When Handsome went to his new home on Sunday, his new best friend made a sign for their front yard with his picture.
Handsome 12-160
Profile
May 6, 2012
Handsome arrived last night, either from Kansas (that's where his vetting paperwork is from) or Missouri. He had been picked up last fall/winter, along with his mother and siblings, and brought to a kill shelter. He was the only one left from the bunch and RAGOM stepped in. He was transported to Minneapolis yesterday, arrived last night, was picked up and taken care of for a few hours by Jeanine, and then I picked him up late last night so he wouldn't have to go to boarding. Jeanine said that he had been very mellow and cuddly, despite warnings that he was "very scared" and a "flight risk" as his paperwork indicated. I've found him to be the same--he's a delight! A very happy boy, very cuddly and curious but really mellow. And he is aptly named!
Handsome is rumored to be a mix of golden and possibly Tree Walking Coonhound. He's definitely got some hound in him--his face shows it, but the dead giveaway was last night when I put him in the kennel, and then headed upstairs with the resident dogs. After about 15 minutes, there was some soulful baying from the living room. It was adorable. I thought I'd wait and see how long it went on, but it didn't last long before he fell asleep. He did great in the kennel by himself, even with the stupendous thunderstorms last night. Early this morning, there was some more of that baying, when he was telling me he wanted to go outside.
He's kind of petite, maybe 40-45 pounds (I'm guessing) but he has huge feet and a big adorable head. He's got an adorable curly tail, and a speckled black tongue, gorgeous black eyeliner around his gorgeous eyes and dark whiskers. His coat is fairly short, dark reddish brown with some darker highlights.
He's in great shape--clean ears, pretty clean fur--and he's got a great personality. He's been exploring when he can, and when it's time to settle down, he has no problem napping by my feet. Or this morning, he jumped on the bed and showed what a cuddler he is. He met the cat, and was totally non-plussed, but the cat thought he had to teach him a lesson anyway and gave poor Handsome a swat on his nose; all he did was look bewildered after that. He's done great with the resident dogs, following Moe wherever the action is. He ate his food nicely this morning, and then went and found a few stray bits of kibble. He's not totally housebroken, I found out, as he had an accident this morning, but now that I know, I'll keep an eye on him and try to get that training started. HE LOVES affection, and can't get enough pets! He also loves bones. He seems to have a great personality and is a very sweet boy. I look forward to seeing how he does over the next couple of days!
At a Glance #12-160
| Mixed Breed | Born: September 2011 |
| Male | Weight not specified |
Status: Adopted
Profile
May 6, 2012
Handsome arrived last night, either from Kansas (that's where his vetting paperwork is from) or Missouri. He had been picked up last fall/winter, along with his mother and siblings, and brought to a kill shelter. He was the only one left from the bunch and RAGOM stepped in. He was transported to Minneapolis yesterday, arrived last night, was picked up and taken care of for a few hours by Jeanine, and then I picked him up late last night so he wouldn't have to go to boarding. Jeanine said that he had been very mellow and cuddly, despite warnings that he was "very scared" and a "flight risk" as his paperwork indicated. I've found him to be the same--he's a delight! A very happy boy, very cuddly and curious but really mellow. And he is aptly named!
Handsome is rumored to be a mix of golden and possibly Tree Walking Coonhound. He's definitely got some hound in him--his face shows it, but the dead giveaway was last night when I put him in the kennel, and then headed upstairs with the resident dogs. After about 15 minutes, there was some soulful baying from the living room. It was adorable. I thought I'd wait and see how long it went on, but it didn't last long before he fell asleep. He did great in the kennel by himself, even with the stupendous thunderstorms last night. Early this morning, there was some more of that baying, when he was telling me he wanted to go outside.
He's kind of petite, maybe 40-45 pounds (I'm guessing) but he has huge feet and a big adorable head. He's got an adorable curly tail, and a speckled black tongue, gorgeous black eyeliner around his gorgeous eyes and dark whiskers. His coat is fairly short, dark reddish brown with some darker highlights.
He's in great shape--clean ears, pretty clean fur--and he's got a great personality. He's been exploring when he can, and when it's time to settle down, he has no problem napping by my feet. Or this morning, he jumped on the bed and showed what a cuddler he is. He met the cat, and was totally non-plussed, but the cat thought he had to teach him a lesson anyway and gave poor Handsome a swat on his nose; all he did was look bewildered after that. He's done great with the resident dogs, following Moe wherever the action is. He ate his food nicely this morning, and then went and found a few stray bits of kibble. He's not totally housebroken, I found out, as he had an accident this morning, but now that I know, I'll keep an eye on him and try to get that training started. HE LOVES affection, and can't get enough pets! He also loves bones. He seems to have a great personality and is a very sweet boy. I look forward to seeing how he does over the next couple of days!
Updates
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Handsome came home after his 4 day playdate with two other dogs, and STILL he's not tired! But he had a great time! He got a bath and manicure and he's all cleaned up for his date on Friday, where he'll meet someone who is interested in adopting him. Here's a picture of him during the parade last weekend in St. Louis Park, meeting his admirers. He's going in for a heartworm test tomorrow, he got his microchip tag in the mail today--he's all ready to go to a forever home!
Monday, June 18, 2012
We have had the privilege of watching Handsome for 4 days. Our foster dog Duke 12-165 loves having him around, because he has a lot of energy!
After introducing Handsome to Duke everything was looking up for both foster dogs; they were going to have a 4 day play date! The first thing we did was drop Duke off at our house and took Handsome to the St. Louis Park, Parktacular Parade to walk with other RAGOM dogs. You can see him, front and center in the picture, with all the other dogs and volunteers waiting for the parade to start. Handsome met the other dogs with no issues. He surprised most of the volunteers with how mellow he is on a leash. He is only 7 months and has great leash manners.
Before we left St. Louis Park we stopped at Bubbly Paws to take advantage of their sale. After the walking the parade with the wet ground a bath was a good idea. Handsome was not a huge fan of the bath, but he tolerated it. We were able to get a lot of the excess hair to come off during the conditioning treatment. He was so good for the nail trimming! When we got home he LOVED being brushed. I could have Furminated his all day he liked it so much.
His Foster mom is spot on with him! Handsome definitely looks toward the other dogs to know what is normal. New noises are less scary when the other dogs are not scared. He had no problems with the loud thunderstorm. A fenced yard will be handy in helping Handsome burn his energy without burning your energy too! We have been walking him with the Gentle Leader, so he doesn’t pull and he does great. He is officially used to the Gentle Leader. I have taken Handsome with Duke on 4 three mile walks. I snapped a picture of the two fosters on one of the walks. He is a great little walker. He does not stop to go to the bathroom on our walks, which is really nice, so he is not preoccupied on sniffing the ground to find where to mark next. He is interested in birds, but not too interested in squirrels yet.
Handsome could use some more socialization to learn more dog language. He plays well with other dogs, but could use some canine correction. A couple of times while wrestling with Duke, I have heard Duke squeak. Handsome will stop doing whatever he did to make him squeak, but he will do it again later. J If Duke corrected him he may learn to stop before he makes him squeak. Unfortunately our dog Ally and foster dog Duke do not make corrections, so he may just need to socialize with a dog that would. Foster dog Duke is always up for wrestling and Handsome has a lot of puppy energy, so when we are done with the dogs wrestling, I will tether Handsome to me. Handsome is so well mannered on a leash this will settle him down.
I did catch Handsome a few awkward sleeping positions, he will fall asleep mid back scratch or mid belly roll. We also notice the growling at other dogs while he is sleeping, but we actually thought it is really a moan not a growl. I think he is moaning because he wants to play, but is too tired. J
This guy is a keeper. When paired with a dog who likes to play, he will play. When paired with a dog who doesn’t like to play, he will find other ways to entertain himself. You may need to keep some nylabones around.
His foster mom taught him how to sit and I was able to catch a picture of this. (Head is a little blurring, because he is moving) He is so proud of this skill; He will be a dream in obedience class. Did I mention he is adorable?
Monday, June 4, 2012
The whippersnapper is doing good in this House of Old Dogs. The two residents are 11+ years old, the cat is 17, and then, we have this 7 month old whirlwind foster. Handsome is doing really well. Housebreaking seems to be complete--he hasn't had an accident in the house in a long time and he now goes to sit by the door when he wants to go out. On Memorial Day, we had a crowd of people here and he did well with meeting all kinds of strangers. He even had a visitor, a pretty little border collie that he wore out. He's had a few walks with the Gentle Leader, which he, of course, hates, but he actually walks really well on leash. I took him on a stroll to the farmer's market on Sat. and he did great--even hanging out by a tree for a few minutes while I grabbed a few things. He and Moe did great--no barking or whining at all.
He adores Moe, follows him around and has some great occasional bursts of wrestling, which supports the idea that another dog in the home would be great for Handsome. Every so often Moe has to put him in his place (which, frankly, he should do more often but he's being extremely tolerant!) Handsome has no concept that maybe he shouldn't just take a bone, stick, ball, whatever, away from another dog--he just walks up and does it! That's when he needs some canine correction, which Moe gives him occasionally. Handsome loves other dogs and does well with them. He's a very smart, quick learner and training is going to make him even more fabulous! He also needs exercise--more than he gets here, although he does chase Moe around and around the yard...
One funny little quirk I have noticed that I have to track more, is that occasionally he can get a little growly at another dog if he is sleeping and another dog walks into his territory. There hasn't been any other behavior outside of the growls, but I have noticed this a few times and am not quite sure what the deal is there. I'm keeping an eye on it.
Just this week, I noticed his "bird dog" stalking action. Really funny. He sees a little sparrow, for example, in the leaves, and he freezes, almost like a pointer except he has a curly tale. Then he slowly, almost in slow-mo, begins to move towards the bird (or whatever), then pounces! He never GETS the bird, or whatever, but it's funny to watch. He tried it with George, the cat, the other day. George was sitting in the dining room, just watching the canine shenanigans in the living room. Suddenly Handsome noticed George, froze, then slowly began his approach, then pounced in an effort to get George to play. George just responded with a big hiss and a duck out of the way.
Handsome has had NO inquiries yet! Why? Clearly, he's aptly named--he's adorable with that curly tail and speckled tongue! He's a sweet, smart, friendly pup. He's not much of a golden, admittedly for those who are in search of a golden, but he's a keeper. He'd make a great family dog or a great companion for another dog. Look at that face!
Here are some pics of Handsome enjoying some Frosty Paws, carrying a basketball, wrangling a stick and then crashed on my office floor, snuggled up to Moe. Don't you want to meet him?
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
The little rascal continues to keep me on his toes. He survived the thunderstorms this week with no real reaction. His housebreaking is getting better--went 4 days without a mess in the house, and now he sits at the door when he wants to go out. Learned how to sit in one session, as long as there were treats involved. He's very food-motivated AND he's learned to counter-surf which we are trying to discourage immediately! He also goes into his kennel now just when I open the door--I don't even have to give a command. And he doesn't mind being in it at all--sometimes he'll just walk in and lay down and chew on a bone.
He gets a little antsy when we are outside and I am out of sight but he knows I am there. This has spurred him to try and find ways he can escape the fence! You see in the pics where he started digging--again, we're trying to nip that in the bud!--to get out. Generally, he keeps himself pretty well entertained, but if he gets bored, he starts looking for fun--like digging a hole--but he doesn't do a lot of digging.
He also needs more exercise than I have given him--getting a good long walk does him so much good. He's still a really good dog, very smart, easily trained. He needs a home with a fence, someone who can give him some exercise, and I think he'd benefit from another dog in the home. He's done okay with my cat, and at the Chuck and Don's adoption day, he did great with the kids and his little crowd of young girls screaming "Handsome! HANDSOME!" (He loved that.) He's smaller than a lot of goldens--he's only about 45 lbs. He may fill out a bit, but I don't think he's going to grow much more. Wanna meet him? Let RAGOM know!
Friday, May 18, 2012
The little instigator is taking his midday nap, so I can send in an update. Handsome will probably be making an appearance at Chuck and Don's on Saturday, so if you have any interest in meeting him, head out to Roseville.
Today's discovery: he will countersurf! One of the residents sometimes prefers to eat his breakfast a little later so will walk away from his food dish, at which point Handsome will avail himself of the food. This morning, I set Moe's dish on the windowsill to keep it away from Handsome. I stepped outside, and from outside the window, I saw the little trouble maker on his hind feet, eating the food from the windowsill! Two nights ago, friends came over with a large pizza. We sat it on the table outside, then strolled back to look at the garden, but turned around just in time to see the thief pull the pizza box off of the table! Today, my nephews are out staining my picket fence, so I set a pan with some coffeecake on the table. Next time I looked, the pan was face down in the dirt and not a crumb to be found! The good thing is, he's a puppy and he's trainable. Right now, he's so curious and so interested in everything, that I'm still learning what to watch out for.
Potty training is so-so. Two days ago, I was thrilled, as he had NO ACCIDENTS!! Yesterday, however, he made up for it... I keep putting him outside every hour or so, and he knows that's when to do his business, but he hasn't really figured out that inside is NOT the place to do it. We're trying to teach him....
He escaped by digging a hole under the fence the other day. The good thing is, he didn't go far and he came back when I called him. (He's definitely learning his name.) If I am in the back, on the other side of the fence gardening, he'll try to get to me if he's not occupied in the fenced yard. This morning he tried again; I found his collar under the fence gate, but he hadn't escaped.
He's the happiest dog ever. He makes me laugh just watching him. And he's still just a pup, and smart, so some training will go a long way with this one. And it seems that he has spent a good part of his time in a shelter up to this point, so I think he's going to turn into a good dog with some coaching!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Handsome had a great weekend and got totally tuckered out! He got to be outside for most of the days and got to chase his big brother Moe around the yard. He got to entertain himself ENDLESSLY by picking up a stick, a wood chip, a discarded plastic plant pot, tossing it in the air, then racing after it. It's hysterical to watch how much fun he has entertaining himself.
He's beginning to answer to his name, which is great. He's beginning to understand "no." He wants so much to play with the cat, but George will have none of it; unfortunately, Handsome's sporting some battle scars--three distinct cat claws--where George swatted him. But he's undeterred--he wants to play with that cat! He's having fewer accidents in the house; the more I keep letting him out, the better he gets.
He's settling in here and is also settling down a bit. He's still just adorable, and I think he's about the happiest dog I've ever seen! Took him for a ride in the car the other day. While he was fine in the car the night I picked him up, he seemed a little nervous, driving in the daytime with all of the city noises. He did fine, but he was shaking a little bit. Started using the Gentle Leader and he reacted the way all dogs react, scratching it off his muzzle. He does great meeting people, and he'd like to met his forever home!
If you're interested in a happy little guy who needs some obedience, who's got an adorable hound face, come and meet Handsome! He's waiting for you.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
We're on Day 4 of Handsome. He continues to be a happy, smart, curious boy.
The first two nights I kenneled him in the living room, while the rest of us ascended to the bedrooms upstairs. There was a little chorus of mournful baying each night; he definitely wants to be with the pack. But he did good by himself. On Monday, I decided to try letting him sleep upstairs with the rest of the gang. I blocked off a few rooms and baby-gated the stairs, and he did great! He spent the whole night snuggling on the bed! He's definitely a snuggler!
He's made himself totally at home here, following the other dogs' leads--he curls up in the chair that usually belongs to the boss, he jumped on the bed with no problem, and he's getting along great with the other dogs. Well, one of the dogs is totally disgusted--"Do we REALLY need another dog here? Why don't you just pet me twice as much?"--but tolerates Handsome just fine. Handsome also does fine with the cat, but the cat is even more disgusted than the dog--he tolerates Handsome but also delivers regular hisses and occasional swats, which doesn't dampen Handsome's polite curiosity. 
Handsome seems to be super smart, and I'm guessing will do great with some obedience. He's also active--he races up the stairs, then down--and curious, wants to know what everything is. He's got a lot of energy, but then he also crashes and will snooze forever. Occasionally I tether him while I'm in the office working, and he sleeps by my feet, snoring and dreaming away. He's had a couple of little accidents in the house, but as long as I keep an eye on him, and as long as I keep putting him outside regularly, he does fine; I'm gonna guess that the housebreaking shouldn't take long. He loves to amuse himself--picking up a stick, tossing it in the air, then racing to catch it.
He's petite--only about 40-45 pounds, and he's 7 months old. Compared to the other guys, he's like a "travel pack." He's in great shape--I'm guessing he'll fill out a bit, but I don't think he's going to get much bigger. He's very much got a hound's face and build, as well as the bark. He doesn't bark much, but when he does, he shows his hound genes with the baying. I've attached a couple of pics--one of them is a bad photo, but I had to attach it because it shows the hilarious stretching that he does. He's super flexible, and he stretches both of his hind legs out completely behind him quite often. Then he'll drag them along the floor--it's really funny. He's a pretty humorous guy, and so happy!
Here's what Handsome seems to need at this point:
- a fenced yard (I'm quite sure he'd bolt, and he's still learning his name so that would be no fun if that happened);
- someone who can give him some exercise, or another dog that will give him a workout;
- another dog would be a good thing--he definitely looks to the guys here for leadership and entertainment.
I'm thinking he might do fine with kids who can stand his energy. If you want me meet the funny little guy, let us know!
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