It's meet-and-greet season, and Korey will be attending as many as he can. Come out and give him a little "skritch" behind his ears.

We went to the Edina Chuck and Don's last weekend and are planning on going to the Shakopee location this weekend. He loves to meet all the new people and maybe half of the other dogs!

We made it through all of the really hot weather; a combination of early morning "rolls" along with short evening ones got us by fairly comfortably.

Korey met another new friend. This one looked much more like Korey than his other pals. We got to meet RAGOM's Levi/Moose 21-002 at his foster's house. They got along great and only got their wheels tangled up once!

Korey had a good time at the meet-and-greet this Saturday at Chuck and Don's in Edina. Forecast was for a hot day, but it was very pleasant sitting outside in the shade.

Korey was very well-behaved and got along with the other dogs there as well as the many great people who visited.

Now that some of the COVID restrictions have been relaxed, RAGOM has more events scheduled. Please click the top header on the homepage called Events to get more details; Korey plans on attending as many as possible.

Korey really enjoyed our warm Saturday and had some fun rolling around in the backyard.

Even after Korey has been at my house for more than a year, we still are perfecting taking care of him and are just about through another round of antibiotics to deal with another urinary tract infection, which is very common in dogs that can't easily void their bladder. I have figured out that doing several expressions on his bladder a few minutes apart seems to help getting more out. Side note is since I express him, I can decide where he goes and dog pee kills dandelions! Would that be "green" lawn care or "yellow"?

Minnesota weather is always changing quickly this time of the year; sometimes it is warm and sunny, and the very next day cold and rainy. Korey walks every day regardless, but on one of the real nice days, we thought it might be nice to venture to Lake Phalen for a 3.1-mile trek including some off-roading!

I don't think I've shared that Korey is a lap dog - he comes up to me when I'm sitting in the chair and wants to be picked up. I don't know his limit, but he has never wanted to be set back down!

I didn't have any bubble gum, duct tape, or a paper clip, and I wasn't trying to defuse a thermonuclear device, but I did need to do my best "Macgyver" (or Macgruber!) on the trail yesterday as Korey's wheels broke where they attach to his harness.

Most handicapped dogs can bend their legs backwards, and the cart has hooks to hold their legs up back there, but in Korey's case, his legs muscles have atrophied, so they stick out in front and I have to attach them to the front bars, which puts a lot of strain on the webbing that holds the cart to the harness. This is particularly bad on his left leg that pushes down with much force; his right leg is very loose, and it even seems like he holds it up.

We were about a mile from home, and my option was to try and carry a 55-pound dog and his wheels home or rig up a repair - I opted for the repair and managed to loop his leash around the other side and tie a knot to hold it together. We made it home fine and where I have spares of just about all of the parts to get us back rolling.

Korey loves car rides, and on Thursday, we loaded up and headed to Flying Cloud Animal Hospital. It is very important to find a vet that understands paralyzed dogs and their unique needs and situation; Flying Cloud does water therapy and has cared for many special needs dogs, so I trust in their care.

Lots of good to report and only one bad thing, and that was bacteria in his bladder - not surprising at all as it is almost impossible to get all the urine out all the time; a very common issue for incontinent dogs. We were sent home with antibiotics.

The good news was he is at a very good weight, his coat is in great condition, and his little wounds have healed up pretty well. They also reported that he had a condition called "Gorgeousness".  He has it bad, and there isn't a cure!

On the way home, we stopped for gas and went through the car wash. Korey wasn't sure what to make of the brushes and foam; he was very interested, but didn't panic.

I’ve lost track of time and realized it has been too many days since I’ve updated you on Korey and his exploits.

The slightly warmer weather is more comfortable for walking, but with that comes more slop on Korey. I gave him a bath last night, and as usual, he was a good sport - likely because he gets a full cookie afterwards! While we were near the bathroom, I took the opportunity to get on the scale with him; slightly wet, he was 54 pounds. He looks a good size to me - he thinks he could use even more food and treats.

Korey has now been with RAGOM and me for a full year and seems to be doing well. I’m going to schedule an annual checkup for him and we’ll know for sure.

I’m not sure when Santa starts his naughty and nice list, but Korey definitely was a bit naughty last week with the destruction of two dog beds in the same amount of days. Korey is mostly non-destructive; he doesn’t tear up his toys or get into mischief during the day with free roam, but he likes to play very rough with those dog beds after his meals - he tosses them, grabs them, and rolls around with them in his mouth. The new one arrived today as I was typing this and a couple new covers for his other one are supposed to arrive on Monday.

I thought I would also give a little bit of insight on his care. Since he is incontinent, he wears a belly band, or, as I call them, “pants” to keep urine contained. We use extra absorbent liners and regular baby diapers inside to absorb any pee that comes out between expressing his bladder in the yard.

I have chosen to just let the poo fall where it may, as putting diapers on the rump doesn’t always contain it - those pesky leg holes! And having dried poop stuck to dog fur seems like a bigger mess than picking it up off hardwood or tile and then spraying a bit of Nature’s Miracle on the spot.

He has over a dozen sets of pants, and they don’t always get wet if the diapers and pads catch the pee, so we can sometimes go up to three days between laundry loads.

Here’s our normal workday routine: get up early, pick up any poop on the floor, and go outside to squeeze his bladder, then he comes in for breakfast and while he eats, I wash his boy zone with a washcloth to prevent urine burns on his skin and put fresh change of pants, etc., on him as needed. After eating, he works on destroying his dog bed, chews on toys, or naps while I prepare for work.

Just before I leave, we do one more bladder expression and play for a few minutes in the back yard - he has a large rock he likes to run around with, then we come back inside for another cleaning and fresh pants and pads. Before I walk out the door, he gets a small handful of assorted treats to occupy him as I make my exit.

When I return from a full workday, Korey greets me at the door - just try and tell me dogs can’t tell time! - for some pets and love. I usually need to pick up some poop, and then we go outside to empty his bladder, clean him up, feed him, and put on a fresh outfit. He then goes back to destroying his dog bed while I wind down from work for a little bit, and then we “cart up” for a walk around the neighborhood, usually going 2.5 to 3 miles.

After the walk, we go outside for another expression and some rock chasing. His legs are rigid, but he pulls himself to full upright outside quite often, even though he can’t actually control them for walking. We do one more expression and cleaning a few hours before bedtime and then one right before he goes to bed with one last treat.

Korey has the best fans! We would like to thank Jana and Ed for sponsoring Korey, in memory of Summer and Otis; thanks.

Korey gets extremely excited when he knows that he gets to go for a car ride, and Sunday was no different when we took advantage of some mild and sunny weather and visited Stillwater. He seems to be a little scared of bridges, but did okay once he could focus on a few other dogs that were walking on the bridge, too.

Thanks for following Korey’s adventures, and he wishes you Happy Holidays and he wishes he could have some more treats!

Korey has 3 dog beds, and the round one is also his toy and wrestling partner. It gets bit and tossed around so much that it has gotten torn many times. I’ve had it stitched up by others and also have crudely repaired it myself. Well, finally it became too torn to repair, and I started searching for another round one without much luck, until I realized I could just buy a new cover and shove the old bed inside - Korey approves!

This weekend, I got an email from Handicapped Pets, the company that makes his wheels, and they were having a big sale, so I placed an order for wheels, struts, harnesses, and other assorted parts (including a surprise part that we’ll show you later), which turned out to be timely as his wheel strut literally fell out on the walk the next day. Luckily, I was able to put it back in and make it home, and I had an old part in the shed to get us back to normal until the new stuff shows up.

We would like to thank Nicki, Steve, Freyja, Leelou, and Callie for sending Korey some love. It is greatly appreciated and makes it possible for RAGOM to help dogs that have gone through hardships in their lives - Thanks!

Before we tell you about Korey’s big week out meeting all of his fans, we need to thank two generous supporters: one in honor of Josie and the other in honor of Grandma Hoffman. Thanks so much!

On Friday, Korey went to the St. Paul Audi Dealership for the second time to appear in their Facebook ad campaign. We always have fun there and RAGOM very much appreciates their ongoing support of our rescue activities.

Saturday found us at Chuck & Don’s for a Meet & Greet. I didn’t bring the camera but did snap a picture of Korey’s new toy when we got home—a stuffed stingray that we bought there. Korey loved meeting so many nice people, although he got a bit “barky” with a couple other dogs in attendance.

Saturday was a good day for a very short road trip as we drove a couple miles from home to Lake Phalen and did a lap: 3.1 miles. Korey enjoys smelling just about everything and since this was a new area, it took a while to make our way around.

Korey spent Saturday afternoon hanging out with RAGOM at Pahl’s Market Fall Festival. He had a great time meeting all sorts of nice people and even talked me out of a few bites of some mini donuts.

If you remember, Korey had eaten a corncob a week after he arrived in Minnesota last January and had a very expensive surgery to remove it. So, I kept a very close eye on him around all of these fall-themed corn cobs and stalks. I figured there was $2.5 million worth of dog surgeries on these tables alone!

Apparently corn cobs are a very common item removed from dog’s intestines, so keep a close eye on your pup if you have cobs for decorations.

Korey really likes meeting most other dogs; he particularly seems to like hyper puppies! This one lives on the corner across from the neighborhood walking trail and whenever he is out, Korey just has to go see him.

It’s a Great Dane and likes to run under and around Korey’s cart—that isn’t going to last for long as that puppy is getting bigger every day. These pictures were taken several weeks ago and that puppy has about doubled in size.

Hello fans of Korey and RAGOM. This Sunday the 13th is our big fundraiser—it used to be a huge get-together of hundreds of Goldens and other dogs, but with this virus, it has gone virtual.

Korey and I will still be walking and have started our own fund-raising page on the Goldzilla website. If you would like to pledge us, we would very appreciative.

Time for a pit stop - new tires for Korey’s cart! He does 2 or more miles every day, and the soft foam tires just keeping getting smaller and smaller, so “we” installed a new set. Korey was very interested in the process and sat next to me with his snout under my arm and his chin on my leg; always happy to help out!

We are also working on getting him to balance a bit on his rear legs to help build up some strength and flexibility. He really doesn’t walk on all fours, but can drag them a bit into the upright position.

I haven’t discussed (disgust?) his potty functions in a while and I know how much you all miss that, so I will say that it is getting easier to get an empty bladder by expressing it by hand - not too difficult and only slightly more glamorous than some of the other tasks.

As you might imagine, a dog with wheels gathers a bit of a following and interest for lots of people.

While we were walking down a local street, a very nice lady came out of her house and was so excited to meet Korey as she had seen us out walking on the trail. She wanted to get him a toy, so she got a Chuck & Don’s gift card and presented it to Korey the next time she saw us when she was driving by.

We took a road trip the next day, and Korey literally grabbed his selection off the shelf! it was a stuffed pheasant with a squeaker; he plays with it a lot. Thanks for the nice gift! 

“How are things going with Korey?”

“They are going swimmingly. Thanks for asking!”

I had taken a week off of work and had a bit more time to take Korey on adventures, so on Friday we went to Lake Phalen to see what he thought of the water. He swam with no issue; well, except he thought he needed to drink it.

After the swim, we walked the 3.1 miles around the lake and got home before it got too hot out.

Road trip! More on that later as Korey would like to thank an anonymous sponsor for their generous gift made in honor of Poly 17-189TD - thank you so much!

We also need to thank Jean S for a second set of leg holders for his cart. These are in a lightweight fabric for hot days. 

On the Fourth of July, I thought Korey could use a change in scenery, so we loaded up and headed to Stillwater for a stroll across the recently re-opened lift bridge. We met lots of really nice people, including the MNDOT employee who “lifts” the bridge and some former RAGOM adopters who topped up Korey’s water bottle as it was getting low.

Korey gets really excited when he knows we are going somewhere, and somehow he figures it out and then tries to push past me and drag himself to the car - boy is too smart sometimes!

Korey got to go visit Jean and a puppy that she was watching. Jean does a whole lot of sewing to make Korey new items as well as repair old ones - you might say she keeps him in stiches!

Korey was very happy that his favorite dog bed got repaired. I had discovered a possible better way to keep his feet from dragging on the ground, and we showed it to Jean for her to make a better set.

While we were waiting to get Korey out of the car, we noticed he had pulled himself up and was balancing against the car seats. He still can’t bend his legs much, but can balance on the back ones for short periods of time if he can lean against something or if I prop him up.

Korey continues to improve in his walking. He still wants what he wants, but isn’t putting on the brakes when he doesn’t get his way.

I carried him a couple of houses up the street today to see about some play time with a Chocolate Lab, but the Lab didn’t want anything to do with Korey.

I’m not sure if we mentioned this or not, but Korey gets free roam of the house when I go to work and doesn’t get into anything or cause any trouble.

Let us know if you’re interested in adopting Korey.

I thought I had a cow in my living room as Korey’s love of the dandelions has resulted in some not-quite-cow-pie-sized poo! With his paralysis, comes incontinence and I only let him on hard, easy-to-clean surfaces at home.

It really isn’t too bad to manage, and along with the belly bands to keep his urine under control, we keep him and the house clean. We do have diapers that would catch the poo, but then you have a dog with messy fur. I find picking up pebble-sized “surprises” is easier and faster.

Hopefully the dandelions are just about done for the season.

We don’t have too much to report this week, but we have some more pictures of Korey being Korey!

Korey and I met up with a couple ladies that I used to dance with back when that sort of stuff didn’t compromise your health, and we walked around Lake Nokomis. I brought the camera, but then forgot it in the car, so these pictures are from our normal walking path.

Our latest challenge is that Korey seems to love eating dandelions. I’m doing my best to keep him away from them, but they are just about everywhere these days. It shouldn’t be long until they blow away.

When I first got Korey at the end of January and I was trying to figure out his bathroom functions, I had tried to express his bladder a couple of times without luck, but it didn’t seem to be needed as he pees whenever he needs to and it is mostly contained by his pants and the cloth diapers I put inside. Recently, I tried expressing him and have had luck, so now I try and empty his bladder a few times a day to keep him drier.

Solve one problem and create another… When a dog is paralyzed, you have to experiment with just about every aspect of his life. I’m on about trial #5 for keeping Korey's urine from leaking out, and the latest challenge is walking him.

He can be very stubborn and will just stop if he sees something he wants. He can be really hard to walk in the morning, so I finally decided that maybe he was just too tired for us to walk in the morning. Mind you, he isn’t too tired to get up for breakfast! 

Instead of walking, I thought we could play in the backyard before work. Well, dragging himself on the hard ground gave him some abrasions - time to experiment! A fan donated a drag bag, but because his legs don’t bend, that isn’t going to work, and besides, he wasn’t having any of that on his legs! 

While we are on the topic of his rigid legs, no, he isn’t walking on all fours in the picture. They just work as levers, and when he’s on a rough surface, his forward motion can pull his body up while his legs stay put.

We have another fun thing to announce: Korey has learned how to “shake hands.” He is so food-motivated that it hardly took much work, and he literally has drool puddles beneath him while waiting for a treat.

Korey seems to just get better every day, both in his health and being a gentleman! He still likes to get some puppy chewing in on my hands, but it has gotten less frequent and easier to get him to stop.

There is a big difference in his front and rear paws, with the fronts being noticeably larger and how you would expect them to be on a Golden his size. The rear paws are smaller and his legs are very thin, but they seem fine health-wise. The one rear leg seems to have much more flexibility and even appears like he has some control over it.

Korey really enjoys chasing me through the park - he is fast, or maybe I’m slow.

Even with all of the virus awareness, some people still can’t resist petting and kissing him on the trail, so I don’t touch his head until we can get him home and wash it. He doesn’t mind me washing him up at all; I think he likes the drying part because his ears get rubbed.

Korey keeps on getting better. He’s filling out nicely, so we may need to slow up on his treats. His wounds seem to be healing up.

On Sunday, we met up with another RAGOM volunteer and her friend to take a walk around Lake Phalen. The distance around is about 3 miles, and Korey had no problem doing it.

He even went up several long flights of stairs; not only does it look cool, it really makes it easier on the person helping him along as they don’t have to carry the whole cart with Korey in it.

When the walk was done, Korey got a great care basket with treats, toys, shampoos, a blanket, a drag bag, and several other nice items. He immediately latched on to a large blue bone which is now in strong rotation of his toys at home - he loves to chew!

Thanks, Kate and Taylor.

Korey’s skin wounds from dragging his back legs around have gotten better, mostly because he’s stronger from all his walks and he doesn’t drag his legs as much; he seems to pick them up a bit while moving around with his front legs.

Korey is showing more puppy play behavior. He likes to roll on his back and get belly rubs. He will also come in for the Golden lean. He has a few neighborhood buddies that we see on walks, and they will play a little.

Korey is getting used to riding in the car and is starting to sit up and look around during trips.

He continues to be a very quiet dog and only barks in response to other dogs and not all the time either. Once he “demanded” his supper, but now he just spins in circles while I prepare it for him. He pivots on his ankle area and makes big arcs when he spins.

His favorite toy is a chewing stick which he seems to chew down about one a month. As the stick gets chewed down, I throw it away before it gets small enough for him to swallow!

Korey was a big hit at the Wags N' Wash on Saturday. We met some great people and cool dogs, and Korey did a “courtesy” inspection of the rawhide treat area!

I continue to learn about Korey and how to care for his special needs. I am having very good luck managing his urine through belly bands and cloth baby diaper inserts; the poo is still a work in progress, although much less of a mess than urine.

Korey really loves other dogs, and I’m trying to find him one to play with when he is out of his cart.

Korey is acting just like his old self less than a week after his surgery - lots of puppy energy! I carefully checked that his harness and leg loops would be nowhere near or putting pressure on his incisions, then took him for a short walk before a deep freeze heads our way; he absolutely loved it. We’ll build up to his normal distance very slowly so we don’t interfere with his healing.

Korey has now been with me for over a week. We have had some very high highs and some very low lows.

On Saturday, February 1, we went to Doggie Depot at the Union Depot in St. Paul and got interviewed by Kare 11 before the event. Then, we met so many great people and dogs, and Korey loved them all - he got excited and was doing a bit of puppy mouthing. That was the good part.

The bad part is that on our Monday morning walk, he vomited up his breakfast and then stopped eating for several days. He still isn’t eating yet as of Wednesday, Feb 5, but he’s taking water, and today he played with his ball and ate a tiny bit of dog ice cream.

We had a vet visit and are taking advice from Dr. Teri. We are feeling good that he is almost over whatever upset his stomach. Please send him your best wishes.