Nyla 07-491

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I picked Nyla up 8-18-07 in the early evening in Northwood IA.  She had started her trip in St. Paul and still had over 2 hours to go.  We spent the trip home to Ankeny with most of her on my lap.  Luckily my husband was driving.  This poor girl was just starved for affection.  Once we got home, we walked around the front yard while my husband went and got our resident dog.  There were a few growls and posturing when she met Cody but after a few minutes all was fine.  We turned them out in the fenced backyard and they explored together.  She wants to play with him all the time but at age 10, a little goes a long way.  She keeps trying to get him to play and he keeps trying to just get away but there have been no disagreements between the two. 

Because Nyla's coat was almost completely matted (I don’t think she had ever been brushed) I attempted to start cutting some of the mats out to get her more comfortable.  We started with the mats around her neck so her collar wouldn't rub any more.  I then moved to her chest.  The hair was matted into a knot bigger then my fist.  I started slowly cutting it away and she never moved.  When I got it all cut out, I found I had also cut a chunk of her skin out with the mat.  I just about cried I felt so bad.  This great girl never moved, never yelped, growled or tried to bite me while I was doing this.  It didn't bleed much but looked pretty bad.  I doctored it up with triple antibiotic ointment but couldn't bring myself to try and cut any more mats out.  The whole time she just kept wiggling all over and trying to climb into my lap for more pets. 

I have found that Nyla needs a little more work on her potty training.  Several times Sunday she had a accident but I caught her every time and we went outside.  There weren't any accidents yesterday.

Nyla LOVES everyone.  She has to be right next to me when she's in the house and follows me everywhere.  I thinks she's afraid that she isn't going to get her fair share of pets.  My eight year old grand-daughter was over yesterday and Nyla just about licked her to death and kept crawling up onto her lap.  She loves the fenced yard as she was always tied before.  She loves to chase a ball and will bring it back to you but won't drop it.  However, she will allow you to pry the ball out of her mouth with no problems.  After all, once you pry it out, you'll throw it and it can start all over again. 

Nyla takes treats gently from my hand and has been very good (so far) about only eating her food and leaving Cody's alone.  She seems to be a free feeder and leaves her food (and Cody's) alone until she's hungry.  She's being fed twice a day right now but the food may sit there for a while until she's ready to eat.  She does drink a lot of water.

We had a thunderstorm here last night, not a huge one, but big enough that there were several loud claps of thunder.  Except for sitting up and looking around after the first clap, she had no reaction to the storm so I don't think she has any storm anxiety. 

Nyla went to the vet today to be micro chipped and have her first check up.  She didn't need any shots as her previous owner already had her UTD.  However, the vet did tell me that where I cut her needed stitches so I'm feeling like a really bad Mom all over again even though he reassured me that they see this same thing several times each month.  He just called and advised that her heartworm and fecal tests were negative and that she came through the stitches just fine.  He said that while they had her under that they shaved all of her mats off so she'll be feeling much better.  She can't have a real bath until her stitches come out but with all those awful mats gone, I'm sure she smells better already. 

Nyla is a little mouthy because she is so desperate for attention right now.  We're working on it and hopefully once she realized that she's going to get petted and have attention that this will go away.  She seems to know the basis commands of sit, down and heel but isn't convinced right now that they really mean something. 

If you are looking for a very sweet, very energetic companion, this is the girl for you.  You're going to need to give her lots of pets and lots of exercise.  I believe that she would do well in a home with another dog to play with but if you're willing to give her the time, she'd be fine as an only dog.  A fenced yard would probably work best.

At a Glance #07-491

Golden Retriever Born: November 2004
Female Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

I picked Nyla up 8-18-07 in the early evening in Northwood IA.  She had started her trip in St. Paul and still had over 2 hours to go.  We spent the trip home to Ankeny with most of her on my lap.  Luckily my husband was driving.  This poor girl was just starved for affection.  Once we got home, we walked around the front yard while my husband went and got our resident dog.  There were a few growls and posturing when she met Cody but after a few minutes all was fine.  We turned them out in the fenced backyard and they explored together.  She wants to play with him all the time but at age 10, a little goes a long way.  She keeps trying to get him to play and he keeps trying to just get away but there have been no disagreements between the two. 

Because Nyla's coat was almost completely matted (I don’t think she had ever been brushed) I attempted to start cutting some of the mats out to get her more comfortable.  We started with the mats around her neck so her collar wouldn't rub any more.  I then moved to her chest.  The hair was matted into a knot bigger then my fist.  I started slowly cutting it away and she never moved.  When I got it all cut out, I found I had also cut a chunk of her skin out with the mat.  I just about cried I felt so bad.  This great girl never moved, never yelped, growled or tried to bite me while I was doing this.  It didn't bleed much but looked pretty bad.  I doctored it up with triple antibiotic ointment but couldn't bring myself to try and cut any more mats out.  The whole time she just kept wiggling all over and trying to climb into my lap for more pets. 

I have found that Nyla needs a little more work on her potty training.  Several times Sunday she had a accident but I caught her every time and we went outside.  There weren't any accidents yesterday.

Nyla LOVES everyone.  She has to be right next to me when she's in the house and follows me everywhere.  I thinks she's afraid that she isn't going to get her fair share of pets.  My eight year old grand-daughter was over yesterday and Nyla just about licked her to death and kept crawling up onto her lap.  She loves the fenced yard as she was always tied before.  She loves to chase a ball and will bring it back to you but won't drop it.  However, she will allow you to pry the ball out of her mouth with no problems.  After all, once you pry it out, you'll throw it and it can start all over again. 

Nyla takes treats gently from my hand and has been very good (so far) about only eating her food and leaving Cody's alone.  She seems to be a free feeder and leaves her food (and Cody's) alone until she's hungry.  She's being fed twice a day right now but the food may sit there for a while until she's ready to eat.  She does drink a lot of water.

We had a thunderstorm here last night, not a huge one, but big enough that there were several loud claps of thunder.  Except for sitting up and looking around after the first clap, she had no reaction to the storm so I don't think she has any storm anxiety. 

Nyla went to the vet today to be micro chipped and have her first check up.  She didn't need any shots as her previous owner already had her UTD.  However, the vet did tell me that where I cut her needed stitches so I'm feeling like a really bad Mom all over again even though he reassured me that they see this same thing several times each month.  He just called and advised that her heartworm and fecal tests were negative and that she came through the stitches just fine.  He said that while they had her under that they shaved all of her mats off so she'll be feeling much better.  She can't have a real bath until her stitches come out but with all those awful mats gone, I'm sure she smells better already. 

Nyla is a little mouthy because she is so desperate for attention right now.  We're working on it and hopefully once she realized that she's going to get petted and have attention that this will go away.  She seems to know the basis commands of sit, down and heel but isn't convinced right now that they really mean something. 

If you are looking for a very sweet, very energetic companion, this is the girl for you.  You're going to need to give her lots of pets and lots of exercise.  I believe that she would do well in a home with another dog to play with but if you're willing to give her the time, she'd be fine as an only dog.  A fenced yard would probably work best.

Updates

Friday, December 7, 2018

Passing on news that a RAGOM alum has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. The sun came out briefly today. That was Nyla (07-491) letting us know it was time for her to go. The photo is Nyla getting her 10th adopt-a-versary treat this spring. Thank you for, RAGOM, for bringing her into our lives. She lived the Golden life, and so did we, with her.

Mike and Rebecca O

Nyla 07-491

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Here's an update from Nyla:

Pretty cool -- I get a scoop of vanilla ice cream on my birthday in November AND on my forever-home anniversary in May (one scoop in one mouthful!). I have been with my family for a bit over a year now. I fooled everyone...my foster mom said I don't bark (HA! I bark at every dog and biker that passes -- I really do want to play with them, but they don't seem to get it). Momma and Dad also can't seem to keep me from pulling at my leash and going after other dogs (except my neighbor fur friends). I would like to learn some new tricks too. They need to get some training. I don't get the whole "retrieving" thing, but I am a powerful tug-rope competitor. I pout if I don't get at least one walk a day.

I LOVE going to the vet's office (they pet me, give me treats, tell me I'm a pretty girl). I've been there a lot this summer because I have what the doctor calls "severe happy tail" -- I like to wag really hard when you see me, and now I have a tail to fix.

Momma and Dad made the mistake of letting me sleep on the bed when I came to their house; it's mine now. I like to lay on the couch and cuddle with Momma and wrestle with Dad. My grandma takes good care of me, but I wait for my people to come back; grandpa brings me treats when he visits. I have gotten over most of my skittishness, but new things still make me nervous. When you pet me and tell me it's ok, I believe you now.

I love, love to get pets and loves. And I like to sit outside for hours at a time and look out the window the rest of the time. I am a big fan of car rides if I can put my head out the window; otherwise I try to climb in the front seat. In the winter I like to run in the new snow, and in the summer I search for bunnies. My neighborhood has a walking trail right outside my back door, and I have met several RAGOM families -- it's pretty neat. I still bark at them, though. This idea of "forever home" is the neatest thing.

Thank you to everyone involved with RAGOM. We have a very happy family because of you.


Ready for rope pull		  
It's a toy!

Napping with Mom
 
Kisses for Dad		  
MY Red.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Hi RAGOM friends! It's me, Nyla. Foster mom said I could do my very own update tonight since I know just what I want to say. But wait, she's telling me that first I have to cover the boring vet stuff. Ok, I can do that, because I REALLY liked my vet visit. It was a fun place to stop in for lots of petting and treats, and we even got to meet a couple of "twin" RAGOM boys in the waiting area (Max & Luke, who were adopted by their foster family -- I can see why, they are so darn handsome!). I have to admit I was a little gah-gah over these two, and foster mom had to remind me when it was time to go into the exam room. Back to me... I guess I must be a healthy girl, since Dr. V said "gosh, I wish they were all this easy". Foster mom told me later that I even got a shot, but I was too busy munching on treats to notice. Lucky me, I can afford an extra treat or two since she also told me I'm at the perfect weight, 68 lbs. And don't worry, I love to exercise and run around, so I plan to keep it that way!

So, what I really wanted to say is that even though I'm an easy going kind of girl, and settle in pretty quickly to new places, and maybe don't have as many issues as some other rescue dogs, I still really want and need a family to call my own forever and ever. You see, I've lived with 2 families now, and also 2 foster families in my short 3 years, and with every move I have to wonder why I wasn't good enough to keep around. I know that my families had good reasons for giving me to RAGOM, and they did it in my best interest, but the most important thing to me in the whole world is to find the family who will always love me and make me a permanent member of their family, no matter what! That's really all I wanted to say today, so if you're out there reading, I can't wait to meet you! I have so much love to give, and I promise to greet you at the door with my smiling face and wagging tail every day for the rest of my life.

xoxo,
Nyla

Oh, and I'm no longer camera shy -- in fact I was feeling like a bit of a ham today, so here are some new pix.


Yeah, I know... I'm pretty fierce

 
Cheese!

 
I'm right here in front, foster mom... waiting nicely for my treat!

 
... and waiting nicely for my dinner too.
I'm such a good girl!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Nyla is back in RAGOM's care (with a new foster family), and seems to be about the closest thing to a "perfect" Golden girl you could ever ask for. She is previously spayed, micro-chipped, and has no health or behavior issues. Nyla is house-trained and crate-trained, but has free roam of the house since she is never destructive. She has the classic warm, affectionate Golden personality, and loves to carry around her toys. Nyla also loves to ride in the car, isn't a barker, doesn't have storm or firework anxiety, loves kids, plays well with other dogs, and even lived with a cat in her last home. Her family said she did chase the cat at times, but only because she wanted to play. Nyla has been through obedience training, and has a pretty gentle, calm demeanor for a 3.5 year old. She doesn't jump to greet you, and while she has enjoyed brief play sessions with my Golden boys, she mostly wants my attention and seems to prefer to just snuggle up with me.

Nyla was a little nervous last night, and wouldn't let me out of her sight, but she is already much calmer today, and seems to be making herself at home here. We won't let her get too comfortable since she will be ready for adoption after a "well check" at the vet tomorrow, and I'm sure a gem like her won't be in foster care for long. The only requirement for Nyla at this point is a very loving family, who promises to give her lots of TLC, long walks (she might even make a good running partner), a high quality food, toys... and to keep her safe and happy for the rest of her life. She likes other dogs, but it isn't a requirement to have fur siblings in her adoptive home since she has always been an "only dog".

I should explain the circumstances for Nyla coming back into RAGOM. She was adopted last fall by a family who installed invisible fence in their yard and trained Nyla to it. She did great over the winter, never leaving the yard, and would even sit and watch the kids ice skating at a neighbor's house from the boundary, but this spring she started leaving the yard. They clarified that she was completely trustworthy in the yard as long as they were out with her, but curiosity got the best of her if she was left unattended. Nyla has made no attempt to "escape" my fenced yard, so I don't think she is that type of "runner", but probably wouldn't be happy left unattended in any yard for long. I do agree that she would be happiest and safest with a fenced in yard to run and play with her people and/or other dogs.

This girl is really a lover! I will update more after her vet visit (I am guessing she is around 65 lbs but will let you know for sure tomorrow), but don't wait long if you are interested in meeting Miss Nyla, because she is anxious to put foster care in her past and get on with living the Golden life!

PS- I'll work on getting better pictures. If only I knew how to work my camera, I could get it off the long delay that is giving her time to look away from the camera every time. We'll work on it!

   

 

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Good evening.  Nyla here.  My foster Mom has walked away from her computer so I thought I'd write a quick note.

My foster Mom has been taking me for lots of walks with my foster brother and I'm getting so much better at walking calmly at her side now that we're using the Gentle Leader.  I still don't like it much when I first have it on but after a few feet I forget all about it.  I'm beginning to understand what heel means and I sit down now when Mom says it so we can look both ways before we cross the street.  My foster brother gets to run free when we're in the soccer fields but Mom says while I getting better, I still have to learn a little more before I get to do that.  She did put the two leashes together and let me wade in the water when my foster brother was swimming.  That was lots of fun.

I like my foster Mom, Dad and brother lots but I really, really would like to have a family all of my own.  It would be so nice to be able to snuggle up to my very own family and know that I would never, ever have to leave again.  You don't need to worry if you're far away because I like to ride in the car.

Oops, Mom just came in and caught me and told me I have to tell you that I'm a very sweet, very energetic girl who's completely potty trained (I did have a couple of accidents my first day here but I think that was because I was so nervous.)  Mom says to tell you that I'm a complete love bug and that I just love children.  Mom says that she doesn't know how I would do with something called a cat because we don't have one that lives here but I'm sure I would be great with a cat, whatever that is.  It would be nice if I had a fur brother or sister to play with but I'm a big doggie now and would be just fine as an only dog.

Mom says I have to get off the computer now as she has some work she has to do.  I just wanted to say that I know my perfect family is out there looking for me and I hope that we find each other really, really soon.

P.S.  Here's a couple of pictures of me and my foster brother playing.  He took my toy and I wanted it back.  I'm the pretty one with the short hair and red collar.  He's the old guy with the white on his nose.

   

Monday, August 27, 2007

Nyla has been with me a week now and is becoming more comfortable in her surroundings.  While she still likes to be with me most of the time, she's now willing to explore the  house on her own.  Mostly she goes and looks for my resident dog, Cody,  to see if she can convince him to play with her.  Right now she laying on the floor of my home office growling at and playing with a ball.   Last night while I was working on the computer, after about 10 minutes of chasing and growling at her tail, she decided that wasn't much fun anymore and she went and got Cody.  They were tearing all through the house, up and down the stairs, playing.  It sounded like I had a herd of elephants running around the house. 

There haven't been any more accidents so I think the accidents on her first day were just a result of stress from the move.   Loud noises startle her but after she jumps up and looks around and realizes that she not going to be hurt, she settles right back down.  However, some kids in the neighborhood were shooting off firecrackers this weekend and she did not like that at all and tried to hide under the recliner where I was sitting.

Nyla loves her walks.  On our first walk I did not use a Gentle Leader as we were told that she walked nicely and didn't pull.  I found this statement to be inaccurate.  I now use the Gentle Leader and after fighting it for about a block, she settles down and enjoys the walk.  She's getting better at heeling but still needs some work on it as does sit and stay. 

Nyla is very interested in bunnies and squirrels and will chase them if they come into our fenced backyard.  She hasn't caught one yet so I don't know what she would do with it if she did.   I don't have any cats so I can't say how she is around them.  

I didn't have a crate so I borrowed one of those nylon traveling ones from a friend.  Nyla goes in with no problems (she gets a couple of treats for being such a good girl) and after whining for about 20 seconds, settles right down and goes to sleep. 

I've had to give Nyla a couple of pills a day because of her stitches and the first couple of days I gave them to her in a piece of cheese.  However, she got smart and would eat the cheese and spit the pill out.  So I've had to put them down her throat to get them into her.  She doesn't fight this and lets me open her mouth and drop the pills in with no problems.  Of course, she then gets a treat for being such a good girl.  Oh, she had figured out where the treats are kept and will go stand in front of the door hoping that one will appear to her.  Naturally, one usually does. 

I'm attaching a couple of photos so you can see her new "do."  She is so much more comfortable now that all those nasty mats are gone.  Nyla is a even tempered, high energy, very sweet girl who needs a forever home with people to love.  If she sounds like the girl for you contact placementatragom [dot] org .