Stella 07-519

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Hello RAGOM fans! Meet Stella. 3 year old Stella made the long trip from a puppy mill in Arkansas last night and is pretty scared. She can't walk through a door unless my resident dogs go first. She freezes when approached but she will approach me for pets. She stops about a foot away and stretches her head into my hands. She has been creeping low to the floor around the house exploring. So far she won't eat unless I feed her by hand. Her teeth are in very bad shape and her gums are swollen so I am softening the food. Stella also came with a bad infection in both her eyes so she is on antibiotic eye drops for that. She has fleas that have bitten her tail pretty raw in places but has been treated for the fleas. Stella has had one bath but needs another to get the kennel smell out of her. She is a sweety!
 
Stella slept well in her crate. This morning she actually jumped around outside, play bowed to my resident Skye and sprinted a short distance around the yard. She is a gentle girl and I think she will come around quickly with lots of love. She will need to be spayed before she is available for adoption. More as we get to know her.

At a Glance #07-519

Golden Retriever Born: October 2004
Female Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Hello RAGOM fans! Meet Stella. 3 year old Stella made the long trip from a puppy mill in Arkansas last night and is pretty scared. She can't walk through a door unless my resident dogs go first. She freezes when approached but she will approach me for pets. She stops about a foot away and stretches her head into my hands. She has been creeping low to the floor around the house exploring. So far she won't eat unless I feed her by hand. Her teeth are in very bad shape and her gums are swollen so I am softening the food. Stella also came with a bad infection in both her eyes so she is on antibiotic eye drops for that. She has fleas that have bitten her tail pretty raw in places but has been treated for the fleas. Stella has had one bath but needs another to get the kennel smell out of her. She is a sweety!
 
Stella slept well in her crate. This morning she actually jumped around outside, play bowed to my resident Skye and sprinted a short distance around the yard. She is a gentle girl and I think she will come around quickly with lots of love. She will need to be spayed before she is available for adoption. More as we get to know her.

Updates

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

From Stella's forever family...

A little update of our beloved Stella, we have had her for 16 months and she is doing wonderfully. She and Molly share our love and affection and also spend much of their time together.

They love going on walks and Stella is always very well behaved but Molly remains a work in progress.

Stella continues to overcome many of her initial fears like going though doorways but has overcome that particular trauma. Initially at the day care she could not be separated from Molly but lately she is going out on her own with the main pack. Largely this is because Molly can also be a problem child at day care and only gets to go out when the rest of the pack is in.

She still has to be helped into the back of the suburban even if Molly jumps in first but absolutely loves to go for rides.

The very first time we had here at the lake she went swimming without even thinking about it but has since relegated herself to gleefully running in about a foot of water.

Anyway we love her dearly, she is so incredibly sweet even after all of her ordeal.

 
 
 

Friday, October 26, 2007

Stella's new mom and dad report that Stella has initiated play with her new fur sister Molly! It brought tears to Linda's eyes and to mine when she told me. Both dogs get long walks everyday along with romping in the big fenced back yard. From puppy mill mama to a happy, healthy and LOVED Golden Retriever house dog in a mere 8 weeks! I amazed and so thankful to Gerry and Linda for opening their hearts and their home to this gentle sweet soul. Thanks go to RAGOM too for taking her in and giving her the shot at a wonderful life. She has taken it and is running with it! I couldn't be happier!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Stella went to her forever family yesterday! I am so amazed at the difference in this sweet girl from her first day in our home. From a scared puppy mill girl to a happy, playful dog in a mere 7 weeks! It was an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience for me to watch what a little bit of love and medical attention can do to restore the canine spirit. Not to mention the healing power of her fellow canines. She couldn't have done it without them! Thank you RAGOM for giving her the second chance.
 
Linda and Gerry are a wonderful couple who also recently adopted another dog in need of love and attention. They certainly have the love it takes to heal these two dogs! They shared some of it with me as we met in Alexandria to complete the adoption. I couldn't stop the tears as I lifted Stella into their car. But with a hug from Gerry and Linda, I was comforted in knowing she will get the love and attention every dog deserves--especially this gentle soul from the south.

Check out Stella with her new family--Linda, Gerry and Molly.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Hi, everybody. My name is Skye. Stella is my foster sister and she's spooking me out right now with that big plastic thing she has to wear on her head. I feel really bad for her when she runs unto something then gets so scared she runs the other way and runs into something again! Mom takes it off whenever she can watch her close. Stella says she HATES it. And I know she really wants to scratch her new eyes cuz they really itch. But I must say her eyes look better already. You can't really tell from the pictures but I think they'll be beautiful when the swelling goes down and they take out those threads next week. Mom is putting stuff in Stella's eyes twice a day too. The dog doctor said Stella's eyes were curled in the corners further than she has ever seen so I'm really happy she could pull those out for her. Her eyes were always dripping stuff before. Scout got to go to the dog doctor with Stella this time to help her be brave.
 
None of this stopped Stella from playing with me though and that makes her a really good foster sister since I like to run and wrestle. She keeps up with me too! OK--sometimes she even beats me but don't tell my buddy Sammy --that would be embarrassing. It doesn't stop her from eating either. Me and Stella share our food with each other. We trade back and forth with every meal. I let her have a little bit more than me since she could use a few extra pounds. I just go and share some of Scout's! I always get my share.
 
I'll be really sad when Stella finds her own forever family. She hasn't growled at me for a very long time and every day she plays with me. I really love her and give her a kiss every morning. She needs a fur brother or sister in her new home to help her be brave enough to play, though. So if you have one--tell them about Stella--she'll be very fun for them.

Stella at the St. Cloud Petco 10/6

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Hi, everybody. I put Foster Mom in the dog house so I am doing my own update today. Foster Mom accidently fed me the morning I was supposed to have my eyes fixed so now I have to wait another week. She says she just started her morning routine and so I put her in the doghouse! She's still kicking herself. I'm not letting her out until my eyes are fixed.
 
I am celebrating my first whole month out of that awful puppy mill where I used to live. Boy am I a happy dog now. You'd hardly know I had such a rough start. Those tick borne illnesses I had are completely gone and will cause no health problems down the road for me.
 
I play all the time now with Skye and Sammy. Check out the picture of us--Sammy is watching me and Skye boxing. I follow Skye everywhere now instead of FM. Even though I like to play so much now, FM says I'm still the most gentle soul. So I'm wondering why no one wants to adopt me? If you think I might be the dog for you, come and meet me at Petco in St. Cloud this Saturday. I will be there from 11am to 1 pm just waiting to snuggle you and show you what a good dog I am.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Stella is doing wonderfully! We went to the vet today for a check up on her infections and they are all cleared up. Her ears are great and her anemia is resolved. Her skin and coat are much improved too. She does have entropion which is a curling in of the eye lids and will be having the minor surgery required to fix that next week. That will make her eyes feel less irritated. They are still a little weepy but nothing like when she first came in.

Stella loves to wrestle with resident Skye and tear around the backyard chasing him. She wags her tail so hard that she has opened a sore on the tip that has bloodied my cupboards! It's healing though. She also loves to shred toys or wood or paper--whatever is handy. She isn't trying to eat the rugs or anything else inappropriate anymore. She hasn't had an accident in the house for over 3 weeks so I think we can declare her house trained.  She is learning to walk nicely on a leash with a Gentle Leader. She meets other dogs respectfully at the park and invites them to play with a bow or a kiss.

She does let my 1 year old male and his neighbor buddy Sam of the same age know when they are being too rowdy near her. But more often she will just join in their fun. A few times she has charged Sammy and I'm trying to figure out if she is protecting me or something else. I am correcting her when she does this and she isn't biting him--just yelling at him. We will keep working on this.

Stella is a lover and likes to be where ever I am. Not that she can't be without me--she is OK if I am away or she is outside with the dogs. She needs to be in a home with another dog to continue to show her the joys of the Golden life and to help her maintain confidence. I wish I could get a good picture of her running around playing. Maybe someday we will have videos on the RAGOM site!

If you are looking for a loving, house trained, playful and gentle Golden come meet Stella. We will be at the Petco in St. Cloud on October 6th.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Hi, RAGOM fans. Stella here.

I just got home from a 'vacation'. I missed the picnic but I got to spend a week with temp foster mom Stephanie and her golden Buddy. Boy did we have fun. Stephanie fell in love with me and Buddy even slept with his head on me. That shouldn't be surprising--what's not to love about me? They were very sweet to me and I really appreciated them taking care of me while FM was away. I was a little nervous for the first few hours being back home with FM, Skye and Scout. I growled at Skye last night and he stayed away till I felt better. It didn't take me long to remember the routine here. I even play bowed to Skye this morning and he took me up on the invitation. We wrestled for while. I think he forgives me for the growl now. I didn't mean anything by it, really.
 
FM says my coat is getting more beautiful by the day since I got rid of the fleas and am eating such good food now. My 'feathers' are growing in too--whatever that means. It must have something to do with my fur cuz FM says it while she's brushing me. And boy do I like to be brushed! I get in line every night--well, I try to butt in line ahead of Skye so FM ends up brushing us both at the same time. My eyes are feeling better. FM says I have to go back to the vet to have them checked among other things. I'm totally done taking my antibiotics now which is good because I didn't like them. My mouth is healed from having two teeth pulled and  I'm eating my food dry now. FM doesn't even need to be in the room when I eat anymore. I think I might even be able to go to the vet without  Skye now.
 
Foster mom says I need to learn to walk on the leash. I don't know what I'm supposed to do and so I just walk all around and pull her where ever I want to go. Today she almost tripped over me! That would've been funny to see. She says we're going to practice every day till I get it right. But I know that means lots of treats and I like those! I like to jump up on FM when she's going for the treat jar. But, in my defense, I jump really slow and gentle. I don't knock her over or anything. I give her lots of warning that I'm coming up. Now she won't give me a treat unless I'm sitting with all four paws on the floor. I'm starting to figure that out.
 
Mostly I'm having fun learning how to play with toys and other dogs. Check out the picture of me with my favorite toy. It used to be an elephant but it's just a gray piece of fuzz after I got done with it! Take that, fuzzy elephant!
 
Now that I'm healthy, I'd love to have my own new forever family. I think kids would be OK. and cats too but I've never met one so I can't be sure. I really need another dog to keep showing me how to be a brave Golden. But I already know many things about being a Golden like how to fetch and how to snuggle and how to be loyal and faithful. What more can you ask for? I just need a little patience as I learn to trust. Please let me know if you are interested. I promise I will give you all of the love you can imagine--and more.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

It was a really big day for Stella. She play bowed to Skye and this afternoon, she chased him! AND she figured out what to do with the tennis ball! Chase it, fetch it back to foster mom and drop at her feet! Then do it all again with tail wagging. It was soooo rewarding to see her finally playing like a normal, happy dog. She is also eating like a champ so her coat is really perking up. She has the 'sit' command down pat but is still working on house training. She has had very few accidents but it's been hard to catch her at them since we are in and out so much. If the weather wasn't so beautiful and we were inside more it would go faster. Stella is also still learning what is OK to chew. I think now that she is getting some of her energy released in play, this might diminish.
 
Stella did test positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Anaplasma-both tick born diseases and so easily prevented with basic vet care. She is showing no symptoms and is on antibiotics that will clear it up.
 
Interestingly, she snapped at my RAGOM boy yesterday--totally out of the blue for her. Just jumped up from lying calmly on the patio and snarled at him. I told the vet about it and she immediately said that she must be coming into heat. So she will be spayed tomorrow. It's almost like she has PMS because she has been snuggling and kissing him for the past several days. And he wasn't doing anything at the time. So spaying should resolve that issue!
 
She will need a forever family that is willing to patiently build trust which shouldn't take too long since she is so willing to come to humans for love. She is most comfortable with a routine schedule but has been experiencing many new dogs, people and places and learning that it isn't all scary in the end. It seems that once she has seen or done or heard something a couple of times, she is OK with it. She hasn't been around kids much but she is so gentle that I think she would be fine. No experience with cats either. She is crate trained but doesn't use it often--will sleep in it at night or on the bed with the rest of us. She is just a sweet, gentle soul that will make a wonderful, loyal and snuggly companion to the lucky family who adopts her.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Hi, foster mom says I should introduce myself as 'Stella' but I don't really know what that means yet. When she's talking I always look at her though. Cuz I love her and always want to be around her. FM made a really big deal about me going through the door first today--I even beat foster brother Skye and he's pretty speedy! She also said I was a very good girl for eating all of my food from a bowl on the floor and she didn't have to stand right beside me.

I still freeze sometimes when I hear new noises. If I freeze and crouch down then no one will see me and the big scary noise can't hurt me. I've learned that lots of new noises aren't scary at all and so I feel a lot more safe these days.
 
My foster brother bows to me and hops around woofing at me but I don't really know why so I ignore him. He also chases things that FM throws and then runs around like a goofball. I just sit and watch. I do like to chew on things though, but FM says I have to chew the bones and Kong and not the wash cloths and rugs. So when she goes to work she gates me in the kitchen.
 
Dr. Becky at the vet says I have ear mites, really bad skin from the flea bites and an ear infection. She says I can't be spayed for another week. Now I take more pills than FM! I'll only eat them if she sticks them in treats and even then lots of times I can find the pill and spit it out. Then I get MORE treats. See how that works? Skye went with me to see Dr. Becky and he helped me to be a very good girl when they were digging in my ears. Skye hates having his ears done so he ran and hid while they did mine. See--sometimes I am braver than he is. My eyes feel better after FM puts the eye drops in too.
 
FM says I need to learn a lot more things like "sit' 'off', and 'down'. I get so excited when she's giving out treats that I don't even notice that Skye and Scout are sitting. Instead I put my feet up on the counter to get closer to the cookie jar. She says I need a lot more practice and that means I can have more treats! So it's a win-win, I guess.

Anyway--Skye is being a goofball again so I think I'll go watch him. Come check on me later.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Stella is beginning to enjoy life as a house dog. She bounds out the door with her foster sister and brother when I get home from work. She still can't walk back in the door without my dogs coming with. Sometimes they move so fast that she doesn't quite make it all the way in before they are gone. Then she freezes with one foot in and 3 feet out. I ask Skye to come back outside and go in again. He's happy to oblige and then she can make it all the way in.

Her eyes look much better after a couple of days of antibiotics. She has a vet appointment tomorrow to have them rechecked and to get set up for her spay and teeth cleaning. I'll bring Skye with as company.

She has been eating really well--but still prefers to eat from my hand or to have me holding her bowl. If I try to put it on the floor she goes away. But getting good nutrition now should help her coat which is thin and dry. Stella loves stuffed animals--to carry around and tear apart. She will also run after a ball but won't pick it up yet. More curious than playing. She is nothing but tail wags and comes to put her head under my hand for pets.

Tonight we went to visit a friend with dogs and she got in the kiddie pool to cool off. I think it's just a matter of time and lots of love for her to come out of her shell. She is so sweet and everyone she meets is falling in love with her. I'll update again after her vet appointment.