Stacey  enjoyed the warmer weather this past weekend. We took her for a two mile hike on Sunday with our dog Zeus and she loved every minute of it. The nice thing is that she doesn't need a lease when you go hiking, since she likes to alway stay about 10-15 feet from you during the walk. She walks great on a lease but I love that she will not run off when we take her off the lease for a longer hike. She trots slightly ahead and then is always looking back to make sure you are keeping up. She stops when we stop and just enjoys being with the group. Here is a picture of her and Zeus as we hold up the leases knowing they are going for a walk.

                                  Stacey is Blossoming

                  

Stacey is glowing with health and vitality these days. In the 3 weeks she has been with us, she has lost three pounds due to just having free roam of the house and outside. She has gained a lot of strength in her hind legs that at first were an issue when we picked her up. She goes up and down the stairs without hesitation now. We have all hard wood or tile floors and she might occasionally slip when she is in a hurry but the chance of that has greatly diminished in the past few weeks.

Stacey has a lot of energy. She loves to play with her ball all the time. Unfortunately, our dog Zeus is a toy hoarder and claims all toys as his own and whenever Stacey gets a toy or ball it is his life’s mission to take it from her. She tolerates the situation extremely well and allows him to take the ball from her mouth.  I think one of the reason she likes the outside so much when someone is out there with her is because Zeus has other activities when he is outside so she can stake a claim to the ball more.

                                 

Stacey loves people. I am not sure of her history before she came to the rescue but one thing is for sure, it did not stop her from idolizing people. When we were at the vets, a couple with children came in and Stacey’s eye lit up and she was so excited to see children. The kids thought she was great and I had to drag her away when our time came to go into the vet’s exam room.

So Stacey loves people, toys and attention. She likes being around other dogs and tolerates our cats and doesn’t really paid them any attention. She is housebroken and doesn’t have to be crated. She lies down and doesn’t bother you when you are eating dinner.

Things we have to on:

1.       She is extremely insecure and follows you and won’t let you out of her sight. She needs to be able to trust again that she will not be left.

2.       If you have snacks on the coffee table during the game, don’t turn your back or she will eat them, much like my husband J

3.       She knows the word sit, but not the word Stay. I think it is too close to her name, so when you say Stay, she thinks you mean Stacey. Trying the word halt now…

4.       She wants a family who will love her for the rest of her life.

So she will make someone a wonderful addition to their family and she is available for adoption. If you want to be her forever family, please contract;

www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org

Doji found her Forever Home!

It is with very mixed emotions that I tell you Doji has found her forever home!  On one hand, I'm in jubilation that Doji was adopted, but on the other hand... I miss her dearly already.  Her new mom, Tracey, and doggie sister, Jill, took her home today.  I was very sad to see her drive away, but I know she will have a fabulous and very spoiled life with her new family and I am thankful that I could play a small role in delivering her to such a great home.  There's an empty snuggle bed beside me and a little hole in my heart.  I'll miss reaching over the chair to pet her or having her nose magically find my hand whenever it's not occupied. 

But, Doji's adoption means there's room in my house and my heart for another foster dog.  It may take a few weeks before I can get up to West Virginia to pick up the next dog...   in the meantime, keep checking the blog.  More stories of Stacey and other Almost Heaven foster dogs will be shared! 

And while I have your attention, please take a moment to vote for "Almost Heaven" in West Virginia at http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3
 If Almost Heaven receives the highest amount of votes for West Virginia or overall-- they'll receive a grant that will be used to help rescue dogs like Doji and provide for their medical care.  You can also help more directly by donating  through the chipin site at:
http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/

This is Stacey on the left. She and our dog Zeus are tired from playing in the snow. She has more energy than Zeus who is two years younger than her. She is loving being around other dogs. She enjoys playing with balls, games of tug of war and just hanging out with people and dogs alike. When she first came to us, she had a hard time getting up and down the stairs and since we only have tile and hard wood floors, she slipped a lot. Now she marches up and down the stairs, and has really gained strength in her hind legs. She also seems to have lost a little weight since we got her due to all the exercise. She has come so far in just two weeks. She is available for adoption though Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue. She is one of the easier Foster dogs we have had here.

Unexpected Issue with Doji

As I've mentioned, baths for dogs are a very regular weekly event around here.  This morning, I had help lifting Doji into the tub.  I didn't need to draw the curtain to "contain" her. She never tried to get out.  Eventually, she just laid down.  This was great except for the fact that I couldn't wash her underside and once I finally gave up, she wouldn't get up.  I drained the water and she still wouldn't get up. Getting up from a laying position isn't really easy for her when she's in her snuggle bed, let alone in a wet bath tub-- even if it does have a non-slip mat.  After a few minutes of trying to encourage her to stand up, I tried bribing her with food.  No luck.  Finally, we had to lift her out of the tub in a laying position!

I've mentioned that she loves her stuffed hedgehog.  Perhaps I was understating it.  She really LOVES this hedgehog.  She takes it into her crate with her.  She tries to take it outside (we have a strict, "no good toys outside" rule).  She takes it to her dinner bowl, and as I sit here now-- it's a few inches from her face as she's curled up in her snuggle bed.  I'm confident that this hedgehog will be by her side for many years to come.  This morning, she woke up around 6:42 (to be exact).  She moved around the room a bit, but I was totally insistent on sleeping in (I realized this week that she just wants me up to pet her, not necessarily has to go out).  I stood my ground, but by 7:20, she realized she could force the issue.  She used her hedgehog... I heard a cacophony of "honks" (or "moo's" as we call them).  It suddenly occurred to me how obnoxious a teenager with a drum set could be!!!!

Doji Does....

Doji:

• LOVES her bone
• LOVES her hedgehog toy even more 
• LOVES to be petted, especially a belly scratch
• is a total foodie (but not aggressive with us or Toby when we're near her food)
• gently and eagerly takes fish oil 4x a day (have I mentioned she LOVES it-- it only took one pill to get her hooked on this doggie crack and now she hobbles into the kitchen at the sound of the bottle opening)
• snores
• follows me from room to room
• sleeps on the floor in my bedroom
• investigates my dinner plate (I eat in the living room), but never takes a taste
• comes when she's called
• has a hard time getting up after she's been sitting awhile and is wobbly on her legs when she just gets up
• gets playful and mouths you (from the lounging position only)
• wags her tail every time you say her name
• happily goes into her crate at the suggestion (often brings the bone OR the hedgehog with her)
• likes to amble around the backyard exploring
• goes "out" three times a day and comes to the door when she's done to be let in (and be with you)
• can usually be found in whatever room you're in
• is a very happy dog
• can't wait to find her furever home and be treated like she deserves:)

Doji's "does not" list

Day 10-- no accidents, no counter surfing, no garbage eating, no barking, no whining, no anxiety, no aggression, no running away, no destruction, no jumping on furniture, no disobeying orders (sit, come, no), no fear of the crackling fireplace, howling wind or beeps.

AND this lovely lady is available for adoption!  She could be your four legged soul mate for many years to come! 

Spa Day for Doji, too!

Doji had surgery to repair her ACL on January 2, so she couldn't have a bath until today.  Phew-- that's a long time for a dog to go bathless in my house!  Toby gets weekly baths to help manage his lion-like mane of golden retriever hair with a Chow Chow undercoat.  That dog can shed!  Doji, on the other hand, really doesn't have that much hair.  I've brushed her a few times and can barely pull any hair off of her.  I brushed her again before her bath today and still not much hair... then it was bath time!  Toby tolerates his bath.  He'll hide under the table at the mention of "bath time"-- so much so that we've abbreviated it to getting his "b" and sometimes just say "spa day" or "shower" to throw him off.  But, he'll hop in the tub and take it like a man.  I was afraid Doji might really NOT like the bath and hurt herself trying to scramble out of the tub.  Why was I worried?!?!  This is Doji we're talking about.  We had to pick her up to put her in the tub, but there was no struggle.  In fact, she didn't move a muscle during the entire bath (shampoo/rinse/conditioner/rinse).  No whining, no shaking, and no attempt at escape.  Post-bath, she LOVED the towel dry and was in quite a good mood! 

I took a trip to Target and Petsmart today.  At Target, I got a few no-slip rugs to provide more "islands" of carpet for her.  She's learning that it's safer and more comfortable to stay on a rug.  At Petsmart, I picked up a few femur bones.  Doji is a bone girl, which probably explains why her teeth are so shiny and white.  Toby's interest in chewing on bones comes and goes.  So much so, that Doji whittled down one of his bones to the point it was flaking off in a week.  I haven't bought him a bone in years-- so that tells you how old that bone is.  After letting her chew on the new bone for an hour, I took it away to save it for another day (probably tomorrow). 

This is Stacey when she returned from the groomers yesterday. She was so happy to get all that extra hair removed. She started chasing her tail around in the yard. She then rolled on her back and kicked her legs up in the hair. What girl doesn't love a makeover???

Doji the Guard Dog (Ha!)

For those of you Golden lovers out there, you are certainly not surprised to learn the Doji is not a guard dog!  I came home last night after midnight and the sweet-tempered Doji didn't make a peep when I walked in the door.  Well, perhaps there was some thumping of her tail against her crate.  I haven't actually heard her make a vocal sound in the week she has been with us. 

This morning (Saturday), Doji sauntered into my bedroom from the living room where she slept before the sun rose.  It was her tail thumping against my bed that actually woke me up.  In my quest to sleep in, I ignored her.  She settled down on the floor and I tried to snooze a bit more.  After about 15 minutes she was rustling around some more (tail thumping) and I began to wonder if this was her way of telling me she had to go out.  She never whined or made any vocal sound.  With Toby, he "talks" to you if he has to go out when you're sleeping.  I crawled out of bed put on my slippers and headed for the back door.  Doji was overcome with excitement at my response to her subtle hints.  She turned a few enthusiastic circles as we walked to the door.  I let her out and she immediately relieved herself and trotted back to the door.  She hasn't had any accidents in the house, and I'm confident to say she is completely housebroken.  She knows when she needs to go out, it's just a matter of learning her subtlety. 

If you're interested in adopting Doji (or Stacey), please contact Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/adopt.html

Saving Stacey

By this title you might think that I am the one trying to saving Stacey, but I can’t take credit for that, because Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue, http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org deserves that honor and more. It’s because of AHGRR that hundreds of dogs have found their forever home and Stacey was lucky enough to be one of them.

Before I begin Stacey’s story, I’ll tell you a little bit about why I try to help rescue Goldens. In 1990, we were down at the Outer Banks on vacation with two boy’s ages 2 and 8, and we also brought our two dogs that we had at that time. We spend two weeks and kept a little boat that we had towed down with us at a local marina. There we met Katie, a young Golden who had been abandon by her fisherman owner and left at the Marina to fend for herself. We would run the hose for her to give her a drink on those hot July days and every night we bought her leftovers. We were staying about 30 minutes away, so we did this each night because we didn’t want to think of her as hungry. Each time we visited, we would pet her and feed her and give her water. On the day we were leaving, I packed up the boys and told my husband we were going to the store for some snacks before the long 8 hour drive home. I drove to the Marina and opened the hatch of the mini –van and called Katie. She hopped in without any hesitation, like she knew all along were she belong. Needless to say, I don’t think my husband was fooled at all and was expecting this of me all along. So we drove home with three dogs instead of two that trip. When we got home, I made a Vet appointment that next Monday. When I took her in for shots and blood work we got some bad news. She was heartworm positive. I live in Carroll County Maryland and our vet had never treated heartworms before. He told us this was going to be the most expense free pickup he ever treated. We didn’t have much money but how could we let her die. I think that is the first time I ever wrote a check from a line of credit on home equity loan. The treatment was hard and grueling on her but she came though it with flying color. She lived to be a ripe old age and gave us so much love and affection that I still miss her terribly. It is because of her, I try to help other dogs like her, save other families from lives without having a Golden in them.

Now let’s talk about Stacy. I have been fostering for AHGRR for about 10 years. I usually get the 2-3 year olds Goldens that get adopted fairly quickly. We have kept one or two over the years that we felt really needed us. So needless to say we have a small herd. We went up to AHGRR last Sat, 1/7 to take some pictures of dogs and see about picking up a new foster. We got to know Stacey a little by taking her picture and just petting her. She wanted attention so badly; she had been at the rescue for almost 2 years and saw many other dogs get adopted while she was passed by. Why was she passed by??? Well it turns out Stacey had gotten a bad rap that wasn’t true. She was listed as not getting along with other dogs. Now this is the only requirement I usually make sure of before I foster. Must, must get along with others… since I currently have 3 other dogs. Well, according to Carol, who manages AHGRR, she did get along with other dogs, since she has been at the rescue. Carol even bought out more dogs and Stacey didn’t care. After my husband spent about an hour petting her head while I did my best to get picture of the other dogs, he looked at me and said, we can’t put her back in that crate and drive away, she may never get another chance to find a home. 

                                                                       

So we went outside the box and took her home with us to foster.

When we got her to our house, we slowly introduced the other dogs we have to her one at a time. It wasn’t love at first sight, but no dog fights, so we counted our blessings. Stacey has some muscle weakness in her hind legs due to lack of activity and being crated for so long so she was slow at first in walking around but loved being outside. Before we knew it she saw our fish pond and jump in. So much for a slow dog… Needless to say, she smelled really bad and when we bought her into the house, it was like a shrunk had run free inside. My son Patrick came in the door and said, Man it stinks in here, Yeah we know… Could we give a strange dog a bath without really knowing her??? Well, I filled up the bathtub with warm water and emptied out all the lemon juice I had into the bath water. I walked Stacey in and pointed to the tub full of water and she hopped right in!!! Do Goldens love water or what.

Well the first night we decided not to crate her since she had been in a crate for two years. Her hind legs were too weak to climb the stairs to our bedroom on the second floor so she slept her first night downstairs and alone. This was fine with the cats since they take a while to warm up to a strange dog. However, the next day Stacey enjoyed walking around our property and we took her for a short walk in the woods. Stacey was so happy to be free of the crate and no boundaries, that she would not stop walking around and looking at everything. She paced and paced and checked everything out. Much to our cat’s dismay, Stacey climbed the stairs that day and ate all their cat food. She now goes up and down quite a bit to check out the cat food situation. Got to work on that. She is getting stronger every day. We took her to the vets for a checkup and they thought that her legs would get stronger with exercise. They did not feel that she had any long term hip or leg problems. She is also over-weight and that does not help her legs. My family says I over-feed everyone and everything, so that is not something I am very good at but am trying really hard to limit her food intake. I also feel with exercise, her weight will get much better as well. Tomorrow she goes to the groomer. Maybe with less hair she will look thinner…..

If you are interested in adopting Stacey, please contact Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary.

Meet Stacey the Foster

We've had such a great response to this blog, I'm expanding!  I've invited all Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary foster parents to share the stories of their foster dogs.  I'd like to introduce Stacey and her Foster Mom.  Coincidentally, I met Stacey and her Foster Mom when I drove to Almost Heaven to pick up Doji.  It was a good day for Almost Heaven-- Ellie got adopted and Stacey and Doji went home to be fostered. 

Stacey's Foster Mom and I will be taking our foster furkids on tour!  We'll be visiting pet stores soon for adoption events.  Stay tuned for our tour schedule!

So... without further ado, please meet Stacey and read her story and progress.  If you know anyone who is contemplating adoption, please pass this blog along!

Doji is a Puppy at Heart

Doji is beginning to sparkle!  It could be that her true personality is coming out because she's more comfortable with us, or (more likely) it could be that she's off her heavy pain killers!  I was giving her a good belly rub today and she started "mouthing" my hand in play.  Fortunately, she knows her limits and didn't hop up or run around, but continued to lay in the snuggle bed while she playfully pawed at me.  Then I took her outside to enjoy this beautiful day and she sniffed and explored for a good 15 minutes.  This is in contrast to her sticking close to the door up to now.  She came back when I called her name-- but I had to call her name 3 times.  She was certainly taking advantage of a bit of freedom to roam the fenced in yard (1 acre).   

She also loves to play with toys and bones.  She's not destructive, but she's very proud to show me that she has selected a toy "companion".  She doesn't discriminate between bones, balls, or toys-- they all make her happy (Toby is a toy snob and prefers the toys with sound chips!).  And she's smart!  She knows exactly where she stashed her toy/bone.  Granted it takes her awhile to hobble over to find it, but she knows where it's at.

***Doji's ad is up on petfinder.com and she's available for adoption to a very lucky person!  If you would like to adopt Doji, please visit http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/adopt.html for more information about adoption.

If only we were all this happy

There is NOTHING in this world that compares to the pure joy on Doji's face when I walk through the door (and find her in her crate, tail wagging).  Of course Toby is happy to see me, and he runs off to find a toy to show me and then runs between my legs for a little hind-end scratching, as he stomps his feet because it feels so darn good!  Don't get me wrong-- I look forward to that moment every day.  It's our routine.  But then there's Doji.  This creature has known me for a total of four days, and yet she greets me with similar enthusiasm.  I know. I know.  I feed her... of course she's happy to see me!  I've seen dogs that are only concerned with getting the food into the bowl or getting the door open for a good romp in the yard.  Doji's different.  Her world utterly revolves around my calling her name in the morning when I wake up and greeting her by name as I walk through the door. 

When I got home tonight, I let her out of her crate and greeted her properly (with a good hind-end scratch).  After a few minutes of greeting me, she went to the door.  I'm presuming she was letting me know that she had to go out... I let her out into the fenced in yard so she could do her "business".  It was raining and, true to her nature, she didn't complain (Toby is a bit of a nancy-pants when it comes time to doing "business" in the rain).  She quickly relieved herself and came back to the door and gave the door a subtle scratch to come back in.  Doji loves any affection and she was really digging it when I towel-dried her.  Toby, on the other hand, acts like an 8 year old boy getting his hair brushed!  I can almost hear him whine, "come ooooon, mom.... knock it off". 

Doji has adjusted to living with us remarkably well.  Last night she slept in the living room in the snuggle bed.  I can tell she's stiff in the morning or anytime she's been laying down for awhile.  It's still painful to watch her get up and move around after she's been sitting for awhile.  When I see her get up, she doesn't put any weight on the leg with the torn ACL.  As she walks a bit more, she gradually puts more weight on it as she gains some confidence.  At this point, she has finished her pain medication and antibiotics from surgery.  I've started giving her cosequin (glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate A supplements) and she gets 4 grams of fish oil daily (anti-inflammatory).  The fish oil is like a treat for her!  She loves it (as does Toby) and now she knows the sound of the bottle opening! 

She has a hard time with wood floors and I try my best to keep her from going into the kitchen with the wood laminate flooring-- it's like a skating rink for her.  I'm going to make a trip to the store tomorrow and get a bunch of little rubbber-backed rugs to place wherever we have bare wood floors so she'll have more "islands" to walk on.  Hopefully that will make her a bit more comfortable and preserve her hind end from slipping out from under her.  I can tell she's dying just to run and play-- like a normal puppy.  I can see flashes of puppy enthusiasm where she would love to chase a tennis ball or wrestle on the floor.  Instead, she settles in for a snooze and waits for hands to pet her. 

Doji and Her Crate

I've never had a dog that was crate trained before.  When I adopted Toby as a grad student, I could barely afford to feed myself, let alone feed a dog AND buy him a crate.  So he had the good life.  And-oh- has he had the good life these past 10 years!  I tried putting him in a crate once and you would have thought I was marching him to the guillotine!  Never again-- it was way too traumatic for both of us. 

To give Toby his space and to help confine Doji so her ACL heals, we bought her a crate (I'm finally out of graduate school!).  I was afraid that she might have flashbacks from her days in the animal shelter (pre-Almost Heaven) when she was confined to a crate or a pen.  I was afraid I would struggle to get her into her crate every day and need to bribe her with something horrific-- like peanut butter filled hooves (UCK!).  As with every other "Doji feature", crating her was a piece of cake.

I unpacked her crate this morning and set it up.  I bought a therapeutic dog bed from the Almost Heaven auction a few weeks back and it fits in there perfectly.  While I was unpacking it, both Toby and Doji were hovering around me to see what was happening.  You never know... I could have been unpacking a mountain of cookies!  They can't take chances on missing such an event!!!  Once it was 3-D, Toby returned to the snuggle bed recently abandoned by Doji, and Doji trotted in as if she knew it was her crate.  She's been in there ever since.  The door is wide open and there are three other non-crated dog beds in the living room right now.  She must enjoy the security of a crate with a door.  Another reason she is almost perfect!

Welcome (Foster) Home Doji

I have a four legged soul mate.  I found him in an animal shelter 10 years ago next month.  His name is Toby and he has made an amazing difference in my life.    Right now, Toby is curled up in one of his 9 dog beds in my house.  Tonight, he'll be sprawled on my bed and will probably sleep with his head across my ankles.  At some point in the night, when he is comfortable that I am comfortable, he'll move to "his" side of the bed and leave me room to toss and turn until I find his spot with my feet.  In the morning, he'll heave a giant sigh and stretch out as I wake to NPR on my clock radio and immediately reach down to pet him.  When I cook dinner, he'll sit in the dining room where he can watch me.  When I'm curled up in my chair, he's in his "snuggle bed" by my side.  He is an extension of me.  My four legged soul mate.  

But this blog isn't about Toby.  It's about helping someone find his/her four legged soul mate and helping a dog find his/her two legged soul mate.  I understand the mystery and weariness of adopting a dog.  You don't know why they were given up... was he aggressive?  didn't like children?  didn't like cats?  couldn't be housebroken?  too destructive?  expensive medical costs?  For one dog at a time, I'll find out for you.

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, I became a foster mom.  I drove up to Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary (http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org)to retrieve my first foster dog.  This blog is dedicated to finding Doji her people soul mate. 

Doji is a 4 or 5 year old Golden Retriever.  Her story is mostly unknown, but we believe that she was purchased to be bred.  At some point her right hip became dislocated and she may have been dumped at a shelter because she could no longer be bred with her dislocated hip.  When Almost Heaven rescued her from the shelter in Huntington, West Virginia, she had a torn ACL as well on her left leg.  Almost Heaven paid for surgery to repair her ACL and started to nurse her back to health. 

And that's all we knew until this weekend, when this beloved creature joined my family.

Now I can tell you more about Doji. 

Doji is as docile as a dog can possibly be.  Granted, she is on the mend from surgery for her ACL and spaying.  Still, from the moment we gingerly loaded her into the car, she hasn't made a single demand.  She curled up in a ball for most of the 2 1/2 hour ride from Capon Bridge, West Virginia, to Maryland.  Every once in awhile she popped her head up to look around and then curled up again. From the moment we got home, her tail has been wagging.  She feasted on a giant bowl of homemade dog food and when hers was finished she hobbled over to Toby's bowl to inquire if he was going to eat it all.  We watched cautiously as she put her nose in his bowl.  Toby has never had any food aggression and we figured if Doji had food aggression, it would be nice to know right away.  No curled lips or stiffened bodies!  Check.

Every time I say her name, Doji's face lights up and she wags her tail.  It doesn't matter if she's curled up in a dog bed or if she's standing up to greet you-- her tail will wag and you can see the smile on her face.  She follows me from room to room.  I'm trying my best to keep her from moving around too much so her knee can heal, but she insists on being by my side.  Yesterday, I spent the better part of four hours cooking and she did her best to lay under my feet.  I'm not sure if she wanted to catch any food that fell from heaven or if she just wanted to be close to me.  She never once poked her nose into the open garbage can where tasty meat wrappings were piling up.  She never sneaked a nose or a lick at the counter top where plenty of food was available for the taking.  She just watched and napped.

She LOVES to be petted.  Sometimes I avoid eye contact because I feel like I'll disappoint her if I don't reach down and give her a good belly scratch.  She'll saunter up to my chair and push her nose under my hand for a good head scratch.  When I stop petting her, she'll give me a paw or nose me again to keep it going.

Although Doji is crate-trained, we haven't had her in a crate yet.  We had ordered a 42 inch crate from Amazon last week and it arrived damaged.  The replacement came today, so from here on out she'll be in the crate while we're at work.  For today, I baby-gated her into a small office with a dog bed and a few toys.  I found her there this afternoon wagging her tail with enthusiasm when I came home.  No sign of any destructive behavior-- just a warm spot on her dog bed.  She eagerly grabbed one of the toys to show me, and carried the toy around the house as she wriggled with excitement as I took her out. Following dinner, she settled into a dog bed in the the living room and is snoozing the night away without any demands.  I wouldn't know she was there if it weren't for an occasional sigh as she repositions herself. 

If you are interested in adopting Doji, please contact Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary.