Young pup Kara Nellie picked the perfect parents and forever home with Linda and Richard. Although she didn’t know they had decades of love and experience from adopting five goldens over the years, Kara found them up to the challenge of an energetic puppy with allergy issues. The only concern Richard and Linda had before bringing Kara home, was if she’d get along well with their older golden boy Dakota. In typical golden fashion, the two became fast friends and play together all of the time.
Kara loves playing outside with Dakota or playing fetch with her humans. She’s like the Energizer bunny with endless energy! At first, Kara was curious about the pool, but wouldn’t join Dakota jumping in or swimming. Well, Linda and Richard purchased a swim vest for Kara and patiently taught her how to use the steps in to and out of the pool. Now they cannot get her out of the pool! Kara loves to swim!
Kara is the friendliest dog and is almost always smiling. She has this big golden smile that makes you want to smile back at her. She loves when the grandsons come to visit and everyone Kara meets is her friend. Being a puppy, Kara gets a little too excited sometimes with jumping or mouthing, and is a strong leash puller. Richard and Linda call her Kara, the Explorer, because you never know what she will have in her mouth so she can play the game of chase. They are helping Kara learn her doggie manners, and she has trained them not to leave napkins or hand towels where she can get them. As Linda said, “She keeps us on our toes!”
Kara has also taught her humans her own language. When Dakota has a toy that she wants, Kara will bend down, then stand up and “tell” them that they need to fix it in her purring-growling voice. They just talk back at her and if they do not do what she wants, she just keeps talking. So cute!
Kara came into GRRMF with some allergy issues, but the first time Richard and Linda gave her heartworm and flea preventative medicine, she went crazy itching, biting and licking. They took Kara to the emergency vet and some medication calmed down the reaction. Richard was so worried about Kara that they followed up with allergy testing with their regular vet. Turns out, poor Kara is allergic to a multitude of plants, grass and mites. Linda says Richard “will not back down from a challenge!” He put Kara on prescription dog food, gives her a special heartworm preventative with no additives and gives her medication to help relieve itching. They are going to gradually challenge her with specific foods while weaning her off of her medication, so they can tell to which foods she is sensitive. Their goal is to get her back on regular dog food that doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. Additionally, they freeze her dog food so that kills any mites in the food. Kara also gets a bath regularly and is sprayed down with apple cider vinegar weekly to help her skin issues. The last step may be allergy shots to desensitize her. Linda and Richard will do everything possible to help dear Kara, and hope her allergy issues will be eliminated or minimized.
Luckily, these allergy issues don’t keep Kara from being her silly and endearing puppy self. She doesn’t have a favorite toy because “All of her toys are her favorites,” says Linda. Kara loves to drag toys out of the toy basket and play – or rip them up. Richard and Linda are vigilant and throw away any hazards. Richard sometimes mentions how many toys Linda buys, but both Kara and Dakota get so excited when they get a new toy – it is so worth it!
Mischievous Kara can also be a little sneaky. Although both she and Dakota go to sleep in their own beds at night, Kara very quietly gets into bed with Linda and Richard in the middle of the night. They don’t realize she’s done it again, until they wake up with her between them the next morning! If she needs a nap during the day, Kara will lie on the day bed in the office with her front paws and body on the bed, and her back legs still standing on the ground. It looks uncomfortable, but she falls asleep in this position. Kara is definitely one of a kind!
Despite some challenges, Richard and Linda totally love Kara. Sweet Kara Nellie could not have picked a better forever home. Her forever parents will not stop until she is the happiest dog ever!!
