Rainbow

Rainbow  -  Age 2 1/2

Update 2/4/12 

So beautiful, she almost glows – just like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! And, like the rainbow that lights up the sky when the storm is over, this lovely girl is slowly learning to come out & shine.

We can’t tell you much about her early years, but we know she had a few litters of pups at a pretty young age, and we can tell she didn’t get much exposure to the wide world or one-on-one attention from loving human friends. When she first came to GRR back in September, everything was new and somewhat alarming to Miss Rainbow. “She is skittish and scared, so she has had a few upsets,” said her foster mom.  “One day she knocked something over that crashed loudly (she is sensitive to loud noises) & when she bolted out of fear, she ran into something else that upset her further and then ran into something else.  She was so scared but I tried to calm her. She has a thing about doors, too – she bolts out but won’t come back in without some coaxing. Maybe she was punished for trying to come inside the house in the past? She doesn’t retrieve – in fact she doesn’t seem to have any idea what balls and toys are. She is scared to eat in front of us for some reason, too. Poor girl!”

Three months later, her family reports that Rainbow seems much more confident and less fearful. Yay! “She is so well-mannered and such a sweet spirit. She’s totally reliable left loose in the house.  She doesn’t steal food; she has picked up shoes before but hasn't ever chewed them.  She can be very energetic, especially first thing in the morning and when she greets you when you come home; but she’s calm, too, and likes to sit on the couch with you. She’ll eat in front of us, now, and she’s much better about taking treats from your hand. She still has her quirky thing about doors, and she really doesn’t like car rides: she has to be lifted in, she pants during transport, and she tries to zoom out pronto at her destination.” 

Rainbow gets along fine with other dogs, though she isn’t playful with them. She’s interested in cats (and especially in their food, which she likes to helpfully finish for them if they leave a bite or two), but respectfully stays away if the kitties hiss at her! Rainbow loves being outside and exploring, and she’s super on her leash; she likes to trot ahead, but if she pulls you can easily get her to slow down and stop for a bit. Retrieving is still not in her “playbook”—well, she’s not the first Golden to be a non-retrieving Retriever! 

Rainbow likes to sit in shallow water (funny girl), so we think that she’ll enjoy swimming when the weather warms up. She stands as still as a statue for grooming and may even roll over on her back.

Still on the shy and timid side, Rainbow needs a patient and understanding family to help her continue to grow and gain confidence. She’d probably do well as the only dog, but a supportive and friendly canine companion who could mentor and support her would be good, too. It will take time and positive, gentle, upbeat training for her to overcome her early life—but she’s on her way already. Now she needs a forever family to help her become the confident Golden girl we know she was meant to be!