I'm babysitting Duke and Earl for several week's while their wonderful FM is out of town. They arrived three days ago and have been so much fun to have! Our resident Mia is thrilled to have some buddies to play with and they are kind of a comedic pair. They are wonderful with my kids (9 and 12), walk very nicely on a leash, great with all dogs they have met, and pretty well behaved in the house. They are counter surfers so we are working on manners. They are crated when we are not home, but otherwise have free roam.
They sleep in my room at night. Mr. Earl tries desperately to sleep on the bed with me, but I continue to kick him off! He finally gives up and sleeps on a dog bed or the bathroom floor and Duke sleeps next to me on the floor. Once they are asleep, they don't make a sound until morning. We walk in the morning, then they eat, and then play in the back yard for a while. They have been retrieving squeaky tennis balls, playing tug with rope toys and wrestling and chasing each other like crazy!
When Duke first walked into my bedroom, he stopped, backed-up and stood in the hallway. I couldn't figure out what startled him until a few minutes later when he walked in again and stared at the ceiling fan. He watched it and his head was moving in circles with the motion of the fan....too funny! We've had storms for the the past three nights, and no storm anxieties with these two boys.They are two of the sweetest and silliest boys we have met. Such lucky boys to have landed at RAGOM!
Duke 13-161
Profile
June 14, 2013
I am excited to introduce Duke (of Duke and Earle). They arrived yesterday and were full of wagging tails. They both are beautiful with adorable faces and perfect brown eyes. Duke is a 5 year-old purebred Golden Retriever whose curls, thick coat and stocky body make him look like a teddy bear just like his brother (but not the same litter). He can probably stand to lose a few pounds, but I don't see that as a problem. He does have some hair loss on his tail so the vet will look at that on Friday. The dogs came to us with updated vet records and good information so we know they were loved and cared for. The owner suffers from arthritis and was getting ready for foot surgery and realized that the dogs wouldn't get the care they needed as well as the walks they needed so RAGOM stepped up to help.
Duke definitely seems to be the more confident of the two and settled in a bit faster than Earle. He was an only dog for a year before Earle joined the family.
Duke is front left
Duke let me brush him and seemed to enjoy it. He moved around a bit, a little cautious, thinking it felt good, but just wasn't sure. He knows sit, lie down, and stay. He does jump up a bit, but is eager to please so will get down most of the time. He met our resident dog and kids (8,11,13) without issues. He seems super sweet and happy. The dogs are used to being crated during the day and night, so Duke hung out in his crate later in the evening with the door open. They will sleep in their crates at night and I expect to crate them while we are gone. We are looking forward to getting to know these two lovable dogs and to help them find their forever homes. I will update after our visit to the vet on Friday.
At a Glance #13-161
| Golden Retriever | Born: May 2008 |
| Male | 70 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
June 14, 2013
I am excited to introduce Duke (of Duke and Earle). They arrived yesterday and were full of wagging tails. They both are beautiful with adorable faces and perfect brown eyes. Duke is a 5 year-old purebred Golden Retriever whose curls, thick coat and stocky body make him look like a teddy bear just like his brother (but not the same litter). He can probably stand to lose a few pounds, but I don't see that as a problem. He does have some hair loss on his tail so the vet will look at that on Friday. The dogs came to us with updated vet records and good information so we know they were loved and cared for. The owner suffers from arthritis and was getting ready for foot surgery and realized that the dogs wouldn't get the care they needed as well as the walks they needed so RAGOM stepped up to help.
Duke definitely seems to be the more confident of the two and settled in a bit faster than Earle. He was an only dog for a year before Earle joined the family.
Duke is front left
Duke let me brush him and seemed to enjoy it. He moved around a bit, a little cautious, thinking it felt good, but just wasn't sure. He knows sit, lie down, and stay. He does jump up a bit, but is eager to please so will get down most of the time. He met our resident dog and kids (8,11,13) without issues. He seems super sweet and happy. The dogs are used to being crated during the day and night, so Duke hung out in his crate later in the evening with the door open. They will sleep in their crates at night and I expect to crate them while we are gone. We are looking forward to getting to know these two lovable dogs and to help them find their forever homes. I will update after our visit to the vet on Friday.
Updates
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Duke and Earle have been just the sweetest guys. They do great with everyone coming and going in the house and all that comes with loud children and neighbors. Duke likes to go in his crate when he wants to take a break, so we just leave the door open. He is so very sweet and happy. He was easy going at the Meet and Greet last weekend loving up all the attention and letting me hand him off easily to another RAGOM volunteer for a bit. We were putting some ointment on the spot on his tail, but he wants to lick it, so we decided to let it be. It isn't raw or infected, so hopefully the hair will grow back. We learned that Duke and Earle were crated during the day and night so being able to hang out with humans all day seems to suit them well, lots of wagging and snuggles. They are still crated at night, but that seems best until we practice more free roam in the house. Duke and Earle have received new toys and it was as though they new they were especially for them and love to carry them around in their mouths most of the time. They don't chew on things but seem to use it more as a comfort. I can't say enough good things about these boys. They have won us all over and we know will make a forever family very very happy.
They are heading over to another RAGOM volunteer's house for two weeks while the foster family is on vacation. They were happy to jump in the car and head off for a new adventure. We already miss them! 
Duke is on the right in the photo
Monday, June 17, 2013
The vet visit went great and the dogs are ready to find their forever home. We think at this point that it would be best if Duke and Earle were adopted together as they have spent the last 4 years together and behave like two peas in a pod. They are sooo very cute and sweet.
A few quick things to mention...
- They sleep great in their crates
- Duke waits patiently to be let out, but is very happy to see you
- They like everyone they meet
- Duke has some hairloss on his tail that we are treating with an antibiotic, but you don't notice it much with all of his cute curly hair
- Duke gets along with everyone and tolerates our resident dog who isn't so welcoming
- They ride great in the car
- They like to play fetch
- They have done great on our walks, although I had Duke on a harness as he seemed to want to lead.
- They love lots of snuggles and petting sessions
- They wag their tails a lot!