Ladybird Is Adopted!
Ladybird, a 1 ½ year old beautiful liver roan female German Shorthaired Pointer was surrendered to us when her owners were not able to manage her energy, and active spirit, and give her the attention and training she needed. They asked us to find her a home where she would get the time and attention she deserved.
When Ladybird came into our rescue, we discovered that she loved getting attention and affection from people. She enjoyed the company of other dogs, and loved to play with them. She didn’t have much training, but was very responsive. Ladybird needed someone dedicated to provide her with daily exercise, training and stimulation. Ladybird was also very social, so we wanted her to go to a home with someone that would allow her to accompany them on hikes, errands, and to dog friendly establishments. She loved making new friends.
Donya and Josh applied to adopt a young GSP. Both Josh and Donya grew up with dogs in the home. Donya’s family had GSP’s, and Josh had a dog he rescued and trained named Louis who passed away a few years ago. Newly married, they were ready to adopt a dog together, and wanted a dog that would match their active lifestyle. A dog that had a need for high activity and high energy. That perfectly described a GSP!
They were open to a male or female, and we had a few options for them. We had them come out and meet 3 dogs, but at the end of the appointment, Ladybird captured their hearts.
Ladybird is now enjoying her new life as Joon, and we couldn’t be happier!
Below are some updates from Donya and Josh!
First Day
“Hi Teri and Greg,
Thank you again for connecting us with Ladybird (now lovingly named Joon, which means “dearest” in Persian!) She’s adjusting REALLY quickly and well to her new home. We’ve started teaching her to sit, lay down, and to wait before eating or exiting/entering the house. She is eager to please and a true velcro little lady.
We also took our first hike in the rain this morning and it was awesome! Later this afternoon, she gardened with us and met a few of our neighbors. She’s our dream companion. I feel emotional just writing this”!
Warmly,
Donya, Josh & Joon
One week update
“Joon has been a dream. She has added so much to our lives in such a short time. We can’t believe it’s only been a week!
We’ve hiked every day so far, but I think her favorite was Elephant Hill:) She was so happy to be surrounded by the lush greenery. She made two new dog friends this week, Bacon and Cash, and met some of our neighbors (Joey, Gaby, Mila, Judy, and Ramón!) She is the best around other dogs!
On Wednesday, she got familiar with our mailman, Han. And yesterday, she met our best friend, Nicole, and they became instant BFFs. Everyone who meets our Joon seems to love her:) Even all the vets were enamored with her!
She has been learning so quickly and sits before exiting/entering the home without instruction now! She’s also been great about communicating with us and showing us what she needs. We had our first bath time tonight and… she did not love it hahaha. But we gave her plenty of love and treats to get her through it lol!
Not sure how we got so lucky but we really feel like we won the life lottery with Joon. It feels like she’s been part of our family all along.
Thank you again for everything! We are beyond grateful”.
Donya and Josh
One Month Update
“Hi Teri,
Checking in a few days ahead of our 1-month anniversary with Joon because we were just too excited to share! Our time with Joon has been so beautiful so far. We have all grown very close and started settling into a rhythm together. Joon is still learning new things every day. Most recently she's getting the hang of shake, getting better at recall, pointing at wildlife, strengthening her impulse control with "leave it" and "wait," and overall continuing to learn very quickly. She has a few naughty tendencies, mostly with jumping up on our kitchen counters, but she's responsive to correction.
We have loved taking her on our favorite hikes, like Gabrielino trail in Altadena, and our neighborhood natural area, Elephant Hill. She loves cuddles and is the sweetest, most affectionate, velcro companion we have ever known! It really feels like she's talking to us much of the time. She is truly a special one.
We are so honored to have Joon as a part of our family. Thank you again for all of your support and care throughout this process”!
Warmly,
Donya, Josh & Joon
“I know we’re not due for a check-in, but we couldn’t help but share some updates! Life with Joon has been beautiful and special. We just took our very belated honeymoon last week and she was with us every moment of the trip. It was magical!
Joon is still doing great with other dogs and everyone she meets. She’s just the biggest lovebug. She does have some defiance in her when she doesn’t want to listen (usually when she’s hunting lizards in the yard and doesn’t want to come back inside haha!) but she eventually does recall.
Our biggest hurdle now is leaving Joon at home by herself, which we expected given her history. She’s made solid progress so far, for example she’s much less worried when one of us leaves the house and she can be alone in our yard for short periods, but she’s very attached to us and experiences a lot of panic/distress when both Josh and I leave the house together.
All in all, we’re still on cloud 9 with our girl and can’t thank you enough for giving us the opportunity and honor to be her new home”.
Warmly,
Donya & Josh
