Adopted Dogs · Happy Endings · Rainbow Bridge Memorials
I wouldn't say that she is house trained - but she also hasn't had any accidents in the house either. She has gone out to do her business every time - but she also doesn't go to the door to be let out. She has shown no aggression of any sort - food, toy or attention wise. If anything she shies away from my dogs when they growl or make a noise and she is very wary of adults. She will now come up to me for attention if she thinks it's safe, so she is getting more trusting.
This morning she has started to act more like a puppy - running around outside, jumping up in the air and acting silly. But when she is in the house she is very calm and quiet. She seems to like chewies and but doesn't really know what toys are for - so we will work on that. What a love.
I'll let you know more about her when I discover more.
She still has not had an accident in the house - way to go Star.... I have never heard her bark, she whined today when I got home and she was in the crate but that was the first time I had heard her even whine.
A little about her background, or the little that we know about her background. She has been abused and was living in a horrible situation. She must have been an outside dog because she is learning about doorways, especially ones with glass in the doors (sliding glass doors and the doors into the vets office) and she is fearful of loud voices. She also is very wary of men. My son stopped by Sunday evening and she hid from him until he knelt down on the floor and then she came up to him to be petted. She was very friendly with all the vets and vet techs today, they were all young women, and besides they all had treats for her. She LOVES treats!!!
I'm sending a picture of Star hiding under the kitchen table with her front feet on the chair trying to look out - she is a little fearful but still a little nosey too. She is just so cute, everyone that has met her has fallen in love with her.
This will be the last update I will be sending in as I was Starlite's temporary foster, until she found a permanent foster. She will be going to her permanent foster's home tomorrow after I pick her up from the vet. She was spayed today and they called to say that she did just fine.
A few things about this special girl that I would like to mention. She has really started to come out of her shell and act like a puppy. Last night she emptied out the toy basket and actually laid on a dog bed with a toy. The only attention she has paid to the dog beds previously was to try dragging them around the house, she also likes to drag the area rugs around the house. She listens when you tell her no and she is easily redirected. I also found a slipper, sock and a shoe in her kennel - nothing was chewed however. She loves to run and chase my resident Shelby around the yard. She would do really well in obedience class as she is very smart, wants very much to please and is treat motivated.
I will really miss this little girl, she has come along way in just a few days. She will now come to people, mainly women and children, to get petted; although she is still very wary of men. I think she will make a family a very wonderful companion. I only wish that I was able to continue to foster her and meet the family that eventually adopts her. She is really a sweetie that justs want to be loved and cherished. It was a joy to foster her.
Starlite has made it to her new foster home in Burnsville. Thank you to her previous foster mom who obviously did a great job with her. This little girl is so happy! The best word I can think of to describe this pup is optimistic. Her tail is always wagging! She fit into our home seamlessly. She began hanging out with our 2 resident RAGOM retrievers right away. It's great fun to watch them playing in the yard. It's like they've always been friends. I don't think Starlite will have any trouble getting along with other dogs as she enjoys the interaction. She's a bright young lass. Her name is Starlite because she has a white star on her chest. She also has some white on her mouth and toes.
We'll send another update soon once we get to know her more.
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I am not Starlite's foster, but had the privilege of taking her to the Petco event this past weekend.
What an absolute doll she is. She is so well behaved for her age. She never jumped up on anyone, she met and greeted all dogs and people and children with such sweet kisses and curiousity.
She was a bit skittish about getting into my SUV, but once in it, she rode great.
This girl is soooo sweet and endearing. You would be making a mistake to pass her up.
She got many compliments on how soft she is and how she is the perfect size. She is 30# and the vet does not think she will get much bigger.
She walks great on a leash and was well mannered. She just has that young curiousity about everything and is so happy go lucky. Her ears perked up every time she heard a squeaky toy so I bet she'll be good at fetch.
Contact your placement advisor if you'd like to meet this petite sweetheart of a girl...
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Hello everyone,
Just a quick word to update our little Star;
Star has had a couple of firsts lately. Just this week was the first time she has jumped up on the couch with our other two dogs for a belly rub. She put her head down on my lap and rested there and I pet her. It was so cute to see her relax and enjoy it.
This was also the first week that she has decided to follow me down the stairs to the basement laundry room. Previously, she would stand at the top of the stairs without coming down no matter how much I tried to encourage her. I guess she just decided it was time. She was happy and bouncy checking out the basement and now follows me down there regularly. She loves her people and her dog sisters (my resident dogs).
Star walks like an angel with her gentle leader and looks forward to her walks. She has not had any accidents in the house but we are also more responsible with her by crating her when we're at work and keeping an eye on her when we're home. She still has the puppy-mouthy-thing going on and will get into trouble if she doesn't have dog toys to play with. Typical puppy stuff. She likes to carry laundry around the house. She doesn't chew on the laundry but just enjoys carrying it around, scattering it through the house. I like to call her Sparky because of her energy level.
She LOVES to play and she is SO smart! She really needs a family of her own that will train her. She has SO much potential! She is like a gift that has not yet been unwrapped.
Do you have room in your heart and your home for this young lass? Do you look forward to training a dog and reaping the benefits? If yes, then this little dog is waiting for you. Please contact your placement advisor.
Hello everyone! It's been a couple of weeks since we've updated Star. We have all been hanging out at home. Foster mom has been working a bunch so foster dad had taken up the dog care duties. Star (and our dogs too) gets up when we do at 4:00 am. She is let outside to potty and play a little bit and then comes inside to watch with eager anticipation as foster Dad (FD) makes breakfast. F.D. makes a breakfast dish with oatmeal, apples, yogurt, ground flax seed, and scrambled eggs. Yum yum!! Star enjoys her meal times. After breakfast, FD takes the pack for a 30 minute walk through the neighborhood. Star is crated during the workday and does wonderfully in her crate. She walks in at the command "kennel up" and waits for her treat. While in her crate, she doesn't make a peep.
A cool thing I noticed about Star this week with the spring meltdown is that Star does not track mud in the house like our 2 dogs do. Rarely does she come in with muddy paws. Good girl Star!! She doesn't have extra fur between her toes and her feet are small. I trimmed her toe nails this week and she didn't fuss.
Star has not had any accidents at all since we started crating her while we're gone. She has even gone to the door to ask to go out to potty. She is just a doll. She is great with other dogs and reads their signals well. She is good with our cat although she finds him very interesting. Star is not fearful or skittish. She is doing great with our 2 boys ages 7 and 12 and will seek attention from them. She is very playful and will be a great "fetch" partner once taught to retrieve. The weather is getting nicer by the day and soon we will all be outside much more. Would you like to add a young dog to your family?
She has been our house guest for a month and a half now and is looking for her forever home. If you have any questions about Star, or would like to meet her, please contact your placement advisor.
Starlite had fun at the Petsmart event and wants to say "woof" to all of the nice people who stopped to say hello to her. Starlite was SO well behaved I couldn't be more proud of her. It's clear that she likes all dogs and people of all sizes. There's no aggression in her at all. She took treats nicely from everyone that offered. She's our happy go lucky little girl. The car ride to and from went very well. She alternated sitting and lying in the back seat and slept part of the way home. She lept right in the back seat when it was time to go home.
Many people commented they couldn't believe Starlite had not been snapped up by an adoptive family yet. I agree because I think she's just wonderful.
While at Petsmart, Star purchased a new bed, a ball, a new stuffed toy, and some treats. She said she's looking forward to the next Petsmart event. I wonder why!
Hi Everyone! Starlite is here checking in to say hello.
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Hello all. Starlite is here checking in to say Happy Easter. What a beautiful day it is! Star is hanging out here in Burnsville with her foster family, waiting for her forever home. I can't believe we've had her for 2 1/2 months now.
Did I mention that Star can push open doors with her nose? She frequently checks on me while I'm in the shower. If the door is closed tightly then she'll lie outside of the door until I open it. It's really cute.
Star has graduated from being crated at night. She now sleeps in her dog bed, near her foster sister Honey, at the foot of our bed. We put up a baby gate at the door way to keep her in the room but she likely doesn't need it because she sleeps quitely all night.
Star is quite curious and likes to investigate open drawers. If I leave my sock drawer open she'll pull out my socks and run like a thief with a prized item. She really makes us smile.
She really likes dog toys and keeps herself entertained and busy with them. Lots of toys for this girl is a must.
The weather is getting warmer. Would you like to have a dog to accompany you on walks? If Starlite sounds like a dog that may fit into your home, or if you would like to know more about little Star, please contact your RAGOM placement advisor.
Starlite has found her forever home! YAY Starlite! We'll miss you, baby, but we know you're in good hands. Starlite will be sister to former RAGOM dog Amos. Have fun little Star!
Love, Foster Mom
From Charlotte's (formerly known as Starlite) forever family...
Charlotte joined my family about three and a half months ago. She has a big brother, Amos 08-109, and two kitty siblings. She graduated from basic obedience and just did an incredible job! She is so smart that she mastered things quickly, except "come," because she just doesn't want to come until she's ready. The vet believes she's a lab/border collie mix (though of course she is an honorary golden retriever) and she has demonstrated her herding skills with Amos and the cats. I especially appreciate this when she herds the cats away from doing something naughty but Amos doesn't always appreciate his little sister gnawing on his back legs. He just sits down to make her stop. Charlotte has decided it's her job to keep our yard free of birds, bunnies, squirrels and butterflies so she chases them at every opportunity.
In June we went to a RAGOM picnic for Iowa volunteers and Charlotte got so excited by the other dogs in the pool that she jumped right in but quickly wanted out and wouldn't get back in. She wants to befriend everyone we meet (adult, child, canine, feline) and loves a good walk. I've had to put an end to her dragging laundry around by getting a laundry basket with a lid because I was dreading the day she dropped my dirty underwear in front of company.
Charlotte's confidence has helped Amos to be more confident - she's shown him how much fun a walk can be so he wags his tail when we walk now. They love a good game of tug of war and Charlotte has learned that if she brings a really good toy outside she can get Amos to chase her. Amos tries to keep up but Char is a speedy little thing. Charlotte has been a wonderful addition to our family and regularly gives me a good laugh.
This is Charlotte (I used to be Starlite 09-029). When Mom said my big brother Amos 08-109 got to write his own update I wanted to also. I'm almost 2 now so I'm old enough! Besides my brother Amos I have 2 kitty siblings: Sumo and Bonnie. Sumo is like a teenager so he spends a lot of time off on his own but me and Bonnie are friends. We play chase sometimes and she likes to run behind the door and paw at me through the crack. Sometimes I get excited and get a little too pushy and she swats me so I stop. Then she'll rub up against me to let me know we're still friends.
Sometimes Mom gets a little exasperated and asks why I can't be more like Amos. He likes to lay there and be brushed and give Mom lovey-dovey eyes. I hate the brush but Mom says I shed more than Amos and the cats combined so I have to be brushed.
But I can do lots of things Amos can't do! Mom says I have an amazing digestive tract because I can eat anything and it won't bother me. Not Amos. His tummy is sensitive so he gets diarrhea if he eats anything strange. I can walk anywhere in any weather and it doesn't bother me - hot sidewalks, ice, snow, rock salt - my paws are fine. Not Amos. His paws are sensitive and get ice balls. He sure is a softy for such a big boy. 
I don't have to give Mom lovey-dovey eyes to let her know how much I care. I kiss her lots and I snuggle up in bed with her and I help her. When the cats are naughty and scratch the furniture I make them stop. Except the kitty condo, they're allowed to scratch that so I let them. Bonnie likes to open cupboards and it drives Mom crazy to I nudge Bonnie away from the cupboards. The cats are on diets so they try to wake Mom up early and she says 5:30 is early enough. So when Bonnie rubs against the bed posts I push her off the bed and when Sumo scratches the laundry basket I jump down and make him stop. Then I hop back up on the bed with Mom to let her know I'm there, ready to help.
One thing that makes Mom mad is how much I pester my big brother. I like to nip and herd him but I'm part border collie the vet says and he sure looks like a big furry sheep to me! And when Mom remembers to throw my frisbee for me after I've been in my crate all day like a good girl, I don't pester Amos as much. I like to make Mom laugh when I run all silly all over the yard like I have the best thing in the world in my mouth. She says I'm funny and "scary smart." We started agility classes but Mom got busy at work and was tired all the time. I hope we go back some day. She's talking about taking me to a good leash manners class but I don't like the sound of that! I like to pull and run Amos off the sidewalk (there are better smells on his side!) and refuse to budge when I smell good stuff. And I'm always good when I meet other dogs. If they're nice I make friends right away and if they're not nice I stay clear. Mom says I'm very dog savvy and maybe someday we'll foster to help other dogs find a good home. I hope we do because Amos doesn't play as much as I want.
I do love my big brother though. He lets me chew on him when I'm bored. He's a soft pillow to rest my head on. He usually wins if we play tug because he's so much bigger but I steal his toys in the yard so I guess we're even.
Thank you RAGOM and my foster family for giving me the golden life as an honorary golden! I have to go now because I have to make sure there are no unsavory types in our yard like birds, squirrels, rabbits, and the neighbor Mom doesn't like!
Char