# Storm's New Sister!



## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

Your Rey is beautiful! Oh, that scar -- must have been painful for her. Glad she's settling in well.


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## Elsa Cholla's Mom (Feb 8, 2016)

Awe, that is awesome, Congrats to you and your family.


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

Oh wow!!!! Congrats, this is such a wonderful story!!!! She is adorable and it sounds like she is settling in wonderfully!!!!


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

How exciting. She's beautiful.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Congratulations, Rey is beautiful. 

Love the pics of her and Storm, great to hear they are getting along so well.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Congratulations! She's beautiful


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Thanks so much everyone! She's settling in well so far and we are completely smitten with her. I'll be sure to update and post about our adventures with two dogs in the house again.


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Now that Rey has officially been a member of the family for a week and a half, I thought I would update a bit on her. 

She is settling in nicely. We have seen minor guarding between her and Storm over a certain toy, so that toy has been removed and will become an office toy. I can take the dogs to work, but because of the size of my office, only one at a time, so they can play with the toy there with no issues. 

Rey is still sleeping well, but we have seen a few accidents in the house. I have to keep reminding myself to treat her like a puppy and take her out often. 

She is a little Houdini. When Storm was a puppy, she was gated in the kitchen area with her crate, water and toys. At about 8 months, she learned to jump on top of her crate and into the living room. I barricaded the top of the crate and had no other problems. Rey has discovered the same idea, but no amount of barricading is keeping her in the kitchen, so she is being crated if we are gone longer than an hour. 

Rey was spayed last Monday, per city rules when adopting from a shelter. She recovered extremely well, but on Thursday when I was starting on teeth brushing, I noticed something wrapped around a back molar. Because she was eating, drinking and playing well, the vet gave the ok to wait until Monday to see her. She went in on Monday and had to be sedated to remove whatever it was (picture below). Unfortunately, it had been around long enough that it caused the root of that molar to be exposed. She had a suture placed and is in a cone, on soft food, antibiotics and pain meds through this weekend. She took it all in stride and did SO well at the vet. The vet also noted that the old wound on her neck was indeed from an embedded collar and is still new enough that Rey's collar is irritating the skin, so we will be walking on a harness only until more fur grows in.

Rey has quickly grown on us and I will be sure to update more as we see more of her spunky yet sweet personality emerge.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Love the update


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

She is so adorable. Poor baby with the thing around her tooth and the grown in collar. So happy she is with you, safe and clearly very happy!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Rey must be feeling so much better after having that removed, geesh...


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Congrats to you! Both your girls are so pretty.

Sorry to hear Rey had such a rough start, but she has found herself a wonderful home, lucky girl!!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

cONGRATS TO you and your family, what a sweetheart Rey is....thankful you took her in, and you took care of her teeth, poor baby...she is beautiful...good luck!!!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Thanks again all!

Rey has just finished her second week (boy is it going fast!) with us and she is still doing well. We are definitely a work in progress on house training. I am working with her as though she were a puppy and basically all accidents have been human error

Her tooth is healing well. It is SO hard to make sure she is not chewing anything hard since she's got that suture in the gum line. We have picked up all the hard toys, but sticks are plentiful and she loves the wooden baby gate. It's definitely keeping us on our toes and giving lots of practice trading. :smile2:

Storm still thinks Rey is the best thing ever and they're playing well, but also getting better about taking breaks. I was hopeful we could do a mountain hike this weekend, before it gets too chilly, but we may wait another week.

Thanks for all the positive feedback! I will be sure to add photos as adventures happen.


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

*First Hike and Worms*

We had a fairly quiet Saturday, but decided it would be a good time to take Rey on her first hike. We stuck to a fairly easy trail (nice and flat) and let the dogs spent a lot of time sniffing and checking things out. Both Storm and Rey spent the rest of the day sleeping on and off. I love how a quick, less than 2 mile jaunt, can be so exhausting!

Unfortunately, this morning I noticed worms in Rey's poop. She was dewormed when she first arrived at the shelter, but I'm sure we all know how stubborn they can be. Poor girl can't catch a break! I dropped of a fecal sample at the vet and will pick up meds before the end of today. They will also provide meds if Storm is at risk, but she's on a monthly dewormer. 

Here's hoping this is the last vet adventure for a while!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Hope things continue to go well with Storm and Rey, sounds like you had a wonderful walk with them. Sometimes it takes a few treatments to get rid of those pesky parasites, but hopefully it won't take long before she is clear of them. 
Keep us posted, we would love to hear about your adventures with your girls.


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

We have had a pretty uneventful week or so with Rey. She continues to settle in nicely and is showing some spunk in her personality. It really has been fun though to watch her settle in and try new things. She tries daily to get our youngest cat to play with her and he just can't quite figure her out. It's pretty fun to watch. 

Her fecal sample last week resulted in treatment for tapeworm. Poor pup was likely eating anything to survive and the vet said about 6 - 8 weeks ago eating a rodent probably resulted in the tapeworm. Luckily, there is no worries about Storm needing treatment and we should be in the clear since Rey has been treated. She is holding steady at 38 lbs., so only time will tell as to whether she is a mix or pure Golden. She's got some feathering on her tail and hind end, so we'll see how things progress.

I am off work for the next 5 days, so we will have a mixture of lazy time and, hopefully, a hike. We have started working on basic manners training and she is doing quite well with sit, down, and leave it. It will be a continued work in progress with her barking at other dogs, whether she hears or sees them. 

And because pictures are fun, Rey being silly, ready to hit the road and a comparison of Storm (top) and Rey (bottom) about 18 months apart.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Good to hear things are going so smoothly!! It is kind of 'magical' how they just fit 'right in'!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

It really is amazing at how well things have gone. Before she came home, I was so worried about the settling in phase and it's going so well. I know that as she becomes more settled we can see things pop up, but she's been a great addition so far.


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Well, another Monday has come and gone and in the time since I last updated on Rey, she has had two more visits with the vet. We're looking on the bright side and laughing about how she seems to like the Monday crew at the clinic. Five of the last seven Mondays have included visits.

She had her molar removed yesterday because the gum line where that plastic ring was did not heal. Unfortunately, a pocket in the gum opened up, exposing the root again. The vet offered to send a referral for a root canal, but cost and other things led us to removal instead. I had them do a pre-op blood panel since this was the third time she would be sedated/under anesthesia in just a few weeks and I want a good baseline. Everything on that came back perfect and Rey had her surgery yesterday.

The worst part of this is that we are headed into another two weeks of soft food, no hard toys/treats and keeping any play relatively calm. That is just no fun for a young girl (with a young sister dog, too), but we will do what we need to so that she can heal. 

All else with Rey is going great! She is learning to be more gentle with the cats, but that will be a constant work in progress. House training is going ok. We are increasing the time between potty breaks, but she is not quite at the point of letting us know she needs to go out yet. I like to call her my "Rey of sunshine" and she really is. Everything is an adventure to her and she has made settling back into a second dog a whole lot easier than I expected. She will start training classes in January and we are hoping to start exposing her to more dogs so that she can gain confidence around them.

And now, updated pictures!
1. Rey and our Siamese-mix, Frankie. He's her wrestling buddy and loves to play chase.
2. Rey and Storm enjoying a weekend afternoon before the tooth removal.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I love the photo with Frankie. It looks like Frankie is trying to grab the Nylabone that Rey is chewing on. Both Storm and Rey are simply beautiful. Thank you for saving this beautiful girl and giving her a chance for a happy life with a loving family. You have my sincere admiration.


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## Brinkleythegolden (Jun 18, 2012)

Your girls are adorable! Rey sure hit the jackpot with you! Hopefully no more vet visits!


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

Poor baby, hopefully she will catch a break now. She is so adorable!!!!!!!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Sorry to hear Rey is having a tough time, hopefully she is over the 'bump' and you both take a break from the vet. She is lucky to have you!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Rey*



danoon58 said:


> Your Rey is beautiful! Oh, that scar -- must have been painful for her. Glad she's settling in well.


Your Rey is just beautiful! I am so happy for you, Rey and Storm!! Love the pictures!
Hope her tooth is better!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! 

Rey is doing well, so far with the healing tooth removal site, but oh boy is it tough controlling play between two young Goldens! I've been alternating bringing Rey to work with me in the morning and Storm in the afternoon so they can run around and Storm can play with dog friends. Rey wants so badly to chew and romp with Storm, so the next 11 days are going to be an adventure!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

A quick update on Ms. Rey! We just finished a recheck at the vet and her mouth is healing well. We passed the two week mark for recovery yesterday and can return to kibble, regular play and hard toys. The vet sent us home with some mouth rinse because she is having some food buildup where the stitches are starting to come out, but all looks to have healed well. There is light at the end of the tooth tunnel!

Rey had a good first Christmas with us. We ended up gating her and Storm in the kitchen because Rey wanted to help open gifts. It was very entertaining. The dogs got new stuffed toys and we actually have two survivors and are two days out from Christmas! 

Wishing everyone a Happy 2017!


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

That's funny about the plush toys lasting 2 days past Christmas...

Merry Christmas!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Good to hear things are going well with Rey. Hopefully things will continue to improve and Rey can get on with living life as she should!!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Happy 2017 everyone!

Rey continues to do well. We are really starting to see more of her personality and she has been pretty sassy over the past few days. I love it! She was completely unfazed by the fireworks on New Year's Eve Because she was a stray and we don't know her birth date, we decided to make her a New Year's pup and celebrated her (maybe) 1st birthday. Both her and Storm had some tasty treats from our local dog bakery.

We finally got some snow last night for her to experience. She was not thrilled at first, but once Storm took off, Rey followed and they had a good play session. Unfortunately, I could not get any good pictures because it was 5 am. She normally comes right back inside after potty time, but today would race back outside and run. Snow is fun!

We start training classes tomorrow and are hoping to get some next step advice in dealing with her reactivity with other dogs. I'm not even sure it's full reactivity or just barking/uncomfortable behavior she picked up from being a stray. She comes to work with me at least twice a week and with all the dogs here, she gets good practice with ignoring for treats. 

And, pictures too!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Happy Birthday Rey!! 

Hopefully her 'discomfort' with new dogs will improve as she becomes more settled and secure in her forever home. Sometimes life can be a bit overwhelming!!

Good to hear things are going well!!


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

I can just imagine the playing in the snow.... It must have been wonderful to watch.


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

Yay Rey!!! Snow always brings out the sass in my pups!!!! 

Sounds like she is doing so well and adjusting wonderfully, the tooth issues aside!!! The photos are adorable, such a pretty sweet face!!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Thanks Charliethree, Pilgrim123 and B and G Mom!

It really is fun to see her personality really starting to show now that the health stuff is taken care of. The last stitch from her tooth removal FINALLY came out this weekend. 

She has been super sassy, but in a good way and it is fun to watch. It is so nice to have a companion for Storm again. After a little over a year of Storm being an only dog, it is obvious she was bored at times when our lives were busy. 

I'm sure I'll be back with more updates and will post progress from training class.


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

What a busy few weeks it has been!

Rey started her training classes three weeks ago. She's doing well so far and I'm pretty proud of how she has handled being in a room with other dogs and managed to semi-focus. We're having to use HIGH value treats with her because she is so easily distracted, but she's focusing a bit better each week. 

I've been trying to have either her or Storm at work with me every day. They have a good chance to run/play while here and it helps prevent too much crazy play at home. They were both able to come for a brief time yesterday and loved it. 

We did have a scary moment last night with Frankie and Rey. Frankie, the cat previously pictured with Rey, is a door-darter. He's been this way since kittenhood and, with Storm, it was never an issue, we just picked him up and brought him back inside. Last night he door-darted for the first time since bringing Rey home and she was on him before we could react. Luckily, Frankie came away with minor abrasions and appears ok this morning. We're monitoring him and have been in contact with the vet in case he needs to be seen. He was separated last night, but this morning was right back to hanging with the dogs. I've already contacted the behavior staff where I work and they're going to help put together an action plan to work with Frankie on door darting and we'll be working on solidifying Rey's "leave it." It's pretty obvious that Rey can co-exist peacefully with cats inside a home, but her drive/instinct for cats outside the home is too high, so we'll be using more caution all around.

And, because we always want to end on a good note, a few updated pictures will follow. She is SUCH a cuddler and has no idea that there's such a thing as personal space. In the second photo, her and Storm were keeping watch on the neighborhood kids running around. Rey hasn't grown at all since we brought her home and Storm is quite leggy, but the size difference between them is fun. We might do a DNA test on Rey to see if/what she's mixed with. I'm intrigued, but we love her no matter what.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

As a pet sitter it was very important to keep kitties away from the door when their people were away. Try keeping a large pill container (they have a great locking lid) or a small can (make a lid with plastic and duct tape) with coins next to the door and give it a shake before you open it. I used to crack the door and shake the can when arriving. Worked every time.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Such a sweet, sweet, pup! I am so glad she is adjusting so well and I just LOVE her coloring!!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

Since it has been a few weeks, I figured I would stop by and give a quick update on Miss. Rey's life adventures.

Following her coffee adventure, we have had a quiet few weeks. In case you missed that adventure (and for my reference), http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/what-did-you-do/442737-reys-coffee-cautionary-tale.html. 

Rey is continuing on with her sassy nature and keeping us laughing. She graduated her first training class on Saturday and we have a debate going between starting nose work classes or moving on to a distractions class (basic manners, but working with more distractions). For her I am leaning more towards the distractions class and am looking into getting Storm signed up for nose work. 

We have had some nice weather and have done a few hikes, but have also spent some time introducing Rey to my parents' dogs to give her a few more positive experiences with other dogs. She LOVES their terrier cross, who is about 15 lbs., but is cautious around their mix breed girl who is about Rey's size. It has been a good way to get some energy out of both Rey and Storm when we haven't been able to get out as much.

Attached are a few photos of the past few weeks!

Snapshot 1: Rey on the wrong side of the baby gate. She's agile and note her partner in crime, Frankie, lurking in the background.
Snapshot 2: Weekend cuddles and trying to sneak coffee. She didn't learn! 
Snapshot 3: Graduation from training class!


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

It has been a quiet few weeks on the Rey front. We have been enjoying some nice weather and had the perfect afternoon for baths yesterday. Rey is not a huge fan of bath time, but smearing peanut butter along the edge of the tub definitely keeps her happy (and makes it easier to scrub!). 

We did our first mountain hike of 2017 on Saturday and both pups came home wonderfully tired, as did the humans. We are still working on firming up her basic training cues at home and have started to expand on them in low distraction places. Her attention span is worse than that of a gnat, so it has been a challenge for me to keep the pace up. 

We are still working on her dog reactivity, but have seen improvements. She now does well when she hears other dogs, rather than incessant barking. There is small improvement in her seeing other dogs, but I am still working with her at pretty large distances. She is very conflicted in her body language, but starting to focus more on me. Baby steps! She is doing great when I take her to my parents' house to interact with their dogs.


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## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

Rey is such a doll! I'm glad the training is working as far as the reactivity.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Lovely photos 


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## Ginams (Jan 20, 2015)

I can't believe I have been so lazy about updating on Rey!

Life has continued to be full of sunshine for the girl we have dubbed "Rey of Sunshine." The director where I work told me she feels like the most important person in the world when she sees Rey because of how excited Rey gets to say hello. She absolutely loves humans!

We met with one of the behaviorists at my job to really buckle down on working with her dog reactivity. Lots of work has improvement showing, but we still have a way to go. She has made a new friend on her days at work with me, a boxer who loves to run or sniff, whatever Rey is in the mood for. She is, however, still extremely uncomfortable when leashed around other dogs, so trying to give her more choice to exit and rewarding for good behavior is a daily exercise.

Storm and Rey continue to get along well and keep us busy. Their feline cohort, Frankie keeps us all on our toes and helps keep Rey busy when Storm is napping. Our two other cats are still not fans of Rey, but that is why we have rooms gated off. 

In the most exciting news, I do educational programs for the organization I work for and many times we have a request for a visitor dog. Those who do work with therapy/visitor dogs know that a dog needs to enjoy and want to do these visits. Sasha, our German shepherd, lived for this work and loved visiting schools. Storm will do visits, but definitely does not enjoy it, so I decided not to pursue certification for her. She loves very specific people and could care less for others.  Rey, on the other hand, has never met a stranger! We have tested her with a few small groups on-site and she did really well. Yesterday I took her to our first off-site presentation for adults with special needs and she did fantastic! We are going to move forward with more training and hope to get her certified as a therapy/visitor dog when the time is right. 

While we do not know what her past held, this pup's future is looking good! I will be sure to add a few updated photos below. Her coat looks SO good, but she's put on a little too much weight, so food is being scaled back. Haha!

Photo 1: The girls enjoying a cool evening
Photo 2: Grass!!!! - She loves when we house sit for this particular person.
Photo 3: Downtime


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