Please welcome Blue to RAGOM! Blue is a 4-year-old, handsome, English Cream Golden Retriever who was born and raised with 10+ dogs around his house. He is a great boy who came from a very loving family but deserves more one-on-one attention and a family of his own.

He has been in his foster home for two weeks and he has thrived in this new setting, not having to compete for attention. We are learning more about Blue and his personality each and every day, but from day one we quickly learned that he has the sweetest, most gentle heart, loves people, loves being pet and brushed and massaged, and LOVES tennis balls!

During Blue’s most recent vet visit, he did have a bladder infection and an ear infection, but he has been treated for those and overall is very healthy. He is up to date on shots. Fecal negative, heartworm negative, is neutered, is microchipped, and weighed in at 72 pounds. The nurse mentioned that Blue was “the sweetest dog ever” when I picked him up.

When it comes to activities, Blue is a simple man. He loves his tennis balls. More often than not, there is a tennis ball in his mouth or within a few feet of him. He loves when people throw the ball for him to play fetch. He will always bring the ball back and is so gentle when retrieving the ball and handing it off for another throw.

We often play fetch inside, with the ball ending up under a table or chairs and Blue will maneuver his body carefully to not nudge or tip over any of the furniture and seems to be intentionally careful maneuvering around the house. Such a great boy!

Blue does get spooked rather easily when he is in unfamiliar situations. If the wind gusts and blows leaves on a tree, a shadow jolts in front of him, or an unfamiliar noise like hearing my garage door for the first time, Blue tends to either freeze still not wanting to move, or find shelter between me and the noise/movement.

I would guess as he becomes more familiar with his new environment, he will get less spooked in these situations, but it will be important for the adopter to be patient and supportive with him while he gets more comfortable. Blue doesn’t seem to have storm anxiety.

Weather-wise the past few weeks have been very hot, so Blue hasn’t had a ton of interest in long walks or going on runs. I don’t blame him! I wouldn’t rule out his ability to be an active dog, willing to go on adventures.

This past weekend, Blue went on a day road trip to Red Wing, Minnesota to explore a great view of the Mississippi River on top of a bluff. It was a great view and he seemed to absolutely love it. The hike was about 45 minutes round trip.

He absolutely loves riding in the car. He is a great co-pilot who loves looking out the window, enjoying the views. Blue needs no help jumping in and out of an SUV. A very good boy.

Around the house, Blue is housetrained and seems to be able to be left alone for several hours. On a personality level, Blue likes to keep the people in the room entertained, making sure no one is left out giving him back and head massages. When he is not playing with his tennis balls or getting back rubs, Blue enjoys napping on a cool floor dreaming about tennis balls.

Blue is not destructive, hasn’t gotten into things he shouldn’t, and can have free roam of the house. At night, Blue has been sleeping well in his crate.

Blue grew up with many dogs in the house, so he gets along fine with other dogs. However, he hasn’t shown interest in playing with dogs that he has met in the past few weeks. He tolerates them but doesn’t get excited around them. On walks, Blue does seem to get nervous when seeing other dogs and will want to go back to the house.

Thinking about the ideal family for Blue, a family with several kids over 8 years old, with a fenced-in yard, looking to give him the one-on-one attention that he loves, would be a great future for Blue.

Blue is an excellent companion, a great boy, and will make a great addition to the right home.