Goldie 10-350 [1]

Goldie joined our family in Grand Forks after a long transport from Rochester, MN last Sunday. She is a 4yr old spayed girl who is UTD on vaccinations and HWP. Goldie's original owner had her since she was a pup and had to surrender her as he lost his job and could not afford her medications anymore. In the week that we have had her, we have fallen in love with her! She is small in stature, but overweight right now at a whopping 78lbs! We are working on this as I think she would be more comfortable around 65-68lbs to match her petite bone structure. The first few days she had a couple of accidents in the house, just pee no poop, but we are 4 days straight now with no problems. Could have been just nerves and new surroundings. She is WONDERFRUL with children and LOVES affection. She met our resident dog without so much as a raised lip and could care less about our cat who did not exactly welcome her with open paws!!! I work in a vet clinic and take her to work with me daily and she just lays behind the reception area and meets the incoming clients with a tail wag. Absolutely no aggression at all! Our preschooler has tested her in many ways as well and so far the only thing she is not terribly fond of is wearing a hockey helmet....

Goldie loves to go for walks and walks like a real lady. She does not pull at all and I don't know that she even requires a leash. Several times on our walks I have to look back and make sure she's still there and hasn't slipped her collar! On occassion she will take the lead to sniff something out, but a gentle tug of the leash and she falls right back into step! Our yard is not fenced and so she goes out on a tie-out. Recently I have been taking her outside and not even tying her up, although I stay out with her to keep an eye on her. She does not run. She is even learning her boundries and has begun stopping at the tree line so as not to go in our neighbors yard. She will come when called and knows a few basic commands. When she comes inside, she will sit and wait for her treat, which she takes ever so gently!

When our family is eating at the table, Goldie will mind her manners and not beg. Sometimes it just smells so good she come by to investigate, but a little reminder and she goes away and lays down. She does not get on the furniture at all. I have coaxed her up for some snuggle time, but don't want to encourage her too much incase her adoptive family prefers she not get up on couches etc. However, if you are sittting on the couch or floor she will come right too you and nudge you for some loving! If you stop petting her, she will remind you she's still there by putting her head on your hand.

Goldie does have a medical condition in which she takes twice daily medications for. I'm not sure how compliant the surrendering owner was in giving them as we have seen no seizures since she's been here and she's been getting meds regularly. She is on anti-epileptic medicine and hypo-thyroid medications so any potential adoptive families should be aware of this and the need to be consistent in giving them. I put the pills right into her food bowl (she does love to eat) and the other is a liquid that just squirts into her mouth. These are not expensive medications at all. I will price them out at our clinic this week so I can post an average yearly cost, it will obviously differ at your vet, but probably not by much. These conditions do not affect her daily living at all, and do not slow her down at all! Thus far, the only side effect is she likes to drink water which equates to more trips to go outside.

Goldie is a quiet and calm little girl who loves to be petted and talked to. I haven't heard her bark once in a week, even when the doorbell rings and the resident dog alerts the whole neighborhood, she doesn't join in! She does not beg for food or steal it off my 4 year old's plate and has learned not to try and eat out of our other dog's dish. They do share a water bowl and that has caused no issues at all. She lays down and is so good! I can trim her nails, check her teeth, clean her ears, roll her onto her back, whatever without any problems!

Here are a few things I would say an adoptive family should consider:

• she loves attention and ear scratches
• is amazing with children and other household pets. I think she would do better with a home with another dog in it for company!
• does not require a physical fence
• has free roam of our house and sleeps thru the night
• is not crate trained
• requires twice daily medications
• gentle walker--will lie down if you stop. At the moment, she is not conditioned to be a running partner--maybe after she loses some weight?
• quiet, quiet, quiet and calm!

So, if you are interested in this little gem, please contact RAGOM. She really is a very easy foster and would make a wonderful addition to your home!