Lava

Sweet Lava has been adopted!   Wishing this special girl all the best with her new dad and mom and her fur sister, Lucy, who will help to show her the way.  Thank you for letting me be part of your journey.  

Just a quick little update on Lava.  You may have noticed her status has been closed to applications a few times which is part of our process when we are speaking with potential adopters.   We've had the opportunity to meet with two wonderful families so far and it was a great experience for Lava as each meeting helps her on her forever home journey and I always learn more about her with each meeting.  It wasn't quite the right fit for the families based on their needs and Lava's needs but we really appreciated the time they spent with her and their interest in RAGOM.  

Lava is now open to applications again and we have some new things to report.   Her latest love is playing fetch with her ball as you'll see in the video below.   Since finding joy in playing ball she's now also interested in other toys and also is much more treat motivated which helps with some of our training.  She's learned the "sit" command thanks to the help of some tasty treats and the ball that she loves.   

https://youtu.be/WnkwBwG5dUM

And our last little piece of news is that Lava has started learning going up and down the stairs!   Another volunteer brought her pup, Greyson, to help show her the way and after watching him go up and down several times she had the confidence to try it herself.  For this reason and how the visit went overall,  I've changed her to "Another Dog Required" as I think for her to truly blossom she'll need another dog to quietly show her the way as Greyson did today.   

Lava does not seek out comfort from another dog when she meets them and does not engage in play yet and sometimes is disinterested, but we were able to observe her watch the other dog on the stairs and eventually decide it was her turn to try.  Her forever home will need the resident dog and the family to be patient with her, step back a bit and give her space, however, I think she'll continue to watch and learn from another dog and hopefully over time learn to play and receive comfort from their presence.   You'll see Lava and Greyson in the picture below after a few hours together during their first meeting sitting and ready for treats.  Lava is watching the volunteer taking the picture while Greyson is ready for the treat.  Although Lava has some concern on her face about the picture being taken, she didn't budge as she knew a treat was coming.

We hope to find Lava's forever home soon but until then we are going to appreciate and enjoy every moment together of this girl's journey!

Lava is doing well and we're happy to report we made it through the July 4th fireworks with the help of a few calming chews.  They definitely helped her get through what seemed like a week of fireworks.  Now we're just working through the high temps which have impacted our daily walks.  Hopefully we'll get back to it soon.

As you review Lava's page, below are some of the things I think she will need in her forever home.

A fenced in yard is required as she still won't go potty on a leash and has a very high prey drive.  You'll see in the photo below she will go out on the patio and watch for any movement of a critter and then will take off running.

            
You'll also need to go outside and be in the yard with her for quite awhile on a daily basis for her to get comfortable and to be sure she goes potty.  It won't be as simple as just letting her out by herself or with another dog  - you'll need to go along with her.  And it would be quite some time (if ever) that she would be ready for an off-leash dog park or walking off leash on trails especially due to her prey drive.

Lava will need someone who can be consistent with daily walks since she really enjoys them and it helps to bond with her.  She could also benefit from a Shy and Timid Dog Class or a class for socialization.  Again this would be a good bonding experience for both her and her new family.

She's still not a fan of car rides so you will need to sometimes lift her into the car as well as out of the car. The good news is that she's lost more weight so now that she's at 55 lbs it's a little less to lift.   There are times she will jump in when she gets close.

Initially she may need 1 level living since she still hasn't done stairs.  We're still working on this but it will probably be best for her to be able to go right out to the backyard from a ground level where she can also have her dog bed, where she can eat and also have her crate.  She's crate trained and still sleeps in one at night or when I'm gone.   She also will go in there throughout the day to relax as well.

If there is another pup in the home, it should be one that's comfortable with letting Lava decide when she's ready to get close.  Just a companion from afar until she's ready for more would be best for her.   Lava's a pretty chill girl and could benefit from another pup who is just satisfied to hang out with her.

Most importantly, she needs people in her life who will be very, very patient and celebrate all the new things she does no matter how small they may seem.  She loves to be loved and with time this is what will build trust and a bond.

I'll close with a new thing Lava has in her life - a soft toy!  We received it from a friend and it's her new little buddy.   You'll see a little of her playful side in the video and also her adorable side snuggled up with her new toy.   She's one special girl just looking for that one special family to call home. 

https://youtu.be/OIz8joN1-eA

We've just hit the 10-day mark since Lava's spay surgery and she has been a champ!  It's not fun having so many restrictions - especially having to be on a leash outside and be stuck in the yard.   On top of that, she needed to wear a surgical suit to protect her incision, and she was so patient with me every time we took it on and off.  She didn't even fault me for having it on backwards the first few days.   

We're going to need to restart a few things in Lava's training once we get past a few more days of her healing.  Before surgery, Lava was not open to doing stairs.  I could get her to go up 2 steps on the front porch but then she would jump down both of them and she would not try the stairs in the house at all.  So that's on our list along with getting back to walking each day.  She'll need to get used to going through the gate again and venturing out into the neighborhood.  I think that will come back to her pretty quickly.

Lava did get a chance to meet three different dogs in the yard prior to her surgery; however, she didn't really show any interest in them. Currently she is the only dog in her foster home, so we'll be working to have a few more meetings with other pups to see how she does in the upcoming weeks.  We'll also be working on a few short car trips to fun places where she can get more exposure to people, as well as riding in the car.  All her car trips have been vet related so she's definitely overdue for a fun trip!

We have lots on our "to do" list in the weeks ahead and I know that Lava will be one happy girl to get back to sniffing out the critters in the yard and getting in a little chase or two.  Before her surgery, she was one busy girl if she saw a rabbit or squirrel and I needed to watch to make sure her back feet didn't start trying to climb up the fence a bit.  I don't think she could get over the fence, but she definitely could get stuck.

A few new things - Lava is getting interested in treats and she also lost 4 pounds!  The vet recommended that she get down to 55 lbs. so we're definitely on our way with hitting the 60 lb. mark. Getting back to our walks will help a great deal, as well as her being able to run again in the yard.  We both can't wait!

Hoping to get a video of Lava's happy dance to share with you for the next update which will be sure to make you smile!   

Meet Lava who is named for her beautiful red coat!   This former breeder girl has left those days behind and each day is encountering new things to adjust to.  She does frighten easily with sudden movements and new noises but has started to trust her environment and me a bit more which helps us to work through them.

She had a good 1st vet visit and a first bath that was a little scary for her but she does love to be brushed and lets you clip her nails, clean her ears and even brush her teeth!  Her new found love is discovering how comfy a dog bed can be after initially being too afraid to step on it.

Lava has been with me three weeks and we've been taking walks consistently for the last 2 weeks which definitely helps with bonding.   She had little experience being on a leash but does really well walking by your side with the occasional weave to avoid anything that concerns her like a parked car or sign.  She will not go potty on a leash which is why a fenced yard will be required and she also has a strong prey instinct.

Everything in the house is new to her but she's doing great!   She is crate trained and sleeps peacefully through the night and so far has been good about our schedule of going out for potty.   At this time, she doesn't have any interest in toys but really loves her Benebone she received as a gift.   She'll prance around and wag her tail with it before settling in to chew on it.

Lava loves to walk around the yard and will perk up when she hears children in a neighboring yard.   There is definite interest and curiosity there but she would still need very slow introductions with any children or adults. 

Lava will need a family that is patient with her and takes a slow and steady approach to exposing her to new experiences and people.  She'll need to learn to trust that she's safe and as that happens each new experience will go a little easier.  When her joyful side comes out, she'll give you a play bounce to tease you and then do a happy dance. She might benefit from another dog in the home, however, it should be a dog with low-medium energy who is at least 3-4 years old and can read her signals to give her the space and time she'll need to adjust to a new home.

In the short time she's been with me, she's already brought so much joy and lots of smiles! 

Her spay surgery is scheduled for June 3rd and after a few weeks of recovery she will be ready to find her forever home.