Heidi

Age: 6 1/2 yrs

Available

Updated 12/13/11

Heidi has been with us now since November 8th and we have fallen hard for her. She is an endearing  and gentle lady. 

She knows we don't allow her on our sofa, so whenever she hears someone coming she jumps down and sits there on the floor looking innocent. The other morning my husband came around the corner just in time to catch her still on the sofa.  He didn't say or do anything, but she jumped down, went directly to the corner of the room, sat down facing away from him and hung her head. She stayed there punishing herself for about 2 minutes. It was the most hilarious stunt I have ever seen a dog pull.  It worked, too.  Who could scold her after a performance like that?

Heidi is an “early to bed and early to rise” gal. When dark comes she will be curled up sound asleep in her bed. I have to rouse her up for a last chance to go out at our bedtime.  When the sun comes up in the morning, she will arrive at our bedside to let us know it's time for breakfast. No alarm clock needed around here any more.

This sweet gal has no bad habits!  She doesn't chew up forbidden objects,  counter surf, snoop in waste baskets, steal our other dog's toys, or dig under our fence.  She walks nicely on a leash, ignores visiting dogs, and will bark if she hears or sees someone approaching our property—but will stop barking when we tell her to. She is not jealous of her bed and allows our dog to scarf up any food left in her bowl.

Heidi is the absolute perfect dog for someone who is usually home each day,  prefers a dog who does not need high-energy exercise, and will allow her to remain close by.  Whoever adopts Heidi is going to be very lucky.

Updated 12/8/11

This beautiful blonde is more than ready to take on star billing in your home. Actually, she’d be even happier with a supporting role! – we’ve realized that she’s at her best offering sweet and gentle companionship to her family.

Her foster mom says:

Anyone who wants a low-energy, calm Golden who is focused on her people should love Heidi! She’s gentle, serious girl with adorable spurts of wiggly excitement.She loves to put her paw up in greeting, but she doesn’t jump. She’s an excellent traveler in the car, and likewise loves her walks; she pulls a bit at first, but then settles down fast to enjoy the view and say hello to passersby. She’s sweet and friendly with everyone, including children. At home, she’ll keep an eye on the neighborhood and bark to let you know when something new is going on.

She’s trustworthy loose when home alone – no crating needed. She DOES like to sleep on the sofa, but we don’t allow that, and she’s good about getting down when told to do so. She doesn’t care for storms; even distant lightning alarms her, and she’ll stick to you like glue for reassurance.

Heidi has no interest in toys – it’s her people she likes the best! At any time, she loves to put her head on your lap or knee and look up at you with beautiful brown eyes; this is, of course, an invitation to be scratched and petted.

This delightful girl would love a home of her own for the holidays – and we know there’s someone out there looking for a calm, companionable, loving Golden just like her.

Updated 10/20/11

Found wandering in an upscale neighborhood, yet nobody seemed to know me… my rescuers are mystified about my past, so let me satisfy their curiosity as best I can:

Currently I am a Golden Retriever, but in my previous life I was a starlet of world renown. While I don’t remember a lot about my previous life, one thing I do remember is all the photographers always wanting to take my picture. However, as I became more famous, they became more aggressive and I learned the horrors of the paparazzi. In fact, once I even slipped, fell under my limo, and broke my leg while trying to evade a particularly persistent tabloid photog!* Needless to say, I am now very leery of cameras. If someone tries to take my picture now, even though I’m a dog, I get alarmed and try to run away. I even shake, I am so nervous about flashbulbs and cameras.

In my new life, I am just as beautiful as ever and people still love to give me attention. The good thing is, I’m not nearly as self-centered as I was and I don’t need all those fancy clothes anymore; I always look good in my fur coat. (And I will look even better when it grows out; I had to have it cut extremely short for a recent role.) I love meeting new people and even other dogs. I still like riding around in a limo, or even your basic automobile – just not TOO basic, okay?

One thing I dearly love is cuddling with people, and I’m a great listener—before, I used to do all the talking, but I’ve learned that silence is Golden—like me!!!

I can still be a little bossy sometimes, but I learned that for dogs, that’s called being a little “alpha” and that’s okay with me. My foster daddy has five other dogs (three of them are fosters too), so at first I was a little overwhelmed—you know, like when you’re mobbed by too many fans. Luckily, I had learned to deal with crowds in my previous life and I just let everyone know to give me some space, and my “handler” [daddy Ross] helped keep the peace and run crowd control.

If you are looking for a beautiful blonde with experience in the limelight, someone to give your home some pizzazz, flamboyance, and flair… look no farther than me! (The line for pawprints, or should I say “pawtographs,” forms to the right, please.)

*Editor’s note: The vet noticed that Heidi was limping slightly and holding her tail up a bit, and thought she may have twisted her back. She headed off for a chiropractic adjustment, but X-rays revealed that Heidi had a pelvic injury (hit by a car?) a long time ago. The damage was surgically repaired: the right femoral head (that is, the top “ball” part of her thighbone) has a pin in it. The vet says, “The reason Heidi holds up her tail is that the lower part of the tail & the sacrum healed that way. She uses short strides in her hind legs as they won’t extend much. Her hamstring muscles are somewhat atrophied. She is doing well, considering!” We’ll start Heidi on Synflex (a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement), as well as fish oil caps, and add Rimadyl or another NSAID later on, if needed.