Through no fault of her own, Harriet is once again seeking her adoptive family. Unfortunately, her potential adopter recently had a big change in life circumstances and feels that now is not the right time to adopt.

Harriet is a joy to have around. She's affectionate, friendly, and doesn't bark often. She likes to run around the yard and play, go for short walks, watch dog videos, ride in the car, and learn new things. She loves meeting new people and other well-behaved dogs.

Harriet here!

We went to a meet-and-greet, and it was so fun but so hot out! The nice RAGOM people gave us a swimming pool filled with ice! I loved laying my head in it and spreading out in the ice to cool off. I like swimming in water pools, but this was great!

One of my favorite things is meeting new people, and so many nice people told me I was very sweet and had beautiful wavy hair.

I had a playdate with my new Golden friend, Lulu. We had fun running and relaxing, and then our foster moms started picking raspberries and I helped a lot! I love raspberries! 

My job is to run around the yard, keeping it safe from squirrels! Fenced yards are nice, but I don’t require one, as long as I get exercise and am kept secure. Foster Mom says I still need to work on obeying the “come” command every time, even when I’m doing something fun.

Like many larger dogs, I have a problem with my hips. I can run around and go up and down the stairs easily now, but when I get older, it might be harder, so a house or an apartment on one level would be best.

For now, I take glucosamine and take lots short walks to build my muscles. I jump into Foster Mom’s SUV by starting at the floor and then hopping to the seat.

I’ll do best as an only dog living with kids over 10. 

I am well-behaved and quiet. I sleep in my bed in the bedroom, have free rein in the house for several hours, and don’t take things that aren’t mine. I’m affectionate and love being around my peeps.

I’m a smaller Golden at 52 lbs, and Foster Mom says I’m very easy to fall in love with.  

Life is so good. Now I'm looking for my forever family to share my Golden life. Could it be you? 

Harriet is a friendly, happy, blonde and white Golden Retriever who is 4 years and 9 months old. She has pretty light waves down her chest, and her white face makes people think she’s older. At 54 pounds, she’s a smaller Golden who’s originally from Turkey. 

She’s completely house trained and respectful of things that don’t belong to her. She has a sweet and friendly personality and loves to make new friends. 

Harriet has two requirements for her furever home: 

• She’ll need to be an only dog with older kids because she guards her treats and bones from other dogs.
• She’ll need to be in a one-level home due to potential future hip problems (see below). 

She was cat-tested this week with a cat who’s familiar with dogs. Harriet initially barked, but when the cat ignored her, she quickly lost interest in him. She can meet any dog-savvy cat to see how they react to each other. 

She did very well riding in an elevator and being in an apartment. 

At her first meet-and-greet, she enjoyed meeting lots of people and dogs. She lifts her paw if she’d like more attention. 

She has medium energy and is easy and fun to live with. She naps a lot. She loves car rides, spending time outside running around the yard, rolling in the grass, and napping on the deck. A fenced yard would be great, but all RAGOM dogs need to be supervised when they’re outside for their own safety. 

She’s an observer and loves to watch the animals in the yard. She also likes watching animal videos on TV and the computer. She’ll move in close to watch. 

Her hearing is excellent. She can hear a banana being peeled from another room, runs over and sits politely to have a few morsels. 

Harriet has a couple health concerns:

• She has congenital hip dysplasia, so her hip joints didn’t develop correctly. She is comfortable going on several 15-minute walks and running around the yard. Her condition can be helped with good nutrition, exercise so she builds muscle, glucosamine and fish oil supplements, and avoiding stairs. Her hip problems aren’t apparent now, but in time, she may develop degenerative joint disease requiring pain medication, as many large dogs do. Stairs will likely become difficult.
• She also has a chronic anal gland problem, so her anal glands (which other dogs sniff) fill up and will become uncomfortable if they aren’t expressed on a monthly basis. The vet tech can do this in about 5 minutes. 

Harriet is a very special girl who could become a sweet and devoted addition to your family.

Harriet has been with me for two weeks. Let me tell you a bit about her!

She was 1½ when she came to us from Turkey (our very first group of Turkey dogs). She has hip dysplasia (from birth), and was adopted by a family whose other dog also has the same issue.

She had been with them for three years when she was surrendered back to RAGOM after an altercation with the other resident dog over a bone last month. Maybe she remembered something from her days trying to survive in Turkey and that made her snap at the other dog who had her bone.

She has met four dogs so far while with me and had no problems with any of them. Wagged tails, sniff, sniff, and on to checking out other things. Given what we know, she would probably be best as an only dog.

She is kennel trained, although I haven’t used it since a few days after she arrived. She has been a perfect guest! Not an accident, doesn’t get into anything, no barking. She lays either at the front door (window) or in the front of my house on a tie out and a dog bed and just observes!

She is not a runner. Loves people. Flips over for tummy rubs. Sits nicely. Doesn't jump on you, counter surf, or touch things that aren't dog toys. She also sits on the couch in the back of my house watching all the wildlife—birds, ducks, deer, raccoons, fox—she has great eyesight!

We walk 4 - 5 times a day for about 10 - 15 minutes each, sit and watch TV at night after her dinner. She doesn't really cuddle or kiss—just likes a part of her body to be touching you. She sits nicely and loves to be pet and have her ears rubbed! 

I leave her several times a day now, free in my house, anywhere from an hour to six hours. 

This is what I think Harriet needs in her forever home:

1. A fence would be nice, but not necessary—I just know how much she loves being outside...
2. She needs work (a Gentle Leader) to walk without pulling—she is strong!—but she can’t be taken for runs or long walks because of her hips.
3. Children age 10+ who are dog smart and will not feed her treats or take things from her. I have been teaching her "gentle" when I give her a treat, but she is not there yet.
4. She has not been cat tested.