Pal 12-422

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December 28, 2012

Christmas memories for many include the wish for a new dog. Well, our grown up Christmas wish came true this year. We got to foster Pal 12-422. Pal is an 8 ½ year old purebred female Golden Retriever. She is dark gold and weighs 73 pounds. Unfortunately, Pal’s family was moving and couldn’t take her with them so she was surrendered to the local shelter who in turn contacted RAGOM. Notes from her family indicate that she grew up around cats and dogs (even had a feline bed buddy), likes kids of all ages, loved to hunt and swim and knows commands- sit, lay down, stay and retrieve.

 

Sound too good to be true? Here’s what we can attest to:

Pal is housebroken and gets along well with our resident dog. She was definitely a hunter because she loves to have you throw anything and she’ll bring it back to you and drop it! She is a retriever not just a receiver! She likes to be on her “place”- dog pillows. She also has a “safe spot” as she is adjusting to her new surroundings- our couch in the lower level! She is crate trained and for this first week or so goes there while we are working. She’ll soon have the run of the house! She does know her commands!

 

If you’ve been waiting for that large-headed golden that loves to lean into you for attention and thinks she is a lap dog, than you need to meet Pal. Pal will be ready for adoption in the next few weeks. She has to be spayed and will need a bit of recovery time. Otherwise, she is now current with all vaccinations and preventative medications (heartworm and flea/tick). Contact your placement advisor and look for future updates.

 

At a Glance #12-422

Golden Retriever Born: July 2004
Female 80 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

 

December 28, 2012

Christmas memories for many include the wish for a new dog. Well, our grown up Christmas wish came true this year. We got to foster Pal 12-422. Pal is an 8 ½ year old purebred female Golden Retriever. She is dark gold and weighs 73 pounds. Unfortunately, Pal’s family was moving and couldn’t take her with them so she was surrendered to the local shelter who in turn contacted RAGOM. Notes from her family indicate that she grew up around cats and dogs (even had a feline bed buddy), likes kids of all ages, loved to hunt and swim and knows commands- sit, lay down, stay and retrieve.

 

Sound too good to be true? Here’s what we can attest to:

Pal is housebroken and gets along well with our resident dog. She was definitely a hunter because she loves to have you throw anything and she’ll bring it back to you and drop it! She is a retriever not just a receiver! She likes to be on her “place”- dog pillows. She also has a “safe spot” as she is adjusting to her new surroundings- our couch in the lower level! She is crate trained and for this first week or so goes there while we are working. She’ll soon have the run of the house! She does know her commands!

 

If you’ve been waiting for that large-headed golden that loves to lean into you for attention and thinks she is a lap dog, than you need to meet Pal. Pal will be ready for adoption in the next few weeks. She has to be spayed and will need a bit of recovery time. Otherwise, she is now current with all vaccinations and preventative medications (heartworm and flea/tick). Contact your placement advisor and look for future updates.

 

Updates

Saturday, January 19, 2013

What a beautiful morning in January- sun is shining, light breeze, cool temp but not freezing. It’s a perfect morning for a new start in life. That is exactly what Pal got this morning. She met her forever family! It was a “meant to be” situation from the very beginning as the S. family searched for a companion. As introductions were made, Pal was immediately drawn to the family, especially the boys. Pal gave lots of hugs & kisses and got a lot of belly rubs and ball time. People always ask how we can just let these beautiful, loving dogs leave once we bring them in. What people don’t get to see is the connection the dog makes with a family. They don’t feel the joy you feel knowing that this creature is going to give and receive a lifetime of love. For that, we want to say thank you to the S. family for driving all the way to meet Pal and for letting her into your lives. Blessings.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Miss Pal was spayed on Friday and we are happy to report she is recovering quite nicely! A day or so of extra naps on her pillows and less appetite but this morning she woke up ready to take on the world. Thank goodness she isn’t a jumper, so she should heal quite nicely. Might try a short walk today, weather permitting. While vetting this week, she got a good bath and her nails done. The only cosmetic thing they weren’t able to do was remove the small wart she has on her right eyelid because her spay took longer and she needed to come out of her anesthesia. Why all this pampering? She will meet a wonderful family this weekend! This family has kids, another dog and a feline friend, all components of her previous family. Paws crossed it’s a match.

What will they be getting into? She’s quite affectionate so lots of hugs and kisses. If allowed, she’ll be sitting in their laps. She rarely barks-even when there is a rabbit in the back yard. She is a toy-hound! Hope they have lots of toys. Pal loves rides in the car, so she will want to tag along for errands. They won’t have to worry about garbage cans or things on the counter as she’s never shown interest in these things here. Oh ya- she snores! All in all, they will be getting a wonderful companion for the whole family. Stay tuned to see how the meeting goes.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Even though we’ve only had Pal for 9 days, she feels likes she’s been here forever. She has adapted to the rhythm of the house with ease and grace. She no longer feels like she has to go to her safe spot in the lower level and can now be found where ever we are. She does still enjoy a comfy dog pillow, so we’ve scattered them about the house for her.

Medically, she’s been busy! Her senior panel, done on all RAGOM dogs 8 and over, came back great as did her stool sample (too much information?). However, her thyroid was very low and she is now on thyroid medications. Dr. Tim (thank you for taking such good care of her) recommends that she take those for two months and then have it rechecked. She went in for her beauty bath; in preparation for her spay surgery. While she is now shinny and a bit fluffier, she was started on an antibiotic for a respiratory infection, most likely acquired while at the shelter before she got her vaccinations. For that reason, we delayed her surgery until January 11-giving her time to get over her “cough”. RAGOM is amazing with the vet care they ensure for these dogs, but that is not free. RAGOM can’t do that without the generous support of sponsors, so if you would like to help sponsor a RAGOM dog, consider Miss Pal.

Now that we are seeing more of her personality and less fear, here’s what we’ve learned:

  • She loves her toys and will steal them from our resident dog…a lot of stare downs, but tails are wagging and no one is grumpy.
  • She has no resource guarding with her food. She’s not the best eater, but is getting much better with a little broth and rice.
  • Housebroken- yes, but it took her foster family a while to figure out her signs to go out so we’ve had two “accidents”. She paces and pants, but that was all she did the first few days, so now that she has settled in, it's more obvious.
  • She walks beautifully on a gentle leader…right by your side. She can walk on a flat collar, but now that I’ve seen her on a leader, that’s the ticket!
  • She has had the run of the house for short times and does well.
  • Loves to ride in the car, even if it’s to the vet’s office.

Our big news is she may have a family. They are patiently waiting for her to recover after her surgery and will meet her later this month. Stay tuned for the rest of the story…