Maggey (Kasey 21-001)
Profile
At a Glance #21-001
| Golden Retriever | Born: January 2016 |
| Female | 49 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
Updates
Sunday, March 21, 2021
I am moving on to my furever home! So many learnings in so little time. Wow, is life different! I am the first of the 2021 RAGOM rescues and so much has changed. I came into RAGOM as a former breeder girl with no name. My foster home gave me the name Kasey and as I move on to my furever home I have become Maggey.
I started out not knowing what treats were to waiting impatiently after walks to get mine and knowing that if I “kenneled up” at night a treat would be given as a goodnight reward. Actually, the open kennel bed or any of our beds are great places to nap and I just rotate among them or share them with my fur mates throughout the day.
Did I mention treats? Meal time is a treat. When I first arrived, I wasn’t sure of the routine. I had my own bowl and my foster mom would put something into the bowl twice a day. But what to do? Luckily, foster mom taught me that the morsels in the bowl were delicious. I heartily follow her when the bowls are filled and left for us, but never eat out of my fur mates’ bowls while they are eating.
I am very good on a leash during my walks, but while my foster dad thinks the last walk of the night is for going potty before bed, I am much more interested in a long walk in the moonlight. I’m just that kind of girl.
Sudden movement or noises still startle me. But oh, how I love cuddle time when my foster dad gets down on the floor. He thinks it is his time to exercise, but all of us furry mates know he really just wants to snuggle us and let us lick him.
I am not quite ready to chase a ball or rough play with toys like my resident mate, but I will sniff and even pick up a ball when outside, and that squeak toy is fascinating! I can almost pick it up in my mouth, or paw it to make it squeak like the resident dog does.
I am not finished in my journey, but I am ready for the next adventure! Thank you RAGOM for this new life!
Kasey/Maggey
Sunday, February 14, 2021
As a former breeding mom for five years with little to no human contact nor play time with other dogs, Kasey has come a long way in the two weeks we have fostered her.
It has been 14 days now since Kasey started on the path to her new life. I want to list some of the significant steps that she has taken in trusting people and feeling more secure with the world around her.
But before I do, I did want to share one picture and point out one of Kasey’s unique beauty marks. The photo below lets you see the little hook that she has at the end of her tail. It gives this cute little accent to her body, and when that tail is wagging with happiness or excitement it is great to see!
Now let’s cover some of the changes we are seeing as her personality slowly starts to come out.
- Food time started with: “I don’t know what these food nibbles are.” That progressed to eating a few at a time if you sit near her and sprinkle them on the floor. Now she gives us that excited look when it is food time and eats her full meal out of her bowl before checking out the other dogs’ bowls to see if anything is left over. (She does not food guard).
- Food rewards or treats have also become a good thing. At first Kasey did not trust why you were extending your hand with something in it. Now after two weeks of 4 – 5 walks a day with treats at the end of the walk, Kasey lines up with the pack to get her special reward!
- Getting her leash on has progressed from Kasey running away or cowering as you approach, to letting you approach and attach the line because this means we are going out!
- As a follow-up on the picture, did you notice the booties? It has been darn cold this week, and Kasey will sit quietly and let you get her four booties on. This is because the other dogs let you do that, and it means we get to go outside. (A resident dog is very helpful for Kasey because it lets her know what to expect and that things are okay.)
- Big tall people are kind of scary, but when Foster Dad gets on the floor to exercise, Kasey will join the other dogs to get some cuddle time in. Foster Mom is also welcome to sit by the fireplace with a dog on either side and pet away for as long as she likes.
- We are still kenneling at night, but short day trips of 2 – 3 hours are okay for free roaming of the house with the resident dogs. We have seen no signs of separation anxiety.
There are still many, many milestones to reach, like learning to sit like the resident dogs do before going through a door to the outside. However, door frames are not quite so scary now and Kasey does know to wait her turn. She is also not sure what toys or balls are for, or how to play with the four-legged siblings, but this too should change over time.
If you are willing to take the time and with quiet, positive support allow Kasey to become comfortable in your world, you will have a sweet loving girl at your side when she is in her forever home.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Kasey is a 5-year-old that has just left the commercial breeder world. It is so much fun to watch the personality of this shy little girl start to come out. When Kasey arrived seven days ago, she had just completed a long drive from Missouri with 20 other rescue dogs.
During the first day, she was terrified of all the new changes, smells, sights and sounds. Even on walks outside, she would flatten out on the ground and let us know she had gone as far as she could.
However, within days she was letting us know the walks are a great thing by holding her head up and letting her tail wag. That’s not to say that new experiences like garbage cans and sudden noises are not still scary, but she checks out the resident dogs’ reactions and takes her cues from them.
Kasey has grown from not eating, to taking a few food nuggets cautiously from the floor, to eating readily from her bowl and then checking out everyone else’s bowl. She does not food or toy guard and watches our male dog play with his toy with a look of “Boy, I wish I could do that!”
On a more basic level, we have had only two wetting accidents over the first seven days. We are crating her at night, but she has had the run of the house along with our resident dogs when we have had 1- to 2-hour trips away from the home.
There has been no destructive behavior or issues with our male and female dogs or separation anxiety that has been observed. We have not had an opportunity to observe Kasey with young children or cats yet.
We are giving medication to clear an ear infection. She is scheduled for her spay surgery on March 8, and will be ready to go home with her forever family after she recovers.
Kasey’s forever home must have a medium to large, confident dog to help her continue to develop her confidence and comfort level with normal family life. Children in her home should be age 13 or older, as she is easily startled by sudden movements and noises.
A physically fenced yard would be great for her safety and comfort. However, her foster home does not have that and if a family can provide frequent leash-controlled walks and monitored tie-outs, she will be okay.
Please understand that right now, she does not know the “Come” command and would be too frightened to do so if she became loose in the outside world. Leash and controlled-door protocols (under leash control before doors are opened), are critical for her safety.
It will take a patient, loving family in a relatively quiet environment to let this girl blossom. A home that can provide a regular pattern to the day’s routine will be a great help. Kasey will continue to come out of her shell over time and show her personality to herself and the world around her.
