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My Diary

Arnie is in a new foster home but still needs a forever- family

Arnie is available for adoption in the San Francisco bay area.

Description:
Hair/color: Gold with white markings, medium length
Gender: Male
Age: 4-5 years
Breed: Golden Retriever mix
Weight: 100 pounds

Arnie is a submissive 4-5 year old male golden retriever mix. He is microchipped and neutered; is gold in color with white markings on his nose and chest. Arnie is a sweet boy who suffers from fear of the unfamiliar. He is completely housebroken but not leash-trained and needs a home with direct access to a secure yard. He is somewhat of a couch potato and prefers to spend most of his time in his bed except when he's letting you pet and love on him. He gets along with dogs of all sizes, age, and gender, and completely ignores the cat in his foster home.

Arnie was rescued along with 150 other dogs from a hoarding situation in the Nevada desert. When Arnie came to his foster home a year ago, he hid from humans, cringed when he was approached, had never worn a collar, and never slept indoors. Now he comes to his foster family and their visitors for attention, will sit on command, sits up and begs, and is currently working on offering his paw for a treat and walking on a leash.

Arnie takes medication for his anxiety (costs about $25 per month) and would do best in a quiet home without children. He needs someone with patience and understanding to allow him to get used to his new surroundings and who can offer him a fairly routine life. Experience with fearful dogs is a plus.

At a recent routine vet visit, Arnie sat patiently while shots were administered, ears were looked at, blood was drawn, and tarter scraped from his incisors (his back teeth are beautiful for a dog his age).

With Arnie's fear and trust issues, please do not consider him unless you know for certain you can care for him the rest of his life. He is a darling who wants to give love in spite of his rough start in life. It wouldn't be fair for such a great boy to end up back at a shelter or out on the street.

If interested, email:
info@gratefuldogsrescue.org
or go to website:
http://www.gratefuldogsrescue.org

Thanks!

Urgently seeking a new foster or furever home!!

URGENT! My foster family has to move across the country in a couple of months!!!

Contact Kim at http://www.gratefuldogsrescue.org/noFrames/index.shtml for more info on fostering/adopting me.

I'm still working on my training in my foster home. My foster mom says my bathroom habits are outstanding because I always ask to go outside by sitting at the back door and if nobody notices, I will make a little bark and sometimes make "wookie" sounds until the door is opened.

I will sit on command for the people I trust (those who have been feeding me and giving me treats) and am generally a sweet, loving fellow. I especially love to have my head, neck, and super-soft muzzle rubbed.

I need a home with people who have quick reflexes because sometimes when I get scared, I will run for cover (my bed) and anything in my way gets run over. I'm typically very gentle but when I'm afraid my brain only sees the safety of my bed and wants to get me there as quickly as possible. My body responds without being aware of anything around me.

I need a home with direct access to a securely fenced yard because this is the only way I get exercise. I like to go out there and jump around and act silly with my foster mom and the other dogs. I'm currently working on leash training but it's a long, slow process and because of my fear of the noisy, scary world my foster mom wonders if it would ever be safe for me to be outside on a leash. In a panic, I might thrash about and try to escape and that could lead to injury.

I need someone strong because I have to make my trips to the vet in a crate in order to feel safe and at 80+ pounds, I'm quite a heavy guy. Or if you have a mobile vet, that works too.

I like a routine because it helps me feel secure. I'm used to my morning and evening feeding schedule, for example. When it's time for my dinner, I get nervous until I've been fed. Then I'm ready to snuggle down in my bed and keep you company for the evening.

I love to be brushed and combed. My foster mom will call me to her and I sit right in front of her for my daily groomings. As long as she moves slowly, things are great. Sometimes I will flinch if the comb or brush comes down more quickly than I expect but I never run away because I really enjoy these sessions with her.

Outside of the fraidy-cat thing, I'm fairly low maintenance. I'm mostly a couch potato who enjoys the company of my human friends but also does okay when I'm by myself as long as I have something to keep my occupied. I like to pick up toys and put them in the bed with me. I like to chew on pressed rawhide bones, bully sticks, and raw meaty bones. I love having a kong stuffed with food and treats too.

In your home, I may be shy for several days to a few weeks but if you give me time to acclimate, I promise to be a good furever friend to you. It would be great to be in a home with a confident, non-aggressive canine companion.

I'm great with cats. I usually don't notice them unless they decided to come close to take a look at me and then I freeze until they leave. Don't tell them, but they kind of scare me.

I come with two travel crates. My foster family uses one to take me out for vet visits and I sleep in the other one. I also get to keep my favorite blanket, some of my favorite toys, my collar and leash, and my kong.

If you want a quiet, gentle friend who you don't have to take out for walks and who will be loyal and devoted to you, I'm your guy.

My foster family's move will take 4 days on the road. They know this trip will be much too traumatic for me so if you have the right stuff and think I would be a good fit for your household, please consider giving me a chance.

See www.gratefuldogsrescue.org or call (415) 587-1121 for more info on fostering/adopting me.

Things I've learned as a foster dog

Just a year ago I was living outdoors on the desert in a fenced run with hay bale huts for shelter. I had never worn a collar or played with dog toys or been inside a house.

Today I like to lie in my bed in the family room with my foster family. I used to prefer solitary life sleeping in the garage and it took me a while to realize that it's warm and cozy in the family room and nobody is going to hurt me if I fall asleep. I even sleep on my back and snore sometimes with my foster mom right there in the room!

I still don't play with toys when people are around but at night I like to round them up and put them in my bed with me. Sometimes I even get out of bed and pick up a chew bone if the little dogs aren't around (I'm still afraid of them).

The first time I was allowed in the back yard, I hid under some bushes and they had to be cut down to get me out. Now my foster mom tells me to sit at the back door and wait until she opens it to let me out and I make a little bark when I want to be let back in. And I always, always ask to go outside to potty.

My foster mom and dad taught me to touch their palms to receive my dinner, which they feed me by hand. I recently learned to sit on my hind legs for treats, which is quite a feat for a big guy like me!

My foster family is still working to get me to go for walks on a leash. I will step out of my bed with the leash on, walk 2-3 steps, and go diving back into my bed for cover. I'm still afraid of having pressure on my neck but you have to remember the catch pole they used to drag me off the ranch was terrifying!

I'm learning that humans are okay. I used to pant heavily and drool from anxiety when my foster parents had visitors and they kindly allowed me to go to my spot in the garage at these times. Now when visitors come, I still feel a bit anxious but I usually just lay down and keep my ears open for any signs of danger.

I'm learning. I have a very long way to go and may never act like a normal dog but I have come so very far this year. I hope some day someone with a big heart and lots of patience will find me and help me learn more and more because I have a great big heart and lots of love to give back!