space.  I had planned on taking Blonde to a place called Leash on Life which is like Petco but privately owned but decided she had been stressed enough this week so maybe next time. 

I have included a couple of new pictures of Blonde outside so you have a better idea of her size and color.  She is really beautiful for a light colored golden/lab mix.

Thank you for reading about Blonde.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Blonde (AKA Little Bear) has managed to wag her tail and reach out and lick my fingers.  She did not eat about the first four days.  I suspect she was afraid of the food pan as she readily would take food from my fingers in the most gentle way or eat it off the floor.  I have to watch my Gracie as she will help herself to Blonde's food dish and Blonde does not seem to care if she eats it.

She still prefers the bird bowl to drink. YUK!  That is probably all she knows but she is now beginning to find the water bowls in the house.  Absolutely no accidents but we go out every 4-6 hours except at night.  I have tried off leash but then after a few hours playing catch I am learning she is not ready for that.  I must be the slow learner here.  Blonde loves being outside and that is probably where she lived.  Now she must learn that living in a house with humans is the best thing this side of chocolate.

Today she play bowed to me more than once.  I have not seen her do that with the girls yet.  When I can trust her off leash I will see it I'm sure.  Her behavior remains timid and fearful of noises.  She now calmly walks in and out of doors.  While on leash she stays close to your side and likes to walk in circles around you.  Reminds me of those horses on yoke wheels that are used for exercise.  I have heard her bark twice very short and not continuous.

Blonde has earned herself free roam gated on the lower level. 

Blonde did growl at me once when I left a barbeque covered hand towel on the laundry room floor.   When I heard the ripping and shredding and went to check it out she let me know she thought it was hers.  She immediately backed down and away and let me take it when I told her NO.

I found both Gracie and Blonde in possession of one sock each.  They were no longer useful to me if you know what I mean but I did remove them to the garbage and let them know their behavior was not appreciated.  Trading is something we will be learning in the near future.  Gracie has had issues with my socks before so I guess she is teaching Blonde they are the best to chew on.  Blonde is also stuffed animal destructive so we will be looking at some tough items that will exercise her without falling apart.