New Stories Coming Soon! If you have adopted a dog from us and have a success story, please submit it to us. Some of the pictures below may get larger by clicking on them.
December 2008: Annie Brooklyn
Annie
I would like to sharewith the GRR the current picture of Annie. Geoff and I
are thankful and so blessed to have her. She is so much fun to have as part of
our family.
Juanita
Brooklyn
Success Story 12/30/08:
Not even the rave reviews from
Brooklyn’s foster family could do this gentle soul justice. Brooklyn has settled
right in—playing with our puppy Cassia (at 8 months, nonstop games of tug and
chase) and being a completely lovable blob of fur. There were a few issues with
accidents (we’re still learning her “need to go NOW” signs), but she is now
taking to her crate and even attempts to hide there to get away from Cassia when
she’s had enough play.(: She has spent her first night with a full house (8
adults and 6 kids) and she was more than perfect. She shamed our pup with her
calm wiggling over Cassia's hopping and running.
She has been a wonderful addition to our home. She wiggled everywhere when our
12-year-old son and his 18-year-old sister showed up on Friday, and she insists
on being by our sides just about everywhere we go. (She LOVES LOVES LOVES car
rides—she jumps into the car if any doors are open, even when we are just
unloading groceries.) We are thrilled to have her and she has bonded with us
very quickly. Thank you again, GRR, for what you do and for letting us have this
wonderful, lovable fuzzball.
Attached are some pictures from the past week of Cassia and Brooklyn.
Carey and Dennis G.
Update 10/30:
We have been fostering
Brooklyn for about 2 months, and she's now earning straight A's on her foster
report card. To help her polish her social skills, we've gone out of our way to
expose her to other dogs. She is doing great. While she still tends to rush
right up to strange dogs, her body language now conveys enthusiasm and
playfulness, and she gets only neutral or positive responses. It also helps that
her interactions have become much less vocal! She and our dog Cooper have bonded
into a sub-pack-or maybe a dog gang. I call them "The Golds." Cooper sometimes
likes our foster dogs and sometimes does not, but Brooklyn is the first foster
with whom he has truly bonded. It has been a learning experience for us, because
we've never before seen dogs act in concert to the extent these two sometimes
do: two dogs with one will. Watching them gives us some hint of why wolf packs
are so effective. I do think, though, that Brooklyn won't do well with just any
other dog-it will take someone like Cooper. She is big, strong, and energetic,
and would definitely try to take over the 'hood if given a chance.
Speaking of energeticŠ Brooklyn is remarkably peppy for a 7-year-old dog. She
has just two speeds-walk and warp 9-and when she first came to us, she had just
two postures: sleep and wiggle. However, she has finally figured out that we
prize calm, relaxed behavior in the house, and she's generally able to control
her energy and direct it productively. That pensive expression we caught in one
photograph is appearing more often. She (and Cooper) went totally supernova just
once in the last week, when a door-to-door salesman came calling. Both dogs went
into a high-speed twirling maximum-happy-greeting dance when I opened the door.
I believe the salesman was trying to sell used politicians, but he gave up in
the chaos and left. Hmmm! Do I senses a patent opportunity here?
Brooklyn's weight is down to 77 pounds (pretty close to ideal), and she looks
almost gangly. Her health is excellent, and fur is growing in to cover the areas
we had to shave to remove mats. She still doesn't have much undercoat and, as a
result, dries after a bath in half the time Cooper does. She is much easier to
groom now that she does not wiggle constantly.
Finally, let me emphasize that Brooklyn is an extremely loving dog. She
absolutely adores adults and children and wants desperately to please and be
part of the family. Now that she is learning to control herself, she is
attentive and responsive. She's getting that nice, relaxed "loose lips" facial
expression more and more often. She is really a wonderful, wonderful dog. Of all
the Goldens we have fostered over the years and sent on to permanent homes, I
have real regrets about parting with only two: I slap myself on the forehead,
thinking, "That one we should have kept. Why did we let it get adopted away?"
Brooklyn will surely join this select group when some lucky family adopts her.
Brooklyn is a 7-year-old girl with a pretty face animated by enthusiasm for life. This
dog loves the world and loves people—she is the ultimate extrovert. She has
decided that GRR foster care is a good substitute for heaven and that she likes
heaven and her foster family very much indeed. And we like her. Brooklyn is
good-natured and compliant. She knows her name and basic commands (she calls
them suggestions) such as SIT, OFF, DOWN, and COME. She will obey promptly if
she thinks you might have some food for her. (!) She has good house manners,
never chews anything inappropriate, and mostly stays off the furniture. She is
good with young children, too.
Brooklyn was a yard dog in her former life, and we had to shave off gobs of fur
to get rid of her mats, so she looks a bit ragged right now; but when her fur
grows back she is going to be beautiful, with a good figure and long feathering
on her chest and legs. We are told she has had six litters. I call her our
7-year-old mother of 40. (Zow!) She has come through her trials in excellent
physical condition, though, and has no difficulty jogging a mile with me.
Brooklyn has a surprisingly high energy level for a Golden who’s almost at
official “senior” age. She loves to play, always vigorously and often
noisily—which can be mistaken for aggressiveness. No such thing!—she and our dog
Cooper drink out of the same water bowl at the same time, and she doesn’t guard
food or toys. I stuck my hand in her mouth when she was chewing on a toy and she
did not mind at all, leaving all five fingers intact. Pity the poor toy, though!
She rapidly de-stuffs toys, leaving the innards scattered over the floor.
Brooklyn and Cooper get along extremely well, in part because he is bigger and
calmer than she is, and can absorb her impetuousness. When they’re
rough-housing, he defers to her; otherwise, she defers to him.
Brooklyn MUST have exercise and lots of attention, so she’s likely not the best
dog for a less-active household, and she may be too rambunctious for toddlers.
But if you, like me, enjoy high- energy Goldens and like having all that pep and
go around the house, you’ll agree that Brooklyn is a wonderful dog. She is one
of the best we have ever fostered!