Millie 09-291

Profile

RAGOM would like to welcome the newest member of the pack, Little Miss Silly Millie! She came all the way from Oklahoma on Thursday. She came to her foster home and met the pack of 2 resident goldens and Hatch (09 196) with little fuss. She didn't want to go to sleep last night so she went into the kennel and slept through the night. She wasn't too excited about getting in there, but who could blame her after being in one all the way from OK!

Millie has an underbite that makes it look like she is smiling when her tail is wagging and frowning when she is laying down. Everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her. They all think she is the cutest thing they've ever seen. She is such a happy-go-lucky dog, when she really gets her tail wagging, her whole body moves with it! She is mixed with something as she has some white in her fur, but she is definitely all golden!

Millie has obviously been in a home before because she had no fears about doorways, stairs (ie the racetrack) or linoleum. She is also housetrained! She goes to the door when she needs out and if you happen not to notice (bad FM) she just paces and smells around until you notice and let her go out (good Millie!). She hasn't had a single accident! She also went straight to the toy box to get her favorite type of toy, a stuffed animal. She very proudly carries this around.

Millie will need another dog in her furever home. Not because of anxieties, but because she loves the companionship. She has initiated play with the resident dogs and will be a much happier little girl with another furbutt. She is interested in cats but in nothing more than a curious manner. She has also been very good with the children she has met so far - ages 5 and up. She is so very gentle with them and seeks out their attention. She doesn't need a fence in her furever home unless that home has children then she will. The reason behind this is because if given a chance she will escape and since she has been homeless in the past, I want to do all I can to ensure this does not happen again. She tries to sneak through every door that is opened and I don't know if she would come back if she did escape.

Millie will also need to go to a home that allows the fur-children on the furniture. Millie wants nothing more than to be by your side, cuddling and giving kisses. She wants to be by your side and that means next to you on the couch, in your lap, laying across your lap - whichever you prefer :-)

We will be working on her leash walking in the next couple weeks as she pulls right now - mostly due to curiousity and new smells. We'll try her out with a gentle leader but she would do wonders going through an obedience class or two. She doesn't even know "sit" at this point. She would also make an amazing agility dog!

Millie went to the vet today and weighed in at 61 pounds, up from 55 pounds 2 months ago, but is still very thin. Her vet thinks that her ideal weight should be around 70 pounds. I have also noticed that since she's been here she has had to go potty quite often and after testing they found that she has white blood cells and crystals in her urine which indicate a urinary tract infection and/or stones. They put her on medications for 10 days and then need to test her 3-5 days after that. Her vet requested that she not be adopted out until they can give her a clean bill of health.

So, based on the vets recommendations Millie will not be available for adoption for at least 2 weeks. However, if you believe that you would be a phenomenal furever home for her please contact your placement advisor, she would love to meet potential families!

   

At a Glance #09-291

Golden Retriever Born: January 2008
Female Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

RAGOM would like to welcome the newest member of the pack, Little Miss Silly Millie! She came all the way from Oklahoma on Thursday. She came to her foster home and met the pack of 2 resident goldens and Hatch (09 196) with little fuss. She didn't want to go to sleep last night so she went into the kennel and slept through the night. She wasn't too excited about getting in there, but who could blame her after being in one all the way from OK!

Millie has an underbite that makes it look like she is smiling when her tail is wagging and frowning when she is laying down. Everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her. They all think she is the cutest thing they've ever seen. She is such a happy-go-lucky dog, when she really gets her tail wagging, her whole body moves with it! She is mixed with something as she has some white in her fur, but she is definitely all golden!

Millie has obviously been in a home before because she had no fears about doorways, stairs (ie the racetrack) or linoleum. She is also housetrained! She goes to the door when she needs out and if you happen not to notice (bad FM) she just paces and smells around until you notice and let her go out (good Millie!). She hasn't had a single accident! She also went straight to the toy box to get her favorite type of toy, a stuffed animal. She very proudly carries this around.

Millie will need another dog in her furever home. Not because of anxieties, but because she loves the companionship. She has initiated play with the resident dogs and will be a much happier little girl with another furbutt. She is interested in cats but in nothing more than a curious manner. She has also been very good with the children she has met so far - ages 5 and up. She is so very gentle with them and seeks out their attention. She doesn't need a fence in her furever home unless that home has children then she will. The reason behind this is because if given a chance she will escape and since she has been homeless in the past, I want to do all I can to ensure this does not happen again. She tries to sneak through every door that is opened and I don't know if she would come back if she did escape.

Millie will also need to go to a home that allows the fur-children on the furniture. Millie wants nothing more than to be by your side, cuddling and giving kisses. She wants to be by your side and that means next to you on the couch, in your lap, laying across your lap - whichever you prefer :-)

We will be working on her leash walking in the next couple weeks as she pulls right now - mostly due to curiousity and new smells. We'll try her out with a gentle leader but she would do wonders going through an obedience class or two. She doesn't even know "sit" at this point. She would also make an amazing agility dog!

Millie went to the vet today and weighed in at 61 pounds, up from 55 pounds 2 months ago, but is still very thin. Her vet thinks that her ideal weight should be around 70 pounds. I have also noticed that since she's been here she has had to go potty quite often and after testing they found that she has white blood cells and crystals in her urine which indicate a urinary tract infection and/or stones. They put her on medications for 10 days and then need to test her 3-5 days after that. Her vet requested that she not be adopted out until they can give her a clean bill of health.

So, based on the vets recommendations Millie will not be available for adoption for at least 2 weeks. However, if you believe that you would be a phenomenal furever home for her please contact your placement advisor, she would love to meet potential families!

   

Updates

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Well, I'm a couple weeks late but we celebrated another year with my baby girl!  It was 5 years on July 2nd.

We've had big changes including a new job, a move to another state and the loss of Jakey (12-038) however Millie has done really well with adapting to it all and the best thing is she now has a big fenced yard!  Exactly what she needed.

We did have some bad news this year, I found a lump on her hind quarters and when we had it checked out the vet gave us the worst words a golden owner can hear - Cancer.  This was on a Friday before a holiday weekend so we had to wait until Tuesday to cut the offending lump out; it was a *very* long weekend.  They had to remove a bunch of muscle but the path report came back with good news -- It was a grade 1 mast cell tumor and we had good margins.  Recovery has taken a little while because of the muscle loss, but we're going to get her running with me again soon :)

We moved to the black hills area which gives us plenty of opportunities for hiking, although the cancer surgery put us on a bit of a hiatus and my fear of rattle snakes (a friend's dog just got bit by one) has us going out less often than we probably could be.

Here's to another year of love to my baby girl.  she may not be *perfect* but she's perfect for us.


Badlands with bubs


Bubs in backyard


Bubs in car


Photo credit - Devon TT


Missa Mills


Mickelson with bubs

Monday, July 1, 2013

It is so hard for me to believe that my baby girl has been with me for 4 years. I know it seems impossible, but I love her more now than I ever have in the past. Every morning I wake up to her head on my pillow staring at me waiting for me to wake up and when my eyes open, her tail starts thumping the bed and I get a bunch of kisses. Her wagging tail is the alarm to the boys to let them know mama is up and they all come for cuddles, kisses and to get ready for our morning walk. Best.way.to.wake.up.ever.

At her yearly vet visit this year, the vet stated, "She has an athletic heart." I said, "she's my running partner." to which the vet replied that her heart rate wasn't even elevated whereas many dogs are anxious and have a faster heart rate so the fact that hers is so low showed that she is a very happy and healthy girl.

Every single person who meets Millie gets showered with kisses and they proclaim their love of her, and I can only concur. My baby girl has been such a blessing, thank you RAGOM.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

I cannot believe that my baby girl has been here for 3 years now!  Happy Gotchyabirthday Miss Mills!

We'll be going to DQ to celebrate today which is how we celebrate puppy days around here :)  All 4 dogs (Jakey (12-038 gets to come too!) get their own kiddie-cup of ice cream.
 
It's been a busy year for Millie to help me with fostering!  We welcomed Spencer, Roscoe, Goose, Sugar, Sonny, we doggy sat some of Hope's puppies, and then Jake.  Millie really loved having the younger dogs here until after a while then she got plain tired of them.  Especially the couple that just wanted to go and go and go :)  She was a little leary of Jake at first because he had larangeal paralysis which made him breathe funny and I wonder if she thought he was growling... after a couple weeks, however she would make sure to give him some of her kisses!

She continues to be a first class running partner :)  We're training together for a half-marathon.  She won't be able to run it with me but she'll help me get there!  When the running watch comes out and our stunt puppy running leash gets ready, she starts bouncing up and down.  She knows how to set her pace to mine, she knows turn left - turn right so we're not tripping over each other.  The boys are pretty darned jealous that she gets to spend this time with me and they let us know very vocally while we're gone.

Millie and I have had a special routine almost since the days she's come here.  She keeps my pillow warm and when I get done in the bathroom and get ready to crawl in I say "thank you baby girl" and she groans and huffs and moves over giving me my pillows back.  In the morning, she knows when I start stirring that I'm gonna get up soon and this is what I see .  As soon as my eyes open, she starts giving me kisses... YAY!  You're awake!  Let's go for our walk now!

People ask me, "Why Millie?  What made Millie the foster you failed at?" and I always say that it's not just the intense bond we have, but my boys love her more than I could ever imagine.  They are 3 peas in a pod and I could not imagine NOT having her here.   If there is such a thing as a doggy soul mate, then Millie is IT for me.  I have no way of describing the bond we have and I've tried to do some reading on this, but in the end I will always know her as my doggy soul mate.

Her BFF Stella moved which is very sad.  She will still run to Stella's door trying to see if she'll come out once in a while but she's learning it's not going to happen.  Stella comes over for visits though and that makes her pretty happy :)

We got her DNA tested this year but the results were so far fetched that I've not only dismissed them but can't even stomach putting them in writing, as that might give them credence.  I'll continue calling her my golden mix :)

It's been a trying year as I've gone back to school which means lots of time away and when I'm home I'm studying more often than I'm not.  She always lays on the couch next to me so she can be as close as possible as well as keeping a close eye on her mama.

So, another year has gone by.  It feels like my baby girl has been here forever, and here's to MANY more years together.  A HUGE thank you to RAGOM for saying "yes" to all those dogs in a shelter in OK 3 years and to her drivers, Dayle and Kimmer, for driving the distance to go get them.  Our lives changed for the better 3 years ago.  Millie is far from perfect, but she is absolutely perfect here :)

I love you, my baby girl... here's to many more gotchyabirthday celebrations!! 

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Millie, Mills, Millers, Milli Vanilli, Millicent, Mildred... But the name you respond to most is still, Baby Girl.

Can you believe you've been here for 2 years? It seems like you've been here forever. I'm still amazed at how far you've come in that time. You came to my house scared, underweight and not knowing what the world had in store for you. You found your groove here and have become a confident and happy dog. Everyone who has known you these past 2 years still comments on what an amazing dog you've become.

We had a hitch this year, but we'll get through it like we have everything else. I've learned one of your weaknesses and we won't let it out again. Let me just say it's a darned good thing I love you!

You have been the ultimate foster sister. I've lost count of how many dogs have come and been adopted since you've been here and with them all, you've welcomed them with your winning smile and playful ways. You are the one they turn to for guidance and they learn how to be better dogs because of that.

You've also helped comfort me with the passing of an amazing dog this year, Scruffy. You were sure in love with him and it showed how much you were hurting after he was gone. The whole house took some time to get over him and you were able to help me heal with those special smiles and sloppy kisses.

Thank goodness no one snatched you up to foster 2 years ago, it was meant to be for you to come here... I can't wait to see what the next year brings...

Mom, Moxie, Rebel and Gizmo (and Spencer 11-186 wishes you a happy day too!)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Dear Baby Girl,
 
Happy Gotchya Day!  One year ago today you took a very long van ride with a couple great volunteers and came into my life.  You had been found as a stray and were skin and bones, scared and sick.  I gave you tons of kisses that first day and everyday since :-)
 
You met the other dogs at my house amazingly!  The two resident dogs took a liking to you right away and it was apparent that the feeling was mutual.  I had another foster at that time, Hatch 09 196, who took you under his wings.  I'm pretty sure he told you that everything was going to be OK now because he had a very calming effect on you.
 
No one knew how old you were, somewhere between 1 and 3-years-old so I decided that we'd say you were 2 and changed your birthday to July 2nd, 2007  :-)  What a perfect age. 
 
You met a couple families who were interested in adopting you but it just never seemed to work out.  All the while I was falling more and more in love with you, as were the resident pack!  You guys were now 3 peas in a pod and I couldn't imagine ever splitting you up, or even letting you go.  In December, I made the decision to adopt you.  I never wanted a 3rd dog.  Dogs are expensive!  Plus, I love fostering and adopting meant less room at the Inn but it was meant to be.
 
I have enjoyed watching you turn into the dog you are.  You now meet other dogs without incident, you love every human you meet and are overall the perfect addition to the pack.
 
You have been in my life for 1 year now and I look forward to many many more.  Happy GotchyaBirthday baby girl.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hatch and Millie will be attending the event at TCOTC this weekend, so come on out and say HI to them! They will be there from 9-11.

I have included a picture of them from last weekend's event (thanks Auntie Mari) to show you what you're missing if you don't make an appearance :-)

 
Hatch and Millie

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Millie continues to be a great house guest here a casa la foster. Everyone who meets her comments on her gentle and loving nature and of course, her beautiful smile. There hasn't been a person around who she hasn't loved and given love to, ala her sloppy kisses :-)

We started crate training Millie this week. She has so much energy and there is still so much puppy in her that she sometimes finds stuff to get into while I am at work. Usually paper products that I haven't put in a safe place and remote controls have continued to be her absolute favorite. I believe if we can successfully crate train her, she will be much more successful in a furever home that doesn't have another dog to keep her company while you are at work.

She got a special treat today and was given the chance to run on some open land at a friends home. We walked through some rough terrain for a couple hours and she never stopped! She raced around like there were rabbits everywhere! There were 5 dogs in total and she out ran all of them by far! I've included some pictures that show the sure joy she experienced!

Millie is patiently waiting for that perfect furever family to come and snatch her up. I can guarantee that you will find out that you adopted the perfect golden mix ever :-) Contact your placement advisor if you'd be interested in meeting her.

Monday, October 5, 2009

My goodness how time flies when you're having fun! What is there to say about a dog who is perfect in every way but her teeth?? Millie continues to be the perfect houseguest - no accidents, no doggy scuffles and lots of love for human and canines!

Millie loves loves loves to give kisses! She can be really sneaky about coming up and getting your chin sometimes and other times she just cuddles and kisses. Her favorite thing is to wake you up with her cold nose and a sloppy kiss! Can't beat that :-) Now that the nights are getting colder she snuggles right up to me in bed. She literally leans up against me until she can't get any closer and curls into a ball.

One of Millie's favorite pasttimes is to shred paper and she is AMAZING at it!  Last week she found one of those mini phone books outside and brought it in as proud as can be so there was no way I could take it away from her but knew full well what would ensue.  Yep!  A main floor full of paper!  It was almost as amazing to coming home to stuffed animal fluff - looked like it had snowed!

Millie had the opportunity to stay at another foster's home for a night and day last week and she did GReat! She met and did wonderfully with the resident goldens and played and played! The next day she was so tired that she couldn't even hold a treat in her mouth!

I've added a couple pics of her favorite place to sleep... the couch. She likes to mimic my resident golden, Rebel, as you can see in the pic!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

There are no two-ways about it, Millie is a show stopper. Everyone who meets her absolutely falls in love with her. I think at first they inwardly giggle because of her underbite but they never let her see that! After that, they go gaga over what a beautiful dog she is.

Millie has a special affinity for car rides so I decided to share a couple pictures of what I see when we go for a ride. Please excuse the quality as they are from my cell phone. I do believe that she is literally smiling everytime she is in the car. In fact, she loves her car rides so thoroughly that if she doesn't think we were gone long enough, she will sit down in the car when the other puppers are getting out and look at me like "now where?". She doesn't appreciate it when I let her know we're done and as soon as I stop playing the game and go inside she is at the back door wanting in.

 

My neighbor recently commented on how far she's come since being in foster care. He said that when he first saw her he felt bad for her because she was so skinny and so scared. He stated that she used to be an observer and would watch the other dogs playing but wouldn't join in. He said that now she has filled out, her coat looks healthy and she is the one initiating play. He is a new neighbor and has not been around my fosters previously and was just amazed at how far she has come.

When Millie first came into RAGOM, she barely had enough energy to walk around the lake, our daily walk. She literally pooped out in the first 20 minutes and would struggle to keep up. Now she has the strength to not only walk it but then come home and wrestle with Rebel. She has come so far since arriving and let me tell you, if there was enough room in my tiny house, she would be home. She is just a spectacular dog.

I have also included a picture of my view of Millie when I'm watching TV. She just makes me giggle and again, only had my cell phone so the picture isn't first rate, but the subject is!

Contact your placement advisor if you think Millie would be a good fit for your home.

Monday, August 3, 2009

I finally got a picture of the whole pack (cat not included, that would have been beyond miraculous) and thought I'd share! Foster Grandma came over this weekend and we worked on getting them all in a line, sort of. It kind of worked :-)

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Millie has had a tough week. She came back to RAGOM fairly stressed out and while she blended right back in with the pack, she had some insecurities. We've worked through this for the past week and she is doing much better now.

I cannot emphasize enough what an absolute lover she is. She is the epitome of what a GR is; wanting to be by my side, giving kisses all the time, waiting in bed for me and loving being around the other dogs here.

Her and Rebel play all the time. At times they get carried away and then one or the other say enough is enough and they slow down, only to get carried away again. She really needs a dog that is going to love to play with her.

Millie is waiting for her furever family. She really wants someone who is going to commit to her and know that it will take at least a week for her to feel comfortable with you. Once you get to know her, you will not be sorry! She really is a phenomenal dog!

Please contact your placement advisor if you'd like to know more about her!