Duchess

#13-023 Duchess

age 8 years; weight ~80 lbs.

AVAILABLE ~ September 1^st

Updated: 08/13/13

Only a few more weeks before the “Duchess of GRR” is ready to take her throne with her new forever family.  Exhibiting all the qualities of pure royalty, this future queen will be an asset to her family’s kingdom.

With her health issues behind her, Duchess no longer is self-conscious about the appearance she projects to her loyal subjects.  After being tested for a thyroid problem, Duchess’ locks are growing back slowly but surely in those once patchy bald spots.  Before long, Duchess will begin looking like the regal Rapunzel.

And with the regulation of her thyroid, not only are her tresses improving, but also she’s beginning to act more and more like the royal she is. 

Her foster mom comments that she is no longer listless, retiring to her throne (the family couch) to watch over her subjects. She loves her walks and though she is much more playful with her foster siblings, she still seems quite unsure of how to engage with these commoners.

In fact, some might confuse her with Alice and Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts as she demands a walk “NOW!;” though she would never go so far as scream “Off with their heads!” Duchess’ foster mom says when she is ready to go for a walk, she’s ready to go.  She will come in and have a conversation with you, with one ear off to the side and the other laying forward, as if she’s giving you all the reasons that now is a good time.  If you don’t pay attention or tell her “In a little bit,” Duchess’ crown gets all bent out of shape; she will pounce up and down like a wild horse, rather than a regal steed.

During her walks, this aristocrat is anything but pushy, as she knows appearances are everything; so while out among the peasants, she prances alongside her foster sibling, a teacup poodle, never pulling or yanking on the leash.  Even her loyal dog walker, foster mom’s 9-year-old son, is able to easily manage Duchess and the tiny poodle.

Duchess loves to be petted, happily accepting the hand of her loyal subjects.  And to show her appreciation, Duchess props her paw on you, knighting you for your service to your kingdom.  When her foster family sits down to eat dinner, she lies down at the feet of her foster mom.  Of course Duchess would never beg for food—only peasants do such a thing!

Because of Duchess’ royal status (and Great Pyrenees lineage), she is self-assured.  She tends to find a nice quiet place to plop down—somewhere without all the hustle and bustle. During this much needed respite from the stresses of leading her kingdom, she often dreams of walks through thick, green grass, waterfalls overflowing with treats, and a castle free of little dogs.

Speaking of little dogs, if Duchess feels these small pups forget their place (and hers), and continue to pester this noble, she may snap at them. 

#13-023 Duchess, update 5/12/13

Age: 7-8

AVAILABLE SOON

Sweet Duchess is looking so much prettier. She actually has fur now! She’s continuing on the Nzymes program to combat the yeast in her system and coming along. Personality wise, she’s quiet and calm and needs a similarly peaceful household. And – she’s a night owl. She does like to keep watch at night – must be that Great Pyrenees heritage! “I actually feel very safe with Duchess patrolling the windows,” says foster mom.

Serene Duchess is loving & affectionate in her quiet way, and deliberate in everything she does. She likes to eat her meals slowly, and she loves to be outdoors when it’s cool and just watch the world go by. If you have a quiet home and you’re looking for a big, tall, thoughtful, loyal dog to keep you company, Duchess could be the right girl for you.

#13-023  Duchess, age 3 1/2

Weight: 73 pounds & slowly gaining

AVAILABILITY TBA

Short but sweet! Going on about 6 weeks in GRR care, Duchess gets this report from her foster mom:

Yes!!!  Duchess is making tons of progress!!!

She is wagging her tail and she’s smiling now. She won’t always come up to you to seek affection, but if you are loving on her and then stop, she will paw you or bop her head up and down like a horse to get more loving.

She loves to lie around & snooze during rainy or drizzly weather.  She is the ULTIMATE guard dog.  I have noticed she will sleep during the day and patrol the house at night.  She likes to look out the front windows.

Duchess is very obedient.  She likes to relax in the kitchen, but when I’m cooking, I’ll tell her, “Duchess, get out of the kitchen.”  She calmly gets up and walks out.  It is great!!!

Foster mom also reports that Duchess’s fur is slowly growing back in, and she promises to send photos soon.

#13-023  Duchess, age 3 1/2

Weight: 73 pounds; needs to gain 10 pounds

AVAILABILITY TBA

“She is a mess but the sweetest girl and so confused. She NEEDS medical attention. She has lost a lot of fur, her skin is black and splotchy, her ears are thick and gunky, she has goopy eyes and is underweight. No, she is not all Golden… she has some black on her ears and black whiskers… but this old girl just tugs at my heartstrings. I hated to leave her there.”

 It sure didn’t seem like anyone else was going to pull Duchess from the pound, due to her poor condition… and sometimes you just have to say, “Golden enough!” That’s how this long, tall, big-boned Golden/Great Pyrenees mix came to be a Gold Ribbon Rescue dog. She’ll be lovely indeed once she fills out and her health issues resolve—you can imagine a thick, fluffy, white-gold coat and a magnificent plume of a tail with the classic Great Pyr “twist”—but for now, as the vet says succinctly, “Her skin and ears are  Yeast City.” She’s taking antibiotics and has started on the www.Nzymes.com program for healthy skin, a multi-week regimen of supplements & medicated shampoos designed to address just such chronic yeast issues.

The vet visit also revealed lots of positives, though! For starters, Duchess was extremely cooperative with all the poking and prodding and rolling over; never offered to snap, never got crabby, just let the doc do whatever he wanted. What a good girl… and a much younger gal than we thought. Her poor condition and jutting ribs & hipbones made her look like a senior, but in fact she’s likely just three or four years old, with the beautiful teeth to go with it! And more good news: she’s already spayed, and she’s heartworm negative. Helps to have just one main problem to tackle!

 Foster mom says, “Duchess is making herself at home and is eating extremely well.  She does value food (seems likely she’s been going without for a while), so we are feeding her behind closed doors, away from the other dogs.  (My dogs eat in the same room with each other, but they have their pack hierarchy figured out.) We have not had any incidents and I would like to keep it that way! She does play nicely with the other dogs and she’s a sweetie to the people.”

 More on Duchess as we get to know her better.