Casey 19-044A
Profile
Casey retired from life in a breeding facility and arrived at RAGOM to find her forever home. She is adjusting to home life, but does not do well with noise and cannot go to a home with children. Casey must have a confident as a companion as well as a role model; she is happiest when she's playing with other dogs and relies on them. She can live with cats. A physical fence is needed as she could be startled and run. Casey needs a calm, patient family to guide her continued development.
At a Glance #19-044A
| Golden Retriever | Born: January 2013 |
| Female | 66 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Casey's Sponsors
"With love from Callie, Leelou and Freyja!!!!"
"Sending hopes you find your forever home soon!" Penny & Oskar
Profile
Casey retired from life in a breeding facility and arrived at RAGOM to find her forever home. She is adjusting to home life, but does not do well with noise and cannot go to a home with children. Casey must have a confident as a companion as well as a role model; she is happiest when she's playing with other dogs and relies on them. She can live with cats. A physical fence is needed as she could be startled and run. Casey needs a calm, patient family to guide her continued development.
Updates
We are very pleased to share that our lovely foster dog, Casey, has found her forever home. She's come a very long way with us and is just starting to relax and enjoy life.
Her new family is perfect for her - they have several dogs who will welcome Casey and show her how to play and enjoy the life ahead of her. Her family includes two adults, both of whom are experienced with shy dogs and are ready and willing to continue to provide Casey the trusting and safe environment that she needs.
We couldn't be any happier with this outcome for Casey! You go, girl!
I'm so pleased to share this update with you - I've gained some new insights about Casey that I want to share.
First, and possibly the most exciting, is that Casey absolutely loves to go for a walk. She does very well on a leash; she doesn't pull and doesn't trail behind. She walks right by your side, although she does change sides every once in a while.
She is very well-behaved on a leash, but the thing that is most important is that she is thrilled to get the leash on and actually bounces with joy as she leaves the house. It is very heartwarming to see this girl enjoy herself so.
We live out in the country, so there are no easy sidewalks to use.We walk on the edge of underused roads. She loves it! We always take a companion dog, and they are very easy to manage together. It makes me so happy to see how much joy she has for a daily walk.
The other thing we've learned is that Casey really does love her dog buddies, but she comes out of her shell a bit more when she's in a situation with fewer dogs. We have a pack of 4 dogs, but when Casey was on vacation a few months ago, she was in a house with just one other dog and she really seemed to do well.
While she must go to a family who has another confident dog, so far, she does best when it's just one other dog. Routine is still important for Casey; some things have not changed. She wants her food in the same place and still only drinks water when it's in a bowl outside. These are her rules and they are very easy to live with.
Casey still follows us from a distance when we're in the backyard, but now that she's going for walks with us, she's more likely to follow closer than before. I think she's starting to trust us!
Last night, when the fireworks were going off, she went and huddled with the rest of the dogs. She was clearly stressed and wanted comfort, but was not destructive.
Casey is a really special girl, and I'm hoping there is just the right family who can continue these daily walks and who has the patience to help her to continue learning that there are many good things in the future!
Casey has had a very busy week since the weather has finally been sunny and warm. We went for another walk at the lake, and it was a case of "doggy see, doggy do" as Casey followed her furry foster sister into the water this time to cool off. She enjoyed walking along the bank of the lake in the sand, cooling off her feet and taking in all the scents.
Another new experience for Casey was meeting some dog-savvy cats. She appropriately sniffed the cats and let them rub up against her with no issues at all. Casey has officially passed her cat test with flying colors!
It's Casey here to tell everyone that I had a brand new experience this past weekend because I went to visit a lake, plus I walked on the trails around the lake! While I didn't get my feet wet in the water, I was curious and thoroughly enjoyed sniffing all the new scents this body of water provided for my nose.
I've been told we will be back to visit the lake again sometime soon. I was very tired once we got back home, so a long nap was necessary.
I'm learning to enjoy emptying a Kong filled with peanut butter or frozen yogurt on a regular basis now. My foster family sure likes to keep my nose (and my mind) busy.
I noticed I have some new sponsors on my webpage and I want to send a huge thank-you out to each and every one of them. I sincerely appreciate the love and support!
The weather has been quite unpredictable this week and it can't decide whether to be sunny and 83 degrees or snowy and 32 degrees. Casey was able to enjoy some play dates when the weather would cooperate. She did well with all of the dogs whether they were male or female.
Casey enjoys free roam in her foster home all day long whether her humans are present or not. She has never been destructive and does not chew on anything inappropriate.
Casey has spent the past couple of weeks learning how to become comfortable going on short trips in a vehicle and receiving tasty treats when doing so. She has learned to thoroughly enjoy French fries and also Pup Cups of ice cream.
She even surprised everyone by jumping up into and jumping down out of the vehicle all on her own this past week with no hesitation. This was an accomplishment worth celebrating!
Casey has been temporarily transferred to another foster home located in Iowa to see how she adjusts to a different setting. She has been a very brave girl and has accepted the change of scenery exceptionally well. She also recently had a visit to the vet's office, and all of her vaccinations were updated at that time.
Casey has a confident resident dog to follow here, and they have become very good friends. She follows the resident dog and looks to the other dog for guidance in many situations. They have quickly bonded and enjoy each other's company. This reinforces Casey's requirement for another confident dog to be in any home with her.
Casey has begun to enjoy going on walks through the neighborhood. This is a brand new experience for her, and she is doing very well walking on a leash. She does not pull on the leash at all.
Another new experience for Casey was going for a short ride to get a treat. She sat up and looked out the windows during the drive.
Casey does best and thrives with a routine that is very close to the same every day. Inside the home, she has her safe spot where she stays quietly and observes things for most of the day, but she is willing to venture and explore more when she is outside in the fenced yard. She thoroughly enjoys rolling in the grass on her back.
While many subtle changes and improvements are happening for Casey, she still remains unsure of human touch. She does allow her new foster family to pet her, rub her ears, and massage her back briefly while she is laying in her safe spot late in the evening prior to bedtime. This is a huge step forward for this sweet girl.
Casey is a dog that requires patience, but she is one beautiful girl with a flowing, feathery tail and heart of gold.
Casey is taking a bit of time to adjust to a new foster dog that has joined our household. This new foster dog went into season once she arrived, and all of that activity caused Casey to retreat to her safe spots while she waits for things to return to normal.
Casey continues to be a sweet girl who is absolutely the happiest when she can be with her dog buddies. The dance she does as they join her outside is really special to behold. In her very own way, Casey is a social creature. She is still very unsure of people, but is very sure that she enjoys time with her dog friends!
Casey has made a big step - she's now spending most of her time with Foster Dad, Foster Mom, and our resident dogs, away from her safe spot. It's been a subtle but very important change.
She sleeps in the bedroom with us, watches television with us, and likes to be close to her dog buddies. She has a spot in the sunroom that she favors and is often curled up there napping. She has several other favorite spots in the sunroom, but definitely prefers that her people just stay seated, and then she can just settle in.
When we leave the house, we now see that she's playing with toys and interacting with our resident dogs. We've noticed that she has a new safe spot that's in our bedroom and we think that's a big step, too, since it took her a long time to venture into that room.
This last weekend, we adopted out another foster dog who was a sprite, energetic dog, and Casey clearly misses her. For a few days, Casey retreated to her corner, but she's now back to her routine. This was a good reminder about how important it is for these retired breeder dogs to have confident, social dogs in their forever homes.
Casey's new best buddy is our young male dog who really wants to play rough-and-tumble with her, but she's not quite ready for that. She tolerates a bit of bitey-face games and then walks away.
Another new thing - a small thing but still delightful - is that Casey has shown much interest in treat time. Our dogs know where the treats are stored, and if we make any movement to that cupboard, they're quickly lined up, waiting expectantly. Casey now approaches the group, but hasn't quite joined in. She will take a treat if it is placed on the floor, but she's still not ready to take anything from our hands.
She is still uncomfortable with human touch but is making slow progress. After a bit of panic, she now lets us comb her. You can tell that she's initially very frightened, but I think she actually enjoys it after she relaxes.
Casey has a lot more to learn and needs a family that is familiar with dogs who came from breeding facilities. She needs consistency, patience, and love. And a confident dog buddy, too!
Casey is surprising us with steady, subtle changes as she takes her time to feel comfortable in our house. She still starts every day with a happy dance—it used to be that she saved that for when she was outside with her dog buddies first thing in the morning. Now she does a happy dance in the bedroom as we get up and get ready to let the dogs out and feed them all.
She's slowly (very slowly) adapting to the household routine and no longer dashes out the door with fear—now she goes outside with a bit of joy in her step and waits by the door to be let back in. I'm absolutely thrilled to see her in the living room with us now, enjoying time while we read or watch television.
She's not thrilled to be too close to her people, but I have confidence that this winter, things will turn around for her. She's a lovely girl who is taking her time to learn to trust people.
Casey surprised us lat night. Our habit has been to put the leash on her, walk her into our bedroom where she can sleep with the rest of the pack. But surprise to us -- she walked in there on her own; in fact, she was there ahead of us.
While this might seem like a very small thing, for Casey, it's huge. And maybe this coincides with the elimination of all the meds she's been taking. It's hard to know.
Her progress is slow but steady. She absolutely loves one of our other foster dogs, and as soon as they're outside together, they do a bit of a happy dance to start the day. It really warms your heart to see this retired breeder dog develop relationships with the pack and to warm up to her people as well!
A few new accomplishments to share about Casey -- she is a bit more relaxed these days, and it shows in subtle ways. She no longer darts or dashes out of the house, but instead, she is much more leisurely about it, much more calm.
She also is sleeping in the bedroom with us, along with the rest of the pack, and that seems to be a very positive thing as well. At first, she was so frightened, but she no longer has that look of panic. She has walked on a dog bed, but still can't be talked into stretching out or curling up in one.
She accepts her dog dish each meal with a more relaxed demeanor and eats a bit more leisurely. We're not sure what to attribute these subtle changes to, but we're pleased! She is being weaned off her meds -- could it be that or is it just that she's been here long enough to finally enjoy herself. Hard to know!
Casey is taking a bit of time to acclimate to household living and to learn to trust people, but we see the progress and know that a good future in store for her. She deserves a Golden life, even if it takes a bit of time for her to settle into it!
Casey is still a very cautious, timid girl. She loves her foster dad and is pretty suspicious of her foster mom. She puts her suspicion away at meal times, however, as Foster Mom is the one who feeds her and that is always a happy time.
Casey absolutely loves being outside with the rest of our dogs and does a real dance for joy each and every time they all go outside. She is still not comfortable walking the entire yard; she prefers to hang around the patio and that's okay.
If we put a leash on her, she'll gladly follow us around the yard, but it's not something she does on her own. She's made more progress, but still has some work to do.
We started Casey on some new medications a while back and we're going to ask the vet to consider looking into another medication for her. We're convinced this gentle girl can make more progress and can someday enjoy the Golden life that is waiting for her.
All the good weather has given Casey lots of time to enjoy the outdoors and play with the rest of the pack.
We just recently started her on a new medication to reduce her anxiety and it's definitely working. She typically likes to stay in her safe spot in the corner where she can watch what's going on without actually being in the middle of it all.
Much to our surprise, she's now wondered into the sunroom and tried out the dog bed. She's done this a number of times, and we're excited to see what is in store for Casey as she starts to blend in with the household routine.
Although it seems like a small step, one of the other things we've noticed is that she comes in willingly now after she's been outside for a while. For the last few weeks, she's come in but there was a bit of a game to it.
Casey still isn't comfortable with her foster mom; she definitely prefers her foster dad and lets him pet her whenever it's time to put on the leash. Our plan is to take her for a walk this week and then sit down in the shade (she loves being outside) and groom her. She's really due for a good combing and we're confident she's going to look gorgeous!
Casey, with her spunky little mohawk hairdo, is ever so slowly adjusting to life in the country. She still favors her safe spot in the dining room, but lets us share the space each evening for dinner. If we bother her too much, she goes to her backup safe spot in the sunroom.
She goes out with much more ease now and comes back in as long as we're not close to the door. She comes in like a champ sometimes, while other times we give her more space.
She has a healthy appetite, and we're going to take her in to see if we've had any luck helping her drop a few pounds. I think the vet is going to be pleased with what she sees - Casey is still very tense in unfamiliar settings, but she's slowly improving.
One seemingly small change that I think is really significant is that she now tends to walk with confidence instead of slinky and tucking her tail. She's still easily frightened, but when all is fine, she does quite well.
Casey isn't quite ready to leave her foster setting. She needs a bit more time so she can trust people more. We'll keep you posted!
Well, it turns out that Casey did have a haircut before she came into RAGOM. She's starting to grow out her coat and she's going to be a very pretty soft gold, I think. Too soon to know for sure. Her little golden mohawk still sets her apart from the crowd.
Casey is the absolute happiest when she can play outside with our pack. She gets so excited she actually dances -- she possibly enjoys our big male dog the best, but she's equally enthralled with our new foster puppy, and from our experience, not every dog enjoys a puppy barking and asking to play.
A few weeks ago, we had company who had brought their dog and we were absolutely stunned that Casey came over to meet him. She is so happy and social with dogs, but she still has a ways to go to learn to trust people.
Her favorite spot is under the dining room table still, which she alternates with another safe spot in the living room. We've developed some good routines, and she has impeccable household manners.
To help Casey be more comfortable around people, we've started her on a medication that we think will help her relax and join in the household activities a bit more. We'll keep you posted.
Casey joined our household in mid-March and she's just now starting to relax and let her Golden spirit show. Casey was a breeder girl, but those days are now behind her. She's getting exercise -- absolutely enjoys playing with our other dogs -- and slowly learning how to enjoy family life.
She is a cream-colored Golden with short hair right now. We think she may have been shaved somewhat recently. Her fur is very soft, and she has an unusual patch of hair on her forehead that grows in a different direction; it's cute and distinctive at the same time!
Here's what we've learned about Casey so far:
1. She does not want to eat if anyone is watching -- she enjoys her meal, especially if there's a dollop of yogurt or maybe a bit of canned dog food to entice her.
2. She has two favorite spots in the house: one in the dining room in the corner and the other in the living room where she will spend time with us in the evening.
3. She needs to be put on a leash to go outside into our fenced backyard. The process still isn't quite comfortable for her. When she's out, we always have her wear a long leash so we can easily and gently lead her back into the house when it's time.
4. She has joined our dogs in what we call the backyard walk-about -- she didn't do that at first, but she's waited for the nice weather and will walk with us, at a bit of a distance, as we walk the perimeter of the yard. She is slowly learning to trust us, and it is heartwarming to see.
5. She has been seen actually chewing on a dog toy, and we're pretty confident that's a brand new experience for her.
It's too soon for Casey to go to her forever family; we're still getting to know her. We'll post more pictures and let you know how she's doing as she learns the Golden way.
