Sweet Pea #01-320
Sweet Pea has been in the loving hands of RAGOM, incurring costs for a special diet and nutritional supplementation, since October of 2001. If you can help us continue to care for Sweet Pea until she finds her forever home, by making a financial donation, we would sincerely appreciate your contribution. Please click here to learn how to make a donation - thank you!!
Sweet Pea #01-320 is a golden mix, about 2 yrs old, healthy (finally, after an awful start to life!), and very sweet! Sweet Pea spent the first part of her life as a "guinea pig" in a food lab at Iowa State University; the result was an emaciated, unhealthy, completely unsocialized, fearful young dog. This darling girl definitely doesn't know much about enjoying the golden life of a dog, but in the loving hands of RAGOM, Sweet Pea has returned to health and is learning all about love and interaction and the sweet wonders of life! Sweet Pea's care requires a special raw diet and supplementation to maintain the health she has finally found, as well as special opportunities to learn to socialize comfortably and start to enjoy the world around her. Sweet Pea is making INCREDIBLE progress; read on to learn more...
UPDATES:
6/8/02: We just continue to love Sweet Pea more and more every day. She's a dear, sweet thing, loving and affectionate, although still submissive and not eager to trust too quickly. She loves us and trusts us completely, and we know how dear that love and trust will be to her new family once they've earned it too! If you have the patience to allow Sweet Pea some time to learn to trust you, if you have the time and desire to continue to socialize her to the great big world around her (slowly but surely and probably for the rest of her life to some extent), and if you can continue her natural care regimen and natural, raw diet (of course, her foster home will help you to know everything you need to know!), in order to ensure the healthiest possible life she has available to her after the damage that the food lab did, then Sweet Pea wants to meet you!!
5/24/02: Sweet Pea continues to become more and more comfortable with the world around her and she's a happy little dog, probably for the first time in her life. She had an applicant interested in meeting her, but they changed their minds when they saw another dog who they thought would be a better fit. Wasn't meant to be, I guess!! Sweet Pea knows that the perfect forever family, who will love her unconditionally and continue to help her learn to love her golden world, is out there somewhere and she's patiently awaiting their arrival!
5/3/02: Sweet Pea is a wonderful girl! She's become healthy, happy and is more and more social every day. She continues to be submissive, of course, as that's just who she is, but she's very loving and attentive, and very, very smart! Sweet Pea continues to eagerly await her forever home with someone who will continue to love her unconditionally, take her places to continue her social learning, and enjoy her fun energy!
4/24/02: Sweet Pea finally seems pretty healthy! Her weight is good, her coat is plush and soft, and her eyes are sparkling. Her interactions with people are improving daily, as she becomes less and less fearful of the world around her. Sweet Pea is ready to find her forever home - one who will continue to introduce her, slowly, to the wonders and the wonderful people of the world.
4/8/02: Hi! This is Sweet Pea! I've been a bit sad lately, as I've seen some of my RAGOM friends come and go. I love it when they come here to play with me, but it makes me sad when they go. I know they're going to loving, wonderful new forever homes, and while I'm very, very happy for them that they have found the love of a family who will love them forever, it makes me sad to see them go and also because it makes me wonder when my forever family is going to find me. My foster family says I'm such a sweet, sweet girl and it'll just be a matter of time before my forever family finds me; I hope they're right. Not that I'm not enjoying my time here with my foster family, but it sure would be nice to have a family of my very own! My foster mom says she's looking for a family who will continue to keep me healthy and who will continue to take me out and about so I can get even more comfortable with strangers (who've always scared me a bit, since I spent the first couple years of my life stuck in a cage at a research facility and never had the chance to learn that folks are great!). I would LOVE to go to school - I'm very willing to learn and I love to get praised and of course I love treats too! Well, thanks for taking the time to read my story! If you think you and I would be a good match, let RAGOM know right away, because I'd love to meet you!! Love, Sweet Pea
3/7/02: Sweet Pea has really come a long way. While she's still submissive and a bit skittish, she's obviously feeling 200% better and it's showing in her interactions and willingness to "live"! She's opened up beautifully to folks of all sizes, shapes, and gender! She's been joining us in socialization and training classes and has really started warming up to strangers! Sweet Pea would love a home to call her own! She's looking for a family with LOTS of time to continue her socialization program and one with lots and lots of love to share.
2/18/02: Well, Sweet Pea has been with us (her new foster home) for just about two weeks, and already she's making incredible progress! Holistically, we've decided to address Sweet Pea's likely nutritional and health deficiencies as well as her emotional stress. Sweet Pea started her health-enhancing program with a fast and then an herbal detoxifying treatment, followed by an herbal anti-parasite treatment, and a homeopathic treatment for possible vaccinosis. She is on a raw diet, dense in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes, and probiotics and she's doing beautifully on it - we're assuming the beginning of her life in the food lab was filled with nothing but dry, dead, test food kibble, and we're hoping to help her feel better emotionally by also helping her feel better physically! In addition to addressing her physical needs, we've been working hard on her 'fear of life'! She's been socializing regularly, is joining us in group classes at the Training Center, and is doing very, very, very well! Sweet Pea definitely has a long way to go in her socialization plan, but we're seeing wonderful progress from this sweet young girl who is very eager to learn and absolutely thrives on love and attention! Sweet Pea would like to start considering possible forever homes who can continue feeding her a wonderfully nutritious raw diet (it's very easy to do - we'll help you learn everything you need to know!!) and will continue her socialization program for many, many months (years?) to come! This little dolly is still much more comfortable with women than with men (although she's learning!!!), and so would love to live with an out-going, social, active gal who wants a very special pal!
1/31/02: After spending quite some time reviewing Sweetie's foster history, it seems that she may have some neurological weaknesses contributing to her fears and her erratic behavior. Much of the time, she's a happy, friendly, loving dog, but when something strange enters her world, she becomes so anxious that she can't think or function. We are going to try to help Sweetie feel better by changing her diet, adding some herbal strengtheners, and some herbal and homeopathic detoxifiers. We've seen beautiful behavior changes with optimum nutrition and holistic healing in the past - we're praying for the same with Sweetie!
1/18/02: Sweetie has been more hyper and nervous than ever this week; maybe because Buddy (a 10 year old foster dog) has joined us and he doesn't like young dogs so he growls at Sweetie and Nugget. She's been growling and barking more at Elwyn so we decided it was time to try a new foster home for her. She had a bath yesterday to get ready and, of course, that was scary for her. With the 2 boys here she was too afraid to go in the kitchen to eat so I'm feeding her in her crate which she loves and she is now eating better than she ever has. The boys are always trying to steal her food (little chow hounds!) and sometimes she'll even bark at them so that is one little sign of bravery. Tomorrow she goes to her new foster home and we hope that will make her happier.
1/12/02: Sweetie was happy this week because I let her stay in her crate more since Nugget was sick and I didn't want them playing too much. She got off her leash one day and started walking down the street and wouldn't come back. I followed her for a while pleading with her to come but it was useless. So I finally said do what you want - I'm going home. As soon as I turned around she came to me which was good because the way she runs if she took off she'd be in Canada in about half an hour. It was pretty tense but ended well. She continues to have the same fears, so we are planning to transfer her to a different foster home and see if she will improve in a different environment.
1/6/02: Sweetie went on a home visit with us this week and she really did well letting all the people pet her, etc. I was afraid she would be too scared to even go in the house but she went right in sat next to me sniffed their dog and was just fine. We had some people over for New Years and she was fine with them, too - a little jittery as usual but she let them pet her. She just seems to be afraid of Elwyn. With Nugget here she seems to be afraid again of going to her food bowl so I finally decided to let her eat in her crate which she loves and she's eating much better. She's become more affectionate toward me since Nugget has been here and she loves playing with him.
12/29/01: Sweetie had a good week with lots of fun playing with Nugget. Her old friend Molly came over too and she was so happy to see her! Sweetie has been more affectionate toward me - coming over to be petted or just laying her head in my lap. It seemed like it started as jealousy and competition for attention, but now she does it even when Nugget isn't in the room. (Seeing Nugget safely give and receive affection/attention helped Sweetie to feel safe enough to give it a try, and she liked it!!!) We had company at Christmas. She was a little nervous, but was curious about them so she would approach and sniff them but doesn't like petting yet. She still has a fear of Elwyn. We thought she would get over it when she saw how much Nugget loves him but nothing so far.
12/21/01: Sweetie has had a lot of fun this week playing with Nugget - sometimes they seem to be a little rough but no one gets hurt. She will go in the kitchen by herself and eat, as long as no one is around, so I put her bowl down and then Nugget and I go upstairs for a while. Nugget's boldness in asking for attention has helped to reduce Sweetie's concern, and so she'll come up to me whenever he's getting petted and now she'll even do it when he's not there. She's also started to lay by me while we're eating, so she's getting braver, although it is very slow. Nugget has her playing tug-o-war with the stuffed squirrel which is the first time she has played with toys. He has definitely been good for her and has coaxed her out of her comfort zone at least a little. She would be happy someplace with a fenced yard, a dog to play with, and a warm crate to sleep in.
12/14/01: Sweetie has had a lot of fun this week playing with Nugget. Sometimes she's a little afraid of him since he can be quite overwhelming at times. I was hoping she'd follow his lead and get brave enough to go to her bowl by herself or maybe even upstairs, but not yet. I think she's put on a little weight but it's still hard to get her to eat and drink. I have to sit with her so she won't run back to her blanket. It's kind of like coaxing a baby to eat - all I need is a plastic spoon shaped like an airplane! Maybe next week she'll get a little braver.
12/7/01: Sweetie still loves her crate so she was very pleased this week when she discovered how to open the door. Usually I just let her sleep in there and have her hang out with me during the day so I just shut the crate door. She found out that if it isn't latched she can get her nose in then her head then shoulders and voila! She's in - yeah!! She hasn't caught on to using her paws which would make it much faster and easier. Poor thing never learned how to be a dog. I could latch the door but she seems to enjoy the challenge. We should be getting a second foster in a couple days so hopefully she'll want to play with him and forget about the crate. I never thought I'd have the problem of a dog wanting to be in the crate too much - it's usually the opposite. She's coming into the house better and she'll go in the kitchen and eat by herself as long as no one is around - otherwise I have to lead her in with her leash and sit with her while she eats so she doesn't run back to her blanket. I think she has put on a little weight which she really needs. She even goes into the living room when Elwyn is there so maybe she's getting past some of her fear. We're hoping this new foster can teach her how much fun it is to be a dog.
12/1/01: Sweetie was happy this week when it snowed - she loved it! She leaps over snow banks then dives head first into them rolls around and comes up white with tail wagging. She even eats the stuff. Molly came over for a play date and they had so much fun. I can't believe how much they can run. All the snow banks in the yard are now flattened with dog prints. It's so much fun to watch them having such a good time. She's still afraid of Elwyn so weekends are hard for her since he's here more. I keep hoping she'll have a breakthrough and realize what a dog lover he is. She puts up with me and will let me pet and hug her - sometimes it even seems like she likes it, but not always. Still has a lot of fears of different things and loves her crate. I think the highlight of her day is bedtime when she gets to go in her crate. We were hoping to move her to a new foster home where she would be more relaxed without Elwyn there, but no takers so far so I guess she's stuck with us. I think the best thing for her would be a second foster dog to teach her how to be a dog since she's better when we have another dog here that we're babysitting. Hoping to make some progress next week.
11/23/01: Sweetie is making a few little baby-steps of progress. She's a little braver about coming in the house or kitchen, but still very reluctant at times. I think she's put on a little weight but she's still very thin. Twice a day I lead her to her bowl and sit with her while she eats - otherwise she just runs out of the kitchen. It would be interesting to weigh her again. With her skinny little body and that number tattooed on her leg from the food lab she lived in, she looks like a holocaust survivor! Hopefully we can change that soon. She's a little jealous of the dogs we've been babysitting so that will motivate her to come to me for affection if one of the other dogs is getting my attention. She's playing very well with Molly now and seems to understand dog play. We're still working with the gentle leader and it's going pretty well although she still pulls on it at times. She really enjoys all the good dog smells at the park. She still loves her crate but will come out on her own once in a while. She's still very scared of Elwyn and we can't figure out why. She's not afraid of other men who come here and will even go up to them. Elwyn can't get within 10 feet of her without her jumping up and running away. He'd really like to be her friend and try to help her, but for now she won't let him. This past week she does seem to have longer and more frequent periods where she seems to be content, even happy. I keep hoping she'll have a light bulb moment and suddenly realize that we want to help her, not hurt her.
11/16/01: We're making a little progress. Sweetie is warming up to me a little - once in a while she'll come up to me to be petted and sometimes I see a little tail wag. She's still afraid of Elwyn - hopefully she'll get over that soon. I'm feeding her twice a day trying to get a little meat on her bones. I can still see her ribs from across the room! We're still going on daily walks with the gentle leader. She runs from me when she sees the gentle leader but once we get out walking she seems to enjoy it, prancing along with her tail up high. She's curious about people and dogs in the park and does not seem afraid of them. She seems to like my daughter and her fiance and will approach them to be petted. Right now she's still nervous and jumpy but sometimes she'll get brave and come into the house or the kitchen by herself. My sister's dog has come over for play dates but Sweetie just doesn't know what to do. Molly will be in a play stance with tail wagging and Sweetie just looks at her - she has no idea what Molly is trying to say. They do run around but sometimes Sweetie just runs right into Molly. Hopefully with a little more experience she'll learn how to play with dogs. We took her to the lake which really made her nervous since she was way out of her comfort zone (which is her crate). Eventually she did take a drink from the lake. She still would stay in her crate 24 hrs. a day if we let her but we make her come out and sit with us so she isn't so isolated. Maybe soon she'll bond with us then we can start teaching her games and manners but she's been let down by people a lot in the past and it will take a while for her to learn to love and trust.
11/9/01: We're seeing a few little baby steps of improvement this past week. She still loves her crate and would stay in there all the time if we let her, but we get her out during the day so she can spend time with us and let her sleep there only. I guess since she was raised in a food laboratory she feels that it is her only safe haven. She has started to go in and out of the house by herself if we are not by the door. So we just open the door and wait until she gets up the nerve to go out or come in. Sometimes it takes a while so I hope she starts to get a little faster at it before it gets too cold. I still have to lead her to her bowl and sit with her while she eats. She doesn't eat enough and is very thin. She has gotten a little braver the past two days and will run by us, grab a mouthful of food, then run to her blanket to eat it. She does this several times, but it's very inefficient - she probably burns more calories than she consumes. She also will not drink water in the house, only outside. This will have to change soon as the outside water will be frozen. She's doing quite well with the gentle leader and surprisingly she doesn't seem scared of people we meet. We are babysitting a little Maltese for the week and I think Sweetie might be a little jealous. When I hold Maggie on my lap Sweetie will sometimes come over to me for pets and hugs, but that is the only time she does that. My sister's dog came over to play and they got along well and really had fun so we'll have to do that again soon. Hopefully someday soon she'll discover how much fun it is to be a dog. For now she just needs some more time.
11/2/01: Sweetie is making some slow progress. She's still pretty scared and nervous but is eating better and learning to walk with a gentle leader which is getting better every day. Without the gentle leader she pulls so hard her front paws are off the ground! She loves to go in the yard and just run and run. Sometimes she runs so fast she falls over. She's supposed to be a vizsla/golden retriever mix - and you can sure see the vizsla in her! According to what I read on the internet, a vizsla is supposed to have a line down the forehead, a brown nose and golden eyes that blend into the coat - Sweetie definitely has those characteristics too! She's very thin so we've been trying to get her to eat more and giving her treats. We're trying to teach her to come because she is such a fast runner - if she ever got loose we would never catch her unless she wanted us to. She's slowly becoming more comfortable in our house and with us but it will take some time.
10/27/01: Sweet Pea arrived yesterday from Iowa - a long ride to N.D. She's scared and nervous, but we've seen worse. She wants to be in her crate all the time, since that's where she's lived most of her life. We just shut the door sometimes so she will sit by us and get to know us a little bit. She likes being petted but is jumpy when she's approached. When she goes outside she just runs and runs. Reminds me of a wild horse in a corral in an old western movie. She won't come in on her own so we have to get a leash and lead her in which she is fine with. She'll get the hang of coming in and out - she's been here less than 24 hrs. She just ignores the cat (after he hissed at her during their first meeting!), so that is good. She actually ate pretty well last night which is good because she is very thin and could use a little meat on her bones. For now we just need to gain her trust and show her how much fun it is to be a dog.