Betty 12-101

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Profile

Sponsored by:

Harley & Marti
"A forever thank you to Nikki, Sam and the boys from their other boy, Harley!"

A portion of Betty's medical care was paid for by a generous grant from the Golden Retriever Foundation's April Fund

Love, Archie and Clyde Love, Archie and Clyde

Good luck finding your furever home! Say hi to Sam and Niki for me! Love, Zeek Good luck finding your furever home! Say hi to Sam and Nikki for me! Love, Zeek

Gary and Jill Fedo Gary and Jill Fedo

 

This dog came into RAGOM from a commercial breeder and has not been adequately socialized to humans. RAGOM requires that any adoptive homes contain a physical fence (due to the risk of escape); another fairly confident medium to large sized dog to role model from (everything is new and scary for them); no children under 10 years old in the home (normal kid behavior scares these dogs). Our goal is to find the forever family for these dogs and our experience leads us to use these criteria.

March 31, 2012

Betty came to our house on March 25th from a commercial breeder that was going out of business. We want to give a HUGE shout out to the volunteers that drove hundreds of miles to rescue not only Betty, but 28 other Golden Retrievers, as well. We also want to acknowledge the countless volunteers that stayed up all night to welcome them with loving arms. You guys are amazing and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

Betty will be 2 years old in August and has a beautiful cream colored coat. Prior to RAGOM she did not have much contact with humans and is very timid and shy. However, she has latched onto our resident dogs, Bauer and Cooper. Our boys have been wonderful with her and have been showing her what the Golden life is all about!

Here is a breakdown of her first few days in our house:

Day 1: Betty had to be carried inside, and was too terrified to even make eye contact with us. When we would make eye contact, she would start to tremble and shake. Except for a potty break, she spent the day in her crate, getting used to all the noises a house makes. She completely perked up and her tail started to wag the instant she saw our boys walk near her crate. She even smiled as if to say, "YAY! Friends!" We carried her out for a potty break and she ran right up to our boys as if she had just been reunitied with long lost friends. She was SO happy to see them and happily trotted alongside them when we were outside. She didn't even seem to mind the multiple collars and leashes attached to her for her safety. When it was time to go inside, however, Betty froze, so we carried her back inside and back into her crate.

Day 2: We carried Betty outside again for a potty break. She seemed to thouroughly enjoy her time outside with our boys - and even picked up one of their balls to play! When it was time to go back inside the house, she watched our boys and was brave enough to go thru the doorway on her very own! That’s a big step for a dog like Betty since she has never seen doorways before. Today was also the day she ate a little food from her dish. She was just laying down in her crate and around 8pm we heard “crunch, crunch,crunch”. Good girl, Betty!

Day 3: Betty came out of the crate on her own today, exploring the family room, and then discovering the stairs! Slowly she crawled up, out the door to the garage, and then after getting her long line attached, went straight out into the yard (with us on the other end of the leash, of course!) When we came back in, she cautiously followed Bauer upstairs to see this new space. Then she followed him back down the stairs to explore the family room. For the rest of the night, all we did was up and down, up and down. :) Betty also began to come closer to us, especially if we are with the boys. She will sniff us on her own terms but is very afraid if we reach out to pet her. She takes a wide berth whenever she comes near us. We decided to cut up some hotdogs, and with Cooper by our side, fed him a few pieces. Then we would stretch out our hand in Betty's direction, and she would cautiously walk over, take the piece of hot dog, and run back to her safe spot. She did this several times and we were very proud of her for taking a little step forward in trusting us!

Day 4: Betty is now eating in the kitchen with our dogs and licks her bowl clean! She has had a few accidents in the house, which is to be expected since she doesn't know anything about potty training yet. That will come in time. She has kept her crate clean and has not had any accidents during the work day or overnight. She is starting to come a little closer to us and will make eye contact with us, but she isn't so sure she wants us to pet her. Of course we are giving her some space and respecting her wishes. :)

Day 5: Betty went to the vet and weighed in at 44 lbs, which is the perfect weight for her. She was scared when the vet walked in and surprised everyone when she jumped straight into Foster Dad's lap for comfort. :) She has an ear infection and some ear mites, but has tolerated the ear drops like a champ. She is settling in well and has even taken a few naps on the floor next to our boys while we're watching TV. She has also discovered toys and has tried to tear every one of them apart. :)

Day 6: Betty let us pet her! She was such a good girl and let us stroke her very softly. She even let FD massage her ears. Such a big step, and we are so very proud of her!! Betty is smiling more often and has relaxed enough to lay by the patio door, watching the birds in the backyard.

Betty is making progress, but isn't ready for her forever home just yet. She still has a lot of things to overcome and learn about, and we know she'll get there in time. Please check back often to find out how our beautiful girl is adjusting!

At a Glance #12-101

Golden Retriever Born: August 2010
Female Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

Sponsored by:

Harley & Marti
"A forever thank you to Nikki, Sam and the boys from their other boy, Harley!"

A portion of Betty's medical care was paid for by a generous grant from the Golden Retriever Foundation's April Fund

Love, Archie and Clyde Love, Archie and Clyde

Good luck finding your furever home! Say hi to Sam and Niki for me! Love, Zeek Good luck finding your furever home! Say hi to Sam and Nikki for me! Love, Zeek

Gary and Jill Fedo Gary and Jill Fedo

 

This dog came into RAGOM from a commercial breeder and has not been adequately socialized to humans. RAGOM requires that any adoptive homes contain a physical fence (due to the risk of escape); another fairly confident medium to large sized dog to role model from (everything is new and scary for them); no children under 10 years old in the home (normal kid behavior scares these dogs). Our goal is to find the forever family for these dogs and our experience leads us to use these criteria.

March 31, 2012

Betty came to our house on March 25th from a commercial breeder that was going out of business. We want to give a HUGE shout out to the volunteers that drove hundreds of miles to rescue not only Betty, but 28 other Golden Retrievers, as well. We also want to acknowledge the countless volunteers that stayed up all night to welcome them with loving arms. You guys are amazing and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

Betty will be 2 years old in August and has a beautiful cream colored coat. Prior to RAGOM she did not have much contact with humans and is very timid and shy. However, she has latched onto our resident dogs, Bauer and Cooper. Our boys have been wonderful with her and have been showing her what the Golden life is all about!

Here is a breakdown of her first few days in our house:

Day 1: Betty had to be carried inside, and was too terrified to even make eye contact with us. When we would make eye contact, she would start to tremble and shake. Except for a potty break, she spent the day in her crate, getting used to all the noises a house makes. She completely perked up and her tail started to wag the instant she saw our boys walk near her crate. She even smiled as if to say, "YAY! Friends!" We carried her out for a potty break and she ran right up to our boys as if she had just been reunitied with long lost friends. She was SO happy to see them and happily trotted alongside them when we were outside. She didn't even seem to mind the multiple collars and leashes attached to her for her safety. When it was time to go inside, however, Betty froze, so we carried her back inside and back into her crate.

Day 2: We carried Betty outside again for a potty break. She seemed to thouroughly enjoy her time outside with our boys - and even picked up one of their balls to play! When it was time to go back inside the house, she watched our boys and was brave enough to go thru the doorway on her very own! That’s a big step for a dog like Betty since she has never seen doorways before. Today was also the day she ate a little food from her dish. She was just laying down in her crate and around 8pm we heard “crunch, crunch,crunch”. Good girl, Betty!

Day 3: Betty came out of the crate on her own today, exploring the family room, and then discovering the stairs! Slowly she crawled up, out the door to the garage, and then after getting her long line attached, went straight out into the yard (with us on the other end of the leash, of course!) When we came back in, she cautiously followed Bauer upstairs to see this new space. Then she followed him back down the stairs to explore the family room. For the rest of the night, all we did was up and down, up and down. :) Betty also began to come closer to us, especially if we are with the boys. She will sniff us on her own terms but is very afraid if we reach out to pet her. She takes a wide berth whenever she comes near us. We decided to cut up some hotdogs, and with Cooper by our side, fed him a few pieces. Then we would stretch out our hand in Betty's direction, and she would cautiously walk over, take the piece of hot dog, and run back to her safe spot. She did this several times and we were very proud of her for taking a little step forward in trusting us!

Day 4: Betty is now eating in the kitchen with our dogs and licks her bowl clean! She has had a few accidents in the house, which is to be expected since she doesn't know anything about potty training yet. That will come in time. She has kept her crate clean and has not had any accidents during the work day or overnight. She is starting to come a little closer to us and will make eye contact with us, but she isn't so sure she wants us to pet her. Of course we are giving her some space and respecting her wishes. :)

Day 5: Betty went to the vet and weighed in at 44 lbs, which is the perfect weight for her. She was scared when the vet walked in and surprised everyone when she jumped straight into Foster Dad's lap for comfort. :) She has an ear infection and some ear mites, but has tolerated the ear drops like a champ. She is settling in well and has even taken a few naps on the floor next to our boys while we're watching TV. She has also discovered toys and has tried to tear every one of them apart. :)

Day 6: Betty let us pet her! She was such a good girl and let us stroke her very softly. She even let FD massage her ears. Such a big step, and we are so very proud of her!! Betty is smiling more often and has relaxed enough to lay by the patio door, watching the birds in the backyard.

Betty is making progress, but isn't ready for her forever home just yet. She still has a lot of things to overcome and learn about, and we know she'll get there in time. Please check back often to find out how our beautiful girl is adjusting!

Updates

Sunday, March 8, 2015

It's hard to believe that 3 years have gone by since our beautiful girl was rescued from a puppy mill.  Once shy and terrified, she is now a confident girl that nudges the other dogs out of the way for pets and stomps her feet if we stop petting her too soon.  She puts her head in our lap and closes her eyes, enjoying each and every minute.  While she's still shy in new situations - such as when we go to the vet or the local dog food store - she has grown by leaps and bounds and most people are surprised when we tell them her history. She went thru 12 weeks of shy and fearful dog classes at the Canine Coach and it helped her tremendously.  During the first week of class she hid in the corner and was frightened of everything.  During the second class she was still hiding but was brave enough to take treats from the instructor.  By the last class she was mingling with everyone and even learned some obedience!  She can sit like nobody's business, knows down, stay, and has the best recall of any of our dogs (I never thought I would say that!)  She will sit when it's time for dinner, and waits to dig in until we tell her to "eat it up".  One of our RAGOM volunteers, Angie, put together this graphic a couple of years ago and it is one of my favorites - it shows just how far our sweet girl has come!

Life has been a lot of fun for Betty since she joined our family.  She goes to doggy daycare, which has helped her trust new people and she has lots of fun when she's there. She's a great foster sister and always welcomes the other dogs into our home.  She has been a great role model and teaches them how to chase the birds and rabbits from the yard - one of her greatest accomplishments!  She loves to go for walks and is the first one by the door, waiting for her gentle leader to be put on.  She absolutely loves going hiking and we make frequent trips to the state park each month.  She also loves visiting her Uncle Gary and Auntie Jill.  They own a lot of land and Betty is in her happy place there - not only does she get to spend time with her favorite Aunt and Uncle, who also love and adore her, but she gets to run to her hearts content and spend lots of time hiking around their property.  

It doesn't matter what time of year it is - Betty enjoys life to the fullest!  In the summer she loves to go camping and is always the first one to stick her nose in the fire pit while we set up camp - hoping to find leftovers from the previous occupants!  We can always tell what she's been up to, though....

Betty loves playing outside and we spend lots of time out there whenever we can.  We just can't say no when she bats her pretty little eyes at us and wants to go out and play. She missed out on so much before she was rescued that we want to make sure her days with us are nothing but the best.  

We have grown close to the family that adopted Pearl, Betty's litter mate from the puppy mill.  Although they live in Iowa, we have gotten the girls together twice so far and we have had lots of fun together!  Pearl found a great home and we're looking forward to many play dates in the future!  

About a year after we adopted her, our friend Devon came up to our house for a photo shoot.  We expected Betty to be shy and I didn't think we'd get many good pictures of her. She proved us all wrong and was a complete ham for the camera!  She couldn't get enough of it.  Devon took so many gorgeous pictures and we will cherish them forever!  

I know there may be a lot of people out there that are hesitant to adopt a puppy mill dog.  I am grateful every single day that RAGOM brought this wonderful girl into our lives. Betty was rescued with 28 other Golden Retrievers, and they were some of the most scared dogs RAGOM has ever rescued.  They were very close to being considered feral dogs.  Adopting her has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives, and we would have missed out on so much without her.  It's been an amazing experience to watch her grow and learn to trust, and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  We love our baby girl!  

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

When we signed up to foster, we thought it would be perfect for us - we already had 2 resident dogs, so it would be a lot easier to adopt them out into their forever homes, and not keep any. No way will we have 3 resident dogs. Nope, not us! Or so we thought. What we learned is that sometimes life has a way of surprising you.

We fostered 3 dogs before Betty, and our last one was a little difficult. He was an amazing, incredible boy, but he needed a home where he could be an only dog. Since we had 2 residents, things were a little stressful at times. After he was adopted into a wonderful home, we knew our boys needed a break, and so we decided to wait at least a month or two before taking another foster. However, less than a week later, we received an email asking if we could take in one of the Missouri girls - 29 dogs were being rescued from a commercial breeder and needed to find foster homes. We looked at each other, knowing we had room, and thought - how on earth could we say no? We said yes, not knowing how it would change our lives.

Betty came to us an incredibly scared little girl. She was stinky and filthy, covered in urine and feces and scared of eye contact. She was so stressed that she lost 7 pounds in one week, despite eating 5 cups of food a day. The 2nd week she was here, she chewed thru the bottom of her crate, through our carpet. She ran away from us as soon as we entered the room, afraid to come near us. She was a terribly scared little girl.

Over the next 4 months, Betty learned to trust and began to see how incredibly wonderful life can be. Now, she is never without a smile on her face (even when she's eating the toilet paper!), and we simply can not imagine our lives without her. She seeks out pets and runs across the yard to us whenever we call her name, always with a huge grin and wagging tail. She chases birds and squirrels with Bauer and plays fetch with Cooper. The 3 of them are clearly soul mates - one look at them and there's no denying they were always meant to be together. They're inseparable and have an incredible bond.

It is hard to put into words exactly how we feel, but we know Betty is meant to be with us for the rest of her life. She is HOME and we have cried many, many, happy tears!

There are so many wonderful people to thank! To Kathryn, Jen and Jim, Michelle and Bruce, Kim and Kim, Karen, Louise, Suzie, and everyone involved with the rescue and transport of these dogs to freedom - THANK YOU just doesn't seem enough! We will always be incredibly grateful for what you have done. To Harley and Marti for sponsoring our sweet girl - your thoughtfulness will never be forgotten! Your sponsorship helped pay for the wonderful medical care that she received - thank you from the bottom of our hearts! And thank you to Archie and Clyde, Zeek, and Gary and Jill for decorating her page with a Spring icon. It is very touching to know there were so many people out there thinking of her and wishing her the best!

Watch for Betty on the Happy Endings page to hear about her continued progress and wonderful life!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Betty has been with us almost 4 months and we have loved every minute with her! She is almost 2 years old but acts very much like a puppy. She loves to steal shoes, eat toilet paper, and counter surf. She loves to play, loves to wrestle, and loves to get the zoomies! She also loves to watch TV. :) Betty has also started to really love pets! She now comes up to us for pets quite often, and we absolutely love it! She does not like to be pet if we're standing up, but if we're sitting or laying down, she'll come up to us and let us pet her. Sometimes our arms get tired because she stands there for so long! :) One day I stopped and she gave me the sad eyes, so I started petting her again and she was thrilled! We love to see her so happy, and she flashes her gorgeous smile for us all the time these days!

Betty is completely house trained, although we expect she'll have some accidents in her new home as she learns her new environment and routine. She is no longer on any type of medication and has made great strides in foster care. While we initially thought Betty's forever home should be with a family who worked part time, or worked from home, we have watched her blossom over the past few months and believe she'd also do fine with a family that works full time. Her new family will just need to understand there may be bumps in the road but in time she will overcome them and flourish. New things still make her nervous, like going out and about to the local dog food store where there are a lot of people. However, with love, patience, and understanding, we know in time she will start to feel more comfortable in these types of environments.

We went camping this past weekend and wanted to include Betty as we thought she would really enjoy it. Well, we were wrong. Betty didn't just enjoy it, she LOVED it! She was in heaven every single minute we were there. Our initial plan was to keep her tethered to us at the campsite, but we could tell pretty early on that it was making her nervous. So, we attached her to a tie-out for the weekend and she did wonderful. She was wearing both a regular collar and a martingale collar, and trailed another leash in addition to her tie-out. Eventually she won't need all of these precautions, but given this was her first time in this type of environment, we didn't want to take any chances. We kept her tethered to us when we went hiking and she did wonderful. Betty had the time of her life camping and I think she was a little sad when the trip was over. She got to search for sticks, roll in the dirt, go hiking, and sleep in a tent for the first time. She also learned how to swim! It was so wonderful to see her so carefree and having such a great time. I took about 50 pictures during our trip because we were SO excitied for her, but unfortunately I don't have room to include every single one of them. :) Please enjoy our favorites!


Thursday, July 5, 2012

It's your favorite girl - Ms. Betty Lou! I have some BIG news to share with everyone today! No, I'm not adopted yet, but this news is just as big and exciting! I have been successfully weaned off my anxiety meds!!! YIPPEE!!! My foster parents are SO proud of me, they can't stop talking about it! I know the word anxiety is scary for some people, but it's important to understand that I didn't have what you would normally think of as anxiety, I was just stressed out in the beginning from all the changes in my life. Even though I left that scary place behind me and moved into a wonderful foster home, it was still the only home I've ever known and moving from it was a little stressful for me. If you've been reading my updates (and I hope you have!) you know I've come a long way and I'm loving life these days! Thank you again to Harley and Marti for sponsoring me and helping with my medical care - you guys are the BEST!

So, what have I been up to since you last checked in on me? Well, lots of stuff! I've been helping in the garden by doing the weeding...um, I mean, chewing the lilies. I've also been helping FD with the lawn so he doesn't have to mow as much. Maybe I was a cow in a past life?! And not to worry, I help FM out, too - I pull the covers off the bed every morning so it's easier for her to make the bed. I also take some of the toilet paper off the roll so it's all ready for her when she needs to use it. What can I say, I just love to help out!

We've had more people come to visit and I've continued to do well with everyone. A very nice family came to adopt my foster sister Sydney, and I wasn't afraid to go up and sniff them. Then a few days later we had a doggie play date with some friends and I had so much fun! Artie - a former RAGOM boy himself - loves to play just as much as I do, so we had lots and lots of fun together. His parents brought some goodies for us and I wasn't shy about taking treats straight from their hands. I've come a long way, haven't I?! People don't scare me nearly as much as they used to and I now understand that good things come from them. Just the other day I laid down in front of FM's chair, and she reached out to pet me. Now, if you read my past updates, you would know I only let them pet me at certain times. But, I've come to love FM so much that I just let her reach out and pet me, right then and there. I didn't get scared and I didn't run away. I just sat there, closed my eyes, and soaked it all in. I was even a little upset when she stopped!

So, as you can see, I've come a long way in 3 months, and I look forward to finding a special family to help me as I continue to blossom and grow. Could that be you?!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Hi everyone! Wow, that event was so much fun last week! My foster parents were sooooooooooooooo proud of me for being such a good girl. When we got there, I trotted thru the parking lot with my head held high. (Remember, I love walks!) Some people that saw me at the event thought I was nervous. It's true, it was a new experience for me so I wasn't very outgoing like I am at home. But wouldn't you be scared, too, if you spent the first 18 months of your life in a small kennel run with little to no human contact? My foster family has been great about getting me out to see the world, and we've been taking lots of baby steps. It was great to see so many other doggies there, and my foster brother Bauer was such a great role model for me. I took lots of treats from FD while we were there, and let him give me pets, so they were very proud of how well I did. When we got home I took a nap right after dinner because I was exhausted from all the fun.

Things in my world are really awesome! I am almost weened off my anxiety meds - just 3 more pills to go, can you believe it?! I grow more comfortable with my humans with each day that goes by. Sometimes I stretch out in the hallway and don't even move when FM walks down the hall - more than once I've made her completely step over me. I look forward to my nightly pets before bed and before we go on walks. I just wait on the landing while we all get our leashes on, and let my foster parents give me pets. It feels soooooooo good, that I look forward to it every day! Word on the street is that I'm a silly girl, too. FM laughs at me because I love to head butt the bathroom door and see what's going on in there. Sometimes I even rest my chin on her leg when she's doing her "business." She is always laughing, that FM! Sometimes I even stick my head in the shower just to say hello.

Remember my last update when FM said I chase birds, but never catch them? Well, about that....I have a small confession to make! I caught a bird. Well, not just one, but two! They were swooping by our heads and Bauer helped me knock them down. FM screamed and ran in the house (who's the silly girl now, FM?!) while Bauer and I played with them. I was sooooo proud of myself!

I've had more doggie friends at my house and I just love them all! Britt 12-159 came to stay with us while her foster parents were out of town. Look at how much fun we had together! I even showed Britt how much fun it was to play with toys - I just call it paying it forward! :) Yesterday a new foster sister named Sydney came to stay with us. I shake and wiggle my little butt at her trying to get her to play. I've gotten along great with all the dogs I've met - I just love them all! If you have a large breed dog that likes to play, don't work long days, have a fenced yard and no young kids, I could be the girl for you!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Betty continues to thrive in foster care! This week she joined us on a hike near our house. As you can see, she had an absolute blast! She was attached to two leashes for her safety, one of which was a 30-feet long line attached to FD. She was tired at the end of the day from so much fun, but she never stopped smiling. I have a feeling she'll ask to go back very soon!

Betty is so much fun to have around - she is constantly making us laugh! After 2 months, she finally discovered the birds in our yard. She tries to be tough and chase them out of the yard, but she's always 20 steps behind them. She is so funny! She's also pretty smart and resourceful - just look at this cute video, where she came up with her own solution to an itchy back. :)

Betty had more human and dog guests this week, and did wonderful with both of them. She loved playing with the dogs, and was comfortable going up to her new human friend and giving her a few sniffs. She still loves to play with our dogs, and as you can see, they are quite the crew!

Betty is looking for a forever family that's patient and not anxious to rush her progress. After more than 2 months, she is letting us pet her more and more and has allowed us to clean her ears several times. She even let FD trim her nails this week, she's such a good girl! She is making her RAGOM debut this Saturday, June 9th, at the Chuck and Don's event in Blaine. Her handsome foster brother, Bauer, a RAGOM alum himself, will be coming along to help show her the ropes. She is a pretty outgoing little girl at home, but we still expect her to be shy at the event. We are scheduled to be there from 12:30-2, but plan to leave early if she's too uncomfortable. Please come early if you want to meet this gorgeous girl - she's been practicing her beautiful smile!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

It's Betty and I get to write my own update again! I am having SO much fun in my foster home! I get along really well with my foster brothers - we share toys and bones and never fight over them. It's so peaceful here! I love rolling in the grass like they do (and eating it, too!) and lately I've started rolling around on the floor on my back after dinner like Bauer does. He looks kinda goofy, but after watching him for weeks, I decided to try it, too. It's fun! FM says I'm such a silly girl. I LOVE to go for walks! They started using this thing called a Gentle Leader on me. I kinda give them the stink eye when they put it on me, but it leads to such fun things, that I forgive them. I walk really well on the Gentler Leader and prance around the neighborhood. Too bad it's early in the morning before work and not a lot of people get to see me. I don't mind the cars that drive by us, but I do get scared when we walk past a parked car on the street. If I walk right next to it I freeze a little and then try to get farther away, so my foster parents just switch me to the opposite side of their body when we walk past and I do just fine. We have been taking lots of car rides and I'm having so much fun. My foster parents crack the window down just enough for me to put my nose up there and smell the fresh air. I can't get enough!

Well, FM is asking to talk now, so I suppose I'll go play outside for a bit. I think I see my favorite bone waiting for me!

Betty is doing so well here! We have started to wean her off her anxiety meds, and so far so good! The process takes a couple of weeks, so please keep her in your thoughts as she continues thru this process. Her potty training is going well, although since her spay she has had some trouble holding her bladder. She doesn't leak, but sometimes gets such an urgency to go that she has to go right away! So, she's on a low dose of medication to help her thru that. She gets half a tab in the morning, and the other half at night. This medication is very cheap - around $25 for a 60 day supply - so it's nothing that will break the bank! She does very well on it and hasn't had an accident since. The other day she stood in front of me and barked. I had no idea what she was doing, so I asked if she had to go out for a potty break. Sure enough, as soon as we got out there, she went like a good girl! She did the same thing to FD a few days later - she would look at the door and then look at him, and gave him a bark to let him know she needed to go out. What a good girl, Betty!

Betty is a beautiful girl, and it seems as there is a little more golden color sneaking into her coat these days. She's gorgeous! She hasn't tried to get on the furniture in the 2 months she's been here, and the only time she put her paws on the bed was to get a toy that was hanging on the end of it. At night she sleeps in a ball next to my side of the bed - I love waking her up and seeing her there! Lately she has started coming into the bathroom to see what we're doing - if the door is closed but not tight, she'll push the door open and walk right in to see you. She walks out, then comes back in to say hi. On one ocassion I came out of the shower to find her laying on the floor waiting for me! She is just adorable!

Betty may have some "issues", but trust me when I say she is 100% worth it! She is such a happy, beautiful girl - she always has a smile on her face and is such a joy to watch! We have had several discussions about adopting her ourselves, but we know she deserves someone that's home with her a little more during the day. If one of us worked part-time, or worked from home, you can bet we would have adopted her already! We love her so much and we want the best for her - we know the perfect forever family is out there waiting for her. Just a reminder as to what Betty needs:

  • Another medium to large breed dog in the home - and one that likes to play!
  • A fenced in yard to keep her safe
  • No young kids - teenagers or older are just fine
  • Someone committed to continuing her medication if needed - it's cheap!
  • Someone that works from home or works shorter hours
  • Someone who knows how to sew, because she loves to tear her toys apart :)

Once you meet Betty, I know you will fall in love with her just as we have. Everyone that has met her has fallen in love - even our neighbors adore her! With a face like this, how could you not?!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Betty is still recovering from a weekend of fun, so she asked me to send her next update in for her. We want to start out by thanking Archie and Clyde, Zeek, and Gary and Jill for decorating her page for Spring! You should have seen the big smile on her face when I told her about it - she was so happy! Thank you everyone for thinking of her!

Betty has come such a long way that it's hard to remember the scared little girl that came into our home almost 2 months ago. She no longer requires a leash when she's inside the house or outside in our fenced in yard. She follows us around wherever we go and often comes up to us to see if we have anything fun and exciting for her. She always has a smile on her face and we are beginning to see the fun and quirky Betty. She loves to follow FD around when he's mowing the lawn. She has so much fun rolling in the grass behind him - when she finally stands up, the fur on her head is completely green! It's so cute - too bad she won't sit still for a picture! She also loves to watch TV - she is particularly fond of FM's "Real Housewives" shows. Silly girl! :) As you can see in this video, Betty is also learning to play fetch - although most of the time the only thing she succeeds at is looking cute! :) She loves to spend time outside chewing on her bones and playing with her foster brothers.

Betty has no storm anxiety and has slept soundly thru all the storms we've had. We also remodeled our deck recently and she didn't mind the noise from the saw one bit. However, we had a bonfire in the yard last weekend and one of the neighbors up the road was shooting off fireworks, which made her a little scared. We went into the house so Cooper could put his thunder shirt on, and Betty didn't seem to mind the fireworks when we were inside. She is almost completely house trained and rarely has an accident. If she does, it's typically our fault for not paying attention to her signals. Betty is learning lots of words and knows what it means if we say it's time to go potty or tell her it's bedtime. She also knows the word treat, which is probably her favorite word of all! She sleeps in our bedroom at night without a peep. She is still a young dog, however, and she is still learning the appropriate items to chew on. She still loves to play with shoes and thinks anything made of wood is exciting! However, she is easily distracted and redirected.

As I mentioned, Betty is exhausted from a weekend of fun. We were lucky to have her sponsor Harley stay with us for a few days while his mom Marti was out of town. Betty and Harley had a blast! As you can see from this video, they had TONS of fun playing with each other! Betty followed Harley wherever he went and they were constantly smiling.

When Marti came to pick up Harley and bring him home, Betty surprised us all by taking a treat from her! We were SO proud of this big step - taking a treat from a stranger she had never met! We can't thank Harley and Marti enough for sponsoring our sweet girl - I know Betty was happy she could thank you in person!

We love Betty and are happy to have her stay with us for as long as she needs, but she is still looking for her forever home. If you meet the requirements, please contact your placement advisor to meet our sweet girl!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Hi everyone! I've had an exciting 2 weeks and I have lots of news to share with you! First, I had my big surgery last week and I was spayed. The staff at ACH were so nice to me, and I hope they know how much I appreciate all the love and attention they gave me when I was there. Foster Mom was worried sick about me when I was gone, because she knows I get scared, but she was so relieved to see me wag my tail and smile at her when she came to pick me up. When I got home I took a nice long nap and had sweet dreams about tasting FM's shoes. Soon that dream became a reality, but we don't have time to go into all that right now. :)

I enjoy our daily walks and love to get out and see the world. My foster home is in a pretty quiet neighborhood, but we still venture out in the morning when there isn't a lot of commotion going on. It's a nice peaceful walk with my foster brothers and I look forward to it every day. When we get home we usually go into the backyard and run around and chase each other. I'm lucky that my foster brothers love to play so much - I hope my forever home has dogs that love to play and spend time with me, too.

I've learned this week that humans aren't as scary as I thought they were! My foster parents are always talking to these people on the other side of the fence, they call them "neighbors." Well, these people seem pretty nice, so I stand right over there with them and wait there while they're talking. One of the neighbors is really nice and talks to me all the time. He has Goldens, too, which I love to lay by the fence and look at. I really hope they come over some day and play, I want to be friends with them so bad!

We also had some company this weekend, and they were so nice to me! I guess I really surprised FM because I wasn't scared of them like she thought I'd be. We were outside in the yard all day doing projects, and I kept going up to the nice people and sniffing them. I think it helped because my foster brothers knew them and they kept going over to them for pets, so I could tell they weren't going to hurt me.

I'm really starting to trust my foster parents, too, and I don't think they're as scary as I did in the beginning. I love to sneak up behind them and tickle their leg with my nose - it's kinda funny to watch them stand still and be calm, because I know my cold nose is tickling them! They are so patient with me and I am really falling in love with them. They give me lots of yummy things like treats and peanut butter - I will do ANYTHING for peanut butter, it's so yummy!!

FM said I need to share the biggest news of the week, so I guess I should get to it! Remember how afraid of my crate I was? I was terrified to go in it. Well, my medicine has really helped me and now I don't think it's so bad! In fact, when my FD gets my yummy kong ready (that's filled with peanut butter, of course!) I don't even wait for him to finish - I run right inside my crate and wait for him to bring it to me! I guess this is what they call "progress", but I just call it a really yummy snack! See, I told you I would do anything for peanut butter! :)

Okay, FM wants to share a few words, so I'm handing the keyboard over to her. I see a nap in my future after all this typing....

Betty has made such wonderful progress over the past 4 weeks, and we are so incredibly proud of her! She has come so far, that we feel she's ready to meet her forever family. She has come a long way from the scared, terrified little girl that we had to carry inside when we first brought her home. Now she happily trots up the stairs and runs and plays outside - all with a big smile on her face. Betty is looking for a special family that will love her for the rest of her life, and be patient with her as she continues to blossom and grow. In the beginning you can expect that she will revert back to being a bit scared, but that is a natural step in the process. As you've seen, she has made wonderful progress in our home in such a short time. Think you might be her perfect forever family? Here is what Betty needs:

  • At least one confident medium to large dog in the home. She LOVES to play, so a dog still young enough to play and have a good time with her is very important.
  • A family that works part time or that is home during the day to keep her company.
  • A family willing and able to continue her medication if needed, which is inexpensive at approximately $30 a month.
  • A family with a physical fence to keep her safe.
  • A family without kids would be best for Betty, although we feel teenagers would be fine.
  • A quiet environment where she can take nice walks with her family when she is comfortable to do so.

If you're interested in meeting this sweet girl, please contact your placement advisor!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Hi guys! FM was going to wait to do another update, but I made such great progress this week that I BEGGED her to send another one in. So, we compromised and I get to write my own update again - yippee!

Geez, I don't even know where to begin! This week FM had a lot of water coming from her eyes - I don't know what it was all about - she said she was happy but really that makes no sense to me! The first time I saw the water was after I gave her a kiss. She was kneeling down next to me putting on my outside leashes, and she just looked so cute I couldn't resist. The next time I saw all the water was when I took a treat from her. I don't know what the big deal was - I've been watching my foster brothers eat them for weeks and finally I just couldn't resist anymore. I'm glad I gave into temptation because boy were they yummy! We even got a special treat for Cooper's birthday today - homemade frosty paws! I hope FM makes them for us again sometime soon - I couldn't get enough!

This week I also ventured out into the big, wide, world and went on my first walk! I was a little nervous at first, but soon I was prancing down the block with my head held high and a big smile on my face. I LOVED it! I can't wait to go for more! I even went on a few car rides with my foster brothers this week and now I think they're the best thing in the world! (Well, besides walks, of course!)

Life has been pretty good for me in foster care. My medicine is really helping me and I'm not as stressed. I go into my crate during the day and have been a very good girl. At night I have free roam in the bedroom with everyone and sleep straight thru the night. I'm having lots of fun with my foster brothers and have a special relationship with each of them. Cooper shows me how to play with toys and has even shared his favorite bones with me. I love to follow him around outside and play with him. Every morning when we get up we get the zoomies in the yard and run, run, run! Bauer is very special to me and I follow him wherever he goes - if he's in a different room I go find him and lay down next to him. During the day he sleeps in the recliner in front of my crate and keeps me company. I think it's because he didn't like his crate when he was first adopted, either. FM said he used to bark for a long time but eventually he stopped when he realized he wasn't going to be abandoned again and that he was somewhere with lots of love. I'm so thankful to RAGOM for rescuing me - being loved feels wonderful, and I'm so happy I get to feel this way for the rest of my life!

Your favorite girl,
Betty

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Hi Everyone - it's Betty T. coming attcha! I was on the RAGOM website reading up on my friends, so FM told me I could write my own update as long as I was already on the computer. YAY!

This week I've started to trust my foster parents more and more. I don't shy away from them as much if they're near me, and I let them pet me all the time! They are really nice about it and give me really gentle strokes - it feels soooooooooooooo good and sometimes I just close my eyes and soak it all in. We also bond when we're outside. I'm not quite ready to brave a walk in the neighborhood yet, but they pick up my leash in the yard and we trot all the way around it. The neighbors must think we're crazy, doing laps inside the fence, but I love it! Speaking of outside, I love playing out there in the fresh air. Cooper and I run and chase each other all over the place and I just love it! Sometimes Bauer joins in and we wrestle and play. I love my foster brothers so much! I follow them wherever they go and I'm learning so many new things.

This week also had a few low points, if you want to call them that, although things are looking up! Even though I'm getting used to my humans, I've been a little stressed out. I mean, I've been thru such big changes in the last 2 weeks! I get a little anxious and pace a lot, and have lost about 7 pounds since last week. I'm still eating just fine, but I've been a little stressed. One day I tried to stage a "jail break" and bust out of my crate. What can I tell you - I just really wanted to be by my foster brothers! So, I went to the vet, and Dr. C. was so nice to me. She gave me some medicine to help me so I won't feel so stressed out all the time. I don't think I'll be on it forever, probably just for a little while, while I get used to all the changes in my life. I know I will overcome my fears in time - life is looking up for me already!

I've had a few potty accidents in the house, but my foster parents are getting really good about learning my signals. I know what it means when they say "Betty do you have to go potty?" and I race over to the door to go outside. One day FD was going downstairs, and I was in front of him and stopped at the door. I touched it with my nose so he asked if I needed to go outside. Smart guy, that FD! He put me outside and I went potty right away. I still won't take treats from anyone, but if I did, he said I would have got a BIG treat for being such a good girl!

So I suppose you're wondering why they call me Betty T., huh?! These silly people gave me a nickname and the "T" is short for "Trouble." Those crazy foster parents of mine! I'm still a young dog and have had a great time learning about everything in the house - the problem is that I like to taste everything, too! I've sampled FD's wallet, a bag, a rug, the curtains....and have jumped up on every table and counter to see what's going on. I'm really quick, too - don't you dare blink, or you'll miss me! I am such a silly girl, and my foster parents realize I'm making up for the puppy stage in my life. However, they are teaching me the word "off" and said we need to work on my manners a little bit. I guess Harley, my sponsor, stole a bagel off the counter one time when he was here. Rumor has it he was really quick like me, too!

Whew, all this typing really wore me out, I think it's time for a nap! Before I go, I want to say thanks for reading up on me and checking out my progress. I still have a long ways to go but I'm taking a lot of baby steps. This week I learned there are so many people out there that care about me, and I thank them so much. I want to give a shout out to Denise for the yummy recipe, to Dayle and Dr. C. for coming to my "rescue" when I needed to feel better, and to Harley and Marti for sponsoring me. I am so lucky to have such wonderful people who care about my well being. You guys ROCK!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

It was so beautiful outside today that we put the baby gate on the deck and soaked up the sun for several hours. Bauer and Betty had a great time relaxing and watching the birds together. Bauer also shared his own rescue story with her and told her how GReat life is going to be from here on out! I have a feeling Betty is already starting to realize what a lucky girl she is! :)

Later in the afternoon, we received an email and Betty got a huge smile on her face when we told her what it said. Can you guess?! Betty has a sponsor - a very, very, special sponsor! Harley was our second foster and we can't thank him and his mom Marti enough for sponsoring our sweet girl! It brings tears to our eyes to know that you thought of her. I know Betty is looking forward to meeting you both in person! Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! :)