Pansy 19-018A
Profile
To understand why RAGOM will adhere to our requirements for Pansy regarding children and another dog, please read about Retired Breeding Dogs.
Profile
To understand why RAGOM will adhere to our requirements for Pansy regarding children and another dog, please read about Retired Breeding Dogs.
Updates
Monday, April 8, 2019
Pansy is such a sweetheart and a joy to be around. Inside the house she has a couple of her favorite spots. She does not roam around the house, but moves freely to and from these spots. If called she will join you and check out the potential excitement.
Pansy likes to keep at least one plush toy close. When she's had to substitute something soft she's chosen a sock or mitten. The problem is she picks at those and thus, two socks have found a new home in the garbage. She is not destructive and we are not afraid of items lying around that we didn't get around to putting away.
When Pansy hears the closet door open she is a whole new dog. She's up, tail wagging, and standing in the entry way waiting for the leash to go on and the front door to open. She loves the outdoors.
We'll be honest, we don't live in town so we can't say how she will do with a lot of activity but from what we've noticed, when she gets settled into a routine and familiar surroundings, she does very well.
Because she is two different dogs from inside versus outside, it is important that she gets outside and on walks for mental stimulation. Like many dogs, she is relaxed laying on the front stoop or sunning herself in the yard, but she needs the mental stimulation that she finds during her walks. It also keeps her muscles toned and the extra weight off.
As the ground warms up Pansy has found that she likes to dig around a little. It has been nothing serious in the yard. Our resident dog has a favorite digging spot and Pansy is not like that. She does, however really enjoy the soft dirt of a fresh gopher mound. She also tried to chase her first squirrel. It was a failure in her eyes because she can't climb trees, but she can fit under them.
The positives of Pansy this week:
- Growing hair back on her belly.
- Clean vet report on her infection.
- Appointment set for her ear flush and dental work is set.
- Still accident free.
Pansy is some kind of special. Continue to follow her quest in finding her perfect family.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Sweet Pansy is looking for her family and perhaps it is you. Here's what you should know.
- She has been updated to medium energy (on the low side of the scale). Quiet inside but can walk all day with you.
- She's starting to play fetch (would love a fenced-in yard to excel at it).
- She enjoys the water (although we didn't take her to the lake yet, we did find a stream).
- She is no longer afraid of passing cars and she jumps into the pick up on her own to go for rides.
- She walks great in the heal position when on a leash.
- She started eating hard food (but we still soak sometimes because she likes that, too).
- She has been accident free for a couple of weeks now (but we still watch her).
- She did great visiting Grandma's home and the neighbor's home.
- She does not resource guard.
- She snores.
- She's precious.
- She's looking for you.
Friday, March 22, 2019
This is a fun update to write because we get to talk about the things Pansy likes. Pansy likes to play fetch! She's just learning how. She enjoys chasing after her toys when you throw them and will actually bring them back to you.
That being said, she is also starting to recognize her name more. She does not have great recall, but she does respond when she is called and will flop on over to you. In general, she likes to carry things. Mittens in particular. No, mittens is not our cats name.
It was mentioned before that she enjoys her walks and enjoyed her time with the neighbor dog. She got to do a real walk with them now that the weather has taken a turn for the better and she was a gem. She walks nicely on a leash and gets along with other dogs, both big and small.
A small dog yipping at her would probably be intimidating as loud noises still startle her. Pansy is currently walking just over 3 miles each day. She walks 1 – 3 times per day.
Pansy has the biggest tail wag when she wakes up in the morning and is ready to go out. She's sleeping well through the night but it is important to let her out right away in the morning when she wakes up with you.
This young gal appears to be a light shedder and handles bathing and grooming well, but as you can see, she gets a little down in the dumps when it's time to wash the stink off.
Pansy sleeps on her quilt on the floor to either side of the bed. She does not attempt to get on any of the furniture or the bed and is very comfortable just being around you. She is a quiet dog and will easily let you take away her toys and treats but is much more comfortable with them.
She does not come into the kitchen regularly so we cannot tell you if she would counter surf in the future. Right now, there is no sign of it.
The best news is that Pansy is now being listed as available for adoption. She is still working on house training, has three weeks of antibiotics to finish, and will still need her dental and ear work done before she leaves for her permanent home. Despite dealing with all that, she has gained so much confidence and you can see in these most recent photos. We were finally able to get all sides of her.
Pansy will continue to have updates until she has been officially adopted by her new people. Perhaps it will be you.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Although Pansy doesn't know it, each day she is helping us find her perfect family by relaying through us what she needs.
We've updated her cat status once more. No more grumbles (and they weren't bad but you do need to be aware they were there). Just please note if you are considering her and you have cats, she will need some settle-in time with them and the cat does need to be dog savvy.
She is a braver dog than she realizes. With a break in the weather we were able to take her on a horseback ride down the road. Like anything new, she likes to follow first to make sure she's the chaser and not the chased. Getting a good photo from atop the horse was not easy, but one can see how comfortable she was in their shadows. (Note: one of us was on the ground walking with her).
On occasion Pansy will come into the kitchen on her own and she willingly moves from the upper level to the main level of the house. She's starting to spend time downstairs with our resident dog when we are gone, and she has not had any bathroom accidents.
She will sleep through the night as well without any accidents as long as she doesn't have access to the main living area. She cannot be trusted alone in that area. Most likely it is due to her scent from her first accident. We would love to have her on free roam, but she's just not there yet. We do not crate her as she is comfortable in larger areas with a baby gate to block the restricted area.
Pansy has graduated to a long leash so that she can romp around on her walks. This week she went for a walk with the neighbor's Golden Retriever and really enjoyed his company. She got to give him puppy kisses and even got one back (unlike the reception she gets from our resident dog). She warmed right up to his person as well and was disappointed when we had to leave them.
Pansy is still uncertain of new things but she's also smart, trusting, willing, and full of love. We continue to add new things into her routine to help her adjust to the real world. This wonderful beauty loves belly rubs.
Although she's listed as low energy, she really enjoys her walks to be brisk and a little longer. She trots along nicely if we are in a fast walk but will slow down to your pace if need be. She just changes sides much more if she is walking slower.
We are hoping to list her as available at the end of next week, but she is also still working on her medical issues (that darn infection) and will be getting her dental and ear flush done before she leaves the care of RAGOM.
Pansy would like to thank her sponsor. There is always room for more so if you were considering sponsoring her please don't hesitate. And she's not greedy. Her medical bills have come in all sizes so large or small contributions are cool.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
As the week goes on you try to remember what to say about the dog you are fostering. All of the “greats” that need to be shared. The one thing that we keep remembering is that these dogs (Pansy in this case) are here for a temporary stay as they wait for their permanent home. It is important to describe these wonderful beauties for who they are in the best and most honest way possible.
Pansy is perfect. There. Write up done.
Just kidding. There is more. She is not perfect and that makes her perfect. She has a quirky way she eats. She will not eat her dry dog food dry. She will eat it with no issue after it has been soaked in water. Plus side, she stays hydrated.
We think this will change after her dental work. She also prefers to lie down when eating. If she stands and eats she rubs her nose on the floor, as if to bury her food, and will rub it raw.
Pansy walks like a gem on the leash. She will change sides on you often. Snowmobiles in the distance make her nervous. She does not care for cars passing by or strangers walking up to her. She's not terrified and with a little reassurance, she warms up.
On the note of strangers, she's not comfortable around them but also likes a nice ear rub, so she's torn between the instinct to be scared and the desire to be loved.
Pansy had a change on her cat status. Although she does live with two cats here, we have noticed that she'll have a stare down with one with a little grumbling. In Pansy’s best interest, a cat-free home will be more suitable.
This precious pup is starting to try to play when she's outside. She will roll in the snow, flop around with her big paws, and will try to give our resident dog kisses during her walks. The problem is our resident dog is not really a team player. She is there for moral support and to show Pansy that going to new places is okay, but she doesn't really play.
Pansy just had her staples removed from her spay so is off of exercise restriction. She is still on antibiotics and on the list of "to dos" is to have dental work and an ear flush done.
We hope to get her out into the real world coming up to see how she interacts with other dogs, other environments, and other people, but because of her time at the vet she's still on "settle in" mode.
Don't fret. She will be listed as "available" (Adopt Me) but not for at least another week. It won't be a surprise so you don't need to check on her status update daily. Please keep checking in on her though. We hope that by the time Pansy finds her new family, they feel like they already know her.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Milestones.
When you adopt a dog from RAGOM you can be assured that the organization has done everything to make sure that your new family member is going to his or her new home in the best health possible.
Pansy has spent seven days and three nights of her last 17 days at the vet. One day was routine, one day was a recheck. The rest were intermittent days related to an infection that involved an emergency spay.
Despite a rough start for Pansy this pup has turned a corner and is making great strides. She is still reserved but her eyes are so much brighter, she smiles, she is moving around more, and she is a great patient.
She is most comfortable out in nature’s beautiful elements. She has recently started to meet us at the door on her own when it's time to go outside. Last week we had to lift her up into a standing position and offer her encouragement. Now, she walks mostly willing out the front door.
She will pull slightly when she heads back towards the house, and a little more if there is something "scary" such as a passing car, a rolling garbage can, a new direction. If you gather her attention it is fairly easy to reassure her that things are okay.
Pansy has started sleeping in our bedroom at night and has changed her favorite spot during the day from the entryway to the living room. She does not care to go into the kitchen yet. Typically there are scary noises in there: clanking pots and pans, running dishwasher, frying bacon. You know, the typical things that we as humans don't realize are scary.
She is not 100% housetrained yet but she is improving. Now that she can get into a better routine the process should move along much quicker.
We cannot tell you her "playfulness" level yet, as she really wasn't feeling herself. Her energy level is picking up and she may get revised to a medium but so far, she's a ho-hum dog at a peaceful low level who loves her walks and her plush toys.
There is always more to share so check back next week for another update if you are finding that this gal could be the one for you. There will be no change in her available status for at least another week.
Oh, and if you want to show your love and support for Pansy, click the red "Sponsor Pansy" button right here on her page and let her know you care.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
We welcomed precious Pansy into our home a little over a week ago and she didn't realize that when her world as she knew it was turned upside down, that it would be for the better. She was scared, smelly, and very reserved.
In just a short period of time, she learned what a bath was all about, that eating out of a food dish keeps your food and the floor clean, that getting up on her own is not going to kill her, that steps are a good way to get from one level to another, and she had gone through an emergency spay to clear up an infection. Yeah. No more stink and she has a nice pep in her step.
Pansy is a quiet dog who is still learning what living a free life is all about. When inside the home she has her favorite spot in the entryway on her quilt. She is not yet housetrained, so at night she stays in the entryway with the use of two baby gates.
When we are at home she does have free roam of the house and we do encourage her to hang out with us. She sleeps peacefully as long as there is not a lot of commotion.
Pansy was agitated with her surroundings the first few nights, so we left a light on for her in an adjoining room and she settled right down. Another thing she finds comfort in are her toys. She will walk around the living room at night when no one is around and collect them. There is a chance that she may be a resource guarder but hey, she's probably never had anything of her very own before.
This beautiful pup is staying with two cats and one dog. She has not met the horses yet but did find comfort in their hay bales. She is not kid tested yet though she should take right to a well behaved older child that loves to give belly rubs to their dog.
Pansy takes just a moment to find her legs and walk outside, and she appears to be fair weathered. She likes familiar surroundings so will try to turn back to go inside, but that being said, she is also enjoying her walks when she gets away from the house.
She is currently on exercise restriction, but we do not see her being an extremely active dog when she is released from it. She may or may not (probably not) be a dog to play fetch with, but she will be one to walk around with in a quiet setting.
If this stocky little gal still pulls on your heartstrings with her quirks and promises, then continue to follow her trials and triumphs here.
Closed to Applications: Many families have submitted applications for Pansy or she is working with an applicant for a potential adoption. We are no longer accepting applications for Pansy.