In memory of Rocket - Barry
January 17, 2013
Hi, My name is Shep or that is what I am called now. I'm a 5 year old Yellow Lab . I have lived in a puppy mill in South Dakota untill just before Christmas. I was Rescued by the Great people from RAGOM that came and took many dogs away from the puppy mill. Thank You RAGOM for saving my life.
I was supposed to go to a Lab rescue group but they couldn't afford the hip surgery that I need. I was made a honorary Golden Retriever and brought into RAGOM.

I was brought to Minnesota by nice man named Jason. Thank You Jason for bringing me to my FD [foster dad] I don't mind riding but moving from the ground into the car is scary to me and makes me pee.
We got to FD's house and there is 3 other dogs and cats there also. I didn't really mind any of them but was just scared of everything. I had never been in a house before. All I wanted to do was get in a crate to be safe. I didn't want to come out of the crate for anything. FD would have to pull me out to go outside to go potty. I don't know
that outside is the place to do that.
After a couple days of FD having to more or less drag me across the scary slippery floor in the kitchen, FD decided to just let me stay in the living and dining room on the carpet. I like the soft carpet. I made under the dining room table my new "safe spot" since I didn't like the smaller plastic crate that was next to the table. FD brought
a water bowl in there and would feed me in my safe spot. I started to get a little curious about FD and sneeked up to him and smelled his hand and gave him a couple licks. FD was very excited about that for some reason.
The next day when FD came with my food bowl and put it under the table in my "safe spot" I freaked out and bolted out from there knocking 3 or 4 chairs over and making lots of noise scaring me even worse. I kind of hid in a corner of the living room for a few days. That was my new "safe spot" since the dining room table is now scary.

FD then moved the big wire crate into the living room so that I would come out of the corner. It worked. I love the big wire crate. FD left the water dish a ways away from the crate so I would have to come out to get a drink. he started out feeding me in the crate but then started moving the bowl a little further away from the crate. Now I
have to come all the way out of the crate to eat but won't do that if FD is watching. I will bark at the kitties if they get near my food bowl.
The day I moved to the carpet in the dining room and living room, FD went upstairs to vacuum the carpet up there. He thought the vacuum cleaner wouldn't bother me. When he came back down stairs he saw that I pooped all over the dining room. He thought that it was because I hadn't been out in 2 hours. The next week he tried it again. This time he had let me out less than a hour before. More poop all over the dining room floor again. FD says I have to go outside now whenever he has to vacuum. The loud noise is just too much for me at this time. Maybe I'll get used to it eventually.
Since the last vacuum scare I've done real well with doing my potty business outside. I am much less nervous outside than in the house. I started getting walked around in the fenced area . FD said I do pretty good on the leash but still kind of do circles around him. Eventually FD could drop the leash and I followed him real close for a couple days. I would even come to FD when he called me. FD was very impressed.
Today FD made me go across the scary slippery kitchen floor. Then we went outside and foster sister Ziggy came with. We walked all the way down the very long driveway and back. I was very happy and so was FD. FD says that was the highest he's seen my tail. I usually have it between my legs.
Me and FS[foster sister] Ziggy get to go for a ride to see Dr. Sarah or Dr Becky. Last time we went there FD had to carry me in and out because I was so scared. I hope it goes better this time. I'm getting a blood and urine test to be sure everything is working right before I get checked for hip surgery.
Thanks for checking in on me,
