| Mixed Breed | Born: May 2015 |
| Male | Weight not specified |
Status: Adopted
Cal has been doing phenomenally! His hips are getting better and stronger every day and the vet says he is in great shape and has halved his pain medications.
Massages from Heidi at Sound Hound Canine Massage have helped immensely with loosening and relaxing his tight muscles. Cal goes out on daily walks in the neighborhood and loves to stop and smell just about everything! He’s even going for short jogs once in a while and can easily go over 2 miles.
In the winter time Cal would happily chase snowballs in the backyard for as long as we could throw them, and now that it’s summer, he’s chasing his favorite... tennis balls!
He’s already been up north to visit his grandparents a few times where he gets to explore trails, see deer, and visit some of his new dog friends!
Cal went on his first camping trip to the Boundary Waters over Memorial day weekend. He had fun trying to catch the water droplets that dripped off of the paddles in the canoe (which made mom and dad nervous), but after some getting used to, Cal settled down nicely in the canoe and enjoyed the ride!
He is also an amazingly strong swimmer, if we let him, he’d stay out in the lake all day long! He even managed to find a woodchuck within the first twenty minutes after arriving at our campsite.
Cal brings us so much happiness and joy, and we feel so blessed to have him in our little family! We look forward to many more adventures with him in the future!
Sweet Cal started out being a stray with broken hips on an Indian Reservation. He came into Ragom and was loved and nurtured back to health by so many of the wonderful Ragom team members.
He will be so, so missed by his FM (and others), but we are so happy today he was adopted by a loving, great couple!! They are looking forward to the new addition to their family. And, he is so excited to have a real forever home where he can run and play and start new adventures!
Cal here…
I had surgery on my other hip 3 weeks ago. It wasn’t as easy as the first one, this one was worse and harder on me. But, with all the great care and people in my life; my FM doing exercises with me everyday, her foster mentor Scott B bringing me to physical therapy and to Meet and Greets, my physical therapist working with me so much (I love all the attention), and of course my surgeon, I am feeling so much better! I don’t know what I would do without them.
I’m a different dog! I’m happy, my coat is so much better (with better food and lots of love), and I don’t feel so threatened around other dogs!
I always wanted to play with them, but I was injured and afraid of what they could do to me. I’m learning that I don’t have to be so protective!
And…guess what??? The best news ever!! I have a wonderful couple that want to give me my forever home! Yes, that’s right, can you believe it! I am so excited. I even heard they have a fenced in yard where I can run and play! And…I heard they want to take me hiking and canoeing! I can’t wait! What a lucky dog I am!
Better go now, my FM is calling me, it’s time for my exercises. Won’t be long and I’ll be ready to go!
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone,
Cal
Sorry it’s been awhile for Cal’s updates. He’s had a few changes. He’s been with a new FM (that loves him to pieces) since the end of July. Previous FM’s new job required a move out of state. He will miss her, but understands and wishes her well.
Cal had surgery on his right hip a week after moving into his new FM’s place. He did very well! He didn’t have to use a cone or have any help getting around. He just held his leg up and hopped until he gradually used it more and more. He will be reevaluated in a couple months to see whether his left hip will also need surgery. Although he is not on any pain medication anymore, he might need some physical therapy for his left hip. He is still a little stiff.
He is not a big fur ball anymore! He did a lot of shedding over the summer and warm weather. Now with better nutrition, he has a slimmer, silkier coat. More like a handsome Golden!
Cal walks beautifully on a Gentle Leader. He is not reactive to loud noises or squirrels and doesn’t pull at all on the Gentle Leader. He sits very patiently while FM puts it on because he knows he’s going on a nice long walk! Although, his favorite thing to do is going for a car ride! Even though Cal doesn’t ever jump up on anything, (probably because of his hips), he will quickly jump up into the back seat and either sit and look out the window or just take a nap.
Cal has free roam when FM is at work. No accidents, no destruction of anything, and no separation anxiety. He lets out a couple whimpers and stops right away.
While playing, he can still get a little mouthy, but is easily redirected by just having something in his mouth. His favorite toy is a squeaky tennis ball and will play with it for hours by himself! He still is such a pup!
Although Cal couldn’t be any sweeter with people, he does have a side to him that doesn’t like other dogs. Although he is wagging his tail and wanting to meet another dog, sometimes he chooses fight when his “fight or flee” instinct kicks in. This could be from when he was a stray. We are hoping we can work through this with him with proper training and introduction to other dogs.
He really is a sweetheart and loves to cuddle! He is definitely a velcro dog. He is very friendly to everyone and loves FM’s 2 year old granddaughter. He will let her do anything to him (within reason of course). He loves it when she pours water on his head while she is taking a bath! Bath time is a favorite around here, she laughs and laughs while he wags and wags. He falls in love with her when she puts the leash on him and walks him all over the house. It melts my heart!
Will keep you posted with any new developments!
Cal wanted to be sure to wish everyone a happy 4th of July! He's a little bummed that the forecast calls for rain, but enjoyed a lovely day by the river on Sunday - which makes up for the soggy forecast a little bit!
Cal made it through his neuter really well and is a very happy camper now that his activity no longer has to be restricted. He can chase his tennis ball for hours again - and that's just how he likes it!
We'll write more soon!
Hi again RAGOMland!Cal here, coming to you from beautiful St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin! Have I mentioned how awesome it is to be in a home where there are treats, toys, hands to pet me and a lap to snuggle in?? I love it here! .
.Last night as we were snuggling, Foster Mom told me that life is only going to get better from here - and that someday, I'll have my very own forever home where I'll be spoiled even more! Can you believe it?! Boy oh boy, did I hit the jackpot when I came into RAGOM. .Like I said, life's been pretty good the last couple of weeks. I spend most of my day in my crate. Some days I make Foster Mom (FM) work extra hard to get me to go in, but once I'm in there, I'm fine. No barking, no whining - I just relax until FM comes home from work. When she gets home, though, watch out! I'm a 42 lbs ball of fur, energy and happiness hurtling around the apartment! Yesterday was a little different. I got to go for a car ride in the morning (where I promptly laid down in the back seat and went to sleep) and then visited with my favorite RAGOM volunteers before going to a clinic. After that things get a little foggy - FM says I was 'neutered'.. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know I got lots of extra snuggles last night. I think that was FM's way of apologizing for making me wear this stupid cone.. The good news is that once I'm healed up, I can be adopted!!! So if you're looking for a young pup who has loads of love and snugs to share, please submit an "Inquiry for Application" form. If you have already filled out an "Inquiry for Application" form, please send an email to application
ragom [dot] org with Cal's name, his RAGOM number, the name you submitted the Inquiry for Application form under, and a sentence or two on why you feel you'd be a good match! .
Hello RAGOM fans, Cal here, writing a quick update on myself.. and making sure that my adoring fans have all the cute pictures of me that they can get! Here are some things that I love:-Ice cubes... nom, nom, nom-Chew toys... Oh man do I love my tennis ball! Foster Mom says I need some work on my 'mouth-eye coordination' as I haven't quite mastered 'catching' the ball, but that's okay because I'm ADORABLE as I chase it around... Foster Mom loves it when I pounce on it and it gets away from me - then I just have to race after it and pounce again!. 
.-I also love napping next to the balcony door... catching all the smells as I catch some zzzzzz's -Car rides! Foster Mom says I ride beautifully in the car. For the most part I just look at it as an opportunity to do some sniffing and then lay down and enjoy the ride. Even though I love a lot of things, there are some things that I'm not such a big fan of.. I think I'll let Foster Mom tell you about them:-Big trucks that drive past on our walks . Cal becomes noticeably scared when trucks with loud exhaust (or buses with air brakes) drive by and has tried to bolt when a garbage truck came up behind us. It's important to really be aware of your surroundings when walking Cal so that when a big, scary truck comes by, you're prepared and can offer Cal reassurance.-Other dogs barking. He tends to bark back and get a little riled up. (Again, because he does get a little overly excited about other dogs, it's VERY important for Cal to be properly introduced to them!) We've spent some time at outdoor music concerts and baseball games and he gets along great with people and kids - but definitely reacts to other dogs that are around. Sometimes I'm able to redirect his attention to myself or a treat or toy, but other times I have to completely remove him from the situation before he'll calm down. -Being brushed. Cal actually does very well for a pup who may not have been groomed very often! I've found that as long as he has something to chew on, he'll tolerate me brushing him for a few minutes at a time. He does tend to want to make it into a game, however, and will definitely do a little nibbling on you or the brush if you let him! Other things to note about Cal:-He gets along great with kids. He'd probably be best with older kids since he does mouth a little bit and because they're less likely to crawl on him... But whenever we meet kids out on a walk or at the park, he happily soaks up the attention!-Cal passed the cat test! He met my sister's two cats and although he was curious at first, all it took was a hiss and a swipe from the more assertive one and he backed right off. By the end of the afternoon both Cal and the cats were relaxed enough to take naps in the same room together. -Cal's getting neutered this week. After that we'll take a little time to reevaluate his hips ... but we're hoping he'll be ready for his forever home soon!-As Cal mentioned in the beginning, he is pretty cute (and he knows it!)! Cal's antics with his toys are highly entertaining. He is just a sweetie pie. Cal asked me to share one last picture as a special thank you to Scout (14-406) and his family. Cal LOVES his carrot! (He'd eat it if he could!) And both he and Foster Mom were really touched to know that you were rooting for him! .
Cal is a male Golden mix. The vet estimates him to be about 1.5 years old.
Cal came to RAGOM from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and not much is known about his past. We do know, however, that he is a VERY sweet boy! Everyone he meets comments on how good-natured he is (not to mention his beautiful eyes)!
Here he is greeting people and enjoying the popcorn they offered him at a local baseball game. He knows how to work a crowd!
Cal walks wonderfully on a leash and is completely housetrained.
He's still a bit of a pup and can be a little mouthy at times, but he's extremely gentle and it's very easy to redirect him to a more appropriate toy to chew on (as opposed to Foster Mom's hand!).
Cal doesn't put up too much of a fuss when I crate him to go to work, but I make sure to provide plenty of treats to lure him in. Once in, he's been fine for a full work day and is super excited to see me when I get home!
Cal would really benefit from obedience training. He's still learning what's acceptable behavior, but he is eager to please and loves his treats!
Currently Cal is unavailable. At some point in his short life both of his hips were broken. He gets around pretty well and has plenty of pep, but we're working with a RAGOM vet to determine if surgery is needed. Cal will also need to be neutered before he can be adopted.
Stay tuned for more updates on this sweet, handsome boy!
