Have a wonderful Easter! Love CJ Happy Spring to the Golden Seniors from Anonymous
Liberty 13-231
Profile
Sponsored by:
Marti S.
"In memory and honor of Mollie Anne Jones. I am grateful for Liberty's fosters. I appreciate the updates and the loving care they provide Liberty. God Bless."
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 8/27/2013 | Physical fence required | Age 10+ | Required | Yes | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
September 1 , 2013
Liberty is a five-year-old female. She is a medium dark-red, purebred Golden Retriever. She weighs 61 pounds. She could lose a few pounds, but is not too overweight. She is from the same puppy mill that Joyce and Becky are from.She was in a temporary foster home for a few days and she arrived in her permanent foster home the evening of Wednesday, August 28. She was initially vetted by her temporary foster, so they got her started on her vaccinations. We have been to the vet as well, but this time just for an assessment. She needs to be spayed and she has several large mammary tumors that will need to be removed as well. We learned she has ear infections in both ears. She will also need a dental eventually, but right now her teeth are not our top priority. The vet couldn't really tell if she'd had puppies, but since she's from a puppy mill, it's likely. They would have gotten rid of her sooner if she hadn't at least had a few litters.
She is super sweet. She's also super scared. She follows the two resident Golden Retriever's lead on everything. She is trailing a 20-foot long-line and will be for the foreseeable future. When she first arrived, she found a corner in a bathroom and stayed there...so we put a crate up in the dining room. With a little coaxing, she decided the crate was better. That is her safe spot. It's right in the center of all the action in our house, so she's seeing what's going on without needing to participate in it.All in all, Liberty is doing really well. When she leaves the yard, she wears a harness and a martingale, each having it's own leash. She rode nicely in the car, but when I opened the back end a bit, she would have flown out if I hadn't had yet another leash attached to a hook on the floor of the car. That's the last thing Ragom needs is another puppy mill dog to search for. We haven't gone for any walks yet, but I suspect that is in her future too.She has been eating and drinking, but she won't do either if any people are in the room with her....so for now, the food and water go in her crate. When nobody is around, she eats and drinks. She also seems to be housebroken....which is nice. Her temporary foster reported the same thing.When we go outside, she does her business, she explores the yard and she follows one of the two resident dogs around...she seems to like both equally, it just depends on whichever one is nearer to her. When it's time to come in, I call them and she follows right behind. The residents are both confident adult Golden Retrievers (both Ragom alumni). I think she'd be happier if there were a few more dogs around, but for now Bob and Finnegan are her guides in life.Right now we are working on clearing up her ears while others in Ragom figure out her surgery schedule...will it be one longer surgery or two separate ones? Check back regularly for more on Liberty.
At a Glance #13-231
| Golden Retriever | Born: August 2004 |
| Female | 75 lbs |
Status: Deceased
Profile
Sponsored by:
Marti S.
"In memory and honor of Mollie Anne Jones. I am grateful for Liberty's fosters. I appreciate the updates and the loving care they provide Liberty. God Bless."
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 8/27/2013 | Physical fence required | Age 10+ | Required | Yes | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
September 1 , 2013
Liberty is a five-year-old female. She is a medium dark-red, purebred Golden Retriever. She weighs 61 pounds. She could lose a few pounds, but is not too overweight. She is from the same puppy mill that Joyce and Becky are from.She was in a temporary foster home for a few days and she arrived in her permanent foster home the evening of Wednesday, August 28. She was initially vetted by her temporary foster, so they got her started on her vaccinations. We have been to the vet as well, but this time just for an assessment. She needs to be spayed and she has several large mammary tumors that will need to be removed as well. We learned she has ear infections in both ears. She will also need a dental eventually, but right now her teeth are not our top priority. The vet couldn't really tell if she'd had puppies, but since she's from a puppy mill, it's likely. They would have gotten rid of her sooner if she hadn't at least had a few litters. She is super sweet. She's also super scared. She follows the two resident Golden Retriever's lead on everything. She is trailing a 20-foot long-line and will be for the foreseeable future. When she first arrived, she found a corner in a bathroom and stayed there...so we put a crate up in the dining room. With a little coaxing, she decided the crate was better. That is her safe spot. It's right in the center of all the action in our house, so she's seeing what's going on without needing to participate in it.All in all, Liberty is doing really well. When she leaves the yard, she wears a harness and a martingale, each having it's own leash. She rode nicely in the car, but when I opened the back end a bit, she would have flown out if I hadn't had yet another leash attached to a hook on the floor of the car. That's the last thing Ragom needs is another puppy mill dog to search for. We haven't gone for any walks yet, but I suspect that is in her future too.She has been eating and drinking, but she won't do either if any people are in the room with her....so for now, the food and water go in her crate. When nobody is around, she eats and drinks. She also seems to be housebroken....which is nice. Her temporary foster reported the same thing.When we go outside, she does her business, she explores the yard and she follows one of the two resident dogs around...she seems to like both equally, it just depends on whichever one is nearer to her. When it's time to come in, I call them and she follows right behind. The residents are both confident adult Golden Retrievers (both Ragom alumni). I think she'd be happier if there were a few more dogs around, but for now Bob and Finnegan are her guides in life.Right now we are working on clearing up her ears while others in Ragom figure out her surgery schedule...will it be one longer surgery or two separate ones? Check back regularly for more on Liberty.
Updates
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Monday, July 6, 2015
This photo is amazing.....for a mill dog like Liberty to lay down and relax outside, it means she is relaxed enough to actually lay down....and to take a nap. Liberty is totally at home in "her" yard and with her three foster "brothers." If you know anything about mill dogs, you know they usually can only settle down in their safe spot which is usually in a corner, in a crate, or under something. Here she is laying in the middle of the yard, out in the open, with nothing to hide under. She's been doing this all summer long. Liberty has indeed come a long way in the almost two years she's been with us.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Lib is still hanging out in St. Paul....a sad record for me as a foster. I've never had a foster dog this long...almost two years. She is content with us but we are still hoping for that magic perfect forever home for her. She loves being part of the pack and is really very little work. She does deserve a home of her own and that can't happen here because we are already over city limit for owned animals. She is scared of thunderstorms but as long as she's in her plastic crate, it is quite manageable, she still cries but that's about it. I think either the plastic crate muffles the sounds or else she can't see the lightening...but if she's not in the crate when it storms, she would run around and dig into the floor. She loves the other dogs and is very accepting of our super-friendly cat Lucas. He likes to hang on and bat at their tails....and Liberty lets him. She also lets him lick her face. Check back soon for another update.
She loves our yard and the attached picture shows her chilling on the patio.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
I decided it was time to get Liberty to an event. She doesn't like them at all so I haven't been taking her as often as I should. So on Friday night, she had a bath and her feet trimmed so she'd be beautiful on Saturday. I cleaned her ears, brushed her, trimmed her nails, trimmed the hair on her feet....all as she stood there.
Usually there are too many dogs at events, so our residents aren't welcome, but this time, there were only a couple of dogs scheduled to attend. I asked the coordinator if I could bring a resident and she said yes. So Finnegan, my exuberant, super-social almost 10-year-old Ragom alum, Liberty, and I set off for Shakopee on Saturday morning. Finnegan's presence gave Liberty courage she had not exhibited at any other event. She was better in the car and most importantly, much more social at the event. She allowed people to pet her, she didn't try to hide....it was a nice change, and in the future I will hopefully bring a resident with her to events.
Once we got home....Finnegan was raring to go, not tired at all, but Liberty took a long nap in her crate. At one point, I could hear her snoring. She was exhausted from her adventure and glad to be back at her familiar foster home.
Liberty doing her best job posing for a picture that she's done since I got her.
Liberty (on the left) with Finnegan showing her how much fun the petting is.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Is Liberty getting closer to actually approaching me or am I just hoping? I can almost reach out my arm and touch her.....
Monday, March 16, 2015
For Liberty and all the senior Goldens, in honor of Ed McDaniel's 85th Birthday, from Lynn
Monday, February 16, 2015
You can see by the photo how much Liberty is hating her cone. When she has it on, she just lays in her crate looking sad. We take it off when she's outside or when she's eating. A couple of times this weekend we tried her with no cone....and she quickly started licking...so the cone went back on. The incisions look very good but we don't go for staple removal until next week. No news on the pathology report yet.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Merry Christmas from: Byron, Larry, Brody and Betsy Bruhn Merry Christmas from Santa to the Golden Seniors!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Liberty is still in St. Paul. She's doing well. She loves it when there are more dogs around, so this holiday week is a good one for her. She gets along with them all. She has been going outside even in the dark with just a little encouragement....which is good because it's dark a lot this time of year. She loves the three resident dogs and they give her courage. They are all snugglers and she's building up her courage for that big day when she too moves in for petting. Not yet....but soon? She's edging closer. This latest photo was taken showing how close she is getting....not quite, but almost. You can see the head of one of my goldens as he sits on my lap. Her eye contact is good, she's just out of range to touch. Outside, she listens to me very well....when I call her to come in, she comes right away. She seems housebroken....but we don't push it. She still insists that I be outside with her when she's outside and that I stand behind the screen door when she goes in but she does pee on command now....which is a huge improvement.
In the next couple of weeks we'll be going back to the vet to see if her levels are okay for her to have the two new mammary tumors removed. We'll update when we know more.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Liberty likes to hang out with her canine pals. She likes all of my dogs equally....she's still not too crazy about humans. It's been a year since she arrived. If you'd like to take a look at Liberty, contact your placement advisor.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Liberty is enjoying her summer in St. Paul. She loves her two confident foster brothers as well as the resident puppy. She really likes it when we dog-sit and there are even more dogs around. We have a kiddie pool in the backyard, but she just thinks it's a giant bowl of drinking water, so there isn't much of a photo op around the pool. She walks nicely on a leash and she's even okay going solo....but she does better when another dog is with her. She likes car rides and can almost jump into the back of the SUV; once in, she isn't nervous at all. She went to a RAGOM event last Sunday and did great. She was petted by people of all ages. She does like other dogs as shown in the photo* where she and Lorna 14-197 are having some one-on-one time.
If you would like to meet Liberty, please contact your placement advisor....she requires another large confident dog, a real fence, and no small kids.
*Photos courtesy of Cindy G.
Monday, June 30, 2014
After ten months in foster care it's hard for a foster to be creative in the updates. Not that much has changed lately. Liberty is happy as long as there are other dogs around. She's eating well, she knows some commands, she is housebroken as long as our routine stays the same...overall, she's doing well. She's probably the happiest she's ever been. She is beautiful and her coat is gorgeous. I just groomed her this past week and she allows me to do anything to her....no problems with feet trimming or nail trimming or cleaning ears or brushing. She's a sweetheart just waiting for a home of her own.
She has some storm anxiety as so many dogs seem to....I just make sure she's in her plastic crate when it's storming and she feels safe so she can relax. If she's not crated she paces and possibly could try to dig at the floors.
The attached photo was taken one night when we were just watching the television....she's content surveying the room.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Quick update on Liberty: One of the characteristics of mill dogs is they have difficulty making eye contact. Liberty is learning but it's been a very slow journey. Our puppy gives her courage. In this photo, he is in her crate and she is making direct eye contact with me as I take the photo.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Liberty is pretty relaxed these days. We're done dog-sitting for now and it's just the resident dogs and a very low-key basset hound here now. She finally stayed put long enough for me to grab my iphone and take her photo. She spends a lot of time in that position, but usually runs into her crate when she sees the camera.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Liberty is doing well. She is still not into approaching humans but she's doing very well in day-to-day life. She seems to be totally housebroken....it's been months since she's had an accident. She goes outside very happily and does well in the yard. She loves to run around the yard with the other dogs. We have added another dog to our family...a four-year-old named Jackson...and he has added to Libby's happiness. She feels much happier with at least one other dog by her side, so now that we're back to two full-time residents, she can always find someone to be near.
Her personality is coming out too. She does like routine. Normally we start our day around 6 a.m. On weekends, we sometimes like to start the day a bit later, Libby isn't a big fan of that late start. She'll start barking and whining until we give up and get up. She also gets excited when I'm dishing up their food...and has started barking at me to tell me to hurry up. In a normal dog, I would be discouraging that behavior, but with her, I'm just so glad to see her interacting with us, that we let it go....and reward her by feeding her.
She eats well, she likes to explore the house when the humans are out of sight...and whenever we can't find a particular dog toy, we know to look for it in her crate. As we approach her six-month anniversary of being in foster care, it would be wonderful if she could find her own home. She needs another large normal dog, no young kids and a real fence...if you fit that criteria, place contact Ragom or your placement advisor.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Libby is still hanging out in St. Paul. She's plateaued in her development but she's come so far since she came to us. I've started some "tough love" tactics with her...one of which is locking her crate door for a couple of hours each day. So far, it's not really making any difference. She's still not joining the rest of us. She does like to watch us and sometimes it looks like she's about to have a breakthrough...but so far, she keeps her distance unless I force her to engage with us. She will be at the event in Burnsville unless weather prevents us.
I still think she'd be a great project for someone who is looking to help a needy dog...her requirements are another large normal dog, a real fence and no kids under 12 living in the home.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Liberty attended another event this past weekend. She actually had a huge weekend. On Friday night she got picked up and spent the night at another foster home...the same one that had taken her last weekend. She spent the night in a strange place....a condo...so there was no fenced yard for her to potty in. Then on Saturday morning, she got groomed professionally....a big THANK YOU to Julia for arranging and paying for that!! Then she went to the event in Minneapolis. She came home later in the day and took a very long nap! She looks beautiful. She settled right back into our routine.
At our house she is doing better...she comes in the back door now and I no longer have to go outside and hide behind it. Baby steps....
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Liberty attended the Ragom event in Burnsville with another Ragom volunteer. It was a busy day for her with a lot of new experiences. She went in the car with her foster brother, but she got dropped of at another volunteer's house...she got to explore a condo, elevator ride and all. Then she went to the event with a stranger and a dog she had just met, while at the event, she met lots of people. She had a new boyfriend by the time she got home, his name is Buddy. I couldn't take her to Burnsville because my therapy dog had two sites he had to visit today, but luckily another foster home had volunteered to get Liberty to the event. Aren't Ragom volunteers great! Lib definitely got pushed out of her comfort zone today. She took a nice nap in her crate when she got home....but she had made new friends and had new experiences....good for Liberty.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Liberty is doing well in foster care. She went to Petco earlier in the week for a much needed bath. She did well. After her bath, we wandered around the store for a while. She walked proud and did not appear to be terrified. On Saturday, we attended the event in Shakopee. Again, she did well. She rides well in the car and she even half jumps into the back. She does need a boost of her rear end. Once in, she stays in the back and watches the scenery. At the event, she accepted pets from lots of people and again, she did not appear to be terrified.
At home, she spends most of her time in her crate....her choice. When the dogs are playing in the living room, she peaks around a corner but darts back to her safe spot. She has not yet approached a human for attention but she is watching her two foster brothers as they soak it up.
She is looking good and she is clean and shiny. She's ready for a forever home....if you've adopted a mill dog before, you know it takes a while, but once they begin to trust and to blossom, it is such a rewarding experience. Email your placement advisor if you'd like to be that special adopter.