Honey 13-221

back to Memorials

Profile

With love from Ben's family - Ann

September 1, 2013
We are so happy to welcome Miss Honey into our home. Honey is an 11 year old female PB Golden Retriever with a beautiful white face and the absolute happiest disposition.  She grew up in a wonderful home and was a cherished family member.  Unfortunately for Honey, her "boy" grew up and left for college last year and Honey was heartbroken.  Missing him so much caused her previously mild and very manageable separation anxiety to grow to the point that she could no longer be left all day without hurting herself - since she was destructive in the home and having accidents when alone, her mom tried kenneling her and this led to her trying to dig her way out resulting in constant bloody paws. Since her mom has to work and her son is now again back at college, she made the painful decision to give Honey to RAGOM so that we could find her a home where she could live out her golden years free of fear of separation.

Honey is a tall leggy golden and weighs 65lbs.  She is wonderful with kids, curious about cats, but only to play with and not harm them. Despite having been raised as an only pup, she does fantastic with our resident pack of 3 dogs.  Basically, we hit the jackpot of fosters when we took this sweet senior in.  She is such a joy and just loves to be around people all the time.  She actually has quite a bit of energy for a pup her age and likes to stay active - retrieving balls (a favorite thing for her); walks; and just running around the yard are favorites.  Her obsession with balls is just plain funny - she does love to retrieve them, but to her, they are definitely her security blanket.  She needs to have one in her mouth at all times and surrounds herself with them whenever she lays down.

Due to her separation anxiety, we have made a point to have someone home with Honey most of the time during her initial adjustment to being in our home.  A few days, we started increasing her time left alone with our three pups.  I have to say she is doing fantastic and has not had any negative reactions - a little barking when we first leave, but she settles right down.  We have now left her for up to four hours without any issues.   She is just so overjoyed when we get home.  She rubs her head against your leg, leans her whole body in and actually cries with happiness to see you!

What we would like to see in Honey's forever home:

  • Someone who is home with her most of the time. 
  • Another dog is not needed, but I am wondering if this does help her during her times alone.  Other than times alone, Honey would also be a great only dog.
  • No fence needed for this girl - she stays as close to her people as she can.
  • Someone who will snuggle and cuddle with her - she loves that!!

Basically, Honey is just the perfect senior golden who is looking for her forever home.  If that sounds like you, please let your placement advisor know!

At a Glance #13-221

Golden Retriever Born: January 2003
Female 65 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

With love from Ben's family - Ann

September 1, 2013
We are so happy to welcome Miss Honey into our home. Honey is an 11 year old female PB Golden Retriever with a beautiful white face and the absolute happiest disposition.  She grew up in a wonderful home and was a cherished family member.  Unfortunately for Honey, her "boy" grew up and left for college last year and Honey was heartbroken.  Missing him so much caused her previously mild and very manageable separation anxiety to grow to the point that she could no longer be left all day without hurting herself - since she was destructive in the home and having accidents when alone, her mom tried kenneling her and this led to her trying to dig her way out resulting in constant bloody paws. Since her mom has to work and her son is now again back at college, she made the painful decision to give Honey to RAGOM so that we could find her a home where she could live out her golden years free of fear of separation.

Honey is a tall leggy golden and weighs 65lbs.  She is wonderful with kids, curious about cats, but only to play with and not harm them. Despite having been raised as an only pup, she does fantastic with our resident pack of 3 dogs.  Basically, we hit the jackpot of fosters when we took this sweet senior in.  She is such a joy and just loves to be around people all the time.  She actually has quite a bit of energy for a pup her age and likes to stay active - retrieving balls (a favorite thing for her); walks; and just running around the yard are favorites.  Her obsession with balls is just plain funny - she does love to retrieve them, but to her, they are definitely her security blanket.  She needs to have one in her mouth at all times and surrounds herself with them whenever she lays down.

Due to her separation anxiety, we have made a point to have someone home with Honey most of the time during her initial adjustment to being in our home.  A few days, we started increasing her time left alone with our three pups.  I have to say she is doing fantastic and has not had any negative reactions - a little barking when we first leave, but she settles right down.  We have now left her for up to four hours without any issues.   She is just so overjoyed when we get home.  She rubs her head against your leg, leans her whole body in and actually cries with happiness to see you!

What we would like to see in Honey's forever home:

  • Someone who is home with her most of the time. 
  • Another dog is not needed, but I am wondering if this does help her during her times alone.  Other than times alone, Honey would also be a great only dog.
  • No fence needed for this girl - she stays as close to her people as she can.
  • Someone who will snuggle and cuddle with her - she loves that!!

Basically, Honey is just the perfect senior golden who is looking for her forever home.  If that sounds like you, please let your placement advisor know!

Updates

Saturday, September 19, 2015

 

My dear Beep (Aka Honey),

You’ve been in our lives for less than 2 years, but you feel like an old friend. Such an integral part of our daily routine. Such an old soul with whom I feel a deep connection.

I am overwhelmed with sadness to say good-bye but grateful to have had the chance to know you and welcome you in to my heart. Grateful that your “boy” gave you to RAGOM so that you could become a part of our lives.

To say you were a perfect canine match is an understatement. I appreciate all the days you laid at my feet while working from home, affectionately looking up at me after closing a successful business deal and flipping my hand to pet you as you shared in the success and feeling of accomplishment. You followed me around …every move, and waited for me by the door when I would leave anxiously awaiting my return. The Bell’s Palsy left your ears droopy as it did one side of your face, but on occasion you could lift a single ear in excitement of my return. And there are all the memories of you sitting in the grass with the wind blowing your bed-head hair. Who would have thought you could fit THREE tennis balls in your mouth at once?!

And then there was the day your nose was no longer cold and wet. You couldn’t make the trek up the stairs any more. My only regret is that I didn’t have more time with you.

As I struggle to say good-bye, I am comforted in knowing your spirit will live on in the maple tree that provided shade for you, the pachysandra where you slept as I worked in the yard, and in the lilac bushes that caused you to pause and sniff the air.

Good-bye Ms. Beep.

This poem by Jim Willis is dedicated to you, my Beep:

I LOVED YOU BEST

  So this is where we part, my friend, and you’ll run on around the bend.
  Gone from sight, but not from mind, new pleasures there I’m sure you’ll find.
  I will go on; I’ll find the strength, life measures quality, not its length.

  One long embrace before you leave, share one last look before I grieve.
  There are others, that much is true, but they be they, and they aren’t you.
  And I fair, impartial, or so I thought, will remember well all you’ve taught.

  Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed. The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
  And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this……I loved you best.

 

Friday, September 13, 2013

Honey had her overall vet check on Monday.  Usually I get my fosters into the vet right away, but since she had come in fully vetted and was due for a follow-up on a couple minor issues, I waited so that we could do the follow-up at the same time as her overall check.  Anyway - no surprises - this girl is in great health.  One thing we did find out is that Honey is NOT 11 - and won't be until January 16th of next year.  This may not sound like much, but for us older gals, we'll take every extra month we can get!  A few other findings about our sweet Honey:1) She does great at the vet.Her family had told me that she got nervous and they would just let her carry one of her beloved balls into the vet and she was fine.  Since this was new to her with me, I thought why just go with one, we'll bring a few to give her extra comfort.  She laid on the back seat of the car driving there looking at me with two balls jammed in her mouth and a nervous look on her face (okay, well as nervous as she could with tennis balls sticking out of her lips - maybe more comical than nervous?).  I think she knew it was not a cabin trip since none of the rest of the pack was with us.  Anyway, jumping out of the car, her balls rolled under the car and I couldn't get them so I decided to just walk in with her and see what happened.  She was absolutely fine - in fact first thing she did was walk to the scale, climb on and sit down without anyone even asking!  I have never had a dog go onto one of those things with out a lot of coaxing and usually some heavy lifting.  Honey, however, decided it was good place to nap.  BTW - she is a lean and healthy 64.9 pounds.2)  I think she will be okay with cats.  She met two there and just seemed really interested in them - was smelling and wagging her tail.  3) Poking and prodding are all okay with her, but watch out if you want to look, touch, or go anywhere near her ears!I Knew this was an issue for her - her ears were one of the things we had to have checked.  I have been attempting to flush them and clean them since she has been with me, something I have done literally hundreds of times with my own pups and all the fosters who have graced my household.  Once again, Honey proved to be a first for me.  I have done everything I can think of to keep her calm, but no matter what once the flush goes in, she is like a wild girl - jumps up, shakes her head and rolls around digging her head into the ground like she is dying.  She is quite the drama queen as once she is done with her little routine, she will plop in front of me and lay down.  I swear she is laughing at me as she actually lets me turn her head, lift her ear, but once again when I squirt the flush, off she goes.  Obviously I have not been effective in getting them cleaned.  Well, whether she had this when she came in or if has progressed over the last few weeks, she now has an infection in both ears - not terrible but it needs to be treated.  Dr. J, who experienced Honey's dislike of anyone touching her ears, looked at me with pity knowing we were in for a course of ear drops for the next 14 days.  We finally have a way that works, but requires two people and total preparation so that you can get it done  fast.  I am really hoping that maybe her ears are sore and that is why she is so sensitive - she doesn't mind rubbing her ears and lots of scratches, but lift up her ear and she will do anything to get away from you.4) Like most goldens, she does have seasonal allergies.  She came in with a prescription for Hydroxyzine which is given twice a day - I just drop in her food bowl.  Dr. J suggested continuing her on it.  While we have not seen any itching at all while she has been with us, her skin shows that she has had these allergies for a long time.  Plus, her eyes were obviously itching her badly at some point because she has rubbed some of the fur off around them.  Looks like this stuff is working, so we are just going to continue the course and re-evaluate when allergy season passes.  For a girl her age, this is the only medical issue she has.  Other than, she passed with flying colors! 5)  This wasn't a vet finding, since we already knew about it, but it seems to fit under this part - Honey has facial paralysis - basically she has slight drooping on one side of her face (some call it Bells Palsy).  I have no idea when this happened, but it has absolutely no affect on her life and will not affect her life expectancy at all.  Really, it just gives her a perpetually quizzical look that we love.A few new things we've learned about our sweet girl.  1)  First, she will not jump up on any furniture without a formal invite.  You don't need to ask her twice, as she is more than happy to snuggle on the couch, but she will sit and wait nicely until asked.  2)  She can be a bit of a counter surfer if she smells something particularly nummy.  It has only happened a couple times, but we do now watch what is left out.   3) Perhaps having been an only child for her whole life, she is definitely not into a shared water bowl.  She has to have her own.  She is fine with the other dogs  drinking from hers but she will not touch theirs.  4)  She loves her "Honey" bowl that her previous family had lovingly made for her and sent.  Won't eat out of anything but that.  5) She still loves her balls and likes to surround herself with them before lying down for a little rest.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

We learned quite a bit about Honey last weekend when we went up to cabin.  First and foremost, she is a phenomenal car rider - we had our usual crew of pups heading up, but with our daughter back at college, we kind of smushed everyone in one car.  This didn't faze her at all and she settled right in.  However, she popped right up when she heard a dog barking in a movie my son was watching and became enthralled watching the movie - leaning her head on his shoulder, she only lasted a few more minutes until she snoozed off again.  Once we got there, I think her nose went into overdrive - she ran all over with her head down, smelling all the smells - I am not sure if she has ever been in such a wooded area before - but she was in heaven.  The lake seemed new to her also.  She would go right to edge, but would not go in.  With two of our residents frolicking around in the water, she sat on shore with another one of our residents who hates the water.  We tried throwing one of her beloved balls in, but she still would not go in.  Not sure what finally got into her,  but we were on the dock heading to the boat and she just turned and jumped right off into the water.  I had put my camera down because I didn't think she was going to go in, but her expression was so cute.  She just couldn't figure out if she like it or not and just stood there (it was shallow enough so she didn't need to swim) as still as could be.  She finally sauntered out, shook herself off and seemed to say "been there, done that, don't need to do it again".  She never went back in.Exploring was so fun for her, but she was also just content to sit by the fire with us and chew on her balls.  She is just such a joy to have and fits so seamlessly into our lives.  If I didn't know that she was 11 years old, I would never believe it  - she has so much energy and is in perfect health.  Her previous owner took fantastic care of her and never missed a vet appointment - every 6 months!  If you are looking for a perfect senior girl who will become your most loyal fan and loving companion, look no further than Honey.  She is that perfect.