Abby

Profile

WANTED -- Beautiful 6 year old Golden girl seeks position as resident dog with new, FOREVER family.  Abby offers great house manners, furniture privileges desired.  Well adjusted and healthy.  She enjoys getting out and about and walks nicely with just her regular RAGOM collar.  Fenced yard preferred but not required.  Able to function effectively as your only fur butt but gets along with furry housemates -- whether of the canine or feline persuasion.  Human siblings at least 10 years of age are also acceptable.  Entry level dog guardians are encouraged to apply! 

OK, enough trying to be creative, time for FM to get down to the business of finding Abby the perfect new home.  Abby joined RAGOM after a call from the Sioux Falls Humane Society about a newly surrendered Golden Retriever (thank you SFHS & Rona!).  That family was moving and couldn't take her along.  While we all know that unexpected changes can happen in anyone's life, they'd only had Abby since April :(  Judging by her excellent house manners, she was probably a family dog even before that surrendering owner got her.  But it means that Abby's been through a lot this year: a family until April, then a new family for 3 months, then left at a crowded animal shelter, then picked up by RAGOM and brought to Happy Dog Hideaway for boarding, then picked up by another new person and driven from Sioux Falls to Albert Lea where she was handed off to yet another stranger and driven to Bloomington.  At least that last stranger was FM and Abby is staying here in Bloomington until her forever family realizes she's The One ! 

Now for a little detail around the qualities mentioned in Abby's resume:

• Great house manners -- perfectly house trained, no accidents despite the enticing smells that must waft from the carpet in the family room compliments of so many others dogs who've passed through.  Abby is pretty persistent about her right to lounge on human furniture despite the assortment of dog beds around here.  She also likes to join you on the bed at night so could be a cuddly bed warmer when cold weather returns.  No counter surfing or inappropriate chewing.  She hasn't shown much interest in toys but does enjoy gnawing on a nice bone or raw hide.
• Well adjusted and healthy -- no storm, fireworks or separation anxieties noted despite the abundant testing opportunities presented in the last week.  Abby's a healthy dog except for an under active thyroid for which she takes 12 mg oflevothyroxine at a cost of about 16 cents a day (based on the price published by Doctors Foster and Smith).
• Walks nicely with a flat collar --  like all dogs Abby enjoys getting out for regular walks.  She doesn't pull and generally keeps a nice pace without excessive stops to check out the smells that only dogs can smell.  The only real issue I've seen with her is when we meet another dog.  If there's another dog out for a walk Abby starts barking, jumping and pulling.  Doesn't appear to be an aggressive type behavior but we don't get close enough to find out, to change directions and keep moving is much easier than finding out exactly what she means.  Abby's been fine around my dogs and at the vet's.  We'll try to get to the next RAGOM event to see how she reacts around new dogs in a new, but more controlled, environment.
• Fenced yard preferred -- FM doesn't have a fenced yard so resident and foster dogs always go out on a tie out.  Too bad Abby doesn't seem to understand what she's supposed to do while on the tie out.  So unless you want to take her out on leash several times a day, in all kinds of weather, a fenced yard will be a definite plus. 
• Gets along with others -- Abby's been fine with my dogs starting with their initial meeting.  She'd apparently never met a cat before so the first few days had mine hiding under beds to avoid being chased.  Abby seems to have just needed a few days to adjust to all the new stuff in her life and Felicity is back out wandering around while Abby just ignores her.  Haven't seen her around kids yet but she's so laid back and calm I'm sure she'd be fine.  However, older kids might be better because when Abby gets excited (e.g., meeting new humans or dogs) she does jump and could easily knock down little ones.

Watch for updates as I get to know more about the real Abby but feel free to contact your Placement Advisor if she sounds like the one you've been searching for!