Merry Christmas Jake - Dale & Janet, Callie, Abby, Aspen & Kipper

Jake was at the vet again today for his daily bandage change. He's such a good, cooperative boy at the vet! The vet suggested that we continue the daily bandage changes until next week, when we will get the results back from the culture of his wound. Once they have the results of the culture, they will decide if they are going to amputate his toe.

In the meantime, since he can't be walked yet, we're providing raw bones and rawhides for him to chew on. I'm trying to provide a release for his energy. He really enjoys romping in the snow but he can't completely indulge because his bandages must be kept dry. We wrap up his foot in plastic each trip outside. He understands the routine and will hold up his paw while I wrap it. Imagine being 11 months old and not being able to really burn off some steam! It truely is a testament to his good nature.

I want to mention that I know Jake does not like to be crated. The first night we had him, we thought that we would crate him for the night but he cried and barked too much. We have since made a bed for him next to our bed and he sleeps there pretty well. He still wants to get into bed with my husband and I, but he's learning.

More to come later. I'll try to update him often.

Jake and everyone in our home (2 legged and 4 legged) would like to say Merry Christmas and God bless to Dale & Janet, Callie, Abby, Aspen & Kipper. Thank you for showing your support for Jake by making a donation to RAGOM. It is greatly appreciated.

Jake's culture came back today and we learned that Jake's foot has the bacteria Pseudomonas. It's a bacteria that's resistant to many drugs. The good news is that his foot seems to be feeling better. He puts all of his weight on it now instead of carrying it and he's playing more. The vet says to continue with the daily bandage changes for a few more days, until Tuesday or so and we'll reevaluate his treatment at that time. The ladies at the vet's office call him "legs" because his legs are so long!

In addition to the bones that he's been enjoying, he's having fun with other toys too. He really likes fetching balls and playing with stuffed toys. We only play fetch a little because he's supposed to be resting his foot. He likes to throw the stuffed animals up in the air with his mouth. It's really cute. Our 2 girl dogs don't like to play with him. I think his puppy energy and rough play are too much for them.

We'll send another posting soon.

Hello everyone!

I wanted to check in and let you all know how Jake is doing.

Jake's toe is slowly getting better. He's been to the vet daily for over 2 weeks now for bandage changes since it's still a weeping wound, but the toe looks better. His vet spoke with a surgeon and learned that if Jake has at least some pad left on the injured toe (which he does), it is possible for the pad to grow back and he may be able to keep his toe. The surgeon suggested continuing the antibiotics and splinting his leg to keep his weight off of his toe. He really should rest his foot but it is very difficult to keep a happy, robust puppy quiet! We're going to continue this for another week and then reevaluate his progress. He now weighs 66 pounds. We all wonder how big he's going to get. He's SO tall and long. His legs sometimes look to me like they belong on a deer, they're so long!

Jake is a very loyal dog and will follow me from room to room even when he's trying to nap. He's laying right next to me as I type this. Unfortunately, he has been enjoying chasing the cat and it has become a favorite game of his. Once he gets the cat cornered, he takes little nips at the cat. He's not really biting the cat but it's more like teasing nips.

Jake likes to be the center of attention and will butt in if I'm trying to pet my dogs. He'll push his way between my dog and I and give them little nips too. He thinks all of the toys in the house belong to him and will take them out of the other dogs' mouths. He can get too excited at times and so I use a Gentle Leader and leash to keep him close to me. My dogs go out of their way to avoid him. He still has manners to learn, but he's a puppy. Jake will benefit from obedience training. He's almost an angel when the cat and the other dogs aren't around.

Jake and I want to thank the nice person that donated a set of XL dog booties to RAGOM. Their donation has freed Jake from having plastic bags tied around his foot every time he went outside. The plastic bags were insufficient indeed and a source of frustration. The booties are wonderful!! Thank you! Perhaps we can ask Santa to donate another set to RAGOM to replace the ones given to Jake? Are there any Secret Santas out there?

Happy Holidays everyone! We'll be in touch!

Good news everyone! Jake's injured toe looks very good and has healed to to the point that he no longer needs daily bandage changes! YAY! It looks as though he's going to be able to keep his toe! As long as he continues to heal as he has, the vet is predicting that he could be ready for adoption around the first of the year. The team of vets at VCA in Richfield have really done a wonderful job treating him.

I've been thinking about what Jake needs in a forever home. I feel Jake will be happiest in a home without other dogs. I also believe a home without small children would be best because he is so big, strong, rambunctious, and in need of training. He is 68 pounds of playful puppy.

He still needs to stay off of his toe as much as possible, so we haven't been able to walk him yet. How hard on him to not be able to exercise and run off some of that excess energy! Soon enough, however, he will be able to run and play.

Jake LOVES to fetch and play tug. He's very sweet and has not harmed anything in the house, nor has he had any potty accidents. We're fortunate that he's so well behaved in this area because he does not tolerate being crated. We're gone from home for about 8-9 work hours per day and he does just fine during that length of time.

Jake rides in the car very well and happily jumps in. Jake and I snuggle in bed each morning after my husband goes to work. Then, after I get up to get ready, he stays in bed and watches my routine, following me from room to room. He's so much fun!

Jake went in for a bandage change today and his toe looked so good, the vet was considering not bandaging it! YAY! His toe is almost completely healed! He'll go back again on Tuesday 1/5 for a re-check.

He and I are considering going to the RAGOM event at the Land O' Lakes Kennel Club Dog Show next weekend. I will be proud as can be to bring Jake because I feel I will have the MOST handsome dog there! Just look for the tall, lean, blond golden boy and I'll be on the other end of the leash.

I'm attaching a picture to share the angelic face I have the privilege of waking up to each morning.

Happy New Year!

Jake will be at the Land O' Lakes Kennel Club Dog Show on Sunday morning 1/10/10, from 8:00-11:30.

Hello everyone!

Jake had a wonderful time at the dog show today! He was SUCH a good boy! I'm glad we attended because I learned some things about Jake. They are all good things!

I thought Jake needed to go to a home without other dogs because, based on the way my dogs react to him, I thought he played too rough. What I learned today is that the way he plays is perfectly normal and acceptable! We were at the RAGOM booth with 2 other boy dogs, Ramsey 09-350 and Gopher. The three of them rough-played to their hearts content. The dogs are all close in age and quickly became good buddies. They played tug (see picture), wrestled, and basically played the way young dogs do. My dogs run, hide, and snap at Jake when he plays with them this way. I believe Jake can be adopted to a home that already has a dog just as long as they enjoy rough playing this way. He had so much fun! We passed by many other dogs as we walked around the facility and Jake was simply wonderful.

My misconception #2 is that he should go to a home without children. Jake politely met many young children today including a girl that was around 10 years old. She laid on him, took his head in her hands, and spent a measurable amount of time with him and he was just perfect. Of course I was holding his leash, but he was so good! I know Jake still jumps up on people from time to time, so maybe toddlers probably aren't a good idea, but he should be fine with school aged children. He just needs training to teach him manners. Training will be a must for Jake.

Lastly, I thought Jake needed to go to a home without cats. I heard a story today about a dog that chased the resident cat from puppyhood through the time he was 18 months old. At 18 months, he finally quit. Jake has never tried to hurt our cat. He simply enjoys chasing him. I'm confident that he'll outgrow it and can be trained not to do it. I came away from the event realizing that I had been thinking all wrong.

Jake had been without a bandage on his foot for 3 days. His toe is almost 100% healed. We did bandage it to go to the event today just to protect it, but it has healed nicely. He goes back to the vet on Tuesday for a check and I'm excited to hear what the vet has to say. We walked him and gave him a bath too. It's clear he doesn't have much on-leash walking experience as he will cross back and forth in front of me, rather than walk on one side. He pulls at times so he'll also need to be taught to heel. He was docile during his bath/shower and didn't object.

Now that he's all healed up, I fully expect many interested applicants. If I didn't already have 2 dogs of my own, I would certainly keep him. He's my ever loyal best buddy, and follows me everywhere. He's alert to strange noises at night and has a deep "big boy" bark. He's confident, playful, happy, and enjoys all of the toys in the toybox. He likes stuffed animals, balls, tug toys, squeakers, all of it. He spreads the toys out everywhere, causing my daughter to say my living room looked like a day care.

If you would like to meet Jake, please contact your placement advisor.

Jake will be at the Petsmart event this Saturday, 1/16/10, in Minneapolis.

His toe is all better now! Come and see how great it looks! No bandages!! YAY, Jake!!

He's walking and running without restrictions and lovin' it!

Jake had a gr-reat time at PetSmart today. He met lots of people and other dogs but he had a really great time playing with Hannah 09-481. They wrestled for a good while, until it was time to go. He frequently laid on his back while playing with Hannah because she's so much smaller. I was impressed with how good he was with her. She is half his size and weight but he was careful not to hurt her. He also met a nice lady named Sue who bought him a red squeak toy. Thank you Sue! Jake slept the whole ride home.

Earlier today, I was really tired and beginning to feel under the weather so I uncharacteristically laid down to rest in the late afternoon. Jake came and laid right next to me on the bed and stayed there until I got up. There was lots of activity going on in the house and occasionally he would lift his head to listen but he remained at my side. I think special dogs can sense when you're not feeling well.

When we got up, we sat on the couch together and watched "Dog Town" on the National Geographic channel. Jake likes Dog Town and watches it with me.

Jake is a wonderful dog and will make someone very happy indeed!

Jake was adopted by the C. family! We're going to miss his beautiful face but we know he's going to be well loved and cared for. Happy tails Jake! Your foster family loves you!

From Jake's forever family...

Jake has been home with us for an hour and has already happily explored the house. He is emptying the toy basket as we speak. He happily ate dinner from both our hands and the bowl, and drank lots of water. He is relaxed and happy. We spent 20 minutes in the back yard plowing through the snow. As you can tell from the picture, he understands that we are Vikings fans and has embraced that idea. With multiple games of fetch and tug of war, he is happy and wagging his tail.

So far, this evening has exceeded our expectations for him in every way, and we couldn't be more thrilled or feel more blessed to have him. Thank you so much for everything you do and for making our new family possible. We already love him so much!

We'll keep in touch.

Jim, Sue and Jonathan

We have been having so much fun with Jake.  He has boundless energy (no surprise) and is loving our back yard.  No snowball thrown in his direction is ignored! 

Jake and Jonathan adore each other!  Jake knows when Jonathan comes home from school and watches out Jonathan's bedroom window for him.  He is so focused and watching for him, and then he runs to the front door when he gets home.  It's so great to see them greet each other!

He is signed up for Obedience Classes beginning later this month through the MVHS.  We are hoping to work with him on his humping and play-biting.  We understand that this is normal, but correctable, behavior.  He is truly a joy to have in our home.  He has had free roam of the house since we brought him home, and has done very well.  No accidents and nothing destroyed (except for a few of his own toys that he has pulled apart!)  : )

He got a great "thumbs up" from our vet, Kathy Ranzinger at East Valley Animal Clinic in AppleValley.

Thanks so much for allowing us to welcome Jake into our home.  We love him so much!
 
Enjoy some pictures!
 
Sue, Jim and Jonathan