Sandy 10-394

Profile

Sweet 'n Sassy Sandy arrived in MN on 12/29. I picked her up in Olivia to beat the storm that was coming. Her foster mom to be lives in Two Harbors and would be coming down to the cities for the New Year's week end. Well, Mother Nature had other plans, for all of us. After spending a few days here it was decided to not uproot her again to go to Two Harbors and her to be foster Mom was kind enough to let me keep her. Thank you Mother Nature and Karen.

Sandy was an outside dog and due to a change in jobs there just wasn't enough time to spend with Sandy, so we were lucky enough to have her come into RAGOM. I have gotten SSS up to date with all her shots, she is heartworm negative, no worms etc. Since she was suppose to be going to TH her foster mom wanted to have her spayed there in case there were any issues, but will now do it here next week. After that she will be ready for her new home and family in 2011. Sandy is not house trained quite yet, and has a couple accidents. This is my fault, as I am responsible to get her outside and continue to praise her for doing her duties outside. I'm learning!!

She gets along with resident Jax and my other guest, Callie the Cavalier King Charles. She also loves my cat, Coulter. The other 2 are still in hiding. Coulter comes out and rubs ups against her and I found her grooming him a couple of times. Since Jax and Callie like to chase the cats, Sandy thinks this is the way to go. But she is gentle and I don't worry about her. She is Golden through and through as you can tell by her mush face while getting loved up by FD. She loves the outdoors but I think is still a bit nervous that she may be left out. She is sssooo into the indoor life. I crated her the first night, the second night she slept on a doggie bed, the third night she looked at the other dogs ont he bed and put her paws up, then her uppder body, curled up by me and gave me the 'look'. I invited her up. She didn't know what to do. She tried to crawl up, but eventually figured out she needed a little run and jump to get up. She starts the night out on the bed but quickly decides she likes the dog bed better. She is learning to sit and wait for food and to take treats nicely. A work in progress. She is very loving but not velcro per se and is quite calm in the house. She pulls on a flat leash and I think will do better with a gentle leader to start out. She has been around small children, but since she is still a puppy at 20 months I think a little older than toddler age would be better. She would do well in obedience as she loves to please and would benefit from the classes, bonding and socializing. She does NOT like her picture taken and so it's been difficult to get that 'perfect' shot of her. She is a dark red with waves and a beautiful coat. She reminds me of a younger version of Miss Annie 10-373 who was just adopted from me the day after Christmas. And I want Sweet Sandy to have just as great of a family. I think she will do well with or without another dog. My Jax is kinda snarky lately and she has taken it all in stride.

We will see what more Sandy has to show us in the upcoming days. Stay tuned.

Foster mom and the crew
Jax, Callie, Coulter, Sedwick, Bailey and Miss Sweet 'n Sassy Sandy

At a Glance #10-394

Golden Retriever	Born: April 2009
Female	65 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sweet 'n Sassy Sandy arrived in MN on 12/29. I picked her up in Olivia to beat the storm that was coming. Her foster mom to be lives in Two Harbors and would be coming down to the cities for the New Year's week end. Well, Mother Nature had other plans, for all of us. After spending a few days here it was decided to not uproot her again to go to Two Harbors and her to be foster Mom was kind enough to let me keep her. Thank you Mother Nature and Karen.

Sandy was an outside dog and due to a change in jobs there just wasn't enough time to spend with Sandy, so we were lucky enough to have her come into RAGOM. I have gotten SSS up to date with all her shots, she is heartworm negative, no worms etc. Since she was suppose to be going to TH her foster mom wanted to have her spayed there in case there were any issues, but will now do it here next week. After that she will be ready for her new home and family in 2011. Sandy is not house trained quite yet, and has a couple accidents. This is my fault, as I am responsible to get her outside and continue to praise her for doing her duties outside. I'm learning!!

She gets along with resident Jax and my other guest, Callie the Cavalier King Charles. She also loves my cat, Coulter. The other 2 are still in hiding. Coulter comes out and rubs ups against her and I found her grooming him a couple of times. Since Jax and Callie like to chase the cats, Sandy thinks this is the way to go. But she is gentle and I don't worry about her. She is Golden through and through as you can tell by her mush face while getting loved up by FD. She loves the outdoors but I think is still a bit nervous that she may be left out. She is sssooo into the indoor life. I crated her the first night, the second night she slept on a doggie bed, the third night she looked at the other dogs ont he bed and put her paws up, then her uppder body, curled up by me and gave me the 'look'. I invited her up. She didn't know what to do. She tried to crawl up, but eventually figured out she needed a little run and jump to get up. She starts the night out on the bed but quickly decides she likes the dog bed better. She is learning to sit and wait for food and to take treats nicely. A work in progress. She is very loving but not velcro per se and is quite calm in the house. She pulls on a flat leash and I think will do better with a gentle leader to start out. She has been around small children, but since she is still a puppy at 20 months I think a little older than toddler age would be better. She would do well in obedience as she loves to please and would benefit from the classes, bonding and socializing. She does NOT like her picture taken and so it's been difficult to get that 'perfect' shot of her. She is a dark red with waves and a beautiful coat. She reminds me of a younger version of Miss Annie 10-373 who was just adopted from me the day after Christmas. And I want Sweet Sandy to have just as great of a family. I think she will do well with or without another dog. My Jax is kinda snarky lately and she has taken it all in stride.

We will see what more Sandy has to show us in the upcoming days. Stay tuned.

Foster mom and the crew
Jax, Callie, Coulter, Sedwick, Bailey and Miss Sweet 'n Sassy Sandy

Updates

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

We lost our beautiful Sandy dog (Sandy 10-394) on December 14, 2020 after a very short bout with an aggressive cancer. She was the fourth golden retriever we’ve welcomed into our home during the past 20 years and we miss her terribly.

My wife, Karen, and I were really hoping she might be the “Required Dog” necessary for another adoption as we lost our Bear (Dalton 15-021) back in June. But it just wasn’t to be, as Sandy retrieved her last tennis ball and ran across the Rainbow Bridge to be with her fur-buddies.

Sandy mentored Bear as well as Betty Jo, a former mama from a Montana breeder’s ranch. We are lucky enough to have several large meadows to run the dogs in, and they loved to sniff around and dig for critters. Sandy was always pushing her way into the hole when she thought the other dog made an interesting find. She also loved to swim, play Frisbee and fetch tennis balls.

We went through about five dozen balls a year as Sandy liked to play hide and seek with them. We would start our walks while playing fetch as we went. On the way back, Sandy would lag behind and drop the ball somewhere in the tall grass when no one was looking.

We’d turn back to see her zoom past us and stop between us and the car, expectantly looking back. Now, she wanted her humans to fetch the ball for her. We’d walk back and look, sometimes find the ball and other times not. If you gave up looking, she would give you what could only be called an exasperated look and run back sniffing as she went. Sometimes she found the ball, but often enough she couldn’t locate it, either.

Sandy was also good for dropping her balls in a nearby creek to watch them float downstream. Then she would dive in after them (most of the time) before they floated out of sight. Unfortunately, the same trick did not work with all her other toys as we found that some Frisbees do not float and are hard to find in murky water.

Sandy also loved all children and had a special attachment to the neighbor kids. She would listen for them to be outside and then beg to be let out to play. She’d go over to the fence and wait until the kids noticed her and came over to give her pets or throw sticks to fetch.

We are honored to have been Sandy’s humans and will miss her and our Bear.

Bear (Dalton 15-021) and Sandy (Sandy 10-394) decide to help dad clean the grill

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Hi all......Betty Jo here! I'm always trying to get on something called a computer when mom Karen is on it, so she let me finally have it to send out a note about my new fur butt sister, Sweet Sassy Sandy! You can read her story above and get to know her a little.

She came to my house last Friday and I thought she would be here for a visit, but the lady foster mom who brought her, left her here and hasn't come back for her. Guess that means she is staying with us. We kinda got into a fight right after FM left as Sandy wanted to play with my toys and I didn't want her to. Mom Karen had to pull us apart. Still not sure where the blood came from that was on Sandy's lip, but we're okay. First night she had to sleep in a kennel, but I got to sleep on the bed with buddy Mike and mom Karen.......all to myself! The next night, buddy Mike wasn't home, so mom Karen let both of us sleep on the bed. We kept her nice and warm as we slept VERY close to her! Monday, buddy and mom went to work and we got to be home with some people called Auntie Beth and Uncle John. Uncle John played ball with fur butt sister Sandy a long time and I had nap time with Auntie Beth. Wed. all the humans in the house were gone, but buddy Mike let Sandy stay out of the kennel. I watched her pretty close and she didn't get in any trouble! We like being outside in the back yard. As soon as the door opens, Sandy runs out and loves to run across the back yard, back and forth, back and forth. I usually just sit and watch her awhile and then we play. We go up the hill awhile and love to run down it really fast!

She loves to dig in the yard like my other sister Ashley did, so that's fun again!. We dig so deep, all that shows are our fur butts wiggling!

We both love company and people contact and are called velcro dogs for a good reason! Oh, Sandy will turn 2 April 9 this year and I have a question. Do "terrible twos" mean the same thing in us as it does in little people our size?? ARF ARF!!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Sweet Sassy Sandy has found her furever golden home. She has her parents and a fur butt sibling, Betty Jo, and great fenced in yard. It took us awhile to coordinate our schedules for this adoption to happen, but finally all was set. I headed to Mike and Karen's on Friday, did the paper work and hung out for awhile. After a couple hours I felt maybe I should leave LOL I have been invited to come back any time, and since I go there often I will be taking them up on their offer. Best of all I can picture Sandy in her new surroundings. I checked in with Mike on Sunday and he said outside of one scuffle, all was going wonderfully. Whew!! He did inform me that Sandy did listen better to Karen than him..........something to do with my influence etc LOL Girls Rule!!

Sure is quiet at our house, resident cocker, Jax, is trying to pick up the slack of playing with the 5 month old lab we are sitting, but he just isn't the player Sandy is. I often wonder if once your foster goes to its forever home if they 'think' of you? For those adopters that I still keep in contact with, I never go see the dog for at least 4 to 6 months, giving the dog a chance to settle in and bond with his/her new family. It is so difficult, but is best for the dog and family. So Sweet Sandy, I'll see ya this summer for sure. By then you will have forgotten me, and that will be just fine:)

Thank you, Mike, Karen and BJ for welcoming Sandy into your home and family.

Love and miss you Girl.

Foster mom and crew

Thank you
for my new home
and family

Sandy and her new toy

Sandy and new her family!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Hi,

Sandy here. Whew my foster parents headed down south to meet their new grandson and foster brother Jax and foster sister Callie and I got to go up north. Littilin's (08-608) foster mom let me come stay with them. I had an awesome time and kept FM Sue on her toes, cuz I'm a counter surfer and had a couple accidents:( In my defense I think I forgot to potty when I went outside cuz I was having so much fun. But I did kennel up nicely for her when asked. We all got to go next door where Jax and Callie were staying and play in the fenced yard. It was totally awesome.

While I was at Sue's house a nice couple and their Golden, Betty Jo, came all the way from Rochester to meet me. That Texas trip came up fast and we couldn't get togeather before my foster parents left. Well, I guess they just couldn't wait to meet me so they made the long drive to Alex. After the visit the foster moms talked and then my FM called the family. It was decided I would be a great addition to the family and a good sister for Betty. Yippppeeee!! I will have a big yard to run and play with Betty in. I am going to try and learn to stop counter surfering and having an accident so I won't have to stay in my kennel forever. Since my new mom and dad are going on a trip this week the humans felt it would be better for me to stay here until they came back from vacation. So I'm back home and just hanging with Jax and Callie.

I want to thank Sue for letting me stay even when I tried to eat her kitchen towel, lick her butter container and had those accidents. My FD was suppose to get me when he came back from TX, while FM stayed for a few days longer. FM came home a day early so they could still go to a wedding at Breezy Point and Sue let me stay the rest of the week and week end. She ROCKS. So thank you Sue, I know it was a bit of a zoo with 2 fosters hanging out there.

So when all is said and done I am officially ADOPTION PENDING. That means until my new parents come up here and cough up........I mean pay my adoption fee, I can't say I'm officially adopted. BUT I am:)

luv Sweet Sassy Sandy

Sandy and Littilin

A good game of tug with Littilin

Fun in the yard!

Lacy, Sandy and Littilin (08-608)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sandy is busy having a nap so I said I'd send in an update. We got the biopsy results back on the mass on her tummy and it's negative. Whew!!! She will be getting her staples out from her spay surgery this coming week. She has learned to sit and wait for her food on cue and is taking treats nicely. However, she thinks once she takes hers she should take the other dog's treats too. She's learning.

There have been no accidents in over a week and she lets you know when she has to go out. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if she's wanting attention or bugging y you to go out.........so you ask. She does like to hesitate to go down and do her business, but I just walk away from the door so she can't see me and off she goes. At night when they go out many times there is a ruckus as they can see the deer. Our deer are accustomed to the carrying on. She has been good about kenneling up when I leave for work. I always give treats and besure she has toys and water. She doesn't carry on when I get home, but will stand and wag her tail a mile a minute til I let her out, but no barking.

Sandy has discovered counter surfing is awesome, along with tables etc. She has taken a pill container, sharp knife, towel, paper and gloves off the counters. In the family room she took the basked with the t.v. remote in and my Jax had a great time with the chapstick he got out of it. So she is not left alone even when we are in the house. Because she ducks and or hits the floor when you reprimand, we are very careful with her, using a very stern NO!! She is, after all, a puppy in a big body. Today I was on transport and hubby had to run out. I had all the crates, including Sandy's, so he gated her in the hall way with water and toys. When I got home all was well. My only fear would be that she would jump either of the gates and then.....well I can't even imagine what she couldn't find to 'play' with.

I took Sandy, Jax and Callie over to a friend's house to see how she would do meeting new dogs. Wonderful!!! The 2 females and 1 male are a bit tough on the meet 'n greets, but all 3 of 'my' kids did great. Once the meet was done we walked and the dogs ran in the deep snow. The male is huge and he wanted to 'mount' Sandy but she did very well, didn't get nasty but would get her self loose and go. Typically she has great recall, but when involved with 5 other dogs, she tends to get distracted, but when the rest of the pack came, she was right with them. She has been snarky with Jax a couple times while playing retrieve, but only when I threw the toy behind me....go figure. She retrieves every time for my husband, not always for me. MMmmmmmmmmmm

Things I would like in a home for Sandy:

Not being left alone more than about 7 or 8 hours top.
Lots of exercise, walks, runs, playing catch, play dates with other dogs
To be taken to obedience school to help her learn and bond with her master/mistress
Kids would be fine, she did well with the 5 y/o at the house we visited, he is pretty dog savvy with 3 dogs.
Someone to be patient and watchful of her while she is learning
Another fur sibling would be ok but not necessary if she could have doggie play dates now and then
A family that realizes she needs to learn through positive reinforcement only
I always like a fence, but with a vigilant family it would not be a deal breaker.
Above all else someone who would love her and help her to be all she can be

So, if this beautiful red haired girl sounds like a match for your family, let your placement advisor know.

Foster Mom and the crew

Hangin' with Jax

I love playing outdoors!

Jax Sandy and Callie sitting for a treat

People beds are the best!

Happy Girl

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Hi everyone FM said I can do my own update. So here goes. I am loving the indoor life, food and treats are great, I have not had more accidents, I know what toys are now and love to play with them, people beds are better than doggie beds only cuz people beds have people on them, but I'll use either, I'm learning that if I go out to go potty they'll let me back in, I love to go for car rides, I try to play with resident Jax but he's not always open to that, I love snuggling on the couch with FM and we watch t.v. and yes I do watch it....so much going on, I love FD cuz he play rough house with me so I'm learning to not be afraid that if someone touches my collar that they might hurt me, I am trying to remember to not jump up on people for love, I am not fond of my crate but am trying real hard to cooperate, I still don't understand what the big deal is if I take the dish cloth off the sink or bring FM her sweatshirt she left on a chair, I know what a treat means and that I have to sit to get it, I love being outside and running free in the snow, I'm not big into retrieving (sorry I didn't throw it I shouldn't have to get it:). Whew. I love my foster family and want to be loved like this for ever more and never live outside again.

OK that's it for me.
Sweet Sandy

Foster mom here. Sandy was spayed and they found a small mass in the mammary gland line, not on any mammary. It has been sent it to be biopsied and we should get results back Tues or Wes. Keeping our fingers crossed. Sweet Sandy is just that.....Sweet. She is still very much a puppy at 20 months, but she is catching on to things very fast. She bugs me when she has to go out, is learning to sit for food and treats, accepts when I say no and she will go lay down. She loves her humans, no doubt about it. Sometimes it takes more than a treat and couple toys thrown in the crate to get her to go in, so work in process. She does the golden paw and tries to curl up in your lap while you are sitting. I think in time she might actually want to play retrieve outside, but no promises.

If you think this sweet, silly, sassy girl might be for you and you can commit to training and obedience school, please let your advisor know.

Foster Mom and the crew

Sandy and the chewed up duck....