August 10, 2022:

It has been one year since Lilly came to us and brightened our lives. The girl is happy and relaxed. She lost weight and has settled around 84 pounds which is just fine with us and her doctor. Allergies are under control with daily medication.

Lilly continues to be eager about her two walks every day. Walking has become a far more relaxed experience for everyone. The hypervigilance is all but gone. Leash aggression is manageable as it is now confined to circumstances where we directly cross paths with another dog. We started giving her treats when we saw a person, bicycle, or another dog. This diverted her attention and kept her focused with every distraction. Now she looks forward to seeing other dogs and people on our walks as it means a quiet treat time.

The treats don’t interfere with the flow of the walk, but Lilly does like to stop and smell the roses, and grass, and trees, and rocks, and leaves, and snow. She especially enjoys finding shady spots where she will stop, drop and roll; then lay and watch the world go by for a while. We let her explore and rest, but if we really walked at Lilly’s pace, it would take us an hour to get out of the front yard!

In the house, Lilly is rarely in a different room than Papa. She is a sweetheart who loves to cuddle, but just tolerates getting hugs or kisses. That is fine with us. That is just who she is.

She loves car rides and wants her window open so she can stick her face out in the breeze, no matter how cold it is outside. If the window is up, Lilly will cover it with nose art.

Time at doggie day care has helped her socialization. She is comfortable with other dogs to the point where we feel confident at the dog park. And Lilly loves the freedom of being off leash.

When the peanut butter jar or the refrigerator door is being opened, Lilly becomes a world champion drooler. Cleaning up drool puddles on the kitchen floor and dog hair from the carpet are small things easily done in return for all she brings to our lives.

She is a sweet girl with a big personality. We love our Lilly and we are so happy she found us!

October 18, 2021:

Lilly has started her third month with us. She has had some normal dog adventures and come through them wonderfully. She went to see the vet on August 8 and weighed in at 101.7 pounds. We checked her weight on October 1 to find her at 95.7 pounds. She has lost 6 pounds without any adjustment to her diet – just lots and lots of walking! Her endurance has increased with longer walks and cooler temperatures. Lilly looks forward to her walks every morning and evening. It has helped her weight but also calmed the stress and anxiety of both dog and human.

Lilly reacted to her first bath as if it were traumatic. But she has learned that when the bath is over, she feels super relaxed and sleeps like a baby. This means her first trip to the groomer went perfectly, and she came through looking even prettier than she already was. She passed her temperament test at doggy daycare and now can spend some time socializing with other dogs. Lilly was a perfect sweetheart with all the other dogs. She still shows a little leash aggression when we are walking, but that is improving as we learn her needs and help to redirect her attention when she sees them. She has no anxieties with riding in the car and loves to go for long drives. We make sure she gets plenty of water and potty breaks. She takes up most of the back seat, so we purchased a seat liner. Lilly still gets Apoquel every morning for allergies. It comes with peanut butter, so she looks forward to it. The vet suggested we watch to see if her allergies improve after the first freeze, but she will get whatever medication she needs to keep her comfortable and happy.

We celebrated Lilly’s 9th birthday on September 27. She was happy to smell toys and treats from her previous foster brother and sister. She did not quite understand the “Birthday Princess” hat and “Birthday Girl” bandana but loved the attention. We hope to celebrate many more birthdays with Miss Lilly.

August 16, 2021:

Our first week with Lilly has been a joy. She has already collected a few names of affection like Lilly pad, Lilly Bean, and Lilly Belle. Some dogs light up when a camera is pointed at them. But Lilly is a little shy, so getting a good photo can be a challenge.

There were other dog beds in the house, but none of them were big enough for Lilly. She discovered that she fits in the love seat perfectly. It makes for an expensive bed, but that is what slipcovers are for. She is comfortable with the full run of the house, sleeps on the bedroom floor and knows how to get attention when she needs to go outside.

Lilly gets excited about a walk but cannot go very far due to her weight and warm weather. To lose weight and work off nervous energy, we have been taking three short walks a day. She does not like the brush at all but responds well to grooming gloves.

She quickly learned how the back door leads to her own fenced-in backyard where she can run and roll around on her back. Lilly has met all the neighbors who think she is beautiful. After she enjoyed a very noisy introduction to the neighbor dogs, she settled down. Lilly shows little enthusiasm for chasing things and defies the name “retriever”, but that is okay. She loves her squeaky toys and running freely in the yard.

Today, Lilly got to meet the family vet. She is making progress in losing weight. (weighed in at 101.7 lbs. today). We are going to spend some time developing plans for dealing with allergies. For now, Apoquel relieves her symptoms, and getting this sweetheart to a happy transition to her new home is our most important goal.

Lilly is simply a sweet old girl and it has taken no time for it to feel like she has been a part of the family all along.

August 14, 2021:

Lilly has found her forever home!

July 8, 2021:

Since my last update I’ve helped represent GRRoW at some fundraisers. Though I barked at a few people, I really enjoyed all the petting I received. I love it when people tell me how pretty I am! And of course, they’re right, you know.

I have been walking a lot and lost a few pounds! On my way! Completely enjoying the vegetables mom puts in my food…especially the crunch they make!

I had surgery to remove a lipoma from my chest and a small bump on my head. I’m on bedrest and keeping quiet while everything heals. Once my stitches come out, I will be available for adoption.

June 21, 2021:

Hi, I’m Lilly. I’ve had a busy first week in my foster home. I have settled in quickly and began sleeping in the bedroom once I was introduced to my foster brother. The first night, my foster dad slept with me in the living room. He snores.

I met some nice people and went swimming in the lake. Not as far out as my foster brother went, but I thought it was pretty good for my first time with them. Lots of good, warm sunlight and plenty of grass to roll around on afterward. At home, there’s a big window near the floor that I can look out of to keep track of squirrels and bunnies. Sometimes another dog makes me bark, but I am working on that.

I met the vet, and she did some tests that came back fine. I am currently taking Apoquel® and working on different foods to lower the need for that medicine in the meantime. I have a lipoma that the vet has recommended be removed. I also have to lose some weight, so luckily enjoy the vegetables my foster mom adds to my food. I never thought I would like carrots as treats, but have to admit the crunch is half the fun. My foster mom and I started walking which will help with my weight loss and socialization.

The neighbor reaches over the fence and gives good scratches. I’ve made friends, and that’s always a good thing. Not to brag, but they all go gaga over my eyelashes and say how sweet I am.

June 11, 2021:

Lilly is an 8-year-old sweetheart! She is a purebred Golden, easy going, does well with other dogs, loves children, but has had no cat exposure.

The current owners are preparing to move and cannot take Lilly with them. Lilly is described as a lovebug who wants to be an active member of a family. She has a “contagious energy”, is overweight and has some allergies but is a typical eight-year-old, full of life.