Yesterday Oy went to the vet. Oy was pretty scared so they took it really slow.  He is now totally UTD on all shots.  Oy is only 49 lbs and is just the most beautiful blond color.  His fur is so soft I can pet him for hours.    I REALLY LIKE this little dog and I am determined to find the absolute right home for him. He is going to need socialization and obedience work, and stability.   We started this week on “Nothing in Life is Free” training.  Where I make him sit and wait before I give him anything he wants - this includes food, water, attention, to be let outside, going for a WALK etc.    I am hoping this will put him on the fast track to feeling more secure because he knows that all his needs will be met if he is calm.   He is now using the gentle leader without complaint, and he LOVES playing with my other dog.   At first he was not too sure about playing.   He is still having a few issues when playing tug of war - where he forgets it is a game and gets a little growly, but he is so much better than when he first came.   He completely stays away from my older dog - she must have told him to keep his distance because he does.   He is really good with his food.  I can touch him while he is eating and I can take anything I want away from him without protest.   He has so much potential!!!!  Is there a family out there who wants the challenge and reward of working with a dog who will blossom with just some attention and training???

Here are some pics of Oy

Oy has come a long way in his few weeks with us.    We now have him doing basic commands pretty regularly, he is staying in his crate all day quietly, and he is getting along well with our 2 resident dogs.   

Oy is totally potty trained, and he is food motivated so once you get past his nervous energy (by doing a lot of playing fetch, doing a lot of walks, or wrestling with foster siblings) he can learn and execute obedience commands pretty well.   

This dog is looking for someone who will spend time with him, who will be patient and gentle, who will be a consistent leader, and who will make a commitment to get him the daily exercise he needs for his body and his brain.   Remember that he is less than a year old so he still has a lot of puppy energy that should slow down a little as he gets older.   WHO out there loves that exuberant puppy energy stage?  WHO out there has experience guiding a dog through obedience training?  If you answered yes to both questions then Oy is the dog for you!

If this sounds like fun to you-  e-mail placement at RAGOM-  Oy needs to find his forever home soon so he can start bonding with his forever family.

Oy is really settling in-  he is a dog who needs routine and direction-  and with it- he is relaxing, becoming less timid and more trusting.  We have to keep this up for him.  Oy is really going to be a good dog-  he is very loving and loves to be cuddled.  He is very aware of where I am all the time and is very engaged with me.  Oy is really ready to go to his forever home.    If you understand what it takes to manage a young dog, will give Oy structure and boundaries, and work with his mind-  Oy is going to make YOU----- VERY happy.  Please let placement know if you are interested in OY-  he is going to be a little challenge-  but as with all things that are challenging-  he will also be wonderfully rewarding!!!!!!

A day in the life of OY:

Ah, it is time to get up-  kind of early-  I am starving...   I need to eat and I need to eat now-   man, eating is the best.    Okay, NOW I can concentrate on going potty-   that feels pretty good too.    Okay, now that that is over-  I think I will crawl back into bed with foster mom.   It sure is nice that she lets me get into bed with her in the morning.   I usually put my head on her pillow-  sometimes I wake her up by kissing her nose.    Okay-  this is a great day-  let's pop out of bed like a piece of toast- and I think I will play really hard with my foster brother.   I have never met another dog who loves to play as fast and furious as I do-  he is awesome.   When we get tired we ususally curl up together and sleep.

Mom decided to lounge around and take a hot bath today-  this is kind of fun-  I like to sit by the tub and every once in a while I will get up and check out what is going on in there.   I have been known to put my nose or my feet in tub.   Foster mom tells me I am a geek-  but I can tell she thinks it is cute.   Yep, that is me----  ccccuuuuuuutttttteeeeee.  I have a personality and I let it show!

Mom decided that since it was so cold today that we would skip our walk-   I am not thrilled about that-  but I am getting a lot better and I don't have as much nervous energy to burn off as I did when I first got here.   I am okay spending a day lounging on the bed that is next to the computer foster mom is working on.   I am snoozing and I don't even have to be touching foster mom-  as long as I am in the same room that is good with me.   Before I was afraid I might lose her or something so I had to always be touching.  I am so much more relaxed now.

DINNER TIME:   I LOVE DINNER time.   I have this dance I do before mom puts the bowl down-  she laughs at me and shakes her head-  she thinks I have mad skills.    I am not too thrilled that she makes me sit and wait before putting it down-  but I REALLY want it so I do what she asks.   she says it is helping give me boundaries and she said my manners are SO much better now.   Heck-  what did I know-  I thought I was supposed to be a barbarian-  foster mom tells me that I need to be a gentleman- and I am trying really hard.

I love treats, and I love bones, and dog chews-   Foster mom sometimes treats us all to a chew in the evening after dinner.   This is a pretty cool time too.  Just me and the other dogs-  lost in our chews-  that is heaven!   It helps keep me calm too- it give me something to do.  I also have this thing called a Kong-  foster mom doesn't even need to fill it up with anything .  I just love to chew it and play fetch with it.   Yep, I like to play inside fetch.   I invented it.  I bring my slimy Kong to my foster mom and she says yuck and she throws it off of her lap and I bound after it and put it in her lap again.    She says YUCK--- but again I see her laughing at me.   I like to keep her laughing; it is good for her.

She says she is looking for a forever home for me.  I know this is going to be hard on her- because I have wiggled, and pranced, and licked my way into her heart.   She says she is looking for the perfect family-  someone with another dog to teach me, and time to work with me.   I trust her and I can't wait to meet the people who will make my life whole forever.

Okay, time to go to bed-  foster mom makes me sleep on the floor or in my crate.  She says this too is giving me boundaries, and you know what- I like boundaries-  they make me feel safe.

XOXOXOXOXOX with extra kisses

Oy

Dear Santa-

I promise I have been good this year. I think I must have made your NICE list - so if you would not mind, could you please give me a family for Christmas? I have listed some requirements below, and I have also explained why there just has to be someone out there who will love me forever. I am such a good boy and I try so hard to please everyone. Please see for yourself why I think it is time for me to find a family.

• I am looking for a family:  preferably a mom or a mom and a dad - with no children or older children. Little kids move too fast and make me nervous.
• I would also like a doggie friend to play with. I LOVE to play - and it is a good way to burn off excess energy.
• I need an active family who has time to take me on walks or runs.  You want to see a happy dog - take me on a WALK!!!!
• I would like a fenced in back yard so I can tear around, but if you take me for walks I can handle going potty on a line - you don’t want to let me off leash though - I tend to sort of follow my nose.
• I would love to go to an obedience class - it will help me be less shy, and I think I would be really good at it.  I have learned all sorts of stuff from my foster parents.
• I am totally potty trained.
• I am good on the gentle leader.
• I love to give kisses and cuddles even though I might be  a little shy at first. 
• I love to sleep with my family (I really like the bed, although I will stay in my crate or on the floor if you ask me to)
• It took me a little while, but I finally trust foster dad - we bonded last week when mom was on a business trip - Men make me a little nervous, but I love them just the same once they show me they are gentle.
• I am having my 1 year birthday this month - and I would really like to share this with my new family. 

I am such a good boy with so much potential - I just need someone to love me -  please tell all those potential adoptive family’s at RAGOM that I am worth their effort.   Please ask them to e-mail placement@ragom.org  and let them know if they think they are the person who will love me!!!!!   I am counting on you Santa to help make my wishes come true this year.

Oy

I have a sponsor-  WOW-    I feel like I won an Oscar and I am giving my acceptance speech-  If I were Sally Fields it would go something like this….

Ellie and Mark G-    I thank you for choosing to sponsor me,  RAGOM thanks you for sponsoring me, and my foster parents are thrilled you are sponsoring me.  You like me-- you really really like me ;o).  THANK you so much for helping me and helping RAGOM.

When I first came to RAGOM my foster mom felt so sorry for me-  she felt so bad when I would cower, or get scared by foster dad.  She thought that a little guy like me should be curious and happy go lucky.   But, slowly she has learned that I am truly a LUCKY dog-    I am so lucky that RAGOM took me in and is helping me find my forever home.   I am so lucky that there are people out there like Ellie and Mark who care enough to help.   I am lucky enough to be in an environment where I can come out of my shell and start acting like the young, healthy, and happy dog that I am.   And now, I know that I am LUCKY enough to find that special someone who will love me and keep me safe forever.

Love and slobbers

Oy

Here are some more pictures of Oy.   I wish I were a better photographer - he is so darn stinkin' cute and you can't tell in these pictures.   Please let placement@ragom.org know if you would like to meet this cute boy in person.

There really isn’t much to report on this week.   Oy is doing really well.  He is happy and is really fitting in nicely.   He has settled down quite a bit and is learning to relax.    He likes to be busy - playing or chewing on his Kong or going for a walk, but he is much more calm during the down times.   He fell asleep on my lap a couple of times yesterday.  It was VERY cute.  

I have to say though that he pretty much reached the top of the cuteness scale yesterday.    I had him tied out on his line to go potty and it was snowing.  He literally was jumping in the air trying to catch the snowflakes in his mouth.  It was the cutest most comical thing I have seen in a really long time.

He is pretty much ready to move on to his forever home.    He has come such a long way since we got him.  It is nice to know that when he finds his home, that he will be poised to blossom and flourish!   Please e-mail  placement@ragom.org

Hey there,

Oy is a little sad that his foster mom has not wanted to get outside all week -- just too cold.   Oy is not really big on the cold either.  His little feet get cold really fast so he is in and out like a flash.   What Oy has discovered is that he LOVES bones.  Just loves them and will chew and work on them for hours!   So luckily we have had the bones to keep Oy’s attention this very cold week.

Oy is just as happy as can be.  He has graduated to sleeping on the bed with us.   He will sleep at the foot of the bed and really be quiet all night long.  He loves being part of the family and he and my other two dogs are just peas in a pod.  Their tails are always wagging, and they can’t walk anywhere they run!   Run to the door to say hi, run to the food dish to ask for dinner, run downstairs for bones.    He is really a good natured boy.  I still think Oy should not be unsupervised around small children and  I still  do think he would prefer a dog companion, but has come such a long way in these few months.   He is going to make someone very happy.  Please take a look at this cute boy-  it is hard to understand why he is still available - and if you think he is cute -  come meet him!  He is really a fun dog!

Now that the holiday’s are almost over - it is definitely time to get Oy settled in to his new home.  If you are interested in Oy please let RAGOM know.  

Oy did not get to go to Christmas with the family; there were 5 children under the age of 5 and I just did not want to put him through that kind of stress.  I would want to be sure to introduce Oy to children very slowly and only children who are dog savvy.   I think with guidance and practice Oy could tolerate kids, but not that many at one time that is for sure.  Heck,  I practically cracked with all the commotion ;o)

The good news is that Oy stayed at the kennel, and he did very well.  He warmed up to the staff much more quickly than I anticipated AND he had a bath.  They said he was pretty scared at first, but then stood nicely for them.   This was his first bath (that I know of) so this was a big stepping stone.   I thought he was soft before... wow!  He really has the softest coat I have ever seen on a Golden.

Nothing much new to report except that every day he is learning the rules and learning to be a good family member.   It is so hard for me to believe that this beautiful young healthy dog has not found his forever home yet.  Maybe I have not done justice to Oy in explaining how much love and happiness he will bring into your house.

Here are the basics about Oy:

• 50 lbs
• 1/2 Golden 1/2 Brittany- but he looks all Golden
• House trained
• Crate trained
• Good with other dogs
• Afraid of Children
• Needs a little time to warm up to men
• Limited exposure to cats - but did fine when he was around one
• He would blossom with obedience training
• Would benefit from daily exercise
• No inappropriate chewing
• Does not respect baby gates
• LOVES to sleep on or near the bed
• LOVES attention
• LOVES to cuddle and give kisses
• LOVES his Kong - he will chew it even if there is nothing in it
• Wants to be where the people are (he sits next to me when I am cooking or at the computer)
• Can play fetch for hours
• Would prefer a fenced in yard, but will be OK without one as long as you give him adequate exercise
• Likes to use a tie out to go potty- if you don't have a fenced in yard
• Would prefer another dog for guidance, but will do fine without one as long as you are willing to hang out with him.

Please e-mail placement@ragom.org if you are interested in meeting this dog.

Oy is so stinking cute - he has such a pretty face and such a cute personality sometimes.  He is still such a puppy in a lot of ways - and he has perfected the “WHO ME?” look.   If you could hear his internal dialog he must always be talking.  “Oooooo what is that -  I wonder if it wants to play -   No?  But I can pick it up and run around with it I bet.    Foster mom might chase me then -   Now this is what I am talking about.   You can’t catch me.  HA.  Oh, maybe foster brother will chase me.    OH   YEAH   he is fast -  this is great.     “WHO ME?”  what did I do????

Yep, that would be some of Oy’s internal dialogue.  If you want a big love bunny for a friend and someone you can exercise with or do obedience classes with -  please contact placement@ragom.org.

Hey there,

Not much new to report on Oy - he is doing well.  He is not big on the cold - so he doesn’t spend much time outside.  He sort of goes outside then comes right back in. His favorite place is sitting next to me on the couch while I read or watch a movie.  We have not been getting as much exercise as we would normally like because it has been cold.

Poor Oy has had a rough couple of weeks.  I took him to the vet because he had a bump on his leg - I thought looked like an infection.  It turned out to be a mass.  He had it removed and thank GOODNESS it is BENIGN.  It is all gone and he is fine.  The only problem is that it is really hard for a dog not to want to lick a really itchy incision and stitches.  So we tried an e-collar.  Nope-  he turned into a bucking bronco.  Then we got this really cool lick guard.  It is a really stinky gel that you put near the wound.  It worked for about 4 days.   Now Oy has to wear a shirt to keep him from licking.  It is so cute to see him running around in his shirt.  I honestly think he is proud of it.  He prances around like he is a really fancy dog.

Anyway-  Oy is ready to find his forever home and I just know there is someone out there who is interested in helping a dog out- I know there is someone out there who wants to rescue this dog and give him the Golden life he deserves.   He just needs someone who will understand him, work with him, and love him.  He really needs you - and he is patiently waiting.  It is true that he is not the perfect dog- if he was he wouldn’t need to be rescued.  The thing is-  that with your help, he sure could be a really good dog!   Please let placement@ragom.org know if you are interested in meeting Oy.

Oy is doing a great job recovering from his little surgery-  he is back to 100% and the stitches have all dissolved.   Oy is active and healthy and vibrant.  He is looking for someone to LOVE him.   He is still just 1 year old-  so he has some puppy energy-  but it is the cute butt in the air let's play woo hoo puppy energy!   He is such a sweet dog once he gets to know you.    He LOVES to kiss and he LOVES to cuddle.  Right now he is a little angry with me because I separated him and my 2 year old dog-  they were having a little too much fun for my taste.  I needed a little peace and quiet so Oy is in the office with me while I type.   I can hear my dog on the other side of the door asking Oy to come play!   I can't wait until it is a little warmer so I can get Oy some really good exercise.   We have been sort of cooped up here for a while- I am such a wimp with the cold.   The good thing is that even though Oy is not getting as much exercise as he needs- it is not hurting his behavior.   He is not being destructive or anything, As long as he has a Kong to bounce around or a ball to chase he is happy happy happy.

Oy has come a long way since we started fostering him.    While it is true that Oy is still shy and nervous (he tends to bark a little when nervous) when he meets someone new-  he usually warms up pretty quickly, and once he likes you he LOVES you.   Kisses and everything.   When introducing Oy to new people I give them treats and tell them to ignore him-  sit on the floor- and don’t look at him.   Once he can say hello on what he thinks are his terms then he is just like butter.   The good thing is that he is very food motivated so once you are giving him treats he is your best friend.   He does not do too well when people come in and look him in the eye and try to pet him.   I think this is why he tends to be shy with men more often and it takes a little while longer for him to warm up to them.    The male strangers that have met Oy tend to want to look him in the eye, greet him with a deep voice,  then ruffle his head-   this is scary for Oy.   Oy needs to make the first advance and when that is done then all is good.   He still is not good with children-  I would not leave him unattended with children and because children might not understand dog language I just would not feel comfortable not being in control of any contact with kids.   Oy really needs a loving home, someone who will work with him, do some training with him, and let him become part of your family.

Oy is good with other dogs.  I really think if you are interested at all in meeting Oy you should let placement know.   I would love to have a long conversation with you to let you know all about him.   He really is a good dog, and he is one of the ones that with a caring family he will go from being a dog in need- to being a part of the family.  

Oy is doing well.   We spent about 2 hours the other day when it was pretty warm running around the back yard.  It was so much fun, and Oy had such a wonderful time.   He played and played and played.  Finally when we came in he crashed pretty much the rest of the day.   Oy is a beautiful silky blond boy.  He is always smiling and happy.   He has come so far in his short time with us, and now he is looking to continue his journey.  He is healthy and vibrant, and such a pretty dog.   It just blows me away that he has not been snapped up by someone already.   He is definitely ready for the next step in his life.   He is crate trained, house trained, he can be in his crate for 8 hours while I am at work, he is good with dogs, has ignored the one cat he met that I know of, and once he gets to know a person he is such a sweet lover boy.   He is so cuddly and curious and really happy.   Are you the lucky family that will get to bring the JOY that is OY into your home?

Oy is really the cutest dog ever.....   one of the really cute things he does is bring me his bowl when he is hungry-    He will also bring me the water dish if it is empty.  He has no idea how cute this is, but it is pretty darned cute.  Also, he loves to play fetch with is Kong.   He will bring it to me and drop it near me-  then will chase it as many times as I will throw it.    Oy is continuing to do well-  he is just so super confused about why he is still in foster care.  I have no idea either.    What are you waiting for?  Oy is the reason people like us adopt from a rescue.   He is a dog who needed a second chance.  Needed someone who understood dog behavior and was willing to work with him to help him overcome his fears.    I am happy to report that Oy met a male stranger the other night and didn't bark at him at all.  In fact, he came in and put his paws on his lap.    He is just continuing to flourish.  He is going to make the right family so happy!

From Oy's forever family...

We adopted Oy in February of 2009. He has been a great addition to our house and we cannot imagine life without him. He was great at waking our son Andrew (a 10th grader) up for school during the week!! Oy went from being a "country dog" in Ely and then Rice, MN with his foster mom Cyd to living the city life in St. Paul (with two cats no less).

Oy has finished his six week obedience class and is signed up for level II later this summer. Hopefully later this summer we will be able to take him to the dog park.

Thank you RAGOM for making Oy's adoption possible.