#4301 Redd
Redd has a fascinating story…one of challenges but ultimately success. We were on a hiking trip in the UK when we received an email from Golden Rescue about the impending ban asking us if we’d like to adopt a Turkish Golden ahead of the ban. Redd touched down in Canada one day before we did. He spent the night with a foster and we picked him up the next day. Redd had both femur heads surgically removed before his arrival in Canada. He was emaciated, weak, and sporting two scars. And so began his physical recovery. He started a weekly regime of hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, and rehab. John had recently retired and quickly became Redd’s primary person. Redd was reticent and fearful of everything from birds to garbage cans. He blossomed inside and quickly became the ‘apple of our eye’. John began using Redd’s profile picture on all his social media and they became inseparable. Over the next year, Redd gained strength and functionality and expanded his horizons. He made a few doggie friends and some of his fears of birds and inanimate objects lessened. Although he attended and progressed through obedience classes, his aversion to other dogs outside increased. His reactivity became hard to manage and we sustained redirection bites. We sought professional help but managing Redd on leash was very challenging. Around this time, John began exhibiting strange medical symptoms and managing Redd became too much for him as he progressively lost strength in his hands and legs. Sadly, John was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS. Then Jane became Redd’s primary person. His reactivity resulted in several falls which took some time to heal. John’s diagnosis and rapid physical decline, our changed lifestyle, and Redd’s limited success with trainers, prompted a chorus of concerned people telling us to surrender Redd back to Golden Rescue. John was resolute that Redd would improve and stopped any further chatter about his departure. We found a new trainer with experience and gravitas who instilled us with renewed hope. She reminded us that we get the dogs we need, not the dogs we want. She encouraged me to stop reminiscing about our previous ‘easy’ dogs and to focus on Redd. When we did that, we realized that we had received the dog we needed. Jane’s 3-hour daily walks/training sessions with Redd was the respite that was needed. When we walked, I had to be very present and only focus on him and his reaction to the outside world. It allowed me to forget about life’s other challenges. Redd has improved significantly and I’ve become part of a reactive fog walking group and he’s becoming more confident and comfortable on leash in the presence of other dogs. Redd had been a constant for us through two years of personal change and challenges. He loves all John’s caregivers and visitors. Redd is indeed the dog we needed. We are very grateful to Golden Rescue for giving us the opportunity to offer him a forever family.
Jane & John
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