Joy

If you’re looking for joy, I’m right here! I enjoy petting, attention and am not shy about asking for it! I’m also not shy about going to the toy box and pulling out anything and everything that I’m interested in. I watch for foster mom to put everything back into the box so that I have the chance to take them all out again! It’s a joyful experience! As I’ve gained confidence, I’ve become more curious about the world around me. One activity I find intriguing is checking out items I see inside an open closet, slippers for example. I collect these things, but don’t damage them. Not the same for towels or rags, I check them out with my teeth! But, if given plenty of dog-appropriate things to chew on, I pretty much leave everything else alone. I can often be seen running around with a toy in my mouth, as I’m pretty good at entertaining myself.

In my forever home, it would be best if someone would be home most of the time. I’m doing well with housebreaking, but someone being around to let me out throughout the day would help me along. Recently my foster parents have begun leaving me in a gated area when they leave for a couple of hours. I was OK in my crate for four hours one time too! When they arrived home, I was OVER-joyed! I’m just starting to understand that I need to go to the door when I need to go out. Oh, and when I come back in from outside, I wait to get my paws wiped. (Foster mom thinks that’s sweet!) I got used to foster mom cleaning my paws when we went through a rainy/muddy period a few weeks ago, so now I assume it’s protocol.

Having my furry foster siblings with me relaxes me because as a former breeding dog, the company of other dogs was all I knew. But I’m now willing to hang out solely with my foster parents. My comfort level has greatly improved since I came to As Good as Gold, but I’m still “taking baby steps” when facing new experiences.

When it comes to meeting new people, I am curious about them but still leery; I am willing to take treats from them! If they are around for a while, I’m glad to have them pet me. There was a 4-year-old here the other day (kids are new to me), and I found I rather liked her! I took treats from her hand and let her pet me. And you know what else happened? The other day foster mom invited me onto her lap. I just melted into a cuddle and fell asleep, it felt so safe.

I might bark when anxious, like when I don’t know where a noise is coming from. I do not bark at delivery trucks; I save the barking for the vacuum cleaner. Oh, foster mom said to tell you she’s been working with me on the vacuum cleaner issue — with treats! — so I’ve improved. And she says that my comfort level with everyday things has gotten better so I’m less startled and distracted than at first.

My foster family thinks I’m a “super-loving and well-tempered golden, with a beautiful soul.”  They even said that given time, patience and attention, I could very likely overcome my challenges and become a great comfort dog.

A note from As Good As Gold Adoptions: We are asking potential adopters to meet Joy twice before taking her home at what would be the third visit. We do this with some of the more timid retired breeder dogs to help set them up for success in their forever home. Going home with people they know rather than people they’ve met just one time makes the transition easier for them.