Josie 13-441 [1]

Josie 13-441 was the last dog surrendered in 2013.  She is a beautiful 5.5 yr old purebred spayed female Golden Retriever who only weighs 46#.  She looks like a large puppy with the softest fur I have ever felt!  She was surrendered because her owners built a new home and didn’t want the hardwood floors scratched so they kept her in a crate most of the time.  A Good Samaritan talked them into giving her away so she could be in a home where she can run and play. 

Josie likes to have things in her mouth, including hands.   She doesn’t bite, but just likes to put my hand in her mouth.  I am working with her on ‘no teeth on skin’ and she is doing great. She is a very smart dog and will stop immediately because she just wants to please.  Josie loves to de-stuff toys so her owners stopped giving her any stuffed toys.  Needing something to chew on, she decided the dog bed in her crate would be fun.  After that, she had to sleep on the plastic tray in the crate with no blanket or bed in it.  They gave her a Kong or hard bone to chew on.  The owners kept a muzzle on Josie while in the living room so she didn’t have the opportunity to chew on rugs.

The first 2 days that Josie was here, she peed 3 times in the house because she was drinking water all of the time.  Part of it was being nervous, but part was because the owners withheld water from her, so she wouldn’t have to go outside so much.  So, whenever Josie saw water, she didn’t know if it was going to be taken away, so she just kept drinking.  When I took her in for her wellness exam, I talked to the Vet about it and she found that Josie had a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) so she was on antibiotics for a week.  Now she can walk past the water dish and not have to empty it because she knows it will still be there for her later. 

Josie’s other issue that I am working with her on is chasing the sunlight.  As soon as the sun comes in the window, she goes from wall to wall looking for moving reflections.  If I close the bedroom door, she will lie in front of it and whine to go in.  Then when the sun comes through the windows in the living room, she follows it in there.  I can redirect her to a toy to play with, but in no time she is back at the wall.  The owners said she did this since she was a puppy.  This is an obsessive-compulsive behavior that can get worse, so I am going to talk with our Vet about it.

Josie had 3 levels of training and knows a lot of commands.  She loves to go for car rides and walks and does not pull on the leash.  She barks if someone comes to the door, but not excessively.  Josie is great with other dogs and kids!  The owner said she is also good with cats.  She just loves to be by people.  Josie is such a sweetheart and will be a great addition to someone’s family!  If you would like to meet her, please let your placement advisor know.