So what’s been happening since our last update? Well, the big thing….drumroll, please…Patch finished doggie school. I wouldn’t say he graduated valedictorian, but he did get an “E for Effort”. The class was level 1 obedience, which he definitely could use, but our bigger goal was to get him around other dogs in an effort to calm him a bit. I had no idea how he would react, but he actually did better than I thought he would. Every time, he was nervous, which was to be expected from Patch. The trainer was very good in helping Patch feel more secure to include letting us use a divider so he wasn’t completely overloaded by the other dogs. This allowed Patch to hear the dogs, but not make eye contact, which can tend to increase his anxiety. For a while there, we were very diligent about doing our daily training, but I have to admit, we have fallen off the bandwagon a bit. It sure would be nice if the weather would go ahead and change so we could get outside a bit more. We plan to hit it hard again soon.

Patch does love the snow…or at least eating it! It’s so funny. He will put his entire head in a pile of freshly fallen snow and just chomp, chomp, chomp. I should really amend that statement to say, “Patch loves to chew on anything cold…snow, small ice, big ice---like the big chunk I took out of our ice maker!” Of course when I gave him the big chunk of ice, he ate some of it then walked away…nice…I guess I’ll just pick up the pieces before it melts all over the carpet!! He continues to love his toys and loved playing with his foster sister—inside and outside. Unfortunately, his foster sister passed away this week, so we will watch him closely to see how he adjusts to being an only dog.

I like BIG ice and I cannot lie!

Yum, yum.

Catch me if you can!

We are in the process of weaning him off of his anxiety meds, as those didn’t seem to make a difference. In addition, he has a new present, which is a very sturdy kennel. It’s one he can’t turn into “Patchini-the-Houdini.” Patch loves to go in it and just hang out, but we are still working slowly back to the point where I can shut it, leave, and have him feel comfortable. This will take some time, but we will get there.

I’ve attached a few new pictures to include ones I took on Sunday…so Patch says “Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day”. He’s as handsome as ever.

Handsome boy!

Really?

He's thinking, "Crazy lady has too much time."

A special thanks goes out to Mary and Carl for their continued support for Patch. He is one lucky dog to have a sponsor in you. Also, to Nikki and Sam for always keeping up on him. He truly loves you all!! Here’s hoping spring comes soon…I mean Punxsutawny Phil said it would, so let’s have it, right???

Well, the snow finally came and Patch has been having a blast. He loves to eat it. Thanks to him, our porch was “vacuumed” clean from the flurries a few days ago!!

It turns out that December can be just as busy for dogs as it is for people! Patch went to a professional photo shoot for Foster Dad’s Christmas present. Doesn’t he look awesome? I just love the picture of him squinting. That was a once in a lifetime shot!! I liked that particular picture so much I had to get note cards made from it!! It took a few hours, but there were some really great shots of the dogs. I would like to take a moment to send a big “thank you” to Benda Photography. They were a sponsor at Goldzilla in September and really supported our fundraising efforts. Thanks so much!!

Next on the agenda, Patch met Santa. As you can see, Patch wasn’t super thrilled to visit Petsmart for the annual picture with Santa, but he did alright.

As we move into 2013, Patch has been thinking of what his New Year’s resolution is going to be. He decided on becoming smarter!! That’s right, Patch is officially in doggie school once a week. He’s already been twice and is doing pretty well. He was quite nervous the first class, but did much better this past Sunday. We have homework every night, so right now, we are working on “sit”, “down”, “stand”, “watch me”, “the name game”, and “stay”. He already knew many of these, but now we are working on these with distractions. That, of course, is much more difficult. Patch loves food, so is easily motivated when we practice at home. I’ll keep you posted on how he progresses over the next few weeks. I am really excited to unlock his potential. My big goal for Patch is to become solid on “come”. Since he likes to bolt out the door if given the chance, it is really important to me that he stops on a dime when I ask. We are taking the class through Canine Coach. They also supported RAGOM through a donation to our silent auction fundraiser. Thank you to both Benda Photography and Canine Coach for your support of RAGOM. Patch and I really appreciate it!!

As you probably know, Patch has a special place in our hearts, but he is still looking for his forever home. If you think you might be able to provide Patch the love and security he deserves, he would love to meet you. Just let your Placement Advisor know and we can set up a meeting. Until next time…stay warm!

I can’t believe Santa’s almost here. Where did the Fall go? First, we need to say a BIG “thank you”to Patch’s fans from Goldzilla, Mary and Denise. They supported Patch on the fan board. It is great support like yours that allows RAGOM to continue their mission to help so many dogs. Paws and licks to you both!!

We’ve had Patch in foster care for quite a while now. If you have followed his story, you know that Patch is a special dog that needs a forever home that will provide him with ongoing obedience and will be diligent to keep him safe from running and feel comforted when he is alone. Placement has been difficult because, in addition to some special quirks, he is also a black dog in a golden retriever rescue. Patch came to RAGOM as a “golden mix.” Most people look at him think “he is definitely a lab”. I would have agreed until I met RAGOM girl, Lola. Lola had 4 all black puppies, each with a white “patch” on their chest. At that moment, I thought, “maybe he does have some golden in him.” Well, that question has been answered. I decided to get a DNA test done for Patch. The results are in…it is official…he is 100% Labrador retriever on one side and 100% Brittany spaniel on the other side. He has a lab face, but his mannerisms are in line with the Brittany. According to the results, Brittany spaniels are happy, sweet natured, intelligent, and energetic dogs. They have a keen sense of smell, which is probably why he loves to chase cats, rabbits, squirrels, etc and knows when the neighbor dog is outside long before I’m aware of it! They have a sensitive nature and respond well to motivational tools such as treats and favorite toys in a reward-based training approach.

Patch will do anything for a cookie!!! Brittany’s colors are orange or liver with white…so that’s where his “Patch” comes from! Still not sure how they were able to make the patch into the shape of a guitar, so there are some mysteries still to be solved!! I’m glad we did the DNA test because now we know a little more about him. So, no, he’s not a golden, but he is a RAGOM dog and once a RAGOM dog, always a RAGOM dog. We love him to pieces, as do most people who meet him. He just needs to find a family that will love him for his whole package…quirks and all! Maybe that’s you. If you would like to meet Patch, please contact your Placement advisor to set up a meeting. Until then, he will continue to relax in front of the fire, on the couch, or wherever he chooses.

I love a good fire

Is the snow ever going to come????

Patch and the Costco bear...makes a great pillow

Picking up Foster Dad from the airport--Car rides are fun!!

Sleepy time.....

Patch here…

I’ve been loving my FM, FD, and foster fur sister! They are really great to me, but I am still looking for my forever family. I would love to have a place to run, like maybe a family that lives in the country or outskirts of the Cities. Even though the suburbs are great, it may have a little too much noise for me. I’m a dog that likes to just chill out. Just take a look at some of the pictures my FM has attached. I’m not a high-energy dog. I like to play with my outside toys, but I really like to play with my inside toys. My FM got a gift card and she used it to buy me some new toys. I got a food dispensing Kong, a crinkling toy (the secret is the water bottle inside), and a bouncy ball that I like to chase around the house. Thank you, John Myron, for the gift card! I just love those toys.

Thank you, John Myron

I have two favorite places in the house. One is the kennel…I know, I bet you’re thinking, but I didn’t think Patch liked the kennel after the gutter incident. Well, you’re half right. I still like to hang out in the kennel, like when my family watches TV. I even go in there during dinnertime and they can lock it without me having a problem. It turns out I don’t like when they lock it and leave for the day. This brings me to my second favorite place. In an effort to help me feel less stressful when they leave, my foster family lets me stay in their bedroom with a baby gate. This is awesome for me because I get to go into my FD’s closet. It’s where I sleep at night and where I chill when they are away for the day. This seems to work much better for me. So far, I have only chewed a pillowcase and that was weeks ago. I guess I’m starting to feel better there. To be honest, it probably helps that I get a treat when they leave. My FM found an awesome toy…we call it the pickle. Yep, looks exactly like a green pickle and she stuffs yummy treats that I get to eat! I call it a win-win!!

My Night-Night room-AKA, FD's closet

My Pickle!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot!! I got a new piece of jewelry!! It’s a GPS collar! What a lucky guy I am. RAGOM had a very nice donation of two GPS collars and one year’s worth of tracking service for each. I guess when you like to run around, you get new jewelry! It’s really cool. If I am ever a “Sneaky-Pete” again, then the collar sends my FM a text and email to give her my location. It will update her every few minutes so she can come look for me. I like to call the game “hide and seek”, but I think she’d rather play a friendly game of “catch” instead. I think she doesn’t ever want to use it, but I bet she’s glad to have it…just in case.

Other than that, not much has changed. I’m still the same sweet goofball I’ve always been. For the life of me, I don’t know why I haven’t found my forever home. I know I have some quirks, but doesn’t every dog? I have a lot of great qualities that you really have to meet me to fully understand them. If you’d love to meet me, I’d love to meet you. All you have to do is let your Placement Advisor know. I look forward to hearing from you…until next time, I hope you had a great 4th of July!! GO USA, GO USA!!!!

Happy July 4th!!
Everyone says I'm so beautiful	I found shade from the sun
Seriously FM, I'm trying to eat	This is what I do
Yummy ice cubes	Just looking outside
Just sitting in my FM's lap--kind of!

  From Dennis and Joanne

 For Patch - the most handsome, sweetest boy we have ever met! Love - the F family

Hello Patch Fans,

We went out of town for a few days so Patch went to his "home away from home" with his foster sister.  It's a little boarding place that just loves him.  We even got him a bath and wow is he sparkling!  He went on his first official run with his FD tonight.  FD said he's not the straitest runner, but what do you expect?  It was his first time going fast.  I also took him for a walk today and he is getting better on the gentle leader. 

I know I've said that we aren't going to go to RAGOM education events anymore because Patch tends to get a little stressed out around other dogs and in public places like that.  Since there is an event at the Petco in Brooklyn Park (and we live in Brooklyn Park), I thought we'd try again.  So...Patch will be at Petco on Saturday.  We will be there during the 12:30-2 p.m. time slot, but you might want to get there earlier rather than later, in case it is too much for him and we have to leave.  I know there are lots of people that follow Patch's story and would love to meet him.  He is a wonderful, sweet, goofy dog that you truly have to meet to fully appreciate his personality.  It's not that of a typical golden, but it is unique and precious.  I wouldn't trade it for anything!  We invite you to come meet us in person on Saturday.  Hopefully we'll see you there.

In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of Patch trying to clean up his dinner after he got so excited that he accidentally knocked the whole thing out of my hand!  Cute tushie, huh?  Like a said "goofy"

Well hopefully everyone had a great Valentine holiday.  Patch and I had an “eventful” weekend last weekend.  Saturday started with a phone call from a friend that her dog was having puppies.  I rushed over to help out.  After a long Saturday, I realized that a pure bred golden CAN have virtually purebred black lab puppies.  These puppies even had a white “patch” on their chest.  So, the message here is that our sweet Patch may just be part golden retriever after all!!  Don’t let the “black” fool you!!!

Later that afternoon, I came home to rest a bit before heading back to watch the pups for the evening.  While at home, I decided to clean the kiddie pool that I was going to take to the pups.  As I was cleaning the pool, I thought, “Where’s Patch?”, so I proceeded to call him—repeatedly!  But still, no Patch.  I stopped what I was doing, went upstairs, and found him (in what I thought was a closed door)….eating an entire box of chocolate that I had ordered from Washington, DC for my husband’s Valentine’s present!  Several things going through my head…”$50 worth of chocolate—gone”, “Oh-no, Patch just ate CHOCOLATE”, “How do I get the chocolate out of him?”, etc.  Needless to say, I started to freak out.  I called my dear friend, Dayle.  She said, “Give him hydrogen peroxide to try to get him to throw it back up”, so I did…and nothing.  She asked if it was expired.  I didn’t think so, but long story short, it was.  I then thought it would be faster (than going to the drug store) to run to every neighbor (all with kids) to see if they had current hydrogen peroxide----nope!  So, Patch and I got in the car, drove to Walgreens, I gave new hydrogen peroxide in the parking lot…and still nothing!  Now we are off to the ER vet!  Luckily they weren’t busy.  He got right in and in a matter of minutes they had him throwing up.  Music to my ears!!  They coated his stomach with charcoal, gave him some fluids, and sent us on our way.  Everyone knows that chocolate is bad for dogs, but you never know when a dog tries to be sneaky---and gets away with it!!  MORAL OF THE STORY:  PUT YOUR VALENTINE CHOCOLATE COMPLETELY AWAY FROM DOGS.  This is a public service message from Patch!!!!

 Other than that, not much else going on around here.  Patch is still waiting for his forever home.  If you want to meet him, send your Placement Advisor a note.  We can set something up.   Until next time…
 Attached are a couple of pictures from the golden and her “Patch-like” pups along with a special Valentine with from Patch—must be lickin’ his lips from the chocolate! 

Patch just got the BEST Christmas present of them all...he has a sponsor!  We can't thank Carl and Mary enough for seeing that special something in Patch, just as we do.  He is such an awesome dog and so worth the highlight you have given him.

We continue to do clicker training and he has definitely made a connection to the "click" and "food"--quick learner!  Of course, our ultimate goal is to use the click outside to help with his recall.  Unfortunately, the clicker is not loud enough for him to hear while distracted by all of the sniffing he does in the backyard.  So, we are trying the same concept, but using a whistle.  It's going pretty well, but we will continue with this training.  It's nice because he is absolutely motivated by food, praise, and toys.

Thanks for following Patch's story.  Even though he is a very independent dog, he is such a joy to have around.  He will continue to stay at our house as he waits for the perfect home that is dedicated to continued training.  If you want to meet Patch, just let your Placement Advisor know.      

PS:  Don't you just love Patch's new tennis ball that FM and FD picked up at the Land-O-Lakes Dog Show last weekend?  Believe it or not, Patch can put his entire mouth around it...hope it doesn't get stuck!!

Thank you, Carl and Mary!!!

That's one honkin' tennis ball

Well it's Christmas Eve and Patch can hardly wait to open his presents!  He wants to unwrap them just as soon as they were being wrapped.  I told him that he has to wait until Santa has come....good thing we went to visit Santa last weekend so Patch could say what he wanted.  He really wants one of those doggie puzzles that you put the treats inside.  I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if he gets one.  I'm thinking Santa might bring him one since he's been such a good boy this year!

Other than the holidays, not much has changed.  He's still our sweet Patch that makes us smile every day.  He's just as sweet as can be!  Attached you fill find a few new pictures.  My favorite is the one with his tongue sticking out.  That one made our Christmas card.

Patch wants to wish everyone a wonderful, relaxing holiday.  He has to give a special "shout out" to his icon sponsors:  Andrea and Anonymous...plus thinking of Zera and Athena.  Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness.  As you can tell, Patch loves to "relax" himself.  Maybe he could put his head on your lap?  Let your Placement Advisor know if you want to meet our sweet Patch.  With a little training, you won't be disappointed! 

HO HO HO!!!!

Snuggle time with my foster sister..

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, so the fast pace of the holidays begins. Patch is so glad that winter has finally arrived. He loves to romp in the snow and dig his nose into it. He is quite a beautiful
black dog against the white background. The down side is that the snow makes it hard to take pictures so
you can see his gorgeous brown eyes. It just looks like a black blob on whiteness, but we are working on
getting a better picture.

Patch wants to let everyone know that we have started clicker training with him. So far he’s really
enjoying it. What’s not to like?…click….treat…repeat! He is a quick learner on most everything, especially
when food is involved. He just needs someone that is willing to be consistent and stick with his training.
If someone commits to his training, they will not be disappointed. He is an amazing dog. We have chosen
to start clicker training for a couple reasons. First and foremost to help with his recall. Right now, even
though he knows his name, he will not come if called while outside—unless of course he wants to. He’s
kind of stubborn that way. We hope that with the aid of the clicker, he will begin to associate the clicker
sound to a treat—every time. As many of you know, Patch has running in his blood. If given the chance
and in his perfect world, he would run all the time. He needs to have “stop on a dime” recall—that’s
where the training (and you) come in! Like I said, he is a quick learner…he just needs consistency. The
second reason that we are using the clicker is to distract him when he hears kids playing or dogs barking
in the neighborhood. Those noises tend to send him in a barking frenzy which becomes worse for Patch
when the resident, Savannah, joins in! It’s a regular sing-a-long!!! The clicker moves his focus away from
the kids/dogs and back to something positive…the treat! We’ve been working on it for about a week and
so far, so good.

We have had Patch for over a year now. For the life of me, I don’t know why. He does have some quirks
(all dogs do), but I’m telling you, he is an awesome dog. If he wasn’t such a great dog, we wouldn’t have
stuck with him this long in foster care. Patch is an independent guy, but at the same time, VERY loving.
He even gives kisses on demand, if you’re into that. We call him our “love bug.” Patch does well with our
resident, probably because he likes to be in charge. He’s like a five-year old that pushes the limits over
a younger sibling. Of course, Savannah lets him, but if we are around and say “no”, he immediately does
a U-turn. This goes with anything—toys, food, getting pets. He is a good listener. Patch knows many
commands like “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “watch” (especially when he waits for his food), and “kennel”. We are
working on building our stamina for “stay” and learning “come” when we call rather than when he wants
to!

Patch is one of the goofiest dogs I’ve ever met. He doesn’t have the best “paw-ball” coordination! When
he chases a ball, it’s like he’s still trying to figure out how to use those feet! It might have something to
do with the fact that the ball is round and when he tries to pounce on it, it rolls away!! Then, he pounces
again, and it rolls away again. Then he’ll finally get it. Goofy!!!

So what does Patch need in a forever home:
1. Someone that wants a buddy
(He will make the best side-kick)
2. Someone willing to take him to one or two levels of obedience, specifically working on recall
(This is a must)
3. Probably doesn’t want to live with another dog
(He gets along with some dogs, but not all dogs)
4. Probably doesn’t want to live with any children
(He LOVES kids, but is going to be more of an adult buddy)

6. Doesn’t really need a fence, but will need training on recall
(He would love to live a bit out of town with some land to run)

Remember these write-ups only tell part of the story about these dogs. Since we’ve had Patch for as long
as we have, I can tell you anything you want to know about him. Contact your placement advisor and we
can schedule a time to talk about our sweet Patches! I know the right match is out there for him. Could
that be you?

PS: For your enjoyment, I’ve attached a couple pictures. I will get some more soon….I see a holiday photo
shoot in Patch’s future!

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!!!