Peaches (Amber 14-345)

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Sponsored by:

Jayne, who feels so lucky to share her life with golden pups, Meryl and Dustin

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 11/12/14 Not required  8 and up Optional  Yes 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome beautiful Amber to the RAGOM family.  Amber was found wandering as a stray and RAGOM stepped up to rescue her when her time was up at the pound.  Our Vet estimates, based on her teeth, that she is about 9 years old. 

She is a beautiful dog but she is also a BIG dog.  She weighed 104 lbs. at her first Vet visit.  She should probably weigh 55 to 70 lbs.  We were afraid going into the visit that her weight might have affected her health.  Dr. Jean told us that her overall health is good.  Her heart is strong, her lungs are clear, and she appears to have good range of movement in her joints.  Her thyroid appears to be working just fine.  She has just packed on too many pounds which need to come off so she can better enjoy her golden life.  She does have some fatty tumors (lipomas) which may need to be dealt with – but only after some weight comes off.  Amber is spayed and up to date on all of her shots. 

In the first week she has been here we couldn’t be more impressed with this big girl.  She is really the nicest dog that we ever could have imagined.  She fit right into our pack of animals – 13 year old Resident Dog (RD) Harley, 11 year old RD Sandy, and two 11 year old cat sisters Twinkle and Sweet Pea.  She loves to chew on Elk Antlers and shares them willingly with the other dogs.  She basically ignores both cats and neither of them shows any fear or concern about her.  Amber was very definitely a family pet in her former life.  She must have been treated well as she is very affectionate and has no fear of humans.  She has had no accidents in the house and is very comfortable inside.  She walks well on a leash (we use a slip leash as her neck is so thick that a conventional collar will slip right off).  Here she is (upper left) with her foster siblings.  

It’s a tradition at our house that our foster dogs learn to use a computer so they can communicate directly with their fans.  So here’s Amber’s first attempt.

Hi everybody, this is Amber.  So far I’m really enjoying it here.  Foster Mom and Dad (FM & FD) have told me that I need to lose weight and that I’ll have to be careful about what I eat and that I’ll need to get plenty of exercise.  I know that I need to do this because I want to be able to move around better and be able to keep up with my foster brother and sister.  I love to take walks but I get very tired very quickly so FD and I have been taking many short walks up to the road and back.  He goes at my pace and I get to stop and sniff at interesting things so I’m having a great time.  Yesterday we took five walks (FD says that I walked a total of almost 9/10ths of a mile!).  When we come back I always like to find a comfy rug or dog bed and relax by lying on my back.  

I get to eat twice a day here.  I get my kibble mixed with a little dollop of canned food (YUM!) and a good helping of celery or green beans.  Even though I’m dieting I feel like I’m getting enough to eat.  Dr. Jean says our first goal is to get my weight to 70 pounds, then we’ll see where to go from there.  I really like my foster sister Sandy.  She looks after me.  She even shared her comfy dog bed with me the other day.  Here we are together. 

It’s been nice talking to you and I’m sure that I’ll get to do this again to let you know how I’m doing. 

– Your friend Amber

FD here again.  At her present weight Amber can’t manage steps so she will need a home with ramps or a maximum of one step and a single level.  We are optimistic that, with weight loss, she will be able to handle steps.  Her forever family will need to be committed to keeping her weight under control so she can have the good quality of life that she deserves.  We’ll keep you up to date on Amber’s progress.  Our grandkids will be here after Thanksgiving Day and we’ll see how she does with kids.  We strongly suspect that she will love them.  She is a real trooper and, if we can get the extra weight off, she will make some family very happy for a long time.  More to come.

At a Glance #14-345

Mixed Breed Born: October 2005
Female 104 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

Sponsored by:

Jayne, who feels so lucky to share her life with golden pups, Meryl and Dustin

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 11/12/14 Not required  8 and up Optional  Yes 
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome beautiful Amber to the RAGOM family.  Amber was found wandering as a stray and RAGOM stepped up to rescue her when her time was up at the pound.  Our Vet estimates, based on her teeth, that she is about 9 years old. 

She is a beautiful dog but she is also a BIG dog.  She weighed 104 lbs. at her first Vet visit.  She should probably weigh 55 to 70 lbs.  We were afraid going into the visit that her weight might have affected her health.  Dr. Jean told us that her overall health is good.  Her heart is strong, her lungs are clear, and she appears to have good range of movement in her joints.  Her thyroid appears to be working just fine.  She has just packed on too many pounds which need to come off so she can better enjoy her golden life.  She does have some fatty tumors (lipomas) which may need to be dealt with – but only after some weight comes off.  Amber is spayed and up to date on all of her shots. 

In the first week she has been here we couldn’t be more impressed with this big girl.  She is really the nicest dog that we ever could have imagined.  She fit right into our pack of animals – 13 year old Resident Dog (RD) Harley, 11 year old RD Sandy, and two 11 year old cat sisters Twinkle and Sweet Pea.  She loves to chew on Elk Antlers and shares them willingly with the other dogs.  She basically ignores both cats and neither of them shows any fear or concern about her.  Amber was very definitely a family pet in her former life.  She must have been treated well as she is very affectionate and has no fear of humans.  She has had no accidents in the house and is very comfortable inside.  She walks well on a leash (we use a slip leash as her neck is so thick that a conventional collar will slip right off).  Here she is (upper left) with her foster siblings.  

It’s a tradition at our house that our foster dogs learn to use a computer so they can communicate directly with their fans.  So here’s Amber’s first attempt.

Hi everybody, this is Amber.  So far I’m really enjoying it here.  Foster Mom and Dad (FM & FD) have told me that I need to lose weight and that I’ll have to be careful about what I eat and that I’ll need to get plenty of exercise.  I know that I need to do this because I want to be able to move around better and be able to keep up with my foster brother and sister.  I love to take walks but I get very tired very quickly so FD and I have been taking many short walks up to the road and back.  He goes at my pace and I get to stop and sniff at interesting things so I’m having a great time.  Yesterday we took five walks (FD says that I walked a total of almost 9/10ths of a mile!).  When we come back I always like to find a comfy rug or dog bed and relax by lying on my back.  

I get to eat twice a day here.  I get my kibble mixed with a little dollop of canned food (YUM!) and a good helping of celery or green beans.  Even though I’m dieting I feel like I’m getting enough to eat.  Dr. Jean says our first goal is to get my weight to 70 pounds, then we’ll see where to go from there.  I really like my foster sister Sandy.  She looks after me.  She even shared her comfy dog bed with me the other day.  Here we are together. 

It’s been nice talking to you and I’m sure that I’ll get to do this again to let you know how I’m doing. 

– Your friend Amber

FD here again.  At her present weight Amber can’t manage steps so she will need a home with ramps or a maximum of one step and a single level.  We are optimistic that, with weight loss, she will be able to handle steps.  Her forever family will need to be committed to keeping her weight under control so she can have the good quality of life that she deserves.  We’ll keep you up to date on Amber’s progress.  Our grandkids will be here after Thanksgiving Day and we’ll see how she does with kids.  We strongly suspect that she will love them.  She is a real trooper and, if we can get the extra weight off, she will make some family very happy for a long time.  More to come.

Updates

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Amber has been adopted.  After a long wait the absolutely perfect family came along.  Amber, who now weighs 72 lbs., will have two dog sisters and two cat brothers along with a mom and dad.  She will have an acreage to explore and run around on, siblings to play with and humans to love her.  Here she is meeting her new family.  She headed right for the car and, with a little help, hopped inside and, with a big smile on her face was ready to go to her forever home!  Best of luck Amber - you hit the jackpot! 

  

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

 

Happy Spring to the Golden Seniors from Anonymous   Happy Spring to the Golden Seniors from Anonymous

Happy Spring Miss Amber! Super girl!   Happy Spring Miss Amber! Super girl! Frederick

Monday, July 6, 2015

Hi everyone…this is Amber here again.  I apologize for FM and FD not getting updates done in a timely manner.  I guess I’ll just have to take things into my own paws again.  I’ve been enjoying the summer with the cool mornings for my walks and the warm afternoons to lie in the sunlight.  FM and FD haven’t taken me into get weighed for almost a month but yesterday FD had to adjust my collar to make it smaller – that has to be a good sign isn’t it?  Also I can now run!  I broke into my first gallop about three weeks ago when I wanted to get home as fast as possible so that I could eat my supper.  

I made it through the big Fourth of July weekend.  FM and FD found out that I don’t like fireworks very much which surprised them as thunderstorms don’t seem to bother me.  I was very glad that FM stayed home to be with Harley and me while the rest of the family went out to watch the fireworks.  I found a safe spot under the computer desk which worked pretty well.

My big news is that a family is coming to visit me this next weekend.  FD says that they are bringing their two dogs to see if we get along OK.  Since I seem to like every dog I meet I’m pretty confident.  I understand that if we all get along that I might get to be their forever dog and join their human, dog, and cat family.  Once I found this out I decided to take no chances.  I spent part of yesterday practicing my smile as I want to look my best.  Here are a couple of my best efforts.

I can get into our Minivan just fine but I’ve also asked Harley for some training time this week on his ramp just in case they have a big SUV.  I want to be prepared.  Please cross your fingers.  I’ll let you all know how it goes.

Your friend always - Amber

Monday, June 15, 2015

Hi everyone, it's Amber again.  I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be in Shakopee on Saturday, June 20 at Chuck and Don's.  I'm in kind of a delicate situation in that, although I know that FM & FD would feel bad about me leaving, I really, really am ready for my own home!  I've lost 30 lbs. and am on my way to losing the last 10 lbs. that I need to lose.  I'd get along fine with other dogs and cats (like my foster sister Twinkle here).

I would also be happy to be your only pet.

Come on over to Shakopee and give me a test drive.  You won't be disappointed!

Your friend - Amber

Monday, May 18, 2015

Hi Everyone, Amber here again.  I’m sorry to have been so long between updates but I’ve been a busy girl with places to go, people to see, and things to do.  I’ve been asking FM and FD why I don’t have my own forever family yet.  They’ve told me to be patient and that when the time is right my people will come along.  I’ve been doing some thinking about this in my spare time.  My thought is that maybe I need to market myself better as a truly pet friendly addition to your household.  Here is the start of my new campaign:

I LOVE CATS….AND DOGS AND PROBABLY ANY OTHER CRITTERS – THE AMBER STORY

Hello potential adopters.  Are you looking for a laid back companion that is fun to hang around with?  Do you also want a companion who is fun to be around not only you but your current dogs and cats?  Are you looking for a confident dog to help them sometimes when they’re scared?  If you are, then I’m your girl!

Here I am (in the upper right) with my two foster cat sisters, my foster dog sister, and my foster dog brother.  I share my comfy dog beds with both cats and dogs.  I help my foster dog sister who is often scared.  She has recently had to have surgery for cancer.  I go with her to the Vet to give her confidence.  We take our walks together and I lead the way to let her know everything is all right.  I’m very good at listening for people at the door of our house so that I can let my foster brother know that someone is there as he is losing his hearing.  I know that some dogs look upon cats as competition for attention at best and as prey at worst.  Not me!  I like my two cat sisters and am glad to hang around with them.  I surprised FD once by letting one of the grand-kittens eat out of my food dish with me while I was eating my supper.

As you can see my foster dog siblings seem happy to have me around too.  I think I make them laugh sometimes when I get really excited as we’re being hooked up to our leashes to go for walks.  I run with them back down our driveway when we come home.  I’m a good sister I think because I’m good at blending in to our pack.

 

I think I would also be a good “only pet” but I’ll really shine as a companion for your other animals.  Please keep me in mind!  Your friend, Amber.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Hi Everyone!  It’s Amber here again.  I’ve been a busy girl lately and I want to tell you all about it.  I’ve been taking more car rides lately which I love!  I go into the Humane Society to get weighed, I’ve gone with my foster brother to the Vet (just because I love to ride!) and I’ve taken some long trips into the city for Meet & Greets.  You should know that I’m a very good rider.  I sleep on the floor of the van when we are going fast but I climb up onto the back seat when we’re in town so that I can look outside. 

Last week FD decided that I needed a bath before we travelled to Edina for a Meet & Greet.  I wasn’t so sure.  He thought that I might like to use the bathtub but he was wrong.  I found that, by going completely limp, I made it too hard for him to lift me in.  FD had more tricks up his sleeve however.  When he started hauling buckets of hot water outside I know something was up.  He had filled up a plastic kiddie pool in the driveway and I couldn’t come up with a good excuse not to walk in.

Once I got in I discovered I really liked it.  I decided to relax and enjoy it by laying down and feeling my muscles relax and my eyes close.

I have to admit that it did pay off.  Here’s me at Chuck and Don’s in Edina – looking my very best!

That’s all for now.  FD says that he has some more “Amber News” so I’ll let him chime in here.  Talk to you again soon!  Your friend, Amber

FD here – We’re thrilled to announce that Amber has broken through the 80 lb. barrier.  She weighed in at 77 lbs. last week.  We recently had a dog DNA test run (we used Wisdom Panel II).  We knew there were probably some interesting breeds in the mix.  It turns out that she is 50% Labrador Retriever, 25% Husky, and 25% Cocker Spaniel.  Her beautiful golden hair color probably comes from the Cocker Spaniel side so she is definitely an “Honorary” Golden Retriever but she certainly has the golden heart and golden smile that we’ve come to expect from a RAGOM dog. 

Let your Placement Advisor know if you are interested in adding her to your family.  She is ready for her golden home.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Hi again everyone – it’s Amber again!  It’s spring and the snow’s all gone (from my yard anyway).  I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while.  My big news is that FD bought me a wonderful spring present.  I am now the proud owner (and wearer) of an official (Red and Black) Easy Walk Harness.  It is just like the one that Harley has except that mine has that great red color.  Actually FD got it for me several months ago but it wouldn’t fit around me then even though it said “Large Dog”.  However, when we tried it on a couple of days ago it now fits perfectly.  I guess I’m a “large dog” now instead of “a really large dog”.

Now I feel better walking with my foster siblings as I no longer have to wear my ugly old slip leash.  In honor of my new look FM and FD have been taking me on some longer walks and guess what, I am doing a much better job of keeping up with my fur brother and sister.  Here I am in our yard with my good friend Sandy.

Tomorrow will be a big day for me.  I get to do my first, official RAGOM job.  I’ve volunteered to go to the Vet with my new friend Trixie (15-075).  She gets kind of nervous in new situations and FD and FM think that I will be a calming influence on her.  I’m very glad to help plus I’ll get to use the scale and see if I’ve lost any more weight.  I’ll let you know. 

-your friend Amber

Foster Dad here – we were amazed that just putting on the harness actually seems to speed up Amber’s pace.  Who knows why but we’re happy about it.  We have neglected to thank Frederick as well as the family of Beau (14-117) for their icons on Amber’s website.  Thank you so much!

We haven’t told Amber yet but later this week we’re going visiting at our next door neighbors.  They have a short flight of stairs and have graciously agreed to help us test Amber.  We feel that weight-wise and mobility-wise she is ready to start to work on her stair skills.  More to come!

We would love to talk to you about Amber if you think that she might be the dog for you.  Please let your Placement Advisor know of your interest.

Monday, March 16, 2015

 

Sweet Miss Amber, you were my very first transport for RAGOM and will ALWAYS be in my heart. Love you girl! Sweet Miss Amber, you were my very first transport for RAGOM and will ALWAYS be in my heart. Love you girl!- Frederick

 

Amber, you are awesome! Happy Valentine's Day! Amber, you are awesome! Happy Valentine's Day! From Beau 14-117 and Family 

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Hi everyone.  This is Amber again.  Life is still great for me, even with the frigid temperatures outside.  I went to the Vet for my three month check-up and boy were they surprised to see how I look.  The last time I was there I weighed 104 lbs. and had trouble moving around (they had to help me up off of the linoleum floor several times).  This time I weighed in at 86 lbs. and they had me trotting up and down the hallway so they could observe how I moved.  I also showed them how I could sit on command and how I could get up on those slippery floors with no problem.  FD took this picture today to show off my new shape!

Dr. Jean says that when I get down to 70 lbs. she will take out the big lipoma that I have on my left shoulder.  I know that I’ll be able to move around even better then.

I’m enjoying exploring more in the house now.  Here I am with my friend Sandy heading toward the kitchen and carrying my antler bone.  FD says I remind him of Winston Churchill (I don’t know if I consider that a compliment or not). 

Still at the top of my list though is my naps!  We have some visiting dogs now (Sandy’s sister and niece) and they brought a couple of new dog beds with them that have a blanket on top.  I have managed to grab one for myself and love to hunker down on it.  Here I am napping with my big brother Harley.

Keep warm everybody.  I’ll be writing again soon!

Foster Dad here – we’re more than half way to the initial weight loss goal of 70 lbs.  We can see more muscle development as well.  Amber can now “almost” climb into our Minivan without assistance.  It won’t be long, we hope, before we start working on stairs.  Amber is a happy girl and great fun to be around.  We’d love to talk with you about her – just let your Placement Advisor know.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Hi Everyone – this is Amber again. I hope your winter has been as good as mine. My fur buddies and I have been enjoying the warmer than normal weather when we’re outside and the warm fire in the fireplace when we’re inside. I’m proud to say that I weighed in at 89 lbs. this week! FM says that I’m getting close to half-way to my first goal of 70 lbs. I had a great vacation at Sandy M’s house. I got lots of attention and love.

Harley, FD, and I went over to our neighbors the other day to play with Foster. Foster is a big golden lab. He weighs 103 lbs. and it is mostly muscle. He and Harley run and run around the yard together. He even got me running a little bit as I got so excited watching them play. I was pretty tired when we got back home but it was a lot of fun. The other big event this week is that FD says that I’m now officially “Vacuum Certified”. FD was trying to get me to move off of a rug as he was cleaning the living room. Harley and Sandy are scared of the vacuum thingy so they slink away whenever he comes near them. I was curious so I didn’t move. FD put an attachment on the long hose and touched me with it. He thought I would get scared and move out of his way. Boy was he wrong! Let me tell you, it really felt good. FD caught on right away and I got a ten minute grooming/cleaning all over. It was heavenly! I can’t wait until the next time he gets it out.

I’m having a great time here and I love all of the new things I’m able to do as I lose more weight. I’m hoping that someone out there will see all of the work I’ve done already and can imagine the dog I’ll become when I lose all of the weight that I need to. Thanks again for reading about me. You friend always, Amber.

Hi, Foster Dad here. Amber has been such a great dog to foster. She has been the easiest foster we’ve ever had. Her list of attributes is long. She is completely housebroken, very affectionate, and gets along with all dogs, cats, children, and adults whom she has met. She exhibits no storm anxiety, noise anxiety, or separation anxiety. She loves her car rides. She has good recall. She just wants to be with you and share in your life as much as you’ll let her.

Amber’s only issue is her weight and she keeps making great progress there – down to 89 lbs. from 104 lbs. It’s easy to give her what she needs – a simple, limited diet and regular walks. In a matter of months Amber will be at a weight where she can do all of the things a dog would love to do. Her major limitation right now is the ability to negotiate stairs. As she is quite willing to spend some time on her own in our two level home we think that, if her forever family could make some temporary accommodation for her, she would easily adapt for the remaining months until she can handle stairs. If you’re the family who can do that you will gain the nicest, most loving companion that you could ever imagine. We’d love to talk to you about her if you’re interested. Let your Placement Advisor know and we’ll give you a call.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Hi Everyone, Amber here again. I have lots of news this week – all of it good. First, I’m now at 91 lbs. as of my last weigh-in. FM and FD told me that they were really proud of the way I’ve stuck to my diet. Even with the cold artic weather and not getting to walk as far as I should I still managed to lose another two lbs. I have also discovered that I’ve lost enough weight so that I can roll all the way over on my back and hold all four of my paws in the air at the same time. It’s been a very long time since I have been able to do that! It’s been so much fun that I like to do it over and over for as long as 30 minutes at a time. FM and FD laugh and laugh when I do it.

Second, I now have my very own sponsor. FD explained that some lucky RAGOM foster dogs get to have people send in money in their names to help RAGOM pay for Vet bills and to care for all the RAGOM fosters. I’m proud to now be one of those dogs. Thank you to Jayne (and Meryl and Dustin) for sponsoring me.

Third, I want to give a shout-out to my foster brother and sister (Harley and Sandy) for being so nice to me. They’ve been so great to me since I came to their house and I just wanted to let them know that I appreciate their hospitality. They are already in their forever home but they have welcomed me to stay with them until I find mine. They specialize in being really good sleepers and I like to join in with them.

FM and FD are going into the Cities for a few days and they said that I’m going to get to go on vacation to Sandy M’s house. They said that she has a teeny little dog of her own who I’ll get to meet. Also she has a fenced in yard which I want to get a chance to explore (FM and FD don’t have one so I’m always on a leash here). I’ll let you know how it goes in my next update.

Stay warm everyone! Your friend, Amber

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Just a quick note today about Amber.  This big girl keeps chugging away on her weight loss program.  She is staying on her schedule of losing about two lbs. per week.  As of Friday she is down to 93 lbs.  With a total weight loss of 11 lbs. since mid-November we are starting to see the first dramatic changes in her appearance and behavior (after all 11 lbs. for Amber is the equivalent of about 25 lbs. for FD!).  This picture of Amber, we think, shows much more definition – we can see that she does have a neck!

She is now able (and more than willing) to come to us for pets and attention.  We also have to be careful coming in and going outside as she is now likes to try and slip through and get outside to explore on her own.  As she has gained mobility we are starting on phase two of her recovery.  Amber doesn’t appear to have had much if any training on the basic commands (sit, lie down, come, etc.)  We’ve experimented and found that she loves to munch on pieces of celery so we will use these as low-calorie treats.  We’ll probably start testing out an Easy Walk Harness as well as she can pull like a little train engine.  School starts today!

We are so pleased with the progress she is making.  Every day we see signs that she is more and more able to be a dog again.  From what we can tell she is a much happier girl as she loses weight.  It’s been a great journey so far.  She is a gentle, intelligent, and friendly dog and has been super easy to foster.  You just have to stick to the diet and good things will follow.  If you’d like to help her take the next steps please let your Placement Advisor know.  We’d love to talk to you about her.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Hi Everyone – Amber here again.  I know it’s only been a couple of days since FD sent in my last update but I just had to tell you the good news as soon as I could!  I’m now officially a “Double Digit Dog”.  This morning FM and FD took me on my weekly trip to the Humane Society to be weighed and guess what – I weigh 97 pounds.  That’s right, FM and FD finally got the amount of dog food adjusted correctly for my meals. 

On our way back home we stopped off at the recycling center to drop of a whole bunch of cans, bottles, and newspapers.  When FD opened the rear hatch of the van to unload I got so excited to see what they were doing that I climbed up from the floor of the van on to the rear seat so I could watch.  They looked at me, I looked at them, and we were all very surprised as I haven’t been able to climb onto anything since I’ve been in my foster home.  When we got back home FD got out the camera and opened the rear hatch to see what would happen and up I jumped again.  All in all it’s been quite a day.

FM told me that I’m going to go for another long car ride on Saturday to a place called Chuck and Don’s in Shakopee.  I love rides so I’m already looking forward to it.  She said that lots of people will be there and I’ll get lots of pets and attention.  If you’d like to meet me and see if I might fit into your family please stop in and say hi.  I’d love to see you.

-           Your friend, Amber

Monday, December 15, 2014

Amber won’t be writing her own update today as she is a bit depressed.  When she went to get weighed last week she was still at 100 lbs.  As she has done everything we asked her to so it was disappointing to her, and to us, that she hadn’t lost weight.  

About all we could tell her is that it was our fault, not hers.  We needed to better calibrate the amount of dog food she needs and that takes time to get just the right amount.  All other signs show us that she is getting healthier every day.  She has doubled the distance that she can walk at one time from 1/8 mile to 1/4 mile.  Her walking pace is much faster than it was (from “barely moving” to “medium slow but steady”.  This weekend we drove to see our grand kids and Amber was able to handle the two steps into their house (which she would not have handled even two weeks ago).  Her overall mobility is also much better.  She is now often the first one at the door (with tail furiously wagging) to greet the FedEx man.  

We told you earlier that she gets along fine with our two cats.  This past weekend we tested her with six cats she had never met before.  She had cats swatting at her from chair arms, cats chasing her tail, and even a kitten sharing her food bowl when she was eating her supper!  She passed the test with flying colors.  Amber is such a good natured girl.  Here she is with one of our cats.  

This week all fingers and paws are crossed that we start to see some progress on the weight as well as continued improvement in her mobility.  More to come!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Hi everyone, it’s Amber again.  It’s been quite a week (and, I must say, a good one) for me and I wanted you to know all about it.  I’m really fitting into my foster home.  My foster brother and sister are fun to be around but laid-back.  We all share dog beds and space on the many rugs.  There are only two antler bones but we three share these too.  All in all we are all good companions for one another.  

I bet you’re all wondering about my weight.  FM says I’m doing a good job!  We went into to the Humane Society in Willmar last Tuesday to use their scale.  I’ve lost 4 lbs. in about two weeks.  I now weigh 100 lbs.!  FD says that the books say I could lose as much as 2 lbs. a week and that’s right where I’m at.  I get my short walks in four or five times a day even in the very cold weather.  FD says he has to be more alert with me now because I’m starting to look around more and more.  Thursday I saw the neighbor dog Oliver running down his driveway and FD almost tipped over in the snow when I started to take off after him – I just wanted to say hello.

Finally, let me tell you about my favorite part of this week.  I passed my first kid-test with flying colors.  My four foster grandkids (and their parents) were here from Friday through Sunday.  They are from 9 years old through 15 years old.  We had a lot of fun together.  They gave me a lot of attention, many combing/brushing sessions, and, best of all, they let me play their games with them.  My favorite was one called “UNO”.  They all sat on the floor on a big rug and passed around a whole bunch of colored cards.  I quickly figured out that if I edged in as close as I could to the middle of the circle I could get petted by someone every time they laid down one of those cards – it was paradise!  Here is a picture that FD took. 

When they left today FM and FD said that I had done great and that they would tell everyone that I would be fine with older kids (8+) in my forever home.

So it was a great week for me as I hope it was for you.  My goal this coming week is to become a “double-digit dog” – I want to weigh no more than 99 lbs.  Tune in next week and see how I did.  – Your friend Amber

Hi again – FD here.  Amber is really doing a good job!  She is sticking to her diet.  She eats everything we give here and does not beg for more.  She takes daily joint supplements and we give these to her as her “treats”.  She loves her walks, and even in the cold and snow, she heads out with a smile on her face.  We have every rug and carpet remnant we can find in the house to help her as she still has a hard time getting up off of our wood floors.  However, even here, we see improvement as she is having less trouble every day.  She seems like she is getting more flexible as well as she can lick and scratch places now that she couldn’t reach two weeks ago. 

Based on our kid testing we have changed her requirements to “Kids 8+ OK”.  She is a very gentle girl who loves all the attention she can get and wants to be with you wherever you are.  She may not be a pure bred Golden but she certainly has the Golden characteristics.  She is restricted by her lack of mobility right now (she can’t handle any kind of stairs).  If you have the right house or apartment and have the time to work with her on her weight she is ready to find her forever home.  If not, we’ll continue to work on the weight and mobility and before long we believe that she will be able to move much better and navigate stairs as her weight comes down.  We’d love to talk to any of you about her – just contact your Placement Advisor if you are interested in this sweet girl.