Sandy 14-070

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Profile

Sponsored by:

Mid B.

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
3/21/14  Not required Age 10+  Required Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome Sandy to RAGOM and her new Golden Life! Sandy is an almost-11-year-old breeder girl who is ready to settle in to the joys of retirement. Actually, she is well into settling already. Sandy is a very dignified lady. She moves slowly (but steadily) and is no hurry to get things done on a schedule. We’re always told “to stop and smell the roses.” This is what Sandy already does on her walks. We have taken numerous short walks every day and Sandy makes sure that she has a good sniff of everything she comes near.

For a dog who never was in a house or car before, she is doing remarkably well. She rides like a champ. She has had one accident indoors, but is now coming to us to let us know that she needs to go out, which is not bad for her first week.

We went to the Vet on Tuesday. She has a number of issues that need to be cleared up – intestinal parasites and bacteria as well as infections in both ears. We’re treating all of these and will go back to the Vet in two weeks. She takes medication well and will allow us to handle her mouth and ears with no problem. She also has some mammary tumors, which will need to be removed and analyzed. These will be taken out at the same time that she is spayed. Our Vet says that, for an old dog, she has great hips with a very good range of motion.

Sandy is cat approved. She totally ignores our two cats and our cats do not show any fear or concern. We had our four grandkids (ages 8 – 14) here for several days this week. She enjoyed the kids, especially when they would spend time combing her or lying next to her on the floor playing board games or reading a book.

After about a day of constant commotion, however, she spent most of her time on her dog bed in our bedroom away from the chaos.

Sandy and our resident dog (12-year-old Harley) are getting along fine. For the first two days, Sandy would grrrr to let Harley know that she needed her space. She would also signal, by grrrring, that she didn’t like Harley getting any attention from us. Harley is a very patient soul and listened to what she was saying and respected her space. After a couple of days, Sandy is now much more confident and no longer seems concerned. In fact, the two dogs sleep next to each other at night in adjoining dog beds in our bedroom and will share attention from us. They walk well together. Sandy is a good, but deliberate, walker on just a flat (Martingale) collar.

Sandy is such a sweetheart who just wants to be with us wherever we are. Everything is new to her, so she is often surprised and sometimes scared by new things, but she is brave and seems to be able to work her way through things. She discovered soft, comfy dog beds within an hour of her arrival. Life indoors for Sandy is a trip from dog bed to dog bed as she follows us around the house.

More to come on this sweet girl as we get to know her better.

At a Glance #14-070

Golden Retriever Born: May 2003
Female 80 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:

Mid B.

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
3/21/14  Not required Age 10+  Required Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Please welcome Sandy to RAGOM and her new Golden Life! Sandy is an almost-11-year-old breeder girl who is ready to settle in to the joys of retirement. Actually, she is well into settling already. Sandy is a very dignified lady. She moves slowly (but steadily) and is no hurry to get things done on a schedule. We’re always told “to stop and smell the roses.” This is what Sandy already does on her walks. We have taken numerous short walks every day and Sandy makes sure that she has a good sniff of everything she comes near.

For a dog who never was in a house or car before, she is doing remarkably well. She rides like a champ. She has had one accident indoors, but is now coming to us to let us know that she needs to go out, which is not bad for her first week.

We went to the Vet on Tuesday. She has a number of issues that need to be cleared up – intestinal parasites and bacteria as well as infections in both ears. We’re treating all of these and will go back to the Vet in two weeks. She takes medication well and will allow us to handle her mouth and ears with no problem. She also has some mammary tumors, which will need to be removed and analyzed. These will be taken out at the same time that she is spayed. Our Vet says that, for an old dog, she has great hips with a very good range of motion.

Sandy is cat approved. She totally ignores our two cats and our cats do not show any fear or concern. We had our four grandkids (ages 8 – 14) here for several days this week. She enjoyed the kids, especially when they would spend time combing her or lying next to her on the floor playing board games or reading a book.

After about a day of constant commotion, however, she spent most of her time on her dog bed in our bedroom away from the chaos.

Sandy and our resident dog (12-year-old Harley) are getting along fine. For the first two days, Sandy would grrrr to let Harley know that she needed her space. She would also signal, by grrrring, that she didn’t like Harley getting any attention from us. Harley is a very patient soul and listened to what she was saying and respected her space. After a couple of days, Sandy is now much more confident and no longer seems concerned. In fact, the two dogs sleep next to each other at night in adjoining dog beds in our bedroom and will share attention from us. They walk well together. Sandy is a good, but deliberate, walker on just a flat (Martingale) collar.

Sandy is such a sweetheart who just wants to be with us wherever we are. Everything is new to her, so she is often surprised and sometimes scared by new things, but she is brave and seems to be able to work her way through things. She discovered soft, comfy dog beds within an hour of her arrival. Life indoors for Sandy is a trip from dog bed to dog bed as she follows us around the house.

More to come on this sweet girl as we get to know her better.

Updates

Sunday, June 14, 2015

 

We're missing our old girl - Sandy (14-070). This morning we sadly said goodbye to her and sent her on her way to the Rainbow Bridge. Sandy was a breeder girl for almost 11 of the 12 years of her life. She was scared of many things. She never learned how to play, to do the golden lean, or to use the golden paw to get our attention. But she did learn to trust that we loved her and would protect her. Gradually she came to feel more comfortable, especially in structured situations where she knew the routine. Then we would feel the lightest of touches of her wet nose on the back of our hands. That meant that Sandy was happy and wanted her chin scratched, ears rubbed, or head petted. She loved her food and, when mom was preparing her bowl, she would go into her food dance, eyes glistening, feet bouncing up and down, and a big smile on her face.

Cancer, as we all know too well, comes way too soon and way too often to our golden dogs. When Sandy arrived at RAGOM she had cancerous mammary tumors removed. Unfortunately, a year later the cancer came back. While we hoped for a longer time with her we are so grateful that we had the time we did. She was a sweet, gentle soul.

We don't know if there really is a Rainbow Bridge but we really want it to be true. If it is, we wish Sandy the joy of welcoming, one by one, the dozens of pups she mothered over the years. And, eventually, we will look forward to again see her shy smile and feel that wet nose just barely touching the back of our hands.

Sweet dreams old girl.

 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Hi, everybody, it’s Sandy again. I wanted to be the first to tell you that I have found my forever family! When I came back here about 6 weeks ago, I knew it, Harley knew it, most of their friends knew it, but Foster Mom and Dad didn’t seem to know it yet. Finally, it has clicked in with them that they are my forever family. They told Harley and me this morning.

I’m really pleased about this, even though I thought it might never happen. They know and I know that I have a long way to go to become a really confident girl, but here, with them, I feel the most comfortable that I can be right now. My buddy Harley understands me and we like our quiet, happy lives.

Thanks so much for reading about me and cheering me on when I’d get scared or discouraged. I’m sure I’ll get to write again for the “Happy Endings” pages of the website. Here’s a picture of me (on the right) with my buddy Harley doing our favorite thing together.


Your friend always,

Sandy

Friday, October 24, 2014

Hi, everyone, this is Sandy. I just found out from FD that I have a sponsor! I’m thrilled that someone reads about me and I’m also so happy that your contribution will help RAGOM pay for the great health care that I’ve gotten and that many other senior dogs like me need in order to live the Golden Life. I’m very grateful to Mid B for your sponsorship!

I’m enjoying our latest guests, Champ (14-278) and Cocoa (14-279). I can tell how much braver I’ve become since I came to RAGOM when I look at how much fun I have with these two guys. We all do our happy dance together when we’re getting ready to eat and getting ready to go outside. I have to work hard to push in to get my scritchies competing with 3 other dogs, but I can do it now.


I hope to write to you all again soon.

Your friend Sandy

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Sandy has managed to settle right back into our routine since she has returned and we’re really glad to have her. We’re sorry that her adoption didn’t work out, but her family made a tough but loving decision to return her to RAGOM. We aren’t seeing any signs of the stress here that she was showing in her adoptive home.

We are temporarily fostering two dogs right now – Champ (14-278) and Cocoa (14-279). Sandy has adapted very well to them. There were a couple of grumbles on day 1 when the boys got into what she considered her space, but they soon went away as they got better acquainted. Here is Sandy sharing one of her comfy dog beds with Cocoa after breakfast this morning.

Over the past year and a half, we have fostered a number of breeder girls who, like Sandy, came to us un-socialized, scared of almost everything new, and very uncertain of what their place was in this new world. One of the things we’ve found about working with these girls is that we quickly become so attuned to them. Almost every day, we can start to see the tiniest of changes as these girls slowly, slowly learn what it is like to lead the Golden Life. We’ve learned that this journey is not weeks, not months, but likely years. Slow it may be, but so rewarding to share with them their dozens of small victories.

Sandy has come far in her life with us – from the dog who lay alone in the corner, fearfully watching the goings-on in this scary new world, to joining the other dogs in investigating all manner of interesting things happening in her house. She is now to the point where she is part of the pack, but, in her typical Sandy way, she always hangs back a bit – she is always observing as well as participating. Unlike “normal” dogs, she has never been able to go “all in” during play time or investigation.

Since our two temporary foster boys have been here, she has enjoyed their company, but still has always maintained the little bit of reserve. Last evening, we went downstairs to our TV room to spend some quality time with our two cats. Champ and Cocoa had to stay upstairs because they bark at and chase the kitties. Much to RD Harley’s and Sandy’s disappointment, we have asked them to keep the boys company upstairs while we give the cats some attention.

None of the dogs are particularly happy about this arrangement, so we have gotten used to hearing a certain amount of pacing going on upstairs. Usually, after 15 minutes or so, everything calms down and the dogs go back to their naps. Last night, however, suddenly all hell broke loose! Every dog started barking furiously and we heard scratching and loud thumping coming from upstairs. It sounded like a bear had wandered in from the woods and was clawing at our front door, trying to get in and eat us all – serious stuff!

While FM stayed with the cats, I cautiously made my way to the stairs and very slowly walked up. There, stretched out on her side with one paw under the dog gate was Sandy who was determinedly (and loudly) attempting to pull back on the gate to get it open. Standing around her were her three partners in crime who were furiously barking encouragement to her as she worked. When I appeared on the stairs, the crowd quickly dispersed and scurried away from the stairs back into the living room. As they hurried away, Sandy turned and looked back at me, and I swear I saw a little smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye – another small victory on the road to the Golden Life.

If you want to share life’s journey with a sweet, loving girl, Sandy might be the dog for you. We think she needs routine, patience, and a quiet home. She would appreciate having a calm, confident dog to show her what to do and to be her companion. Please let your Placement Advisor know if you are interested in learning more. We would be glad to talk to you about her.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Hi, everybody, Sandy here again. I had the most wonderful weekend and I just had to tell you all about it! We got up early Saturday morning. FM and FD said that I was going into town with them, but that Harley had to stay here to guard the house. Harley looked disappointed, but I knew that he secretly would enjoy the chance to sleep all day.

We headed into town and ended up at a nice house in a place called Eden Prairie. I showed off my dog skills by heading right in through the door with no hesitation. Guess who was there waiting for me? It was my old friend from the breeding farm – Dakota. She and I were breeder dogs together for years and years (we are actually half-sisters as well as we have the same father) and then, about a year ago, some people came for her and took her away. I never found out what had happened to her.

Now, truth be told, Dakota can be a bit of a grouch sometimes, so I wasn’t surprised when she gave me a growl and a sharp bark. I decided to be a good guest and ignore it. It wasn’t long before she was just fine and we had a nice nap together under the dining room table while the humans had what they called “brunch.” All I could see was that it seemed to be a second breakfast (I thought if Dakota’s mom and dad were good hosts, they would have given us dogs a second one too, but they didn’t). It was great to see Dakota again and to see that she had a very nice mom and dad who obviously loved her very much. I could see how happy she was to have a forever family.

After brunch, we all got back into the car to head for a place called Chuck and Don’s. When we got there, we went into a big room that was filled with dogs and people. It was loud! FM and FD found a nice, reasonably quiet corner for me to sit in. I started to enjoy things more when people and dogs started coming up to say hello to me. I got a lot of attention. I knew from FD that these events were held to give us RAGOM dogs a chance to meet people who might become our forever families, so I was on the alert.

Pretty soon, a couple came up to me and had their two dogs with them. It turned out that the dogs were named Grizzly and Colby. They were really nice. Both were older dogs, like me, and they were big boys! They made me feel quite petite. I liked them because they were friendly, but they were also laid-back and respectful (just like me). Their mom and dad came up to me and talked to me softly and petted me a lot. They told me that they had come to Chuck and Don’s just to meet me. Pretty soon, they took my leash and we went for a walk around the parking lot. They talked to me all the time. When we came back in, I saw FM and FD looking at each other and saw smiles on their faces and I started to realize that these folks could be my forever family. Before they left, I heard them talking to FM and FD about talking again tomorrow.

After they and the boys were gone, I sat back for a minute. Wow, this could be it, I thought. I liked them a lot! Suddenly, it didn’t seem all that important to me to “meet and greet” anyone else at the meeting, plus I was really tired from the long ride and all the excitement. I decided to curl up and take a nice nap and dream a bit about my possible forever home.

The next day (Sunday), FM and FD came over to me as I was snoozing (I’m on your left) and told me that I was “Adoption Pending.”

They explained that my new forever family was going on a vacation and when they got back, they would come and pick me up and take me with them and the boys and we’d all go to my new forever home together. What a weekend this was! I think I’ll be sad to leave here as I’ve really enjoyed it, but finding my forever home is so exciting. I’ll have some time in the next couple of weeks to say my goodbyes to everyone. I’ll try to write you at least one more update before I leave. Goodbye for now and thanks for reading about me.

Your friend,
Sandy


Sunday, May 25, 2014

It’s been a busy and very productive week for Sandy. Last Saturday, we took her and our resident dog, Harley, to her first Meet and Greet event in Northfield. With a previously unsocialized dog like Sandy, we never know how well she will react to meeting lots of people and other dogs for the first time. She did just great. She is still a bit shy, but she loved the attention she got from the people and she enjoyed being with the other dogs. Sandy and FD are in the foreground.

On Wednesday, Sandy went back to the Vet to have the last of her surgical staples removed. Dr. Jean said that she looked great. We are adding a Senior Supplement to her food to make sure that her body’s immune system is as strong as it can possibly be. This turned out to be a real bonus for Sandy as she loves the taste of the chewable tablets! We have now resumed our daily one-mile walks and Sandy loves them too. She does her little happy dance when she sees the leashes being taken down from their hooks.

Please note that we have changed Sandy’s requirements list at the top her web page to “Fence – Optional” instead of “Fence required.” While we know that Sandy would enjoy having a fenced yard, we now feel that she will get all of the exercise she needs with a good walk or two every day. Sandy definitely will need a forever home with another dog. She takes many of her cues from our resident dog and is so much more comfortable and relaxed when she is around him. A family with older kids (10+) is required as she does not like sudden, loud noises or unexpected quick movements. FM and FD are both retired and we think that Sandy would be a wonderful, laid-back companion for an older single or a couple. She just wants to be with you, sleep in the sunshine, and take her daily walks.

We want to thank Mike and Chris as well as the M family for the icons that now appear at the top of Sandy’s web page. Our Vet has told us several times that she has been surprised, and very pleased, to see that RAGOM goes the extra mile with their senior dogs in authorizing thorough veterinary care. Sandy’s surgery for her tumors, the X-rays, and the lab analysis were expensive. Gifts like these help us to give our senior boys and girls the medical care that they deserve. Thanks!

Finally, thank you to those of you who have let us know how much you have enjoyed Sandy’s commentary on her new, Golden Life. Without giving her a swelled head, we have tried to let her know that people look forward to reading what she has to say.

Hi again, everyone – Sandy here. I don’t have too much to add to what FM and FD had to say. It has been a really fun week. I should let you know that yesterday I did get the scare of my life. I woke up from a nap to find FD taking both of the living room dog beds outside. I looked out and saw him shaking both of them violently and then he actually started beating and pounding on them! I was really shocked and horrified. He came back inside without them and I thought that this might be the end of what I had come to believe was my new Golden Life. How was I going to get along without soft dog beds?

Finally, after a couple of hours (it seemed like more to me), he brought both beds back inside. I went right over to check them out. Thankfully, they appeared to have somehow survived his attack. I lay right down on one of them and I didn’t get back up until we took our walk just before supper. Sometimes I just don’t understand why humans do what they do, but all seems well now, so I think I’ll just try to go with the flow.

FM told me that next Thursday I get to go to the groomers for “the works” – a bath, blow dry, trim, comb-out, and a pedicure. I know I like baths and being combed, so I think I’m going to like this. Harley has gone there and he tells me that I’ll really enjoy it. Hopefully, we’re going to be at more Meet and Greets in the next few weeks, so you can get to see the “new” me.

Thanks, as always, for reading about me.

- Your friend Sandy


Friday, May 16, 2014

Well, Sandy has had her spay surgery and is on the road to recovery. A couple of days after her surgery, we woke up to find that the little stinker had been pulling out her staples, so it was back to Dr. Jean to get new staples and also the dreaded “collar of shame.” Sandy wasn’t a happy camper.

Unfortunately we also received some concerning news. Dr. Jean removed three mammary tumors and the tests came back indicating that they were cancerous. The good news was that the cancer is not fast-growing. It appears that Dr. Jean got all of it, and there is no evidence that the cancer has metastasized.

For Sandy, this will mean that we, and her future forever family, will have to continue to monitor her health, but there is no reason not to expect her to continue to happily live out her life. For Foster Mom and Dad (FM & FD), this news was hard to hear at first and of course, we were very concerned. We don’t like the unknown and we worry about bad things happening even as we realize that the chances of them happening are quite small. As we’re learning as we do more fostering, dogs take an entirely different view of the future than we do. We can learn a lot from them. Here’s Sandy’s take on things:

Hi, everyone. Sandy here. I can’t honestly tell you much about this surgery stuff because all I know is that we went for a nice ride, went into the vet’s……and that’s all I can remember! I stayed there overnight which was a little scary, but I was really tired and slept most of the time…and I got fed canned dog food which I never get here. It was really, really good.

FM and FD were kind of sad the first couple of days after they talked to Dr. Jean. I heard them talking about what would happen to me “in the future.” I had to sit them both down and ask them some blunt questions – “Are we still going for our walk this afternoon? Are we still going to have treats when we come back? Can Harley and I go out on the deck and sleep in the sun? Will all of us animals have supper tonight about 5:00? After dishes, can all the animals and people go downstairs and watch TV or movies together? Then will we all go into the bedroom and go to sleep on our beds?” They thought about it for a while and told me that the answer to all of my questions was “YES.” “One more question, I said…do you think I’ll still find my forever family some day?” They both nodded and smiled. They said that the right person or family is going to show up when the time is right and I’ll be able to have my own forever family. “Well then,” I said, “you’ve answered all my questions about the future. My future looks just fine to me!!!”

Thanks for reading about me again.

Your friend,
Sandy


Monday, April 21, 2014

Sandy and her big foster brother Harley went with us on a five-hour round trip yesterday for Easter dinner with all of the relatives. This was Sandy’s first trip away from home except for Vet visits and she did great. However, we have pretty tired pups in the house today, so please be careful when reading her account as it may start you yawning.

Hi everyone, this is Sandy. Foster Mom and Dad woke me up this afternoon and said that I had to type up an update all about my big trip yesterday. I just can’t seem to keep my eyes open for very long today, but I’ll try my best.


I had a pretty good time yesterday. FD said there were 13 people there – believe me, there were LOTS! FD or FM kept me on a leash near them so I didn’t get very scared. Harley and I got to go into one of the bedrooms where it was quiet while everyone ate. After dinner, we all went out to Uncle Frank’s farm where a bunch of us went for a long walk out in the fields. It was hot and we got pretty tired. Then it was back in the car for the long ride home. I laid down in the back and went to sleep, and the next thing I knew, we were home.

Today has been tough. I just can’t seem to stay awake for very long. I want you to know though that I’m not the only one. Harley is just as tired as I am.


I think that I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. I met an itty-bitty 6-lb. dog and got along with her (actually, I pretty much ignored her, to tell you the truth). I let the kids pet me and I gave everyone my best smile. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take another little nap before suppertime. FD got out our antler bones to chew on, but Harley and I are just too pooped to chew them…..maybe tomorrow.


FD here again. We had some very good news this week. Sandy does not have any thyroid problems and does not have ringworm. We’re good to go with getting her spayed and getting the mammary tumors removed and analyzed. Sandy’s surgery is scheduled for May 1st that all goes well. When that work is done, we’re looking forward to finding her forever family. We’ll likely be going to some Meet and Greets starting the latter part of May. If you’re interested in learning more about Sandy, please let your Placement Advisor know. We’d be glad to talk to you about her anytime.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Hi everyone, this is Sandy. This is my first time on the computer, so please forgive my typing. Foster Mom (FM) and Foster Dad (FD) said that I need to tell folks how I am doing in my new life. Today is the end of the third week I’ve been here with FM and FD. I think that I like it a lot! The whole house is full of padded dog beds which I really, really like. Harley, the resident dog, and I have worked it out between us that it is first-come-first-served when it comes to napping places, so I don’t have to worry about guarding my space anymore. He’s an older dog, like me, so we get along fine. Today, FM & FD couldn’t stop laughing at us. They went off to play golf and when they came back, Harley and I were both sound asleep on the dog beds in the bedroom and neither one of us heard them come in. It was pretty embarrassing to wake up and discover them standing over us!

I made my second trip to the Vet on Wednesday. Dr. Jean said that the worms are almost gone and my ears look great. However, she is postponing my spay surgery (whatever that is) until she can figure out if I have some thyroid problems or not. She drew some blood (I didn’t like that much) and is sending it somewhere to have someone look at it. I have to tell you that the car trip was interesting. FM and FD told me that I was going all by myself (without Harley). This was the first time I had gone anywhere without him. I have to confess that I was a little scared at first (actually, much as I hate to admit it, FD had to lift me up into the back of the van). Once we got going, though, it turned out not to be so bad. In fact, I jumped right back into the car all by myself when the appointment was over. Dr. Jean even said that I was a “really good dog.” Doing so well on my own made me feel proud. FD says that I had a smile on my face the rest of the day.


I really am liking it here, but FD tells me that one day I’m going to have a forever family of my own and I think I’m really looking forward to that. Thanks for reading about me! I’ll write again soon.

FD here – Sandy is doing very well. Each day that goes by, she gets a little braver. Quick movements and loud noises still scare her, but she recovers quickly. Between the concern about her thyroid and the possibility that she might also have ringworm (which can be contagious), we are being cautious and not taking her to any Meet and Greet events until we understand her medical situation more clearly. Answers to these questions are expected in ten days or so. We think that Sandy will need another confident dog in her forever family. She does well with kids, but will do best with 10+-year-old kids who are dog-savvy and understand her need for a relatively quiet environment. A single person or a couple looking for a loving companion who loves walks and naps would be a great match. She is pretty laid-back, but she is really starting to get animated when she sees that we’re getting ready to take a walk – her tail starts wagging and she begins wiggling all over.