Prada

Status: 
Adopted
Gender: 
Female
Positive for heartworms?: 
No
Extraordinary Golden Fund recipient?: 
No

GRR Number: 21-039T

Type of Surrender: Turkey Dog

Status: Available soon

Age: 7

Update: August 30, 2010

Miss Prada’s theme song: You’ve Come A Long Way Baby! And boy, is it true. From a dog that didn’t look twice at a tennis ball to a retriever extraordinaire. From a dog that didn’t know how to play with other dogs to a dog that jumps in the middle of every game of bitey-head between her foster brothers. From a dog that didn’t know what a toy was to a dog that picks up toys and brings them to you asking you to play. From a dog that looked sad and lost to a dog that smiles every day…she has indeed come a LONG way!

Prada is a super easy dog; she is happy being near you and confident enough to take a long nap in her favorite spot without being under your feet. She loves belly rubs more than any dog I’ve ever known. She flops on the floor, sticks all four legs up, thumps her tail, and gives you the sad “puppy eyes” until you rub her belly. It’s hard to resist her request for a belly rub because she is so stinkn’ cute. Speaking of her belly; she is still dieting to get back her girlish figure, but she is down 4 pounds and making great progress. Her forever family will need to continue her strict diet regimen and be willing to help her get in daily exercise to meet her ideal weight of 55 pounds.

Prada is the perfect combination of easy-going and active. She is always ready to romp around the yard and hunt lizards or toads, fetch the tennis ball, go for a swim in the pool, or head out on a walk. But she is equally happy napping on the cool tile or resting her chin on your leg while sitting next to you as you read, watch TV, or work fromhome.

She sleeps in her crate at night; I have no doubt she would be fine loose in the house, but she heads for her crate each evening at bedtime, and I oblige by opening the crate door. She waltzes in turns around once and settles in for the night. She is crated when home alone, but I am sure she would be fine if she had free roam of the house or was baby-gated in one specific area.

Prada has a high prey drive so I don’t think she would do well in a home with a cat. She might be fine with a dog-savvy cat but that has not been determined during her foster time. She will catch any toad, frog, or lizard that scurries past her. I find myself catching toads at night and holding them until she and the boys go potty. Trust me when I say it’s not true that you will get warts if a toad pees on you.

Miss Prada is on Proin for a leaky bladder and will likely need this medication twice per day for life. She thinks of the chewable tablet as her morning and evening treat and when it's offered, she takes it gently from my fingers.

If you missed it in the earlier stories about Prada, she was so badly matted she was shaved before leaving Turkey. Her fur is growing in, and she will be a lovely medium golden color once her long locks return. She is easy to groom, loves being bathed, and falls asleep with her head on my leg when I Dremel her nails.

I’ve fostered many dogs over the years, and Prada is as easy as they come. She is ready for her forever home; will you be the lucky person that gets to share your life with this special girl?


 

July 25, 2021

Personality: Prada is making steady progress at becoming a happy, go-lucky Golden. She is feeling better, but she is still working to achieve a slimmer figure, and she enjoys plenty of beauty sleep.

This week she graduated from being crated when home alone to hanging out in the laundry room with our boys. I have a Ring camera set up and I love spying on the dogs when I am out of the house.  It turns out there isn’t much to see.  Each time I take a peek, they are all snoozing.  Sometimes Prada is back-to-back with our youngster, and other times she is next to our older Golden. At night she follows me to the bedroom and heads directly to her crate. She strolls in circles once and settles in for the night.

This girl is definitely a hunter; she is still after that toad and goes directly to his hiding place each time we go outside. She sniffs, and paces, and looks under the AC unit (where he lives during the day) trying her best to persuade him to come out so she can chase him.  She discovered a lizard under a bush in the backyard and spent the better part of 30 minutes trying to find him after he ran for his life. She is also very aware of squirrels and birds when we are outside and gives chase at every opportunity. Now, keep in mind she is still out of shape, so she doesn’t run fast but as she drops some pounds, she is going to be quite the hunter. With this in mind, I wonder if she would chase cats? Possibly a dog-savvy cat that doesn’t run would work out fine but who knows.

Prada still shows no interest in toys, but she is starting to learn to play with Moose, our one-year-old Golden. He has been inviting her to play since she arrived. Last week she joined the game a few times and just yesterday she initiated play! She doesn’t play long, maybe 2 minutes at best, but it’s a BIG DEAL that she asked him to play. It’s very funny watching their game of “bitey head” because Prada has mastered the art of big, loud barks while pulling on Moose’s ears. Don’t worry though, other than barking during playtime she is very quiet.

She is feeling more confident and comfortable in her new world each day. She is beginning to understand “come here” but she doesn’t respond to her name. Sometimes when I talk to her, she tilts her head and looks at me like she is trying so hard to understand what I’m saying. We are working on a few commands, she has mastered “sit,” we are working on “down” and “leave it.” It is helpful having our dogs near her responding to those commands as she seems to follow their lead. I expect she would enjoy having a confident dog friend in her forever home, but she would also enjoy being the sole recipient of her forever family's affection.

I think she would enjoy going out for a walk, but we have not tackled that skill yet because it’s too hot. I will say that she is very interested in what is on the other side of the front door so I expect she might be one to bolt if given the opportunity. She likes to swim, she loves getting a bath, and she will roll on her back for a tummy rub from anyone. Considering less than 2 weeks ago she was living in Turkey this girl has made amazing progress. She is a hunk of love and as she continues on her road to a healthy life, I have no doubt she will continue to blossom.


 

First Evaluation:

Personality: Meet Prada. Her journey began in Turkey, where she was one of the lucky ones to be chosen to travel across the ocean and land in the arms of Gold Ribbon Rescue.  I bet you’ve noticed her short coat and you are wondering if she is a Lab.  I assure you; she is all Golden.  Her coat was so matted she was shaved before leaving her homeland, but the fur is already starting to grow, and I have a feeling she will be showing off long golden locks in no time.

We are just getting to know this petite yet plump girl, but it is clear she knows a few things about being a good dog. After arriving, she was exhausted and spent her first hours sleeping off her jet lag. Just as any designer lady would do, she slept peacefully and gracefully throughout the first night in her foster home. After meeting the resident male goldens and deciding they were not so bad, she made herself at home, strolling through the yard, sniffing the grass, watching the birds, and chasing a toad. When I say chasing, I mean slowly jogging, this chunky girl can’t get up to full speed just yet, but I can’t wait to see her running after that toad once she has dropped some pounds. Watch out Mr. Toad, Miss Prada is coming for you shortly, and this time you won’t be able to hop away.

She is crate trained and seems to be house trained as we’ve had no potty accidents. When she needs to go outside, she whines and follows me to the door, then she ambles outside, does her business, and heads back to the house. All in all, quite impressive considering she has only been with us for a few days.

She sits for treats and takes treats so gently she doesn’t even touch your fingers. She is beginning to understand what it means to “come here,” and she has figured out “belly rub” means she should flop on her back, stick all four paws in the air and wait for someone to come over and rub her plump tummy.  I find this all quite impressive, considering she likely doesn’t understand English, and no one in her foster family speaks Turkish.

She doesn’t know what toys are for, but she does enjoy chewing on a nice dog bone. Her young foster brother is trying his best to show her the joy of retrieving a tennis ball.  But she looks at him like he is crazy for chasing the ball and bring it back over and over and over. She prefers to allow him to do the work while she sits by and observes or rolls in the grass.

Prada is a sweet, easy-going girl who loves people.  She is in love with our 17-year-old son, she gets along well with our resident goldens, and she was well behaved during her vet visit today.  We don’t have a cat, and there were no cats at the vet's office, so I don’t know how she will feel about a feline family member.

I’m sure you noticed Prada looks more like a lab than a Golden, but I assure you she IS a Golden.  Before she left her homeland, she was shaved because her coat was so badly matted.

Ideal Home: As she continues to learn more about the good life, we will learn more about her and what type of family will be best for her. This little lady is going to make some lucky family very happy. I can’t wait to see her thrive in the days and weeks to come. Check back soon for additional updates on sweet Miss Prada.

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