Zoe's update is overdue because she's been on vacation!!! She had the time of her life up in northern Wisconsin over the holiday, meeting her extended foster family (lots of little kids so we got to work on socialization!), learning to swim, and playing with the family's posse of dogs. Especially Ellie, the chocolate Lab, who taught her not to be afraid of the water and had her splashing around within minutes! She was a HUGE hit with my 4 year old niece, who by the end of the weekend was telling my cousin's kids that she "got to walk her because it was HER dog"... so email placementragom [dot] org quickly if you want to meet this little girl (fortunately for interested applicants out there, my brother's dog is recovering from major ACL surgery so adding a playful puppy to their family is out of the question right now).

After spending almost 24/7 with little Zoe for the past week and a half, I am a) very attached to her! and b) going to be very picky about the family she goes to. She is a very special little pup who has stolen a huge hunk of my heart. Ok, now more about Zoe...

She is a very precocious little girl, very curious and learns very quickly. Because she was dumped at a shelter with her littermates at a very young age, she is naturally more comfortable with other dogs and a bit shy with humans. It just takes her a little while to learn that she can trust you. She has come a long way, especially with the kids doting on her this weekend, but when the little girls first ran up to her screeching "Zoe Zoe Zoe", she ran under the car and hid instead of running up to them for some loving. She also startles a little with sudden movements or loud noises and used to "hit the ground", but I am seeing very little of that these days. Because of her rough start, I really want her to have a fur sibling "role model" in her forever family to help build her courage and trust of humans, while also providing a playmate and teaching her how to be the best dog she can be. Her humans will have to be patient and committed to training, and although I think kids would be a plus, her forever parents will need to set boundaries and respect her insecurities, and work with her to overcome them. For example, I don't think she is a confident enough puppy to handle toddlers who are given free reign to grab and tug her around like a little toy. But she has all the potential in the world to be a great playmate for kids and dogs alike!!!

Also, she is almost completely housetrained, has only had 1 accident the whole time she's been here, and is pretty good about only chewing toys. I thought nipping the kids would be a bigger problem this weekend but she seems to have reserved that little bit of “affection” for the human she trusts the most – i.e. ME! We’re working on that, as well as a few basic commands. She sits well for a treat, except when she gets so excited that she sits and then jumps up and down with anticipation. But again, she is a quick learner. She is healthy, her ear infection seems to be clearing up quickly, her appetite is great, her energy even better, and she also sleeps like a trooper through the night. She loves her crate, goes in it willingly (but appreciates a treat with it) and sleeps for a good 7-8 hours without a peep! I’ve also left her for up to 4 hours during the day with no accidents and she doesn’t whine or bark much at all. She loves to play with toys and race in circles in the yard, I think she will be a natural ball retriever and, well, I could go on and on… but you really can’t get the gist of this little girl’s character until you meet her… so if you are a loving, active family and have a young-ish dog that wants a fabulous playmate, Zoe would really like to meet you!

PS- we have no idea what she is mixed with… she is definitely mostly Labrador and a little on the small side at roughly 20 lbs (at 3½ months old). I can’t say there is necessarily any Golden Retriever in her, but her personality is Golden as can be! We love her to pieces and wish we could keep her!