Anderson (Smiley 08-020)

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Sponsored by:Cynthia KnoxJill and Keith Johansen

 

Hi my future furever friend! Thanks for stopping by. My name is Smiley and I’ve had quite a time the past 7 months. I was found as a stray, spent a month in a shelter, was rescued by RAGOM, have had a couple different fosters, have been adopted and returned twice and now am holding steady at my current foster home (OK, I’ve been here a couple days, but it feels steady :-) ) . They say that I am part Golden, Great Pyrenees and some Lab. I really think I’m all golden retriever and act like one too.

Here’s what I know:

  • I don’t do real well with small children. My foster mom says she doesn’t blame me that she goes a little crazy when kids are running around and screaming too.
  • I love getting on the counters! It’s so fun to jump up there and see what these people do up there.
  • It’s been said that I have separation anxiety. I don’t know what that means, but I’m given a pill in the morning to help me out. However, my foster mom works a “regular” job and is gone up to 9 hours and I’m fine at home.
  • I really love being around other dogs. I like to do what they do and act like they act. They help me adjust to new homes and they’re fun to play with! I was a little nervous meeting my foster brothers, but after we met we’ve been great friends (they even let me play with their toys)
  • Crates scare me! They say I’ve broken out of one before but I was just looking for my humans and it wasn’t that difficult to do… that may be why I was a stray.
  • I LOVE humans!! I follow them everywhere (foster mom thinks it’s funny because I have to check the bathroom to make sure there’s not a back door she can sneak out of). I like to be pet, lay at your feet and go for walks!
  • Speaking of walking, they put this silly thing on my nose which makes it hard for me to pull to everything I want to see. But if it means that I can go for walks, I guess I’ll wear it.
  • I weigh about 75 lbs. Many people think I’m big, but I’m still smaller than my foster brothers so I don’t know what they’re talking about.
  • I can jump fences. I don’t do it to run away, just to get the ball and bring it back to you!
  • Cats are cute. I like to smell them but leave them alone and am perplexed when they run away from me… what did I do?

Foster mom wants to say something:

Smiley came to my home a couple days ago. He has been nothing but wonderful. OK, I lied. He did have an accident and he needed to check out the new counters. But who wouldn’t need to check things out at a new home? He gets along wonderfully with my 2 resident goldens and really does follow their lead with routines, walks and behavior. He walks fabulously on a leash with the Gentle Leader and is much less stressed with lots of exercise.

The ideal family for Smiley would not have any young kids as they do scare him. There would be at least one resident dog he would be living with and the family that provides his furever home should be active as he does great when exercised.

At a Glance #08-020

Mixed Breed Born: January 2005
Male Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:Cynthia KnoxJill and Keith Johansen

 

Hi my future furever friend! Thanks for stopping by. My name is Smiley and I’ve had quite a time the past 7 months. I was found as a stray, spent a month in a shelter, was rescued by RAGOM, have had a couple different fosters, have been adopted and returned twice and now am holding steady at my current foster home (OK, I’ve been here a couple days, but it feels steady :-) ) . They say that I am part Golden, Great Pyrenees and some Lab. I really think I’m all golden retriever and act like one too.

Here’s what I know:

  • I don’t do real well with small children. My foster mom says she doesn’t blame me that she goes a little crazy when kids are running around and screaming too.
  • I love getting on the counters! It’s so fun to jump up there and see what these people do up there.
  • It’s been said that I have separation anxiety. I don’t know what that means, but I’m given a pill in the morning to help me out. However, my foster mom works a “regular” job and is gone up to 9 hours and I’m fine at home.
  • I really love being around other dogs. I like to do what they do and act like they act. They help me adjust to new homes and they’re fun to play with! I was a little nervous meeting my foster brothers, but after we met we’ve been great friends (they even let me play with their toys)
  • Crates scare me! They say I’ve broken out of one before but I was just looking for my humans and it wasn’t that difficult to do… that may be why I was a stray.
  • I LOVE humans!! I follow them everywhere (foster mom thinks it’s funny because I have to check the bathroom to make sure there’s not a back door she can sneak out of). I like to be pet, lay at your feet and go for walks!
  • Speaking of walking, they put this silly thing on my nose which makes it hard for me to pull to everything I want to see. But if it means that I can go for walks, I guess I’ll wear it.
  • I weigh about 75 lbs. Many people think I’m big, but I’m still smaller than my foster brothers so I don’t know what they’re talking about.
  • I can jump fences. I don’t do it to run away, just to get the ball and bring it back to you!
  • Cats are cute. I like to smell them but leave them alone and am perplexed when they run away from me… what did I do?

Foster mom wants to say something:

Smiley came to my home a couple days ago. He has been nothing but wonderful. OK, I lied. He did have an accident and he needed to check out the new counters. But who wouldn’t need to check things out at a new home? He gets along wonderfully with my 2 resident goldens and really does follow their lead with routines, walks and behavior. He walks fabulously on a leash with the Gentle Leader and is much less stressed with lots of exercise.

The ideal family for Smiley would not have any young kids as they do scare him. There would be at least one resident dog he would be living with and the family that provides his furever home should be active as he does great when exercised.

Updates

Thursday, July 7, 2016

 

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

 

Friday, November 14, 2008

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.

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

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?

   
   

Sunday, August 24, 2008

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

Sunday, August 17, 2008

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 placementatragom [dot] org

 

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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!