Sandy/Daisy
Sandy/Daisy came to LRR last Spring when she was about a year and a half. She had been found wandering in VA, and when her owners could not be found, she entered the rescue. Our initial impression of this energetic American yellow girl was that she was showing drug dog potential. But, after some intense retrieving, she pulled up limping. We soon discovered that her rear left foot was deformed, most likely a birth defect. She had adapted well, making it difficult to tell she had a handicap, so we doubted her foot would pose much of a problem in getting her adopted, as long as the owners didn't want her running marathons or logging mega hiking miles. Probably more of an obstacle was her typical yellow female alpha behavior with the other dogs. She would often feel the need to dominate the other dogs, so we knew she needed a home where training and socialization would be ongoing. A home where she would be a second dog was not a scenario for her that immediately sprung to mind--especially one that had another alpha female. But, when everyone was introduced, it was a great match. Sandy's job was to provide Molly with a more mature play partner, but one that could handle her. Of course, Sandy was also lucky enough to enter a dogsmart and loving family who would provide her lots of fun and socialization. Once adopted, Sandy became Daisy, and immediately, she took on her new sisterly responsibilities in exchange for lots of play and family affection. We worried that her foot might cause problems for such an active family, but Daisy's note below will explain how that problem was solved!
I'm writing to let you know how well I'm doing with my new family, and to send you some pictures of my new hangouts. I even have a new name, Daisy, which matches my sunny personality and my yellow and white coat. A lot of people who never knew me as Sandy have commented that Daisy suits me to a T. I am very important in my household and I have many responsibilities. I get my parents' days started very early in the morning by giving them "the paw" until they get up, so they can get right to work on giving me attention. Some days they're stubborn (especially on weekends), but I hang in there until I get the desired results. During the day, I keep my bratty little sister, Molly, occupied so she doesn't get into trouble. We patrol the neighborhood from the front window (there are lots of cats to contend with), so our happy faces are there to welcome Mommy home from work. Sometimes, though, we fall sound asleep, and she catches us stretched bellies-up on the big green velvet sofa. 
(It really is comfy, and I just lose myself in those pillows.) Molly and I get along very well, much like real sisters. She didn't act at all put out about sharing her house and her toys and her treats with me, and she doesn't mind when I try to hog all of the human attention. She does bug me sometimes when I want to sleep and she wants to play. She has this trick of swooping down and biting me on the ear to get me to jump up and run after her, and by the time I catch her, I figure I might as well play anyway. She's still very puppy-like, and some of it's wearing off on me. I wriggle and roll and jump around a lot more now than I used to, and Molly's even taught me how to leap over furniture and other obstacles. I haven't perfected my landings yet, and because we have hardwood floors, there's a lot of sliding and crashing. (Mom and Dad don't even notice it anymore, but visitors seem kind of nervous.) We've vacationed at our grandparents' house a couple times, and those two old people are the deal! Grandma always gives us treats, and Grandpa is a complete sucker for a round of fetch or tug of war. And when we wear him out, we all nap together on his bed. He and I have the same snore! I have a very active social life within the Alexandria dog park circuit, and I'm quite popular with dogs and humans alike, although some of the smaller critters think I'm bossy. I feel bad for the humans who just stand there doing nothing while their dogs run around and ignore them, so I go up to each and every one of them to offer my attention. If they respond kindly (which all of them do), I promptly turn around and sit on their feet so they can rub my back. I think it makes them feel wanted. I do the same thing for visitors in my house, and I can tell they feel more at home. My bum paw hasn't give me much trouble, and my parents are surprised at how much endurance I have. Yesterday I even kept up with my Greyhound buddy, at least for a little while. I have easily outlasted 10 other Labs in the water at Jones Point; I could swim and swim forever and never want to come out. The first time I went for a walk, though, my paw hurt right away, and my parents realized that the rough concrete, especially on hot days, was too much for its very thin pads. They bought me a set of doggie hiking boots with new pads practically built in, so now I'm set to go! I wear a boot whenever we take longer walks, and it makes all the difference in the world. My parents had my LRR folder out and were re-reading my foster families' evaluations. They said the comments about me being extremely affectionate and having a big appetite were the two biggest understatements they've ever heard. I guess that's a good thing, because they were laughing. It made me remember that a lot of people helped me for quite a long time, and I really appreciate all their hard work and their affection. It's made me extremely loveable to my new family. Thank you so much for everything.
Daisy