Phantom 14-373

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Profile

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
11/22/2014  Preferred Yes Optional  Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome Phantom to the RAGOM family. Phantom is 14 weeks old and female, and came to Minnesota from Alabama with her 5 littermates after being left at a shelter there. Phantom is being fostered with her sister, Sabrina, where the two are quickly learning the Golden ways to a GReat life from RAGOM Resident Dog, Honey. The Three Amigas, Resident Cats, Mama Lily, Gitter, and Pinto, provide all the necessary lessons to living with felines. Gitter and Pinto are also rescue littermates, so I suspect there seems to be some special bonding going on amongst the two sets of siblings. Having an all-girl household makes for some pretty silly shenanigans around here at times!

Phantom and her brothers and sisters are part Golden Retriever and likely Border Collie, based upon appearance and behaviors, so she is both a very bright puppy and a quick learner. I would prefer Phantom go to a home with a fence, but this is not a requirement. Phantom follows me as closely as my shadow, and would likely walk right into a passing vehicle if I were to do so ahead of her. She is also quite nippy, so children 10 years or older will be required to learn that she is not being aggressive, but is being a typical mouthy retriever puppy combined with a baby dog who wants to herd or chase whatever crosses her path.

Phantom's furever home will be an active one, where her human family is totally committed to keeping her busy for the rest of her life. This goes well beyond just beginners obedience courses. Phantom is a combination of two of the smartest breeds of dogs, and needs and deserves to always be physically and mentally stimulated so as never to become neurotic and/or destructive due to boredom or lack of engagement. She already shows all the skills and abilities needed to excel at activities such as agility, rally, flyball, or any myriad of other pursuits.

More info and pictures for Phantom will be posted this week, so please come back and see what happens next with her!

At a Glance #14-373

Mixed Breed Born: September 2014
Female 7 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
11/22/2014  Preferred Yes Optional  Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome Phantom to the RAGOM family. Phantom is 14 weeks old and female, and came to Minnesota from Alabama with her 5 littermates after being left at a shelter there. Phantom is being fostered with her sister, Sabrina, where the two are quickly learning the Golden ways to a GReat life from RAGOM Resident Dog, Honey. The Three Amigas, Resident Cats, Mama Lily, Gitter, and Pinto, provide all the necessary lessons to living with felines. Gitter and Pinto are also rescue littermates, so I suspect there seems to be some special bonding going on amongst the two sets of siblings. Having an all-girl household makes for some pretty silly shenanigans around here at times!

Phantom and her brothers and sisters are part Golden Retriever and likely Border Collie, based upon appearance and behaviors, so she is both a very bright puppy and a quick learner. I would prefer Phantom go to a home with a fence, but this is not a requirement. Phantom follows me as closely as my shadow, and would likely walk right into a passing vehicle if I were to do so ahead of her. She is also quite nippy, so children 10 years or older will be required to learn that she is not being aggressive, but is being a typical mouthy retriever puppy combined with a baby dog who wants to herd or chase whatever crosses her path.

Phantom's furever home will be an active one, where her human family is totally committed to keeping her busy for the rest of her life. This goes well beyond just beginners obedience courses. Phantom is a combination of two of the smartest breeds of dogs, and needs and deserves to always be physically and mentally stimulated so as never to become neurotic and/or destructive due to boredom or lack of engagement. She already shows all the skills and abilities needed to excel at activities such as agility, rally, flyball, or any myriad of other pursuits.

More info and pictures for Phantom will be posted this week, so please come back and see what happens next with her!

Updates

Monday, January 26, 2015

Phantom is now turning 16 weeks old. Watching a puppy change and grow from week to week is like listening to the corn grow in July. Friday was a final vet check for a fecal test and last puppy shots. The vet was very pleased with Phantom after a thorough exam and made special notice of her incoming adult teeth. Both she and her sister are nonstop chewers, so I had just assumed they were keeping themselves well-occupied, but it seems they are now teething as well.

I always enjoy watching puppies grow up, as their proportions are constantly changing. One week, their heads seem too small, then the next week, their legs seem too long. This past week, both puppies have lost all traces of their puppy fuzziness, and their Golden Retriever coats are beginning to show hints of their future beauty. Tiny clues to their feathering are beginning to sprout in both girls at their elbows, their behinds, and, of course, their tails. Each is developing waviness in her coat along her spine as well. Phantom and Sabrina are going to be really gorgeous adult dogs.

We are making huge strides in all aspects of training. Both puppies are now reliably paper trained indoors, in the event I miss their cues for needing to go out. They are both eager to follow several commands, including "kennel up," " sit," "wait," "outdoors," "give," "trade," "leave it," "gentle," and perhaps my favorite, "no chase!" They are also learning that every toy in the heaping basket has a name. The Big Booda Bone is currently their favorite, and they play tug-of-war with it multiple times a day.

Phantom loves to be picked up and held, and she loves people of all ages and sizes. When you speak to her, she cocks her head to one side, and you can see in her eyes you have her undivided attention and total devotion. Please do not let the fact that she is only half Golden deter you from accepting an absolutely loyal, bright, and friendly companion into your heart. She is more than ready to move on to her very own furever home and family.

Please check back soon and see what is new with Phantom!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Well, my first posting for Phantom must have sounded like describing the uberpuppy of the universe! I am certainly a proud Foster Mom, but if you are that special furever family for her, and especially if you are thinking about adopting your first puppy, just realize any puppy needs to be kept busy to be kept out of trouble. Typical puppy antics like chewing on furniture, running around with a sock snatched from the laundry basket, snagging the remote while you have gone to the fridge. Just some of the things puppies like to do.

Phantom goes in this week for a final fecal check and a rabies shot. All the rest of her series of puppy vaccinations have been completed, and she has been spayed. Her tummy fur is already growing back nicely. Both Phantom and her sister came into RAGOM with parasites and coccidia. These have all been treated, but I am getting their poop tested just to be sure everything has been eliminated.

I should add that Phantom is a parvo survivor. Parvovirus enteritis is a very deadly disease in puppies, and despite a lot of experience with taking care of lots of puppies, when parvo is diagnosed in one of ours, RAGOM must always call in the pros for help to save their lives. Phantom got sick over the Thanksgiving holiday and was put in an emergency vet hospital for treatment. After she was stabilized, she and her sister were sent to medical boarding together. Phantom was sent there to recover, and Sabrina was sent with her for observation, in case she was stricken too. Sabrina never got the virus, thank goodness, so she was just good company for her sister at the vet hospital. It has now been several weeks since the virus has been cleared from her body, and there are no known lasting effects from having this illness. She is now fully recovered and healthy. Sincere gratitude to RAGOM's Mary M. family and the vets and staff at both Affiliated Emergency Veterinary Service in Eden Prairie and VCA Richfield for sacrificing their Thanksgiving holiday to save Phantom's life.

RAGOM has taken in several parvo puppies in recent weeks, at great expense to the organization. If you are looking for someplace to donate a bit of your upcoming tax refund, or happen to have some spare change laying around, any donation large or small would be appreciated. And your donation is tax-deductible.

Like any typical puppy her age, Phantom's housetraining is a work in progress. She knows peeing and pooping is for outdoors only at this point, but her young body and mind still do not always cooperate together. I still get up some nights to put her and her sister out, so she cannot yet go a full work day without being taken outdoors, but that day is on the horizon with patience and gentle persistence. She is very smart and wants to please more than anything else in the world.

I am including pictures taken just a few days ago of our play date at another local RAGOM foster family home. For foster puppies in particular, having safe and healthy places to go to play together and just socialize in general is a critical part of figuring out how to become a wonderful grownup dog and companion to humans as well. We want to thank our friends at the S&P Ranch for being so supportive, welcoming, and patient with us. We appreciate the hospitality.

Please check back soon for another update on Phantom's growth and progress!

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