Belle

#12-044 Belle, update 4/11/13

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“She’s really a lady,” says Belle’s long-time foster mom.  She loves to sit on your feet and watch  TV (whatever you’re watching is fine with her), right paw over left paw.  She also likes to watch squirrels and deer through the window—without ever uttering a single bark (amazing!).  Her other favorite is having her thick, straight coat brushed, and she likes a nice bath, too. “She smells good,” says Foster Mom.

Belle’s name suits her perfectly. She is the “belle of the ball” -- she does hospital and nursing home visitations and “loves on” everyone.  She seems to know that just being by someone’s side is good for the human (and for her, too). Belle never met a stranger and she knows how to flirt gently for petting.  She’s affectionate and loves affection in return.

Since she is an older lady, one wouldn’t expect her to play like a puppy, but she does enjoy a thrown ball or two.  And Belle does have a sense of humor.  She’s a little dancer -- a roll and body wiggle, getting her head going, twirling around making playful, funny sounds. She still does the food dance, too, stamping her feet to hurry up her dinner. Belle has to have the first plate, so after licking her plate clean, she patiently watches the other dogs finish and then has “seconds.”  And she prefers her veggies chopped fine (think Food Channel techniques).

As you can see from her soft, gentle eyes and smile, this gal is a perfect Golden for a loving family who wants love in return.

#12-044 Belle, update 12/30/12

Age: 12

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Hi everyone! Belle here, reminding anyone who’s looking for a spunky senior that I am still available. I totally LOVE my foster home, where I have lots of Golden friends close to me in age, but I’d love a home of my very own, too. So, if you’re looking for a new best friend, well, as the C & W song goes, “If somewhere down the road you might get lonely -- keep me in mind!”

If you like to fix meals, I will be your most appreciative audience ever. I admit I am a bit of a “chunky monkey,” but foster mom has me on lower-cal food (at holiday time, too… sigh! Still, I know it’s for my own good… I guess!) plus lots of fresh veggies (carrots, green beans, cucumbers) & I am hoping to lose a pound or two. This should make me even more glamorous. My thick, wavy coat is already the envy of all, but it does require regular beauty treatments with the hairbrush – so I hope you like to brush a dog who really enjoys all the attention and massage of a good grooming session.

 Now as we all know Goldens are service dogs who like a job to do, so I have taken on the task of “hall monitor” in addition to my usual job of “Door Belle.” That is, I like to sleep in the hall during the night so I can get up if Mom does and make sure all is well. I’ll also do a quick round to see if anyone might be in the kitchen (what if some food fell on the floor? Someone needs to be on hand to clean it up).

 All that security guarding can make a girl tired, so I do take a few “power naps” on the sofa each day with my pal Mason.  Then it’s back to keeping an eye on the home – I have to look for maurading squirrels out the front window, and trespassing deer out the back!

 Foster mom says: Belle is a character and such an active girl for her age. In fact, when our former foster pooch Honey, age 11, was adopted, we took Belle along for the meet so the family could see just how peppy older Goldens can be! Belle would be great with a family or a retiree.  She would be devoted to her owners and would be right be their side offering her paw for a pet. She’d keep her family entertained with her antics (though they will have to resist her attempts to derail her own diet!)

#12-044 Belle, update 8/31/12

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Nobody would believe that this girl is approaching 12 years old! She’s active and spunky and social (she has a whole gang of other Goldens to play with). Of course, she does know how to ration out her energy: for instance, she spends plenty of time napping, and considers retrieving a pointless exercise (“She came with a container of tennis balls, but cannot be bothered with them because they are not edible.”). BUT when mealtime rolls around, she turns on the “zoom” function! “Her nickname is Miss Piggy,” says her foster mom. “When you’re at the counter dishing up,  she stamps her feet and shakes all over and wants to be first in line.”

 True to her name, Belle is also a great door-belle. That is, no need for a visitor to knock or ring – she knows a new friend is there, and will attempt to open the door to say hello.

 Belle is totally trustworthy indoors and sleeps through the night, unless she’s called on to be a lavatory attendant – that’s right, if you get up to use the bathroom, she’ll accompany you, make sure you’re safely back in bed, and then go to sleep again herself.

 She loves car rides and grooming sessions. Recently, she developed a tooth abscess—so while that was being treated, the vet went on ahead and cleaned & polished her pearly whites at the same time. That’s done wonders for her breath and general health.

 Belle would be great dog for anyone who wants an oldster with some definite spunk and opinions of her own! Other dogs are obviously just fine—in fact, she’d probably really enjoy a houseful of friends just like she has now!

Update 5/30/12

 “My Favorite Things,” The Belle Version:

Car rides and mealtimes and outings and eating,

Blueberries, turkey, attention, and treating,

Someone who knows that old Goldens have ZING!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Green beans and peaches and people who love me,

Errands and carrots and anything yummy,

Those magic words, “Let’s head out for a spin!”

These are a few of my favorite things!

As you can tell from her song, cheerful Belle adores attention, food, and motoring around town in about equal measures. She has pep, personality, and the energy of a dog half her age – and she’s guaranteed to liven up any family she joins!

This sturdy little senior came to GRR from a caring owner who was moving to a no-dogs apartment. She’s been loved all her life and it shows. After an unfortunate event at foster home #1 – she was attacked and badly bitten by one of the family’s other dogs – Belle moved on to foster home #2. Has her alarming experience made her afraid of/antagonistic toward other dogs? No! She’s mingling with five other pooches, no problem—though there WAS one tiny spat with another elderly lady over a stray blueberry on the floor! However, the duo quickly realized that they were being silly and retreated. But Belle shouldn’t be placed with crabby or intolerant dogs.

Belle has been around children of various ages all of her life & is fine with them, but she’d probably tip young children (under age 5) right over. Dog-savvy slightly older kids would be fine.

As for cats… she chased the cats in her first foster home until she finally got used to them. So dog-savvy kitties might be fine, but there’d be an adjustment period for sure.

As a dyed-in-the-fur gourmet (well, perhaps “gourmand” would be a better word, tee hee), Belle is pushy for her treats and meals! When I am preparing meals, she is insistent & she shoves me & stands on my foot. I usually babygate her before preparing meals, as she is so excited. She may even try to hustle me along with a "Hurry up!  What’s with the service in this place??! Faster please!"  When I bring the food bowl to her, she twirls in circles. And when we eat our meals in the living room, she can be quite determined about trying to get a bite!

Belle is crazy for car rides!  Loves them!  She gets really excited for the Nightly 5:00 Dog Drive & often is first in line to climb the stepstool into our tall SUV.  She is good in the car & enjoys hanging her head out the window as we cruise the neighborhood at 15 miles per hour.  Belle would love to go to work with someone every day, or ride along to pick up kids at school. She would love to ride or walk to a coffee shop & hang out, greeting the crowd.

Belle is totally trustworthly in the house.  She doesn't destroy anything.  She often goes into the bedroom & rolls around on the dog beds, happy & silly.  Once in a great while, she'll hop up into an easy chair or the couch, but not often.  In the mornings, her rule is that people should be up & moving by 7:30 AM – so, if you oversleep by her definition, she’ll stand on her hind legs & bat you with an authoritative paw: “Get up!”

Belle went to the emergency vet when she was attacked by a dog in her previous foster home, one month ago.  The punctures & ear laceration healed fine. Just last week, she had a couple of lumps and bumps removed; nothing scary, but if any other moles/warts/bumps pop up, the vet recommends checking them out & likely removing them promptly.

She likes other dogs, but humans are her primary focus & she bonds tightly to them. Belle could be an only dog, or could be placed with other easygoing dogs.  Her owners MUST be willing to give her plenty of attention & activities—she wouldn’t be happy in busy home where the family is so preoccupied with outside events that they don’t have time for her. This girl is friendly, pushy, happy, demanding, enthusiastic, sometimes calm, sometimes silly & excited. She’s easy to be with, understands how to communicate her wants to her people, needs lots of affection, and acts sooo much younger than her years. She’s a true Party Girl!

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