Sara Jo is really starting to get accustomed to living with us and I feel like her true personality is starting to shine through now. She is much more at home and comfortable with us than when she first arrived. She was in boarding for about 5 weeks prior to coming to live with us and when she first came home she was a complete Velcro dog (you can’t blame her – cold hard cement floors, little interaction with people, alone for hours a day… I wouldn’t like it either!) Anyway, now that she knows she is safe, she seems much more comfortable with our routine. And, she is certainly a lot more active - she wakes up every morning now and is just excited as can be to go outside for her walk or run. When we first got her she could hardly make it on a mile walk. Now, she runs 3 miles with no problem (actually she runs really fast and provides a good work out for me!)

I mentioned before that Sara Jo should not live with another furry pet. She is however, really good around other dogs as along as she doesn’t live with them. She went to the RAGOM picnic and made friends with hundreds of other Goldens, she is fine on walks passing other dogs, and when I take her to PetCo. She just acts out after living with other dogs after a few days. Sara Jo is also looking for a home that wants an active dog (as I mentioned she loves going for runs and walks) and she is really great with people. She is very affectionate and will be anyone’s best friend as along as they pet her! She loves riding in the car, does not have any storm or separation anxiety, and is very loving. I still don’t think she should live with children under the age of about 10 though because of her past history of resource guarding. In our experience with her, the resource guarding only comes into play when she takes high profile items (like corn off the counter), but I would hate for it to be a child’s favorite stuffed animal.

Sara Jo comes with a past, but she certainly makes up for it with the love she gives! I really think she will be an amazing addition to her new home and you won’t regret your choice. She is a beautiful dog that is always happy to be your friend and companion.

Sara Jo has a new favorite toy--the Kong. She completely ignored it for weeks, but I guess I wasn’t putting yummy enough treats in it. Forget the peanut butter or milk bones, this girl only wants the best. I finally put some liver treats in there and got her attention! It’s been a good activity for her since both of her foster parents are back at work full time now.

After five weeks in foster care, I have to say we’ve seen some improvement from Sara Jo. She walks better on the leash now (not as much pulling) and she’s even made it out for some three-mile runs too. I’m sure she could continue to drop a few pounds, but she’s definitely on her way to a more healthy fitness level. We’ve also learned that Sara Jo can’t live with cats though, so her forever home needs to be a place without any dogs or furry animals.

She’s a smart dog and a really big sweetheart, but definitely wants to be the center of attention. She is looking for someone that is dog-savvy and who is willing to work with her on some obedience skills. She understands the basic commands, but needs to move to a more advanced level and be able to listen when there are more distractions around (like squirrels and people). If you’d be a good match for her, contact RAGOM and let us know. She’s ready to find her home!

We’ve learned so much about Sara Jo recently! First of all, she is an absolute hit in the neighborhood - the mail man gives her treats whenever they meet and the neighborhood day care kids love her. She had an audience of about 10 kids petting her the other day – she was in puppy heaven!

Second of all, we’ve learned more about Sara Jo’s history and also what kind of home she is looking for.

At two and half, she is still a master counter-surfer. Anything left on the counter may end up in her mouth if we’re not careful! She’s a very sneaky dog – she does fine with food on the table if we’re around and keeping an eye on her. But, the minute we go upstairs or turn our back she’s got it in her mouth. She has some resource guarding issues with high profile items (like anything she stole off the counter) so we’re doing some exercises to practice with that.

Sara Jo also has a history of not getting along with other dogs that she lives with – so we want her to be placed in a home where she can be the center of attention. We talked with a behaviorist about her past issues and came to the conclusion that she wants to establish her dominance with other dogs that she lives with. She gets along fine with other dogs when we go on walks and meet them in the park, we just don’t want her to compete with other dogs in the same household.

Sara Jo’s forever family should be one without any other dogs in the house, and because of her resource guarding there should be no small children, either (12 years of age and older). If you’re interested, email Placement to meet her.