Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon

Adopted September 7, 2011

Tess's Available Story

Tess (#2168) What goes thump-thump-thump, swish-swish-swish, thump-thump-thump, swish-swish-swish? Tess’ happily wagging tail. She’s excited that she’ll soon have a forever family who will give her the love and attention she hasn‘t had before. Tess lived outside all her life, spending 22 - 23 hours a day in a yard without human interaction. The good news: she was not abused and she had another dog and sometimes kids to play with. The bad news: for years she was neglected and probably bored and lonely.

In her foster home, it took Tess about five minutes to adjust to life as an inside dog. Around the house, she’s well-behaved and has a quiet, calm temperament. Not much, including fireworks and thunderstorms, bothers her. On a scale of 1 (couch potato) to 10 (hyper), Tess is about a 4. Behavior problems? She occasionally finds something in a wastebasket (usually paper) and tears it up but that’s about it. Oh, and she sometimes snores. Tess came to foster care well-behaved but untrained and has since completed an obedience class. She did very well and seemed to love all the praise she got. An additional benefit of the class was her getting used to being with multiple dogs (since she’d only been around just one dog at a time her whole life).

Despite never having seen a vet before coming into Golden Bond‘s care, 10-year-old Tess  is surprisingly healthy. She has an underactive thyroid which is easily managed with a pill ($39 a month). Her vet says dogs can live a long time with a low thyroid. This former 107-pounder is now 89 pounds. Ideally, she should be about 75 pounds. This chubby girl is very out of shape but gets excited to go for walks. She’s very easy to walk. She’s friendly with others she meets on walks but is not an “OMG!-a-person!-a-dog!-I-must-go-greet-them-wildly!” kind of Golden. Her stamina and ability to do things like play with other dogs, and get in and out of a car will improve as she sheds the pounds. 

Tess likes being petted and groomed and getting ear scratches, nose kisses and belly rubs. If another dog is getting attention, she waits patiently for her turn. This devoted and loyal companion likes being in the same room or in the yard with you but is not a Velcro dog. Tess is discovering toys, likes playing tug-of-war and may be a future Frisbee fetcher. 

Tess grew up with kids --  toddlers to teens -- so she’d be fine in a family with them. Though she is not protective of food and toys, she is sometimes protective of extra special treats. Her new family must give her daily exercise and help her lose weight. Another dog would be good for companionship and exercise. No cats. Tess will be a wonderful family dog for retirees, singles, families of all kinds -- anyone who can give this endearing Golden the love and attention she never got before.

Her foster mom says it’s been a joy having Tess as a foster dog and she’ll miss Tess’ sweet, loving and easy going personality. If you’re lucky enough to adopt Tess, you will enjoy watching her be able to do more as she loses weight. You’ll see her blossom as she enjoys a new life of toys, treats, soft dog beds, praise, being spoiled, new experiences and love, love, love as an adored family dog. Interested in Tess? Let Golden Bond know you want to meet Tess and her happy wagging tail.