Ace 13-120

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Profile

May 5, 2013

Ace arrived in Minnesota last week with his brother Jack 13-119. They were spending more and more time outside after the kids came along, and their family made the loving decision to surrender them to RAGOM. We thank them for making the tough decision they did, and want them to know Ace is doing great! He is loving the indoor life, as you can see!

Ace is 4.5 years old and is a friendly, lovable boy. He loves people and follows us everywhere we go. I can say he's house trained as he hasn't had an accident yet. We've left him with free roam, and so far he's done well. He did great at the vet, although he was so excited that he wiggled a lot! :) He got along with all the dogs he met, big and small. He weighed in at 88 lbs so we are cutting his food back and giving him plenty of exercise. He does have 2 patches of missing fur on his back flanks, and the vet felt there could be several reasons for this. It could be his thyroid, although she isn't 100% convinced, since his hair is growing back in those spots. She also thought it could be from going in and out of the dog house. However, as we're getting to know him, it now seems as though allergies could be to blame! Ace is a typical golden in that he has allergies. We're transitioning him to a grain free food and giving him fish oil, which should help the coarse condition of his coat and hopefully make him less itchy. He is starting to itch another spot, and the hair is starting to rub off, so we're hoping that the itchiness subsides as the changes we're making start to take effect. He also has a lot of plaque on his teeth, and tolerated it when we brushed them. Good boy, Ace! He also loves to chew on bones, so that will help the plaque removal, as well.

Because of our schedules, Ace spent the first two days of foster care with a temp foster. (Thanks, Auntie Jen!) While there, he got along great with her two dogs and also passed the cat test! We have three dogs and he gets along great with all of them. We are able to have the bones out and Cooper even lets Ace sleep in bed with us at night! Cooper can get grumpy when new dogs want to sleep in the bed, but he welcomed Ace without an issue. Ace loves to play with Bauer and Betty - especially Betty! She does a little dance for him and Ace falls for her charm every time.

You can tell Ace has had some training, as he knows several commands. He will sit and stay when we open the door to go outside, and won't go until we release him. He is a pretty excitable boy, though, so sometimes we have to tell him a couple times to sit. The surrendering owner indicates he doesn't bark, and so far I'd have to agree. We have dogs behind us and he hasn't barked at any of them, even when they bark at him. Our neighborhood is having garage sales this weekend, and several people have walked up our neighbor's driveway when we've been outside. When they say hi to the dogs, he just stands there and wags his tail, even if one of my dogs barks. Ace loves walks, and it took him less then a block to figure out the gentle leader. He loves prancing around the neighborhood and checking things out. He also loves to be brushed, and just sits or stands there like such a good boy when we brush him. He did great when we cut some mats out from behind his ears.

So what does Ace need in his forever home?

  • Another dog to play with. He's been with another dog his entire life, so he needs a buddy to keep him company.
  • Someone that will play fetch with him! Just look at him in this video - he lives for it!
  • A physical or invisible fence. His surrendering owner indicates he can wander sometimes.
  • Kids are okay, but he can knock small ones over in his excitement. Kids over 8 should be just fine.
  • A family that will continue him on a good diet and keep his weight down. Helping him with his allergy issues is also a must!

If it sounds like Ace would be a good fit for your family, please contact your placement adviser to meet this handsome boy!

At a Glance #13-120

Golden Retriever Born: October 2008
Male 80 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

May 5, 2013

Ace arrived in Minnesota last week with his brother Jack 13-119. They were spending more and more time outside after the kids came along, and their family made the loving decision to surrender them to RAGOM. We thank them for making the tough decision they did, and want them to know Ace is doing great! He is loving the indoor life, as you can see!

Ace is 4.5 years old and is a friendly, lovable boy. He loves people and follows us everywhere we go. I can say he's house trained as he hasn't had an accident yet. We've left him with free roam, and so far he's done well. He did great at the vet, although he was so excited that he wiggled a lot! :) He got along with all the dogs he met, big and small. He weighed in at 88 lbs so we are cutting his food back and giving him plenty of exercise. He does have 2 patches of missing fur on his back flanks, and the vet felt there could be several reasons for this. It could be his thyroid, although she isn't 100% convinced, since his hair is growing back in those spots. She also thought it could be from going in and out of the dog house. However, as we're getting to know him, it now seems as though allergies could be to blame! Ace is a typical golden in that he has allergies. We're transitioning him to a grain free food and giving him fish oil, which should help the coarse condition of his coat and hopefully make him less itchy. He is starting to itch another spot, and the hair is starting to rub off, so we're hoping that the itchiness subsides as the changes we're making start to take effect. He also has a lot of plaque on his teeth, and tolerated it when we brushed them. Good boy, Ace! He also loves to chew on bones, so that will help the plaque removal, as well.

Because of our schedules, Ace spent the first two days of foster care with a temp foster. (Thanks, Auntie Jen!) While there, he got along great with her two dogs and also passed the cat test! We have three dogs and he gets along great with all of them. We are able to have the bones out and Cooper even lets Ace sleep in bed with us at night! Cooper can get grumpy when new dogs want to sleep in the bed, but he welcomed Ace without an issue. Ace loves to play with Bauer and Betty - especially Betty! She does a little dance for him and Ace falls for her charm every time.

You can tell Ace has had some training, as he knows several commands. He will sit and stay when we open the door to go outside, and won't go until we release him. He is a pretty excitable boy, though, so sometimes we have to tell him a couple times to sit. The surrendering owner indicates he doesn't bark, and so far I'd have to agree. We have dogs behind us and he hasn't barked at any of them, even when they bark at him. Our neighborhood is having garage sales this weekend, and several people have walked up our neighbor's driveway when we've been outside. When they say hi to the dogs, he just stands there and wags his tail, even if one of my dogs barks. Ace loves walks, and it took him less then a block to figure out the gentle leader. He loves prancing around the neighborhood and checking things out. He also loves to be brushed, and just sits or stands there like such a good boy when we brush him. He did great when we cut some mats out from behind his ears.

So what does Ace need in his forever home?

  • Another dog to play with. He's been with another dog his entire life, so he needs a buddy to keep him company.
  • Someone that will play fetch with him! Just look at him in this video - he lives for it!
  • A physical or invisible fence. His surrendering owner indicates he can wander sometimes.
  • Kids are okay, but he can knock small ones over in his excitement. Kids over 8 should be just fine.
  • A family that will continue him on a good diet and keep his weight down. Helping him with his allergy issues is also a must!

If it sounds like Ace would be a good fit for your family, please contact your placement adviser to meet this handsome boy!

Updates

Saturday, June 29, 2013

It's been about 6 weeks or so since I moved into my forever home and I am starting to get this family figured out.

During the day, if Dad's not traveling for work, I get to lay around and rest up. I usually lay down in his office or sit in the hallway right outside the office - always within eyesight. I'm super quiet when Dad is on the phone, which he adores. When Dad is gone, I just relax and usually lay by Sage somewhere in the living room.  It's not my nature to rest, but when the house is quiet - which is rare - I need to take advantage of it.

The house is busy - there is always something going on and I love to participate however I can. This family loves to be outside and I'm outside with them a lot during the evenings and weekends. I can't even tell you how many times I've retrieved balls for them - it's a lot. They like to throw it all the way into their neighbor's yard so I get a good long run. They make me take breaks periodically, which is good as I don't really have a limiter in my brain for ball fetching - I'm stuck in the ON position.

Recently they took me to the local lake and I got to chase the ball into the water. I loved it. Man, what a workout. Dad and Dana tried to wear me out, but when we got home and I was done with my bath, I still had plenty of energy. They said we'll go back soon and I can't wait.

I'm also happy to say I have not had any accidents recently - at least none that Mom and Dad have found. I like my food and I'm in sync with the potty schedule, so they are optimistic that the carpets will get a break from the steam cleaner.

Got lots more to say, but I'll save it for next month.

Have a great Summer!

Ace

Monday, May 27, 2013

Ace had a fun week! He went to the RAGOM event on Saturday and was reunited with his brother, Jack 13-119, for the afternoon. They recognized each other right away and were so happy to see each other. They are both adorable, incredible, boys!

As if that wasn't exciting enough, Ace also met his forever family that weekend! We are so, so, happy for everyone - Ace really hit the jackpot! The E family are repeat adopters and have everything we could have hoped for him and more. Ace now has a wonderful mom and dad and 2 human siblings who are excited to play fetch with him. He also has a kitty sibling, a 15 year old Golden Retriever sister named Sage, and a sweet 5 year old Great Dane sister named Pearl. Ace has settled in nicely and everyone loves him to pieces.

People always ask how we can foster, because they think it would be so hard to give them up. It's true, it's hard to see them go, but it is more than worth it when they find an incredible home like Ace did. We couldn't be more thrilled for everyone - congratulations on your wonderful new life, Ace!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Ace is such a great dog to have around. His curiosity is really starting to come out and it's so fun to watch! He has discovered how much fun toys can be and has a lot of fun emptying the toy bin every night. His new fascination is with the toilet flushing - he is so funny and gets a look on his face like it's the most exciting thing in the world! He is definitely a velcro dog and follows us wherever we go. He lays on the bath mat when we're taking a shower (and sometimes pokes his head in to say hello!), supervises the cooking, and is always a foot away, ready to give out his famous kisses. He just loves being a part of the action!

The hair on his flanks is starting to grow back, slowly but surely. He continues to lose weight and is weighing in at about 82 lbs - Foster Mom is jealous of his fabulous weight loss! He looks forward to fetch every day and is definitely obsessed with the ball. He is so wonderful, though, because he retrieves it and then lays it right at your feet, waiting for more. He and Bauer would play fetch all day long if I let them, so sometimes I have to be the fun police and make them take a short break - good thing they forgive me pretty quickly!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ace was in for a thyroid test this week, and the results came back within normal ranges. Woo-hoo! He is loving every minute of his daily walks and fetch time, and has already lost weight! He is doing very well on his grain free diet and the itchiness has greatly improved. His forever family will need to commit to a high quality grain free food, as well as treats, for this handsome boy. He also gets fish oil pills to help improve his coat, which he takes without an issue. That's one thing I really love about him - just drop them in his bowl, and he eats them right up!

Ace attended a RAGOM volunteer meeting with us last weekend, and everyone just loved him. It's easy to see why - he's an amazing and friendly boy. Ace loves car rides and rides perfectly in the car. He gets along with all of our dogs and fits in very well here. It's fun to watch him and Bauer run around the yard and play fetch together. Ace would do great at the dog park or doggy daycare - he gets along with every dog that he meets. Judging by the fact that he tries to get in the shower with us every day, he'd love a family that took him swimming, too!

Ace has made it with free roam for the entire work week. They only issue we've had is that a teddy bear lost his nose. :) In his defense, there are 3 other dogs here, too! Ace will whine at the door when we leave, so we don't make an issue of our coming or going. All of our dogs get a frozen peanut butter Kong when we leave, and Ace has certainly enjoyed that part of foster care! He gets excited when we open the door to go somewhere - even if it's just to the garbage can - and will try to follow us. We make him sit and wait anytime we open a door, and he's done a fabulous job.

Ace is a wonderful boy and is so deserving of a family of his very own - one with a great throwing arm, of course! :)