Annie (Mandy 13-055)

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Profile

February 25, 2013

Mandy 13-055, a beautiful blonde girl, arrived in RAGOM land on February 15. She is a 3-year-old (BD: 12-05-09) girl surrendered by her owner to a Good Samaritan who in turn made sure she entered the RAGOM fold. She was surrendered because of "inadequate mothering skills" but she won't have to worry about mothering any more. Mandy is being fostered in rural Rochester.

Her vet examination went well, her vaccinations were brought up-to-date, she is heart worm negative, but like many of us, she is overweight. When she returns for her booster shot in a few weeks, the vet will perform a thyroid test to check if that might be the root of her weight gain along with a thinning hair pattern over her back. These issues could also be caused by a poor grade of food but she is now on a highly rated grain-free food. Her target weight should be 80-85 pounds so she is a fairly good-sized girl. Because her ears had some discharge (the right more than the left), the vet cleaned them out good and prescribed medication for a yeast infection to be used every 3-4 days for the next month. Her spay operation will be in a few weeks.

Mandy is a kind and gentle soul. She has not shown any resource guarding with toys or food. In fact, shortly after she got here I found our cat with her in the crate eating her food. Mandy totally ignores the outside cats too. We have had no trouble with her going in and out of doors, up and down steps or going into her crate. She sleeps all night without any fuss and patiently waits until we let her out in the morning. Thus far Mandy has had no potty accidents in the house but we are diligent about letting her out with our resident dog every 3-4 hours. Today we had church, a potluck dinner following the service and then the business meeting--she was crated longer than 4 hours and did just fine. We babysat our 3-year-old grandchild two days last week and Mandy was super with her. On Saturday, I had four grandchildren and our daughter's black lab/GR cross here. She met Sadie without any problems at all--and sometimes Sadie is very picky about her doggy friends. When we are outside, she follows very closely at your side and has shown no inclination to bolt out the door. She runs up on the porch to wait for us when it is time to come in.

She is starting to get very busy in the house. She will pick up toys and stash them in her crate or make a pile in her "safe spot" and lay by them. It is funny to watch her--tonight she emptied the entire toy box piece-by-piece on the living room floor. She has also been going back and forth between the office and living room so she is becoming much more comfortable in the house. Right now she is sleeping with our dog on the office floor while I am typing. She prefers to spend more time out of her crate than in it.

Because of her previous situation, Mandy will need a fenced yard, children over 10 so the play patterns and fast actions of smaller children do not scare her, and a resident dog to teach her more social graces (she loves the companionship of our dog). She has proven to be a very resilient young girl and will be a great companion for some lucky family. More to come as we get to know her better and learn the little ins and outs of her personality.

At a Glance #13-055

Golden Retriever Born: December 2009
Female 120 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

February 25, 2013

Mandy 13-055, a beautiful blonde girl, arrived in RAGOM land on February 15. She is a 3-year-old (BD: 12-05-09) girl surrendered by her owner to a Good Samaritan who in turn made sure she entered the RAGOM fold. She was surrendered because of "inadequate mothering skills" but she won't have to worry about mothering any more. Mandy is being fostered in rural Rochester.

Her vet examination went well, her vaccinations were brought up-to-date, she is heart worm negative, but like many of us, she is overweight. When she returns for her booster shot in a few weeks, the vet will perform a thyroid test to check if that might be the root of her weight gain along with a thinning hair pattern over her back. These issues could also be caused by a poor grade of food but she is now on a highly rated grain-free food. Her target weight should be 80-85 pounds so she is a fairly good-sized girl. Because her ears had some discharge (the right more than the left), the vet cleaned them out good and prescribed medication for a yeast infection to be used every 3-4 days for the next month. Her spay operation will be in a few weeks.

Mandy is a kind and gentle soul. She has not shown any resource guarding with toys or food. In fact, shortly after she got here I found our cat with her in the crate eating her food. Mandy totally ignores the outside cats too. We have had no trouble with her going in and out of doors, up and down steps or going into her crate. She sleeps all night without any fuss and patiently waits until we let her out in the morning. Thus far Mandy has had no potty accidents in the house but we are diligent about letting her out with our resident dog every 3-4 hours. Today we had church, a potluck dinner following the service and then the business meeting--she was crated longer than 4 hours and did just fine. We babysat our 3-year-old grandchild two days last week and Mandy was super with her. On Saturday, I had four grandchildren and our daughter's black lab/GR cross here. She met Sadie without any problems at all--and sometimes Sadie is very picky about her doggy friends. When we are outside, she follows very closely at your side and has shown no inclination to bolt out the door. She runs up on the porch to wait for us when it is time to come in.

She is starting to get very busy in the house. She will pick up toys and stash them in her crate or make a pile in her "safe spot" and lay by them. It is funny to watch her--tonight she emptied the entire toy box piece-by-piece on the living room floor. She has also been going back and forth between the office and living room so she is becoming much more comfortable in the house. Right now she is sleeping with our dog on the office floor while I am typing. She prefers to spend more time out of her crate than in it.

Because of her previous situation, Mandy will need a fenced yard, children over 10 so the play patterns and fast actions of smaller children do not scare her, and a resident dog to teach her more social graces (she loves the companionship of our dog). She has proven to be a very resilient young girl and will be a great companion for some lucky family. More to come as we get to know her better and learn the little ins and outs of her personality.

Updates

Saturday, April 6, 2013

This is the final update for our beautiful and loving Mandy.  She was adopted by a wonderful family who anxiously waited while she recovered from her spay operation to welcome her into their home.  She also has a former RAGOM boy to be her guide in teaching her to become the best GR she can be.  To this family, she will be known as Annie.

 

Mandy was our first experience with a puppy mill girl and it proved to be an enjoyable venture.  She was especially social after the initial settling in period and continued to blossom.  She does not bark, only "woofs," ignored all the cats, loved any visiting children, met other dogs without a problem, and was successful in letting us know when she had to go potty.  She is still very much in the learning curve about the outside world but I have no doubt her adoptive family will be successful in helping her reach her goals.  She was a very mellow and quiet girl to have around--we will miss her tremendously.

 

 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Mandy has continued to blossom in our home.  She is a very loving and quiet girl who loves to receive attention of any kind.  She has been here six weeks and we have only heard two "woofs" out of her--not even a real bark. Thursday she met a very loving family who is anxious to make Mandy a member of their family.  They are planning a return visit with their former RAGOM boy to see if the two of them will be compatible. Since Mandy is quite calm and low key, I don't believe she will have any trouble adjusting to him. 

Mandy had her spay operation on Good Friday.  It was not a good Friday for her since the operation was difficult because of her weight, the extra belly fat, and the fact that she had had numerous litters of puppies.  The vet encountered more oozing than normal and because of her weight and size, numerous staples were used to close the incision (looks like she has a zipper there).  She has not felt very perky since we brought her home yesterday morning but hopefully she will begin to feel better in a few days.  She is restricted to leash walking only for the next 7-10 days (no wrestling, running, bounding up and down stairs, etc,) with staple removal after April 12.  As you can see in the picture where she is using the blue blanket as a pillow, she looks pretty miserable.

 

On a more positive note, Mandy has made great progress in weight reduction.  She was 107 pounds when she came to us and weighed 98.3 last Friday.  I suspect she may have lost a little more weight now since her appetite has not been very good the past few days.  With a weight goal of 80-85 pounds, she is headed in the right direction.  She is actually a very slow eater and will leave part of her kibble, coming back to finish after several hours have passed. She will return to her kennel, look up at her food dish on top of it, and we then set the remaining portion down again for her.  We have to be diligent in picking up the unfinished food since our resident dog has helped himself to extra meals several times--and he's supposed to be on a diet too!!

More Mandy notes toward the end of the week as she continues to recover and have the opportunity to visit again with her potential forever family along with her new GR brother when she feels better.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Our big, blonde, beautiful girl Mandy has been making good progress this week.  She is becoming a social butterfly when she sees people.  We took her to the pet store when we needed to pick up dog food and the first thing she sought out were the cashiers who willingly paid attention to her--she would sit all day with you if you continued to pet her.  The automatic doors made her retreat backwards but with a little coaxing Mandy was able to come through the doors and investigate the store.  Her riding ability has improved so we did not have to tether her to keep her behind the front seats.  She is a little apprehensive when we start out but she eventually found the console between the van seats and rested her head on that.  A little pet now and then seemed to reassure her that riding is a pleasant experience.  Mandy will enter a vehicle better if the resident dog enters first and is already in the van.    

Our family held their Easter celebration Sunday so she had ample opportunity to be exposed to multiple children and people everywhere.  Mandy spent a great deal of time going from person to person to receive attention--she really budges in there now to get her share!  She takes treats every so gently but because she is on a diet, treats can only be counted as part of her caloric intake. 

 

Mandy had a play date at my daughter's home with her black lab/GR Sadie.  Sadie has a fenced yard so Mandy could run and play without the tie out interfering.  She and Sadie were playing keep away with a toy.  Mandy plays with rope toys, the skinny fuzzy toys without stuffing (which she will dismantle in no time) and will carry a ball around.  Thus far she hasn't gotten the concept of catching the ball if you roll or throw it to her.  That will come in time since she has had much to learn and absorb these past five weeks since she left the Amish puppy mill.  She is the easiest girl to have around and has gotten used to our routine, including cooked carrots mixed in her food.  For awhile her favorite "safe" spot was huddled next to my husband's recliner but Mandy will now sleep out in the open in any room without the "protection" of a small area.

 

Mandy's spay operation, which is scheduled for Good Friday, will be her last medical adventure.  Her ears are now clean and normal looking.  Mandy is expecting a potential adopting couple to visit her later in the week.  Keep your paws crossed that the visit will turn out well. 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Mandy has been busy this past week.  She attended a meet & greet in Rochester last Saturday and enjoyed the other visiting Goldens plus all the pets that came her way.  She was a little hesitant going into the store with all the highway traffic noises but relaxed when she saw the other dogs and people.  After being brought up as a puppy mill mother, she is learning that people can be caring and good.  She has started to budge in at home to get her share of petting and treats.  She loves children of all ages but could easily knock a visiting toddler/smaller child over with her size.  Thus far, Mandy hasn't quite figured out how to play ball but has started to carry one around.  She especially likes to play with knotted rope toys and of course, chew an occasional Nylabone. 

Before she could attend the meet & greet, Mandy had a bath which proved to be quite an endeavor.  We got her into the shower where she proceeded to lay down.  She wouldn't get up so we had to manually swing and turn her around to soap and rinse all sides.  After her bath, she got to chill out in the living room under her blanket.  

Mandy's vaccinations are all complete.  She is heart worm negative and her fecal exam was negative.  Her only issue now is losing more weight.  Hooray!!!  Mandy lost 6 pounds since her last vet visit. With more nutritional food including cooked carrots, she has lost weight and her hair color and texture have changed.  Her fur is softer and she is developing more red highlights in her coat.  Her target weight is 80-85 pounds so she will still be a big girl, just slimmer and trimmer.  I am still working on getting her spay operation coordinated after a little more weight loss.

Our resident dog had ACL surgery a week ago so Mandy has been very sympathetic towards him.  On his first day home she was glad to see him and tried to offer some moral support and comfort. She needs the companionship of another dog and also picks up important cues from him.  She is apprehensive when she rides to an event in the  van but appears to relax on the ride home.  Since she likes to help the driver drive, we have tethered her so she has to stay behind the front seats.  With more riding experience and another dog back there to keep her company, I think she will be less apprehensive and enjoy the experience more.    

 

She loves to be out in the snow and slides around like a snowplow with her face buried in the snow.  She is happy to run around and grab bites of snow to eat.  Mandy will need a fenced yard so she can continue to enjoy her new found freedom.  We practiced in the house with the Gentle Leader but thus far Mandy is not very fond of it.  The first time she just laid down and wouldn't walk at all and wouldn't get up.  Today I was able with a little tugging and much coaxing to get her to walk around in the house with me for a short period of time.  When the weather moderates and the snow melts, we can practice in the yard and that might prove more enjoyable for her. 

Mandy has been a joy to have around.  She is a bundle of love and doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body. With time and love, she will turn into a great family companion.  As with all puppy mill dogs, time to experience new sights and sounds and lots of love will help her to grow into an awesome member of the family. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

After arriving here two weeks ago, Mandy is getting much more comfortable in our home.  She will seek you out if you are in another room and then go back to her favorite spot next to my husband's recliner--that way she is close enough to get a few pets now and then.  

Her appetite is better and she has started to clean up her food dish.  Although she arrived without a name, she responds quite well to "come, Mandy" when we are getting ready to go outside.  Mandy does like to stockpile toys and will put them near her when she is resting or stash them in her kennel.  She is very quick about running to the toy box, picking out a toy and hurrying back to her spot before the resident dog can take the toy away from her.  For some reason tonight, she seems to think the bathroom rug belongs in her pile--after getting the rug twice, the bathroom door is now shut but she can't quite figure out what happened to the rug! 

 

This weekend Mandy had the opportunity to stay with another RAGOM foster (my daughter) since my husband and I were scheduled to be out of town.  She adjusted well to the new surroundings, two kids, two cats, their dog and my resident dog.  Mandy enjoyed running and playing in their fenced yard with Sadie since my dog has a torn ACL and can't play very well with her.  Mandy did not appreciate being the only dog kenneled that night and fussed enough so they let her sleep in their bedroom with the other dogs.  She did great!!  Last night we decided not kennel her and let her sleep in our bedroom with our dog. Nary a peep out of her until we woke up this morning. 

Thus far, we have had no potty accidents nor did they have any over the weekend.  If Mandy begins to pant and pace a bit, we make it a point to take her out but we have been very diligent in taking her out at regular intervals with our dog so she has ample opportunity to do her business.  

Later this week our dog will have ACL surgery and will not be able to lead the way for her so we will see how she handles going to the back yard alone.  She definitely follows his lead and will need another, preferably large, dog in her forever home to continue the teaching effort.  She is very gentle with kids and has been exposed to kids from ages 3-11 although kids 10 and older are necessary in her permanent home.  

If surgery goes well for our dog and he is comfortable, Mandy will attend the meet & greet at the Rochester Feed & Country Store in Rochester on March 9.