Kirby 19-191
Profile
Kirby came to RAGOM from a shelter in Iowa. He and his brother Jethro 19-192 were found as strays. Kirby and Jethro are a bonded pair and must be adopted together. Kirby is healthy but has a bit of arthritis in his left knee. Kirby can be rambunctious, so any childen in the home should be age 10+. He can live with other dogs and can live with cats. Kirby is an escape artist, so a physical fence is a must. Kirby and Jethro will need a special family to give them security and a loving home.
At a Glance #19-191
| Golden Retriever | Born: October 2011 |
| Male | 60 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
Kirby came to RAGOM from a shelter in Iowa. He and his brother Jethro 19-192 were found as strays. Kirby and Jethro are a bonded pair and must be adopted together. Kirby is healthy but has a bit of arthritis in his left knee. Kirby can be rambunctious, so any childen in the home should be age 10+. He can live with other dogs and can live with cats. Kirby is an escape artist, so a physical fence is a must. Kirby and Jethro will need a special family to give them security and a loving home.
Updates
Kirby and Jethro, the sibling boys from Iowa, found their new home up in lovely northern Minnesota! They have a new canine sister, a Lab mix, who will keep them in line, and were adopted by a wonderful couple who has several adult children who also have dogs.
They will have plenty of squirrels, rabbits and deer to keep an eye on, and they will be getting tons of love from their new family! Such a great happy ending for these boys!
Kirby has been waiting patiently for the home visit for his potential new home. After two months of no interest in these brothers, suddenly they have gotten several inquiries. We were hoping they would be in their new home by Christmas, but that didn’t work out, so they will be watching for Santa here.
Kirby is continuing to settle in here and his personality continues to come out. He’s a nervous little guy, always watching for what’s going to happen next. He came with a mention that he has some storm anxiety and there have been several episodes where he has come to sit next to me, just trembling—even with no storm.
I'm not sure what sets him off, but some calm talking and pets seem to help him relax. He’s such a different dog than when he first arrived; he gets along with the residents, his tail wags frequently—even when he’s sleeping!—and he loves the life of an indoor dog!
We’re hoping he gets into a home soon, and he says thank you to RAGOM for his new Golden life!
Kirby continues to do well. The more he gets talked to, petted, etc., the better he gets! The boys had a couple of people interested in them, which was a delight, and they met a family at the Holidazzle meet-and-greet last weekend. We’re waiting to see if things work out.
Meanwhile, the little love bug has been enjoying the fresh snow and curling up for long naps! He’s such a sweetie!
It's been so interesting to watch how the personalities of these two Iowa brothers have emerged as they have been here over the past nearly two months. Kirby is definitely the "younger" brother and let's Jethro take the lead. I've discovered that Kirby does indeed (as his intake notes showed) have a bit of storm anxiety.
The other night when it was sleeting, he just started trembling and wanted to sit as close as possible to me, in as sheltered a position as possible. It wasn't nearly as severe as one of my resident's anxiety, and it did pass fairly quickly, but he definitely gets a little nervous with rain, thunder, etc.
Kirby is the more timid of the two, and also the more affectionate; he really likes people and just wants to be near you. They have both graduated to bedroom privileges--they have spent a couple of nights not crated, sleeping in the bedroom with the rest of the pack. No accidents, and slept through the night! They were such good boys!
Kirby loves going for walks and is doing better on the leash; before it was just kind of crazy with the two of them leashed. Kirby's not a barker, he's a pretty quiet, mellow guy, but also his tail gets wagging when he's happy!
I think it was a huge transition for them when they came into RAGOM, but it really has been great to watch them blossom. There's been very little snark from him, and when it does happen it is consistently around the other dogs, and one in particular, coming into the house; it's kind of like he's being a little territorial and guarding the house.
It's always very brief -- a growl, a bark, a half-hearted snap -- and it always ends when he is reprimanded. Sometimes it almost feels like it's a kind of game he is playing to establish some dominance over the resident dog, who, thankfully, doesn't really care--he backs up and looks at me like "What's with THAT dog now?"
That energy has GREATLY diminished over the time he has been here -- in fact, there was nothing for about two weeks, but then there have been some half-hearted incidents this past week. There's never any biting, but a snap, a growl, a warning, and then when told to knock it off, he backs down. I suspect that this will continue to diminish as he continues to get more comfortable.
He loves visitors, and promptly climbs up on the couch next to them, and then worms his way onto their lap. The other day, my neighbor was here and Kirby completely climbed into his lap, curled up and stayed there for about half an hour! A 60+ pound lap dog! He's just thriving on, and looking for more, love!
Mister Kirby has revealed himself to be a total LOVEBUG! It's taken six weeks or so for his and Jethro's personalities to really start to come out, and Kirby is a kind of a Velcro dog, attaching himself to me and following me everywhere, sitting next to me if I am working at the computer, or next to the chair if I am watching TV.
Kirby doesn't like conflict. If there are loud voices or yelling, he's very concerned. He loves to cuddle and get as many pets as he can, all the while sitting and staring at you with adoring eyes.
He's getting along well with the residents; there have been only a few snark incidents in the past few weeks and they're very noncommittal. He hasn't had an accident in the house in weeks, he still does well in his kennel and is a happy boy. He loves being outside and loves to chase squirrels, but other than that, he's just looking for WHO CAN BE HIS PERSON!!
I kind of have a little crush on him, because he's so darn sweet!
The Iowa brothers had to go to boarding for a few days while foster mom went out of town for work. They came back freshly bathed and fluffy, and also much calmer. They likely had a great time with the other dogs. There’s been no snarking at the resident dogs, no accidents in the house—they’re very mellow and sweet.
Kirby, who is super fluffy after his bath, has just attached himself to me, right next to my chair while I’m working, watching every move, hoping to score some pets. He really wants to find a home where he can get lots of love, exercise and fun. He’s so darn sweet!
Ideally, he needs a home with a fenced yard, people who will make him part of the family by taking him for walks, rides and other adventures. He does fine with kids, cats, and (with slow introductions) other dogs. After not being part of a family for who knows how long, this little guy is blossoming!
If you’re looking for double the fun and double the love, you gotta meet these Iowa boys!
Kirby is just the sweetest thing! He’s affectionate, wants to be a good dog, is adorable, and cannot get enough pets! He’s doing so much better with the resident dogs and the previous snark rarely happens and is so half-hearted!
However, he’s been to adoption events the past two weekends and he does get a little agitated at other dogs. He needs slow introductions and then he does better. He needs more exercise than his foster mom is giving him, but she’s been wrestling with pneumonia!
Kirby hasn’t had an accident in the house for quite awhile. He discovered the toy box and he loves chewing on bones. Also loves his kennel and settles in it so nicely! He’s been doing really well as he has settled in here, and he’s ready for his forever home along with his brother Jethro!
The two brothers, having a little nap...
They heard there might be treats in someone’s hand!
Napping alongside resident Ozzie in the kennel that they seem to hand off to each other.
He was ready for his closeup.
Oh, that jailbreak was fun, but now I’m beat!
Kirby continues to settle in here and his personality is really coming out. After who knows how long of being a stray, and of being an outdoor dog, he's really enjoying being a house dog! He's the more mellow of the two brothers, and has taken to curling up on the floor next to me wherever I am.
Kirby is still a bit territorial with the resident dogs, but it's funny—he kind of acts like a farm dog, protecting his turf a bit, but it is less snarky than it was at first. He seems to be getting used to the residents. Usually the snark only comes out when someone is going in or out of the house, or if there is some excitement.
Other times, he'll be sleeping on the floor right next to one of the dogs and things are fine.
He does fine with the cat—observes him with interest but doesn't really chase him. He can be a bit of an imp. This morning, he went upstairs to investigate on his own, and when I called him, he came running joyfully into the living room with some underwear in his mouth! "Look what I found, mom!"
Kirby has a very sweet temperment, and I think he'd do great with some training. I also think he'd be an awesome family dog; he would love kids 8 and older (the two of them can get a little rambunctious for smaller kids). He sure loves being in a home!
Kirby will be at the Edina Chuck and Don's for a Meet and Greet this Saturday, November 2nd!
This little peanut has just worked his way right into my heart! Kirby’s sweetness has really come out in the last week or so. When he first hit here, with four males in the house, we had some issues with snarkiness among the boys. Kirby and Jethro would get a little edgy whenever there was some kind of transition, like going in or outside; all of the excitement got them a little jacked up.
That’s settled down quite a bit—occasionally, it still happens but Kirby’s settled down a lot. He’s calmer than Jethro and more timid. But he’s also more affectionate, can’t get enough pets, and loves to settle in right next to my chair, in case there are any extra pets to be handed out. He loves his kennel and will often just wander in for a nap.
I’ve gotten to witness a few occasions when Kirby and Jethro will start to wrestle, but then usually one of the other boys comes over to police things. He hasn’t had an accident in the house for days. He loved sitting out in the front steps on squirrel patrol and soaking up the sun.
He had several jailbreaks his first few days here but, once the hole in the fence got patched, he’s been sticking around—but these boys have been runners for awhile, so i’m not totally convinced it’s out of their system.
Kirby has done fine with the cat and with the occasion squabble with the other boys if there’s some excitement, and he’s been doing better with the other dogs. Takes treats politely, knows how to sit, mostly comes when called. He’s going to be a super sweet pal for someone!
Kirby and Jethro are 8-year-old bonded siblings who were picked up as strays in Iowa. The shelter contacted their owners, who said they didn't want them back. They have been together their entire lives and are anxious when separated. Until coming into RAGOM, they were kept outside 24/7.
They have been here for a week. It's clear that they haven't been in a home for a while. They have settled in pretty well, and are less anxious than they were upon their arrival. The have had baths and been to the vet and they are in good health. They settle into their kennels nicely, they eat well, take treats politely, and they are very sweet. They kennel over night with no problem.
They have done okay with the resident dogs, although with four male dogs, they can be a little snarky on occasion--that seems to be reducing each day, but we've consciously been letting them in and out in shifts, so we can avoid any issues. Most of the time, all four guys do just fine.
And the cat. Kirby and Jethro were a little interested in the cat, but not enough for it to be an issue. They are not totally housebroken, but I let them out frequently and they seem to be getting the point.
Kirby is the smaller of the two, fluffier, more gold in color, and more submissive than Jethro. He's super sweet and can't get enough attention. He LOVES pets and being talked to. He also loves to please, and I think he'll be a quick learner.
Jethro is taller, leggier, more reddish in color, and seems to be the leader. He's super cute, with funny little ears that almost point in opposite directions when alert. He also LOVES pets, loves being talked to, and is very sweet. He's super smart and with some training, he's going to be a great dog.
They are escape artists, so they definitely require a fence. They were runners in their previous home, which is a reason why the owner didn't want them back. They have had a couple of escapades here; on the day they arrived, Kirby found a hole in the fence and wiggled his little self out.
This afternoon, they dug a hole under the fence and went for a joyride around the neighborhood. They came from a rural area, so being in the city is a whole new thing for them. They are both very funny, very sweet and thrive on attention. They are eager to please, and with some time, training and love, they are going to be great dogs!
