Smiley

 

On Saturday, July 2, 2016, we lost our beloved Anderson to tongue cancer. If only he could have told us how badly he felt, but that was not Anderson's personality. It was almost like Anderson lived 2 separate lives while here on this Earth. His first life was complicated. I'm sure as an adorable puppy, it was fun to have him to play with. But as he got older, the tremendous shedding, drooling, and attention seeking got too much and they abandoned him. At the age of 5-7 years old, he had taken to the streets of Hennepin County where he was forced to live on his own. On November 14, 2008, Anderson crossed the state line and entered into his second life. #08-020 Smiley was described as not good with children. Anderson helped us raise our grandchildren. He was patient, loving, and kind. When our granddaughter was just a toddler wobbling around in her footed gym jams, he gently took a piece of chicken out of her offered hand. #08-020 Smiley counter surfed. Food was a real motivator for Anderson and he never lost his desire to miss out on finding it. On Thanksgiving of 2014, he pulled half of a 14 lb. Prime Rib right off the counter and ate every single piece. #08-020 Smiley had separation anxiety. Anderson never lost his desire to be with his humans. He would put in just as many steps on his Fitbit as I did mine. #08-020 Smiley needed a fence. Anderson never needed a fence, only to jump over into the pasture with the horses to say "Hi". #08-020 Smiley's last foster Denise stated "There are times when a special dog enters your life and then your heart". "He only needs a stable home." Anderson was so handsome with his silky coat and piercing brown eyes, but he was just as beautiful on the inside as out. We loved him for his faults as he was a loving, loyal companion who was intelligent and amazing. Rest In Peace our dear Andy. We were so blessed to be able to spend your "second life" with you. Love Mom and Dad M

 

There are times when a special dog enters your life and then your heart. This was Smiley.

We are so happy to announce that this fabulous boy has been adopted.

He is now with his forever mom, dad and fur siblings. He will receive the love he so deserves and will definitely give a ton of love in return.

Have a great life Smiley! We love you very much and wish you all the best.

 

 

 

Smiley continues to be a fabulous foster. He is smart, listens well, loves everyone and is very athletic. Smiley would really make a great walking/running partner. So if you are looking to start a walking/running program before Thanksgiving, Smiley is ready to be at your side every step of the way. Any pace is fine by him.

Smiley has settled in nicely. He is showing excellent house manners. He has not counter surfed once and doesn’t have any interest in our food. Smiley takes treats very gently and eats nicely from his bowl. Smiley had a busy weekend hosting a party and entertaining weekend human guests. He did a fabulous job with both. He was indifferent to all the food around him and didn’t mind the visitors coming and going. He was even trustworthy around the dog savvy 2 year old and 7 year old kids. Everyone thought he was the most pleasurable dog and commented on how well behaved he was.

When Smiley wasn’t entertaining, he was running around the yard with his foster brothers, chasing down tennis balls. Smiley has no desire to run off and quickly responds when he is called. Smiley also knows all the basic commands - sit, stay, down, come - and walks perfectly on a leash without a Gentle Leader. Smiley is very sweet, loving and friendly. Smiley’s only need is someone to love, could you be the one?

Smiley has graduated from doggie day care and is now hanging out with us. I feel like I have won the foster championship, because Smiley is a real prize. Smiley has the silkiest coat I have ever petted. He is very calm and well mannered. Smiley walks with a regular leash at my side, no pulling and no veering from side to side. I never have to wonder what he is up to, because he is always lying near me. He enjoys being petted and cuddles right in, but is also fine on his own just relaxing. Smiley travels great and really enjoys the ride. He met the resident dogs with no problem, and already fits right in with the family dynamics. It is already clear to us that the family that adopts Smiley will get a very loyal, beautiful and low maintenance dog.

I will get some updated pictures soon. None of the pictures on the site really do him justice. He is a very handsome boy!

As you can tell, we have already fallen in love with Smiley and are looking forward to spending a lot of time with him. We will keep you updated!

Smiley has been at doggie daycare in the capable hands of Maureen from All Seasons Canine Country Club. Smiley jumped through the screen door at his foster home in an attempt to get out. We knew his best chance at being successful would mean that he was able to be OK in a crate. Being able to be crated will allow Smiley to be safe when his forever family needs to leave him alone. I am happy to report that Maureen and Smiley have done it! After a slow two week process, Smiley is eating and sleeping in his crate!

I wanted to send you an update on our boy Smiley. It has been a really good week for Smiley. I can now tell you he is officially crate trained. We continued adding an hour to his time spent in the crate each day. He adjusted to it without any fuss. I am very proud of him. He is doing it without making a peep. He sleeps in his crate now also without the door shut but it is still his preferred spot. I will outline below my recommendations for a "foster" for him.

1. A calm energy person. Smiley is not a high energy dog. He tends to match the level of the environment so the less energy and go,go,go the better. A family is fine but I would say probably not too active of children if you know what I mean (advice from the mother of a seven year old absolutely crazy boy). He did well with all three of my kids but they are seasoned dog people.
   
   
2. A fenced yard would be preferable. We have worked on Smiley being OK with being by himself. As I shared with you earlier we are trying to encourage his independence from thinking he needs a person to be with him at all times. He is completely happy with wandering in the backyard all by himself for extended lengths of time. He will now give us a little woof when he would like to come in.
   
   
3. He walks without the need of a Gentle Leader. He is not pulling and is easy to handle. He has been walked two miles in the morning and two in the afternoon. We walk him with the company of another dog and he does great. He doesn't seem to care who the second dog is. If it is too hectic for a walk it does not affect his behavior.
   
   
4. We keep things pretty organized here so there is no loose food or edibles left laying around. We have not had any counter surfing desire shown from him. Initially, he would cruise the kitchen but when called to join his group he would follow the request immediately. No problems with this. He knows the routine and is good about returning to his room and waiting by the door to be let back in when his rotation is done.
   
   
5. I recommend that he have his crate used throughout the day. We feed him in his crate both morning and evening meals. After feeding him we let him settle in for a half hour. I then give him his medication and a small treat (chew/milkbone/etc). I then leave him in there until his morning walk. We are doing random "kennel ups" so he doesn't think it just means meal time. I suggest that the foster crate him while they watch TV or fold laundry or some task each day while they are home so that the crate doesn't mean being left either. He should be comfortable in there whether people are home or not. I also suggest that when being left make sure some noise is left on like the television or radio and that he can see out. I do not think he should be closed in looking at a solid door. Our glass door seems to help him.
   
   
6. He would do well with any dogs. He has absolutely no snarkyness to him. He will not provoke or respond to an aggressive dog. We feel safe with him with any dog small or large. He would do fine at the dog parks also. He does like to initially sniff like a hunting dog but when he is done he is interested in the other dogs.

Maureen

Smiley will be at the picnic!!

Smiley had a rough weekend. It was a good thing and a bad thing. It was a bad thing because he once again got on the counters and was able to find lots of food to "share" with his foster brothers. It was a good thing because it is a great indicator that after he is adopted and has settled in, he may still have an "anxiety attack" when there is a break in routine. This is good information for potential adoptive families to know and to not get too worried about it. It also makes me wonder for how long he was "homeless" before he was in the shelter and had to scavenge for food, which is how he sometimes acts - like he still doesn't trust that his next meal is going to come.

However, on a positive note I have re-learned the old adage that "A Good Dog is a Tired Dog". He was able to run around in a fenced yard for a couple hours and was pooped for a couple days! This really shows that he needs lots of exercise, even if it is just playing in the backyard. He loves running next to you, playing ball (he started retrieving the ball over the weekend) and really just doing anything that involves his human.

On another positive note, he got to come with foster mom to work today! He was a little nervous at first with all the strange new people and the strange new building but settled in nicely. He has received so much love and attention that he will likely want to come everyday now! As I write, he is sleeping under my desk on my feet.

If you are interested in Smiley or interested in knowing more about him, please contact placement@ragom.org

Smiley keeps growing into a more loving, cuddly and less anxious dog as every day passes. He is learning some basic commands and picks up on them very quickly!

He has a new “quirk” if you can call it that. He likes car rides so much that he will jump into the open drivers window of my SUV! He knows that he is not allowed to be in the front seat so he belly crawls through the bars that separate the front and sits in the back all ready to go!! Even if there is nowhere to go. Needless to say he is really good in the car.

He loves being groomed! He gets brushed just about every day and he knows that when I bring the brush out that he is going to get some extra loving! He is also really good about getting his nails cut. As long as you are paying attention to him, I think you could do just about anything you wanted to :-)

We went to a dog show today and while Smiley was a little nervous at first, being in a new place with hundreds of dogs, he quickly became calm and excited to be there! He especially liked watching the agility competitions - or maybe that was his foster mom projecting.

He went to the vets office the other day - not for any vetting, just to go somewhere new and different - and he weighed in at 77 pounds.

Smiley and I had a heart to heart talk the other day. He said that he wants nothing more than a family that will love him furever! He knows that he gets anxious once in a while, but he’s afraid that he’ll be alone again and that was really scary for him. He said that he will try his best to be on good behavior but change is scary and he doesn’t know what his mind will do. He just asks that someone give him a fair chance.

Smiley and his foster brothers

Before I give you an update on Smiley, I want to take a moment and thank his sponsors… Cynthia Knox and Jill and Keith Johansen. Your support helps RAGOM help dogs. Without your caring and generous support, RAGOM wouldn’t be able to sustain, so Smiley and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

I’ve learned a lot about Smiley in the past 2 weeks and how to work with anxiety. The good thing is that he is not destructive in any way. The bad thing is he is Incredibly Smart (if that is a bad thing)! He knows how to open cupboards and drawers. Needless to say, these now have baby safety locks! He hasn’t gotten on the counters for almost a week now as well. I think we’ve rounded a corner!!

The breeds that have given us Smiley are all working breeds. They all need something to do to keep their minds sharp, busy and in control. I am getting Smiley a backpack to wear on our walks. While we already do controlled walks, this will give him an extra “job”. In his furever home I would suggest getting him a buster cube . This will help keep his mind busy while he has breakfast!

We went to see his foster-grandpa this week and he was able to play with the “chuck it”. He was more excited to run after the ball than retrieve it. I think if he didn’t have competition from 3 other goldens he would have been more successful at this. He was so beautiful running around with wild abandon yet always checking in.

If you are interested in Smiley, please contact placement@ragom.org

 

As a foster mom, I think a lot throughout the day about what I’d like to say about Smiley. I want to find a way to say what an amazing dog he is; how loving, well-behaved and beautiful. I also want his next home to be his furever home and therefore that does mean that his not-so-wonderful traits need to be addressed too.

Smiley has separation anxiety. If he was going to be in my furever home, I would likely work with a vet to wean him off his meds as I believe with good training and a stable home he will not need it any longer. I’ve noticed that he has a more difficult time with his anxiety at the beginning of the week after being home all weekend. His anxiety lessens towards the end of the week as he gets used to me going to work.

Smiley is a counter surfer. He will get up on the counters. I am working on some different ways to break this habit, including removing anything that may be considered a high value to him. This is likely to resurface when he first moves.

Smiley will need a family who will work with him and love him for his faults, but will also love him for the wonderful dog he is. I have started NILIF training (Nothing in Life is Free) to help increase his confidence in me. I believe that obedience or agility training would give him confidence in himself. Both are very important.

Now on to the good stuff about Smiley…

Smiley loves his people! He is a great cuddler and has very soft fur. He listens like a pro and knows some basic commands. He is very intelligent and would likely do well learning new tricks.

He has no food aggression - he eats slower than the resident dogs and they crowd around him watching him finish and it doesn’t bother him at all.

He has no leash aggression - we pass many dogs along our daily walks and he barely gives them a second look.

He has no storm anxiety! He slept through all the thunder we had yesterday.

He does really good with routines and depends on them.

I am going to be fairly choosy about who adopts Smiley because I want this home to be furever. Whomever adopts Smiley is going to be so lucky because they are going to have an amazing dog!