Zoe 11-157

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Profile

May 18, 2011

Welcome to RAGOM, Zoe! Zoe is a 3 year old Goldendoodle, cute as can be, and just a little peanut. I think she must have been mixed with a miniature poodle (see photo with one of my 65 lb. goldens for comparison). She hasn't been to the vet yet this week, but so far appears healthy, has a gorgeous doodle coat, is eating well, no potty accidents, and is doing great with my two resident dogs. Zoe was surrendered by a loving family due to separation anxiety. She was an only dog, and didn't do well with both parents gone for a full work day. Her anxiety seemed to be growing and she was spending a lot of time in her crate. Zoe has only been in foster care a few days, but so far she is doing great! I've only left her for short periods, but she hasn't exhibited much in the way of anxiety. She is a high energy girl, and definitely needs some direction and training, but she is a smart cookie and eager to learn. Right now she is being crated when I leave, which she doesn't love, but she will go in willingly with a treat. She barks & whines a little at first, and definitely wants to get out as soon as I come home, but I think she is quiet while I'm gone (as far as I can tell from sneaking around outside). It's too soon to tell, but possible that having other dogs in the home will make all the difference in helping her to overcome her separation anxiety. She previously lived with kids and a cat, and appears to get along with everyone. More soon as we get to know this little cutie. She will be attending the RAGOM event at the Eden Prairie PetSmart on Saturday.

 

At a Glance #11-157

Mixed Breed Born: December 2007
Female 50 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

May 18, 2011

Welcome to RAGOM, Zoe! Zoe is a 3 year old Goldendoodle, cute as can be, and just a little peanut. I think she must have been mixed with a miniature poodle (see photo with one of my 65 lb. goldens for comparison). She hasn't been to the vet yet this week, but so far appears healthy, has a gorgeous doodle coat, is eating well, no potty accidents, and is doing great with my two resident dogs. Zoe was surrendered by a loving family due to separation anxiety. She was an only dog, and didn't do well with both parents gone for a full work day. Her anxiety seemed to be growing and she was spending a lot of time in her crate. Zoe has only been in foster care a few days, but so far she is doing great! I've only left her for short periods, but she hasn't exhibited much in the way of anxiety. She is a high energy girl, and definitely needs some direction and training, but she is a smart cookie and eager to learn. Right now she is being crated when I leave, which she doesn't love, but she will go in willingly with a treat. She barks & whines a little at first, and definitely wants to get out as soon as I come home, but I think she is quiet while I'm gone (as far as I can tell from sneaking around outside). It's too soon to tell, but possible that having other dogs in the home will make all the difference in helping her to overcome her separation anxiety. She previously lived with kids and a cat, and appears to get along with everyone. More soon as we get to know this little cutie. She will be attending the RAGOM event at the Eden Prairie PetSmart on Saturday.

 

Updates

Monday, May 23, 2011

Wow, this little girl just keeps surprising me. When I went to let the dogs out this morning, I was standing on the deck drinking my coffee and watching over them, and soon realized I didn't see the little white fluff ball anywhere in the yard. She is usually the first one out the door with me, and typically under foot if she is not doing her business, so I started to panic when I couldn't see her. I did a thorough check of the yard, and realized she was definitely not out there. Turned around to look at the door and there she was, calmly sitting on the other side (inside alone!), waiting for me to notice her. As normal as that might sound for most dogs, it is NOT the Zoe I met a little over a week ago. The photo below is from Day 1 in foster care, when I closed the door with her on the other side. Yes, she can get some air! And trust me, her lungs were working too! She did NOT want to be left behind, either in or out.

When she arrived, Zoe exhibited some (not all) traits of separation anxiety (SA). As I mentioned, her previous owners were gone for long days, and she was left alone in the house, crated. Although many dogs are fine with this situation, Zoe bonds very closely to her people and really does not appreciate her alone time. She was reportedly having potty accidents in her crate almost daily, and would get very worked up during the morning routine, knowing that her family was going to leave her. They tried several things to help her, including calming pheromones, anxiety meds, and leaving her out of her crate. Although she was never destructive in the house like many dogs with SA, she was clearly unhappy and stressing herself out to the point of having accidents. RAGOM agreed to bring her in with the hopes that some counter-conditioning and positive direction, coupled with having another dog(s) in the home, might help her to overcome her anxiety. So far I would have to say this is working extremely well, and she has far exceeded my expectations. Zoe hasn't had any accidents, either in or out of her crate, nor has she exhibited anything other than mild disapproval (whining or barking) at being put in the crate. She has free roam whenever I am home, and probably does not need to be crated when I am gone. However, since she is now walking into her crate in anticipation of a treat, we are sticking with what is working for now. It is important to note that while Zoe does NOT have "crate anxiety", she does not appreciate being crated when people are home -- and will let you know (vocally). This is fairly common, and not really something I feel we need to work on, since there is no need to crate her when I'm home. She is not at all destructive, hasn't picked up anything but a dog toy in my home. She is, however, used to being on the furniture, including my bed at night. While the experts would say this is a no-no for dogs with SA (due to the need to create boundaries, and sometimes distance from owners), it is where she is most comfortable and relaxed, and since she is not really having issues when I leave, I am letting her choose where she wants to be when I am home. She is also doing well sharing space with my dogs -- on the couch and bed. Initially she was so fixated on me that I thought she might start "guarding" those areas from the other dogs, which would have meant restricting her access, but that hasn't been a problem. In fact, for a dog that has never lived with another dog or had proper training, I am over the moon at how well socialized she is, and at the appropriateness of her dog-dog communication. The only flaw there is a tendency to want to hump other more submissive dogs. I have one of those, and while he lets her do it, she responds quickly to my "off" command. The good news is she knows better than to try it with my alpha male. At the PetSmart event last weekend, Zoe was perfectly well behaved with all of the different dogs she met, even those who weren't so sure about her. And yesterday she had a play date with a friend's Shih Tzu, and had so much fun playing with him and his toys... but yes, she was also a little persistent with the humping. Poor boy would have preferred she play a little harder to get! So, it is great news that Zoe seems to enjoy having other dogs around, because I think that is one of the keys to success in her forever home. I think it is largely due to the fact that she is left with my 2 well-adjusted dogs that she is learning it is OK for me to leave. With repeated, successful, short absences, she is also learning that I will return, and that nothing bad happens when I'm gone. As I mentioned before, I have yet to leave her for anything close to a full workday, and while I think that might be *possible* in the future, I don't want to push it. Even if she is capable of that down the road, it would not be an ideal situation for her forever family to be gone all day every day. Bottom line is that Zoe loves her people, and wants to be with them as much as possible. She loves car rides -- of course, because that means she gets to come along! Luckily her small size also makes that easy. I do tether her in the back seat though, for safety reasons, because otherwise she would be on my lap while I'm trying to drive. She loves her walks, and I'm sure she'd do great at the dog park. As long as she is with her people, she behaves like a confident, well-socialized girl and I have yet to see any hesitation in new situations. Here is what I think Zoe's ideal home looks like:

  • at least one other confident dog (cats are ok too).
  • someone who is home a good portion of the day, or can bring her to work with them (I think she'd do ok in doggie daycare too).
  • kids are fine as long as the family has time to spend with her and make her training a priority (obedience is a must, but I think she will be a star pupil. She is so smart and REALLY wants to please. I think she'd be a great agility candidate too -- did you see her air jump photo?).
  • beyond formal training, her family needs to continue to provide her with direction and positive reinforcement. They need to set a tone of calm, relaxed leadership, as I think she has previously been allowed to "rule the roost" and negative behaviors were inadvertently reinforced.
  • she is not a runner nor does she have a strong prey drive, so a fence isn't a must, but she will need to be on leash until she has fully adjusted and can hopefully be boundary trained. As with any dog, she should never be left unattended, and I am guessing would bark if left on a tie-out (although I think that is what her previous owners did).

She is truly a delight to have around, and her fun personality is coming out more every day. She is enjoying her toys, and loves to roll around wriggling on her back. She likes to "talk" while playing, and does bark when other people and dogs pass the house, but doesn't overdo it. As mentioned, she is walking really well on a Gentle Leader and literally prances at your side. All in all, a fantastic dog. Not perfect, but a great work-in-progress!

Now, if I can just get myself to adopt her out. I'm afraid I might be getting as attached as she is... :)

 

 

Saturday, May 21, 2011

A quick update on Zoe. She went to the vet yesterday and received a clean bill of health! She is now up-to-date on all her vaccinations, has previously been spayed, and is heartworm negative. All great news! She was a trooper with all the poking and prodding, and although she whined & squirmed a little when given shots, she was easily appeased with some processed cheese goo.

Zoe weighed in at a whopping 20 pounds! I told you she was a little peanut! Her fluffy coat makes her look a little bigger, but she is definitely a mini doodle. I am loving it -- she is easy to pick up and snuggle, like a perpetual puppy without the puppy behavior (for the most part :)). Plus she eats less, poops less, and is easy to bathe!

Zoe has begun to play with one of my dogs, Zach. They are really cute together, but she is a vocal player -- lots of little barks & growly noises, which he is adjusting to. It isn't aggressive by any means, just her nature.

Here's a summary of the basics:

  • House-trained, no accidents yet in foster care
  • Good with kids, cats, and other dogs
  • No health issues (doesn't even have ear infections!), already spayed
  • Let's you groom and bathe her, but is a little afraid of nail clipping (she squirms so it is a 2-person job, but treats help!)
  • Great recall -- she is rarely far from my side, but comes running from across the yard at the mention of her name
  • Needs direction and training, but is a sponge for new information (very fun to see her progress!) She learned to walk on a Gentle Leader in about 2 blocks, and has learned to sit nicely for food & treats -- rather than being a jumping bean (she has quite the vertical leap!)
  • More to come on her separation anxiety. So far it hasn't been much of an issue, but I am taking it slow with short absences. I will share the background in her next update, just want to give her a week in foster care to really assess her behavior.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about Zoe, let your placement advisor know. I do know that she will need to go to a family that has time to spend with her and continue her training. It is likely that she will never be happy being left alone for a full work day, so someone who is home during the day, or can bring her to work would be ideal. At this point, it appears that another dog in the home will help her to feel more comfortable when her family is away from home. Stay tuned... despite having a few issues, this girl is a gem!