Millie continues to be the perfect dog!  She is so much fun and so loving, she will make some lucky family very happy!

I have taken back my thoughts on having a fence.  She tried to escape the first couple days and since then she has been right by my side when the door opens and does not want to go anywhere if I'm not going too!  She would do well with or without a fence.

I think that she would LOVE to live with kids!  Everytime we go on a walk, when she sees or hears children her body starts wagging with her tail.  She is so friendly and wants to say hi to everyone.  What a love bug! 

One thing to note is that she has LOTS of energy!!  She loves going for walks and loves running around the house and playing with whomever will play with her :-)  Millie is eager to help me out with my exercises in the morning, especially if I'm bending over, like Yoga.  She gets on the floor with me and tries to give kisses.  I think she thinks I'm down there for her!

I can tell that her UTI is improving.  She is not having to urinate as often and when she does go, it's a normal amount.  This is very good news but we will be going to the vet next week to get the actual results.  Please think positive thoughts for her!

Millie would make any family so incredibly happy.  Please contact your placement advisor if you'd be interested in meeting her.

Millie got to go to her foster grandpa's house yesterday. I really learned alot about little miss Millie from going there. FG has 2 Goldens himself and she was a little growly and stand-offish with them at first. It took about 20-30 minutes for her to realize that they were not a threat to her and that they were going to play with her. This is an important fact so when a potential adoptive family comes we know that it will not be love at first sight between her and your dog, that we will need to go for a little walk to get them introduced properly. Also, she was very easily redirected with just a simple "uh uh Millie". I tell you what, though, she LOVED running in the fenced backyard. She also really loved playing with the other dogs. I have to say, 6 GR's in one yard is quite the sight! She slept for the rest of the evening after that one!

Millie has continued to be the perfect foster. She is the cutest thing with her underbite, I just look at her and giggle sometimes. She won't win any beauty contests, but she will win your heart! Contact your placement advisor if you'd be interested in coming to meet her! She looks forward to finding her furever home!!

I have to say, Millie has been the biggest sweetheart while being in fostercare with me. She has been full of love for myself and the other dogs here. She has loved to roughhouse with Rebel, she is sweet with Hatch and she loves antagonizing Moxie. She has been a huge lover giving kisses all the time. She has won the hearts of everyone she has met, and yearns to be with children. I have seen nothing that would indicate she would have behaviors or issues upon leaving.

She did... Millie was adopted Friday evening and is already back to RAGOM's loving care. Her and the resident golden did wonderfully the first night and then the next day Millie scuffled with the other dog.  She needs a bit more time to settle in and feel safe than some of our dogs. That is all a part of being a rescue. They aren't sure if they are safe and will sometimes react. Millie will do fine if given time to adjust.

She went into a home with 3 young children and LOVED them. She was wary of strangers coming over and the family decided that she wasn't a good fit for their home.

Millie was found literally starving as a stray. She spent 2 months in a shelter and then spent a day traveling up to MN from OK. She has been in foster care for 2 weeks. She has had a lot of changes and she has had a lot to deal with in her short lifetime. She has been put through many different experiences and has adapted to them all wonderfully until going to an adoptive home.

What this means for Millie. Millie needs a home where she is not allowed to "rule the roost". She needs a home where the adoptive parents are able to tell her the rules in a loving way and then follow through with them. When she came into foster, she was tethered to me for the first 3 days. Doing that allowed her to see how other dogs interact with each other. It taught her that I'm in charge and I am the rule maker and the person who will enforce those rules. Now that doesn't mean that I yelled or screamed at her, because all she needed was a gentle "uh uh Millie" and she knew.

I still stand by the fact that she needs another dog in her home. She has made amazing strides in foster having other dogs to learn from. She has a lot of learning left to do, she's still a baby. The best teachers of good dog behavior are other dogs.

Even though she LOVES kids, I think given the fact that it might take her awhile to get used to another home she should have older kids in the home. That way they can help reinforce proper training for Millie and she can learn to respect everyone.

I have to restate that I never saw any of the behaviors she exhibited when she was away from here. It completely blew me away when I received that call.

If you would like to know more about Millie or would like to meet her, please contact your placement advisor!

Millie has had a tough week. She came back to RAGOM fairly stressed out and while she blended right back in with the pack, she had some insecurities. We've worked through this for the past week and she is doing much better now.

I cannot emphasize enough what an absolute lover she is. She is the epitome of what a GR is; wanting to be by my side, giving kisses all the time, waiting in bed for me and loving being around the other dogs here.

Her and Rebel play all the time. At times they get carried away and then one or the other say enough is enough and they slow down, only to get carried away again. She really needs a dog that is going to love to play with her.

Millie is waiting for her furever family. She really wants someone who is going to commit to her and know that it will take at least a week for her to feel comfortable with you. Once you get to know her, you will not be sorry! She really is a phenomenal dog!

Please contact your placement advisor if you'd like to know more about her!

Millie continues to be an absolute pleasure to foster. She has started learning some manners and now knows "sit" and "down". Two very important commands. Every night as I get ready for bed she beats me there and curls up in my spot. I have to roll her over (it's a game now) so I can climb in and the whole time her tail is wagging and then she gives me kisses. She also likes to wake me up with kisses and let me tell you, it's a great way to awaken!

I realize I have neglected to update everyone on her health - she is healthy as a horse, or a dog in her case. Her UTI was completely cleared up 2 weeks ago when we went to the vet. She had also gained 5 pounds and now weighs 66 pounds. She looks so much healthier now that her ribs and hips aren't sticking out of her fur! She has just the right amount of padding so that her body weight is very healthy.

We continue to go for our 45 minute walks every morning and she is so excited to get her Gentle Leader on and go for that walk! She has decided her spot in the walking order is right between the two resident goldens. People laugh at me as we go down the walking paths because I have 3 red dogs and 1 white dog making their way. You'd think it'd be chaotic but everyone walks so nicely that it is a great walk!

This young lady is waiting oh so patiently for her furever family! She is a devoted loving dog who will give you so much more in return. If you'd like to know more about her or would like for her to meet your family, please let your placement advisor know.

I finally got a picture of the whole pack (cat not included, that would have been beyond miraculous) and thought I'd share! Foster Grandma came over this weekend and we worked on getting them all in a line, sort of. It kind of worked :-)

There are no two-ways about it, Millie is a show stopper. Everyone who meets her absolutely falls in love with her. I think at first they inwardly giggle because of her underbite but they never let her see that! After that, they go gaga over what a beautiful dog she is.

Millie has a special affinity for car rides so I decided to share a couple pictures of what I see when we go for a ride. Please excuse the quality as they are from my cell phone. I do believe that she is literally smiling everytime she is in the car. In fact, she loves her car rides so thoroughly that if she doesn't think we were gone long enough, she will sit down in the car when the other puppers are getting out and look at me like "now where?". She doesn't appreciate it when I let her know we're done and as soon as I stop playing the game and go inside she is at the back door wanting in.

My neighbor recently commented on how far she's come since being in foster care. He said that when he first saw her he felt bad for her because she was so skinny and so scared. He stated that she used to be an observer and would watch the other dogs playing but wouldn't join in. He said that now she has filled out, her coat looks healthy and she is the one initiating play. He is a new neighbor and has not been around my fosters previously and was just amazed at how far she has come.

When Millie first came into RAGOM, she barely had enough energy to walk around the lake, our daily walk. She literally pooped out in the first 20 minutes and would struggle to keep up. Now she has the strength to not only walk it but then come home and wrestle with Rebel. She has come so far since arriving and let me tell you, if there was enough room in my tiny house, she would be home. She is just a spectacular dog.

I have also included a picture of my view of Millie when I'm watching TV. She just makes me giggle and again, only had my cell phone so the picture isn't first rate, but the subject is!

Contact your placement advisor if you think Millie would be a good fit for your home.

Millie will be at the MnPAW's event on Saturday. Come out and see her cute little smile and get some kisses! She will be there at about 11:00 am.

Millie thanks everyone that came out this weekend to meet her! She gave so many kisses and showed off her gorgeous underbite :-)

As a foster mom, I try and introduce my fosters to different situations after they have been with me for a couple weeks and are comfortable with me. I work with people with physical disabilities, many of whom use wheelchairs, and so whenever possible I bring a dog along on a home visit to see how they do.

This week Millie was able to go on a home visit with me to visit a client in a power wheel chair - which are usually much scarier for dogs because they are big, they move fast and they make noises. She had NO fear at all! She went right up to my client and put her head on the arm rest so she could get a pet! I was so proud of her! She has also had the chance to meet a friend who uses a manual wheelchair and once again she totally ignored the chair and focused on getting a cuddle. This leads me to believe that if you have an interest in a therapy dog, she would be wonderful going into hospitals, nursing homes, etc.

Last night she got to come along to Woodbury Days, which is a local festival. I'm pretty sure she thought that everyone there was there for her because as we went through the crowd she looked at everyone and wagged her tail. If there was a hand within reach of her head, she did the old golden bump to get their attention. Some people were a little shocked but quickly started petting her. She loved watching the balloons float through the sky, she loved seeing all the kids and even got to meet some rescued greyhounds. The only time she was scared was when we walked through the midway and the rides started going. She was not too fond of that.

I know I'm biased, but Millie is the best dog ever. She is so friendly (everyone commented on her smile last night), she loves everyone and she is great with other dogs! Right now she is just waiting for that perfect-for-her furever family! If you think you might be the ones, please let your placement advisor know!

Millie and FM would like to thank everyone who came to the Chuck and Don's in Lakeville today. She got so much lovin' from so many of you and let me tell you, she was exhausted when she got home! It's so nice to know that there are so many people who know her story and came out especially to meet her!

If you didn't make it today, you get another chance next weekend as she will be at the Picnic. We will be walking in the 5k Walk/Run in the morning and will stay as long as she is comfortable (depends on the weather).

Millie went to the vet again this week as she was exhibiting symptoms of another UTI but she was clear of that and diagnosed with vaginitis. She is on medications for 2 weeks and the vet said there is no reason she will need a recheck unless she starts showing signs in the future. Her pills are just put in her food dish and she takes them beautifully!

I wanted to do a quick recap of what she will/will not need in her furever home

• Another Large (40+ pound) Dog  **UNLESS you are committed to lots of exercise, socialization, training!  If so, she can be the only dog.**
• Fences are great, but she has great recall so it is not essential
• She loves kids and would be great with them

If you think you would be a good forever home, please let your placement advisor know!

Thank you to everyone who came to the picnic today and especially those of you who came to get some kisses from Miss Millie. She did soooo good meeting everyone and I think she showed what a fabulous dog she is. It is amazing to hear how many people have followed her story! I suppose with such a lovable face it's hard to forget her!

Millie is still very much a puppy and needs the structure and training that all puppies need. She LOVES toys and it turns out she also loves remote controls! FM will soon learn to put things up, sometimes we're hard to train! Millie responds so well to positive redirection and praise. Her whole body starts wagging with her tail and I swear she smiles.

We tried teaching Millie how to catch food in the air this week with popcorn and she started catching on at the end but it took a lot of popcorn :-) Maybe this was her scheme all along!

Millie loves her walks and needs lots of exercise. She would make a great running partner as long as she can snuggle up in bed next to you at the end of the day.

My goodness how time flies when you're having fun! What is there to say about a dog who is perfect in every way but her teeth?? Millie continues to be the perfect houseguest - no accidents, no doggy scuffles and lots of love for human and canines!

Millie loves loves loves to give kisses! She can be really sneaky about coming up and getting your chin sometimes and other times she just cuddles and kisses. Her favorite thing is to wake you up with her cold nose and a sloppy kiss! Can't beat that :-) Now that the nights are getting colder she snuggles right up to me in bed. She literally leans up against me until she can't get any closer and curls into a ball.

One of Millie's favorite pasttimes is to shred paper and she is AMAZING at it!  Last week she found one of those mini phone books outside and brought it in as proud as can be so there was no way I could take it away from her but knew full well what would ensue.  Yep!  A main floor full of paper!  It was almost as amazing to coming home to stuffed animal fluff - looked like it had snowed!

Millie had the opportunity to stay at another foster's home for a night and day last week and she did GReat! She met and did wonderfully with the resident goldens and played and played! The next day she was so tired that she couldn't even hold a treat in her mouth!

I've added a couple pics of her favorite place to sleep... the couch. She likes to mimic my resident golden, Rebel, as you can see in the pic!

Please come out and see Millie on Saturday at Petsmart and get a nice sloppy Millie kiss!

Millie continues to be a great house guest here a casa la foster. Everyone who meets her comments on her gentle and loving nature and of course, her beautiful smile. There hasn't been a person around who she hasn't loved and given love to, ala her sloppy kisses :-)

We started crate training Millie this week. She has so much energy and there is still so much puppy in her that she sometimes finds stuff to get into while I am at work. Usually paper products that I haven't put in a safe place and remote controls have continued to be her absolute favorite. I believe if we can successfully crate train her, she will be much more successful in a furever home that doesn't have another dog to keep her company while you are at work.

She got a special treat today and was given the chance to run on some open land at a friends home. We walked through some rough terrain for a couple hours and she never stopped! She raced around like there were rabbits everywhere! There were 5 dogs in total and she out ran all of them by far! I've included some pictures that show the sure joy she experienced!

Millie is patiently waiting for that perfect furever family to come and snatch her up. I can guarantee that you will find out that you adopted the perfect golden mix ever :-) Contact your placement advisor if you'd be interested in meeting her.

Have I managed to mention how incredibly smart Millie is? We started kennel training about 1 week ago. We started with having her eat in there and get treats in there. After about 2 days, when she was hungry, she went in the kennel. Or when she wanted a treat, she would go in the kennel! What a smarty-pants. After she got comfortable with that, I started putting her in there when I left for a short time. She did not like that at all the first couple times but has come to realize it's not so bad. She has a special bed in there just for her and she gets some extra food - I put it in a coke bottle that she has to work all the food out of. It keeps her mind busy and not so focused on me leaving with her in there.

I must admit I am completely shocked Miss Millie hasn't found a furever home yet. She is pretty much perfect in all aspects. If you'd like to see just how perfect she is, please come meet her this weekend at the Chuck and Don's in Roseville! She'll be there with her buddy Hatch 09-196.

Hatch and Millie will be attending the event at TCOTC this weekend, so come on out and say HI to them! They will be there from 9-11.

I have included a picture of them from last weekend's event (thanks Auntie Mari) to show you what you're missing if you don't make an appearance :-)

Hatch and Millie

Millie has been watching Animal Planet these days and it turns out she is quite interested in these shows :-) She lifts her ears and tilts her head back and forth while watching the TV. It's really quite cute, but of course anything she does is cute!

Millie has really come into her own these past couple weeks. She has started playing more and playing better. She is, quite literally, the perfect dog looking for her perfect home.

If you'd like to meet her, come on out to the New Brighton PetSmart this Saturday, November 21st, and get a kiss!

Both Millie and Hatch will be at the Santa Paws event in Wayzata this Saturday, November 28th.

As a foster mom, it's my job to love my foster dogs. Of course we have to give them love because how will they know exactly how special they are without kisses and constant words of encouragement before they move into their furever home. What happens when you love your foster so much that you can't let them go? You become a foster failure and adopt your foster!

I'm fairly new to fostering, Millie is only my 17th foster in 2 years but I have fallen so head over heels in love with her that I've decided to adopt her! The turning point was Sunday morning when I was getting ready and came out of the bathroom and saw her laying on my bed looking like she was home, so it turns out she was!

So my baby girl (one of her many nicknames) gets to stay furever with us! The little snaggletoothed lover is home!!

Thanks to RAGOM for rescuing her all the way from MO and helping her get healthy!

Cuddles and Kisses,
Kris, Moxie, Rebel, Gizmo, Millie and the honorary furever dog, Hatch

Dear Baby Girl,
 
Happy Gotchya Day!  One year ago today you took a very long van ride with a couple great volunteers and came into my life.  You had been found as a stray and were skin and bones, scared and sick.  I gave you tons of kisses that first day and everyday since :-)
 
You met the other dogs at my house amazingly!  The two resident dogs took a liking to you right away and it was apparent that the feeling was mutual.  I had another foster at that time, Hatch 09 196, who took you under his wings.  I'm pretty sure he told you that everything was going to be OK now because he had a very calming effect on you.
 
No one knew how old you were, somewhere between 1 and 3-years-old so I decided that we'd say you were 2 and changed your birthday to July 2nd, 2007  :-)  What a perfect age. 
 
You met a couple families who were interested in adopting you but it just never seemed to work out.  All the while I was falling more and more in love with you, as were the resident pack!  You guys were now 3 peas in a pod and I couldn't imagine ever splitting you up, or even letting you go.  In December, I made the decision to adopt you.  I never wanted a 3rd dog.  Dogs are expensive!  Plus, I love fostering and adopting meant less room at the Inn but it was meant to be.
 
I have enjoyed watching you turn into the dog you are.  You now meet other dogs without incident, you love every human you meet and are overall the perfect addition to the pack.
 
You have been in my life for 1 year now and I look forward to many many more.  Happy GotchyaBirthday baby girl.

Millie, Mills, Millers, Milli Vanilli, Millicent, Mildred... But the name you respond to most is still, Baby Girl.

Can you believe you've been here for 2 years? It seems like you've been here forever. I'm still amazed at how far you've come in that time. You came to my house scared, underweight and not knowing what the world had in store for you. You found your groove here and have become a confident and happy dog. Everyone who has known you these past 2 years still comments on what an amazing dog you've become.

We had a hitch this year, but we'll get through it like we have everything else. I've learned one of your weaknesses and we won't let it out again. Let me just say it's a darned good thing I love you!

You have been the ultimate foster sister. I've lost count of how many dogs have come and been adopted since you've been here and with them all, you've welcomed them with your winning smile and playful ways. You are the one they turn to for guidance and they learn how to be better dogs because of that.

You've also helped comfort me with the passing of an amazing dog this year, Scruffy. You were sure in love with him and it showed how much you were hurting after he was gone. The whole house took some time to get over him and you were able to help me heal with those special smiles and sloppy kisses.

Thank goodness no one snatched you up to foster 2 years ago, it was meant to be for you to come here... I can't wait to see what the next year brings...

Mom, Moxie, Rebel and Gizmo (and Spencer 11-186 wishes you a happy day too!)

I cannot believe that my baby girl has been here for 3 years now!  Happy Gotchyabirthday Miss Mills!

We'll be going to DQ to celebrate today which is how we celebrate puppy days around here :)  All 4 dogs (Jakey (12-038 gets to come too!) get their own kiddie-cup of ice cream.
 
It's been a busy year for Millie to help me with fostering!  We welcomed Spencer, Roscoe, Goose, Sugar, Sonny, we doggy sat some of Hope's puppies, and then Jake.  Millie really loved having the younger dogs here until after a while then she got plain tired of them.  Especially the couple that just wanted to go and go and go :)  She was a little leary of Jake at first because he had larangeal paralysis which made him breathe funny and I wonder if she thought he was growling... after a couple weeks, however she would make sure to give him some of her kisses!

She continues to be a first class running partner :)  We're training together for a half-marathon.  She won't be able to run it with me but she'll help me get there!  When the running watch comes out and our stunt puppy running leash gets ready, she starts bouncing up and down.  She knows how to set her pace to mine, she knows turn left - turn right so we're not tripping over each other.  The boys are pretty darned jealous that she gets to spend this time with me and they let us know very vocally while we're gone.

Millie and I have had a special routine almost since the days she's come here.  She keeps my pillow warm and when I get done in the bathroom and get ready to crawl in I say "thank you baby girl" and she groans and huffs and moves over giving me my pillows back.  In the morning, she knows when I start stirring that I'm gonna get up soon and this is what I see .  As soon as my eyes open, she starts giving me kisses... YAY!  You're awake!  Let's go for our walk now!

People ask me, "Why Millie?  What made Millie the foster you failed at?" and I always say that it's not just the intense bond we have, but my boys love her more than I could ever imagine.  They are 3 peas in a pod and I could not imagine NOT having her here.   If there is such a thing as a doggy soul mate, then Millie is IT for me.  I have no way of describing the bond we have and I've tried to do some reading on this, but in the end I will always know her as my doggy soul mate.

Her BFF Stella moved which is very sad.  She will still run to Stella's door trying to see if she'll come out once in a while but she's learning it's not going to happen.  Stella comes over for visits though and that makes her pretty happy :)

We got her DNA tested this year but the results were so far fetched that I've not only dismissed them but can't even stomach putting them in writing, as that might give them credence.  I'll continue calling her my golden mix :)

It's been a trying year as I've gone back to school which means lots of time away and when I'm home I'm studying more often than I'm not.  She always lays on the couch next to me so she can be as close as possible as well as keeping a close eye on her mama.

So, another year has gone by.  It feels like my baby girl has been here forever, and here's to MANY more years together.  A HUGE thank you to RAGOM for saying "yes" to all those dogs in a shelter in OK 3 years and to her drivers, Dayle and Kimmer, for driving the distance to go get them.  Our lives changed for the better 3 years ago.  Millie is far from perfect, but she is absolutely perfect here :)

I love you, my baby girl... here's to many more gotchyabirthday celebrations!!