Laika Is Adopted!

Michael and Lynn applied to adopt a GSP as a companion for them and their 6 year old male GSP, Arrow. They were open to all ages, even powder faces, so they immediately captured our attention. They had adopted several rescue dogs in the past including GSP’s and other breeds, and always made them a part of their family. We were thrilled when they reached out to us to adopt.

Laika had come to us from a remote shelter with two other dogs. A week had dragged on while they were held in the shelter, just in case someone was looking for them. Timid and unsure as they experienced their first steps of freedom, the three weren't aware they had spent their last night in a full shelter waiting for someone who wasn't coming. Yet, even in their uncertainty, their resilience shone through as they unknowingly prepared for a life-changing journey. And for Laika and the others, their lives were about to take a change for the better.

We thought Laika would be the perfect fit for Michael and Lynn and Arrow. She did well with other dogs, but the unknown was whether or not she would be able to cohabit-ate with their cat. We cat tested Laika and she did pretty well, so we were confident it would be manageable for them. They came out to meet Laika, and she joined their family!

We have received several updates since Laika went home, and they bring smiles to our faces. We couldn’t have asked for a better home for Laika, and we are pretty sure she thinks so too!

We love sharing updates, as they are valuable to acknowledge the first two weeks of the adjustment period as a learning tool. We are so grateful to Michael and Lynn for entrusting us to help them find their new family member!

“Hi Greg and Teri, just a quick update. We had a bit of a tussle between Laika and Arrow after we got home yesterday…she showed some toy aggression. We removed all the toys and things have been ok since then. We had a good night, went on a walk this morning. That went well. Laika and Arrow have been sniffing each other a lot. We did treats together (worked on sit), which went well. There was another incident where Arrow was in a separate area, she walked to him and initiated another tussle. Not sure what’s going on other than she’s establishing dominance. We’re worried about the aggression but working through it. Laika is great in kennels/crates, she immediately goes into chill mode. No accidents so far, we’ve been going out regularly and praising her when she goes potty.

Hi good morning! This girl is stubborn, lol. Good walk this morning. We did a few “sits” along the way. Showing a bit of cat reactiveness now that she is feeling more comfortable. Not, “I hate you with my entire soul and I’m going to kill you” reactiveness , but definitely wants to chase and then hunt after the cat is gone. We’ll be super careful going forward. She’s done a handful of eye check-ins with me, which is when she does a great job with “sit”. Still working on name recognition, stay, but not trying to overwhelm her…taking the small wins and celebrating.

Happy Wednesday, Team GSP! It turns out that Laika is actually Lucky Laika as she sniffed out a dime on our walk this morning. Hoping she can hunt up shares of nvidia stock on our next outing!

She’s doing well. She’s had some distance interactions with the cat…we are going slow. It’s good that the cat is coming out, so she’ll have plenty of opportunity to get used to her presence. She’s making a lot more eye contact, which is exciting to see. She’s becoming a pro at sit. Eating well, but she is NOT a veggie girl. As hungry as she is, she works around the few green beans and carrots in her bowl. Today’s walk was 4.2 miles and she did great! We love her more and more each minute we spend with her…I think she’s feeling the same way.

Well, as the song says, “It’s been one week since you looked at me,” and things are going well. Today’s walk was excellent, 4.3 miles, she kept up quite well. Interactions with the cat, playing with toys, and getting along with a new brother are all longer term projects, but we really don’t have any concerns. She is a wonderful, goofy, loving dog and I know it won’t be long before we’re all vibing.

Every day is an adventure, but things are going so well! Walks have been going great, she is a total goofball who loves to play, and she is eating like a champ.

Still have the kitty and toy challenges to solve, but we will get there!

Lily (the cat) submitted a signed petition officially designating Laika as a menace to the community. It was somewhat suspect in that it had no signatures and one paw print.

Hey Team GSP, just a quick Laika update after we just hit a month. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s been a month. Things are great, she is doing quite well. Toys and kitty are still issues, but we’ve made progress. Name recognition, commands, eye contact are all good…night and day from where she was at when we brought her home. Walks are owned by the humans with permission provided to stop and sniff…this has really improved just over the last week. Her favorite thing seems to be right after the walk in the morning, we go get a ball from the closet, it goes in my pocket, and we head to the backyard. She has to wait for poop pickup and then she gets to play with the ball while Arrow eats. After she’s played and he’s done, it’s her turn to eat…super fun. She’s learned to sit and wait until given the ok to eat, which is excellent. We still have her on leash in the house (sometimes off leash happens) mainly because we’re concerned about her recall and the kitty. All in all, we are so happy with her progress! 

We did a Turkey Trot 10k yesterday. First 10k for Laika this morning… She did great! She’s listening, still super interested in the cat (but not chasing), and loves to snuggle. Still getting 20 miles a week!

We love this girl so much! We hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Hey Team CA GSP… Merry Christmas. We’ve officially fallen in love with our Laika girl and can’t imagine our family without her. Thank you for saving her and bringing her into our lives. She’s such a smart girl, and has decided that she’s a lap dog.

Thank you for helping to bring this amazing dog into our lives. We absolutely adore her! We feel so lucky/fortunate.

Thank you for everything you do for these dogs…not all heroes wear capes”.

Michael and Lynn

Below is a gallery of photos we wanted to share to give you a glimpse of Laika living her best life!