Smoki 13-434

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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
12/25/2013 Physical fence required Yes Optional No
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Smoki is a Golden mix; we think there may be a little Greyhound in him because he has a rather long nose, but he does have a Lab tail. He is six years old, up to date on shots, heartworm negative, and we think he weighs about 55 lbs. He will be going to his first vet appointment this Saturday, Jan 25th. He does have what looks like a slightly crooked leg in the front; it could have been either congenital or maybe something happened when he was a pup, but it doesn't bother him or his motion. This boy is the sweetest boy, likes other dogs (we have three Irish Setters), not so great about cats, but we have had people over to our house and he is their instant friend. He is a joy to have around. He likes to sleep on his bed and he will pick the place to sleep surrounded by toys, of course.

I would say that he would do better with a fence at this point due to the fact that if given the chance, he might take advantage of taking off. He was with cats with his original owner and he does not do well with cats at this point. As far as other dogs, he has not had a problem with our three for the time he has been in our house, which has been a week today; they are all getting along for the most part at this stage of the game. We have not tested him around kids yet, although when he was picked up at the owner's home, he got a little anxious at another volunteer's son that was with him. It could have been because of the quick movements, etc., but did not lunge or bite or show any aggressive behavior aside from anxiousness. This may need to be tested a little more, though.

Two things that we have been working on this first week are being in a crate and also stairs. He wasn't too familiar with either one of them when we got him. He mastered the stairs and is getting a lot better about going in the crate. He will go into the kennel by himself, and especially if he knows there is a treat in there or his food, he goes right away. He still is getting used to being in there, but has come a long way. He has done extremely well the first week. I will give another update in a few days along with a picture after he goes to the vet.

 

At a Glance #13-434

Mixed Breed Born: October 2008
Male 65 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
12/25/2013 Physical fence required Yes Optional No
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Smoki is a Golden mix; we think there may be a little Greyhound in him because he has a rather long nose, but he does have a Lab tail. He is six years old, up to date on shots, heartworm negative, and we think he weighs about 55 lbs. He will be going to his first vet appointment this Saturday, Jan 25th. He does have what looks like a slightly crooked leg in the front; it could have been either congenital or maybe something happened when he was a pup, but it doesn't bother him or his motion. This boy is the sweetest boy, likes other dogs (we have three Irish Setters), not so great about cats, but we have had people over to our house and he is their instant friend. He is a joy to have around. He likes to sleep on his bed and he will pick the place to sleep surrounded by toys, of course.

I would say that he would do better with a fence at this point due to the fact that if given the chance, he might take advantage of taking off. He was with cats with his original owner and he does not do well with cats at this point. As far as other dogs, he has not had a problem with our three for the time he has been in our house, which has been a week today; they are all getting along for the most part at this stage of the game. We have not tested him around kids yet, although when he was picked up at the owner's home, he got a little anxious at another volunteer's son that was with him. It could have been because of the quick movements, etc., but did not lunge or bite or show any aggressive behavior aside from anxiousness. This may need to be tested a little more, though.

Two things that we have been working on this first week are being in a crate and also stairs. He wasn't too familiar with either one of them when we got him. He mastered the stairs and is getting a lot better about going in the crate. He will go into the kennel by himself, and especially if he knows there is a treat in there or his food, he goes right away. He still is getting used to being in there, but has come a long way. He has done extremely well the first week. I will give another update in a few days along with a picture after he goes to the vet.

 

Updates

Monday, March 10, 2014

Hi Folks: Smoki and FM here. I think we are getting ready either to get a treat or to go outside; I like both of those things.


Well, two big things happened this week. I got kid tested and passed with flying colors. I went up to meet Emily W's daughter who is two years old and she was very cute. She kept petting me and patting my head. She also tried to hug me, holding my head, and it was sort of tight, but I didn't mind it as long as I could see what was going on and she wasn't pulling me to make it hurt. Anyway, it was fun and I think I might like to be around kids as long as they don't pull me or make me afraid.

The other big thing is that I am meeting a potential "furever home." She is coming down to FM/FD home on Thursday evening. I really like it here, but I am really excited to meet her. She lives in Minneapolis, and I know there are a lot of exercise opportunities and chances to meet new people. I'll let you know how it goes. I know that she is excited as well.

Well, Smoki is busy relaxing, so I will take a little time here. I am really excited for him to meet a potential adopter. She is indeed coming down on Thursday and I am hoping that it will go okay; she sounds very nice. Smoki is doing very well. There are a few little things that need to be noted. While he generally gets along with other dogs, he could probably do just as well to be the only dog in the house. He does usually defer to the other dogs unless there is a toy or treat involved. He needs to be reminded that toys and treats are always in abundance, usually enough to go around for everybody. He also needs to know that there are boundaries as far as "no" meaning "no" and that when someone wants to watch TV or not have him interrupting them, he needs to be reminded to go lay down or come back at a later time. These are just minor deals and they certainly have not been a major concern, just little tweaks.

He is a sweet dog. I am so excited for him to meet his first potential adopter. We'll let you know how it goes, and in the meantime, he will be hanging out at the H household and relaxing in the kitchen, bedroom, basement, and wherever he wants to plop down at the time. We'll keep you posted.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Hi folks:

Smoki and foster mom here. Well, it's been a couple of days and this is one of my favorite places to be, one on the bed, of course. I like relaxing, I like the other dogs at the H house, I like having playmates, but if I'm by myself, I can make busy and I usually hang out with my foster dad and/or foster mom. I do bark sometimes outside and these days it has been so cold that I pretty much do my business and come back inside. If I go to the door and also stand by the door, that is a pretty much a given message that I have to go outside. I haven't had a chance to be around any little guys or gals, but am willing to try and see how it goes. Cats don't really thrill me at this point, but I'm pretty good with other dogs.

Smoki is a 5-year-old all-around good guy. We have not gotten the chance yet to test him around kids, but we are hoping there is an opportunity out there to give it a try. He is not shy or skittish, and loves to be part of the action. He does tend to jump up on the door if he wants to go out or he wants to eat, but a firm "no" usually does the trick and he gets the idea. We are still working on having him eat a little slower and a small bowl in his bowl works pretty well at slowing him down. There is someone interested in this great boy; maybe it will be a good fit. He will definitely make a great addition to any family. He likes to play with his toys, but he also likes to play with our resident dogs, Casey and Finnegan. I also put a toy in his kennel when we are gone. Well, we will see what this week brings, maybe an unreversed home... Nobody will be sorry to have this great guy in their home.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Well, Smoki here. We were outside this morning, my foster brother Casey and I were anyway, and FM kept calling us to pose, but there was something much more interesting in the snow. Not sure what it was, but I had to keep trying to figure out what it was... There is so much snow around that it is great to run around in it and just have a good time playing around. She was trying to get good pics. I hope these show you how sweet I look and how inquisitive I can be if there is something that I need to look for now. I love all this snow, though, but I do get excited when someone walks by on the street, or when there is another dog that is in the street that is walking by the house, I bark a few times, but then I realize that I am on the one side of the fence and they are on the other side, and we can look at each other.

  

I will tell you that Smoki likes to play. He likes to play either with one of the other dogs or with his toys by himself as well. He will play and play for about 10 minutes, then he will be more than happy to lay on his blanket and just "chill." Smoki is flexible; he just rolls with the flow. We are working a bit also on jumping, he does jump at the door when he wants to go out and also when he wants to go downstairs to eat his breakfast or dinner. He also knows that he gets a treat before he goes to bed, so now he knows where in the kitchen to sit by the treat jar. He doesn't counter surf, doesn't chew, doesn't whine, no begging for food either. The last few times that we have been in the car, I make sure that I bring a few treats as well. Sometimes he hesitates a little bit when getting in the car, and as long as he knows he is getting a treat when he gets in there, he is pretty good.

Smoki here again. Today is a great Sunday. It's been really cold and FM has taken me on a few short walks. I love to see new things, but we have only gone out for a little while since it has been so cold and snowy....I do like having other playmates around. You can always play and it's nice to have company. We are all in our kennels when FM/FD are at work, but it's a good gig because we all have blankets in our kennels, we're all together, the radio is on, and we get TREATS when we go in the kennel. This has been a good house to go to for this time.

Michelle here again. It's almost time for dinner for at least the four-legged friends. If I know Smoki, he will either be sitting on me or sitting on my husband when we are watching TV. When it's time to go to bed, he will hop on the bed and dream of tomorrow... That's it for today; more in a few days, at least before he leaves our house.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Wow, today we got to go to another meet-and-greet in Edina. It was great. There were a lot of people and pups there as well. Murphy, Izzi, Skylar (pretty new gal to RAGOM), Billy, Ozzie, so many that I can't remember them all, but they were all really nice. There were also a lot of people looking at us and I put my best face forward for this picture. My foster mom got some pics, but there was so much excitement that I hope some of them are good.

  

  

Smoki is such a wonderful guy. He is mellow, playful, gentle, sweet; gets along with all of our dogs; is willing to share his toys; and is just a very nice fellow to have around at any time. He likes to be a lap dog. His favorite postition is to have his front feet on you and have his back feet on the floor. I think he is trying to make up his mind whether he wants to come up, or if something better comes along, he can race away. He really likes to be a part of the action in the house, but he does like to be apart from the action as well. I think he likes to collect his thoughts, and sometimes with our resident dogs, things can get a little bit action-packed, but he is so flexible and is fine by himself in his "spot" or with everybody else. He does like to play with the other dogs, but when he is done, he's done.

He will make himself known when he is outside. He does do a little barking when someone comes by and we found out that he doesn't really like the garbage man, but since he is in a fenced yard, he barks a little while, but that is about it. He also likes to have a routine and he likes to have things in a certain way. For example, he will go into his kennel before he eats and also when we have to go to work, because he knows this is the routine. I think that our resident dogs and him all carry on conversations when we are gone. Sometimes I wonder what they say...

Smoki was so good at the meet-and-greet today. There was a lot going on and he was a real trouper. There were treats all around as well and he was a complete gentleman for getting a treat. I haven't had a chance for him to really run, but the way he runs around the yard and the excitement that he has when he goes out shows me that he likes to be outside. He is really good about letting us know when he needs to go out as well. He will stand and paw at the door and also do a little jump when he wants to go out.

There is more snow on the way... He loves it. We'll see how much he loves running around in the white stuff over the next few days. That's it from this end for a few days. We'll catch you up in a few days.

Monday, February 10, 2014

This is Smoki. I'm doing a short update today since FM is under the weather today. Things are going pretty good these days. I really like sleeping on the bed; it gives me a little space to call my own and it's comfortable. I love going up and down the stairs now and I don't mind being in my kennel, because the other three dogs are right with me and we are all together. I did find out that the garbage trucks going by get me excited, so I let out a few barks, and there are a few people that walk the dogs around this neighborhood and that gets me a little excited, so I do bark a little at that as well. The main thing I really like is playing around out in the yard and running around, and as long as there is a fence, then I know I am safe. FM and FD have been working on having me be a little gentler when I get my treats so I don't grab as much. She gives me my treat with a flat hand which is easier for me to get and I don't have to grab. We get a treat every night before we go to bed. I also really like being with FM/FD watching TV on the couch, like a family affair. One thing we are also working on is "sit" and "come." I know how to do it and I usually do, but sometimes I need a little push and a little repeating to get it done, but it's coming along.

There has been some company here over the past week as well and I am such a people person, that I went up to them right away and was wagging my tail. They were friends of FD and they were really nice.

It's a Sunday afternoon and we are all taking a nap. I'm going to go check on how FM is doing and even though she's sick, she'll probably pet me and want me to lay beside her and watch TV.

That's all from today. We'll keep you posted in a few days.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Well, all the two-legged and four-legged creatures are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl at our house today. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, Smoki, Casey (foster brother), and I went on a walk yesterday, it was a nice day out and we were able to go on about a 20-minute walk. Smoki gets excited at first when he knows he is going on a walk, and also because at the first of the walk, he is still getting used to his Gentle Leader. He does settle down, though, and walks very nicely with a Gentle Leader. Our resident dog tends to pull and he is quite a bit bigger than Smoki, but Smoki does like to walk after he settles down with the Gentle Leader. He really likes to look at things as well when he is walking. I think he is so interested in the world around him, and while we haven't had the chance to really run for a long period of time, he runs and chases our resident dog, Finnegan, when they are outside. I should point out as well that he does like being outside, but when he is done, that's it. He likes to be outside for sure, but lately, he goes outside and when he is done, he really likes to come in and just be around his people. His favorite thing is to lay on his bed in the middle of the room, where he knows there is action. If the other dogs are barking at someone outside or passing by, Smoki will bark a few times here and there, go to the window and look out, and then lose interest to go do something else. I think he would rather concentrate on what is going on inside the house, rather than outside.

Okay, change of situation here. I took the writing over for my FM as she is tending to the Super Bowl snacks. I have discovered some things this week. I have learned that being in a kennel is not that bad, because I always get out and I actually feel safe in there. My foster mom was on the treadmill and I was in my kennel, and the others were in there as well for about an hour, and I actually fell asleep; there were blankets and everything in there. My foster mom gives us treats and carrots every time we go in there, so it's not that bad. I also know when it is time to eat and also go to bed. My FM gives us treats every night before we go to bed and I can always tell when it is chow time, as I can hear the bowls getting ready and the food going in the bowl. They have comfortable beds here and I really like watching TV with my foster dad. We've walked around the neighborhood and I love running around in the yard.

Well, that's it from the H house for today. Stay tuned and we'll send you some more news in a day or two.


Getting ready for the Super Bowl


Smoki and foster brother, Casey

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Well, I'm writing this for Smoki since he is busy going up and down the stairs to check and see if he is missing anything while my husband is working downstairs. By the time I get up in the morning, he is already down there checking things out, and by the way, he goes into his kennel now with no hesitation at all. At this point, we are feeding him in the kennel since we feed our three in their kennels and it gives them a little time to be able to relax while they eat their food. I think that he would do okay if he were to be fed out of his kennel, but he likes to relax after he eats for a little while; I think he is chilling out. He eats pretty fast and we are working on getting him to eat a bit slower. I have been putting a small bowl in his food dish and it forces him to eat around it, and this does slow him down a bit. He gets fed twice a day and dang if he already knows when it is time to eat, time for treats, time to go out, and yes, even time for bed.

Speaking of bed, he got up on the bed last night and slept there all night. He definitely likes to be up there. It might actually happen again tonight. I'm going to see if I can get a pic of all four of the four-legged friends up on the bed...should be interesting.


Smoki found a new place to sleep

One thing I will say for sure is he is a Velcro dog to some extent. He does not have very high self-esteem and always needs to be in the view of somebody or around them at some point. This might have something to do with the fact that he was a primarily outside dog for some months and was not very involved with "his people." As long as he knows there is someone he can hang around and be close to, he will be just fine. He likes to put his feet up on the couch or the bed if someone is there or watching TV, and I believe this sends another assurance signal to him that he is safe and cared for at this point. He likes to be part of the family, and right now, his bed is in the living room and he is content to lay on that as well because he knows he can see everybody.

Well, he is still running around and mostly hanging out in the basement. It's been too cold to take a walk, but now that the weather is warming up a bit, I think we will take a stroll and see what happens at that point. Next time, we'll delve into the treats and toys scenarios..stay tuned. We'll keep you posted in a couple of days.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Well, this is Smoki and Foster Mom here. We had a big day yesterday. First, I went to the vet for my first vet visit. I'm here to tell you that there were a lot of people and pets there, but I was a real trouper and was really interested in looking at everyone. We went into the exam room and I thought I'd better let them know that I was there, so I lifted my leg for the steel table, but it was not a big deal because somebody just came and wiped it up. The vet was really nice and she was petting me all the time as well. They put a little needle in me that had a microchip in it, and now if I'm ever lost, it will be easier to find me for sure. There were treats also, and everybody was really nice and the place was really clean. I passed the vet exam and also the fecal test with flying colors; it was great.

After the vet, Smoki and I went to our first meet/greet at the Petco in Burnsville. It was fantastic, Smoki did such a great job. There was a lot of dogs, people, things to see and smell and look at; what a treat. Ozzie, Babe, Bella, Jill, and Raelynne are the ones that I remember as being there, and oh yea....Blondie also was there - she is really cute and I think Smoki has a girlfriend with her now. He was a great ambassador for RAGOM, and he was friendly to all the other dogs that were there as well. He was very tired last night and hung out in the living room on his bed pretty much all night. I think he had a great time.


Having a good time at the meet/greet

We have been working on a couple of things since he has been here. One of the things that he first had a problem with was stairs. He wasn't used to them and he was very hesitant to go down them, at the beginning. I guided him down the stairs with a leash and gave him a treat when he would go all the way down and also back upstairs. We worked on it quite a few times, and if you took baby steps with him, he was very good. He also had a concern about going in his kennel. Our dogs eat in their kennels, and so Smoki and I GRADUALLY worked on having him go in the kennel. I put a treat halfway in the kennel, making him go to get it, but then would put it further and further back in the kennel. It took him a little while, but now he goes in very easily and I think he knows that he will be able to always come out. We are also working on getting him not to eat quite as fast because he has the tendency to gobble his food, and a small bowl in the middle of his food seems to slow him down for a while. We are finding out as well that he now likes to be in the basement with my husband when he is at his desk, and he also likes to be in where the action is, but he is more than content to lay on his bed as long as he is with everybody.

Well, that's all for today. He is resting on his bed at this point and we are working on getting him to go on the bed. He will go on there, but won't stay on the bed; I think it is because one of our dogs is on the bed. We'll get him to be comfortable on there as well.

As a last note, we have found out that he likes bananas and carrots - good treats. We'll keep you posted on updates in a day or two.


On a snowy afternoon


Enjoying the snow


Enjoying the morning