Here are pictures taken of Janie during her visit today! What a retriever she's getting to be!!! And of course, she HAD to find what we hope will be the last of our snow! 
Janie 07-185
Profile
Sponsored by: Kari/DMJ Asphalt 3/27/07: Janie is likely a fairly young, 2-4 yr old female Golden who came in with those from N Dakota. She is presently in heat, so will not be available for adoption until after her spay - at least 3 weeks. She's likely had several litters which have contributed to her slight sway back posture. She was quite matted and although we were able to pick out most of the mats, we had to buzz her pants off so she looks a little naked from the rear. She tires pretty quickly right now but I'm sure that will change with all the exercise she's getting now.She's starting to show us her curious and playful nature. It's so fun to watch her blossom. It's like watching a puppy grow up - only weeks in a young puppy's life happen in just hours. Toys? "Oh MY! Look, I can build a nest by gathering all the toys in a pile!" Petting? "Ohhh, I never knew hands felt soooo good!" Treats? "I'm still a little picky but some are very good!" Heeling? "That's walking right here beside you, gazing up at you like you're the best thing in the world! Oh, look, I can do it equally as well on both sides!" (We fell upon this accidentally, without the intent of teaching her to heel. Of course, it's an extreme self esteem builder for the human!)Housebreaking? Hasn't made one mistake.Learning new things - watching the resident canines, she figured out what 'down' and 'sit' were in minutes! If you find the treat that spurs her fancy at that moment, you likely can find many more things she will do! She's now walking very comfortably on leash. Her thoughts of her crate are improving and she gladly sleeps there when we can't focus on her or during the night. Doorways are even manageable now (they were scary!). Rapid movements still startle her but she's realizing bad things don't happen even when people move fast. She gets along well with the resident dogs and watches them to learn more and still hasn't quite figured out the cats. She is like a sponge - soaking up everything she can. Once her tail started wagging last night, it's rarely stopped! Stay tuned!
Janie is on the left, Lilly 07-186 is on the right.
At a Glance #07-185
| Golden Retriever | Born: March 2004 |
| Female | Weight not specified |
Status: Adopted
Profile
Sponsored by: Kari/DMJ Asphalt 3/27/07: Janie is likely a fairly young, 2-4 yr old female Golden who came in with those from N Dakota. She is presently in heat, so will not be available for adoption until after her spay - at least 3 weeks. She's likely had several litters which have contributed to her slight sway back posture. She was quite matted and although we were able to pick out most of the mats, we had to buzz her pants off so she looks a little naked from the rear. She tires pretty quickly right now but I'm sure that will change with all the exercise she's getting now.She's starting to show us her curious and playful nature. It's so fun to watch her blossom. It's like watching a puppy grow up - only weeks in a young puppy's life happen in just hours. Toys? "Oh MY! Look, I can build a nest by gathering all the toys in a pile!" Petting? "Ohhh, I never knew hands felt soooo good!" Treats? "I'm still a little picky but some are very good!" Heeling? "That's walking right here beside you, gazing up at you like you're the best thing in the world! Oh, look, I can do it equally as well on both sides!" (We fell upon this accidentally, without the intent of teaching her to heel. Of course, it's an extreme self esteem builder for the human!)Housebreaking? Hasn't made one mistake.Learning new things - watching the resident canines, she figured out what 'down' and 'sit' were in minutes! If you find the treat that spurs her fancy at that moment, you likely can find many more things she will do! She's now walking very comfortably on leash. Her thoughts of her crate are improving and she gladly sleeps there when we can't focus on her or during the night. Doorways are even manageable now (they were scary!). Rapid movements still startle her but she's realizing bad things don't happen even when people move fast. She gets along well with the resident dogs and watches them to learn more and still hasn't quite figured out the cats. She is like a sponge - soaking up everything she can. Once her tail started wagging last night, it's rarely stopped! Stay tuned! Janie is on the left, Lilly 07-186 is on the right.
Updates
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
Happy Easter to all!!! And a very special greeting to my sponsors, Kari and DMJ Asphalt!! Miss Janie here. Life is getting better (it even snowed just for me)!
Today, Janie is moving back to the Cities with Michelle and her girls -Janie will be happy to see them - they're the ones who rescued her from the craziness in Hastings! She spent her first nite out of captivity with them - they coaxed her out of her kennel and petted her even when she smelled worse than any dog should.
What's happened in these two weeks - first her looks - she looks SO much nicer (smells better too - besides having 3 baths, she's also taken MANY snow baths this week! The latter all voluntarily!) She has been building muscle and getting her stretched belly back into shape! She's even starting to sport an hour glass figure! (She loves to run!) She's up to date on shots. Her dry coat is improving and will grow out to be a beautiful dark gold color. She's out of heat and will be spayed in another 2 weeks. THEN she'll be ready to go to her 'forever' home.
Other challenges Janie's faced and conquered - Living in a house - she's nearly fully acclimated .. and obviously loves it. She's made two mistakes pottying in the house early on - both resulted from missed cues on the part of her humans. We've had her on a regular schedule and she's thriving.
She's learned to go up and down stairs; fall asleep with her head in your lap; go from room to room indoor (those doorways hold no threat) but coming through that doorway from outside is still a tough one; plays wonderfully with all the dogs; is fine with cats; is still skittish with all new people but has learned to go to her kennel when stressed - it's a great place to watch all the activity, especially because the humans ignore her when she's there! Loves going for walks and walks well on a leash. Toys are the best - she's picky when it comes to treats but we did find her Favorite treat - Cheez It (cheese in a can - will even come inside for it).
Janie is doing remarkable for a puppy mill girl - but her world can collapse in an instant when you ... move too fast, talk too loud, make a loud noise, when her metal food dish slides on the floor and makes an awful scraping sound. The more she realizes these things won't hurt her and the more she learns to trust we humans, the more normal she'll be.
I will miss this girl! We've 'bonded'. The great thing about that is if Janie can bond so solidly with me, she will with her new family. Her devotion is total! She is learning to trust again.
What we feel Janie's ideal 'forever home' would look like.
Her forever home must have a confident resident dog. She learns quickly from observing her canine companions and especially when spooked, she absorbs much from the resident dogs. A fenced yard is a must. Not only does Janie LOVE to run big circles, she could run away (when spooked, her reaction is to bolt but so far, all of the perceived threats have been milder so even if off leash, she's come right back to us).
Janie's forever family should be ready for an active girl and could have children (but not toddlers), so school age or above would be good. She seems to love kids and is very gentle but she is a more active girl and could too easily knock them down or worse, she could be pushed too far. (Although she's been pushed to endure alot these last 2 weeks and shown no aggression at all, we've stopped before anything could happen.)
Janie is one special girl!
The newest photos show the playful nature of this girl - she Loves toys and Loves to play. The first one is her all happy and proud with the purple bone; the next two are Janie inviting our cocker to play and then playing a great game of chase - and the last one is of Janie, after enough exercise, lying down, smiling. You can tell what she's thinking - "Life is GReat!"
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
These photos were all taken earlier today in the midst of our Spring snow storm. My goodness, this girl loves snow! (Of course, all the resident dogs showed her the way!) There is SO much dog here! Janie is smart beyond words. The photo with the toy shows her retrieving it back to me - and she does it so consistently, she clearly understands it! She SO loves to run and play in the snow. 
