We are having so much fun fostering Louie. He is keeping all of us busy laughing including our dog.
Even though Louie is already 14 months old, he is still very much a “pup”. It is hard for him to sit still; and, if there’s another dog around … he will want to entice play frequently. Louie is looking for an “ active” family!!! I think he would do best in a home with another young dog that also loves to play and romp. He may be very annoying to some dogs that are middle age or seniors. He does well at reading language from other dogs. He has not been exposed to cats. He is very treat motivated so should be easy to train. Louie is doing awesome with house training; and, he has learned that crates are not a scary. We keep Louie in a crate if we are both gone from the home; and he sleeps in a crate next to our bed in the evening although last night Louie slept next to me the whole night. I would describe him as a mild counter surfer. His previous family said he likes to dig but we have not noticed this behavior yet. We need to be careful around doorways with Louie because he’s not hesitant to bolt through any opening and explore what is on the other side.
Louie’s foster home does not have children; but his former owners did. We know he likes kids although he might play a little rough with the younger ones. He does unexpected things like jump on you when you are drinking a hot cup of coffee. He loves both me and my husband and is really enjoying all of the attention he is receiving. He is very affectionate and likes to give kisses.
All of Louie’s sibling were also adopted through Retrieve a Golden of MN ( RAGOM ) so it has been fun connecting with some former fosters and adoptive families. We did learn some interesting information about a DNA test from a littermate. Louie is Golden Retriever and English Springer Spaniel. Explains where he gets those big ears.
Louie went to the vet this past week and we were so grateful for all the results. He tested negative for parasites and the vet said his initial physical exam shows he is healthy, happy boy. He is up to date on vaccinations now. Microchipped. He will be neutered next week. He is 45lbs and has shiny white teeth. Louie was excited about going to the vet but very scared to get on the weight scale. Louie can be difficult to talk to once he is scared of something so we had to lift him on the scale … he was also very scared of the crate at home in the beginning. The vet assistants helped put Louie at ease by giving him puppy treats.
Louie got a smaller collar this week because we had a frightening experience with him after getting out of the car. He was super excited at his new surroundings and backed out of his collar. Fortunately, my husband called for him and he returned back to us. He only got a few steps away from us but it was enough to make our hearts race. As I mentioned before, I would like to see Louie go to a home with physical or invisible fence to keep him safe.
We will include some new pics of him but it is hard to capture how handsome he really is. When we walk him, it is funny to watch him from behind because he is so happy and clumsy. What a wonderful puppy he will make for a lucky family.
Louie is being fostered in Iowa and would love to visit with and meet any potential adoptive families. Thanks for considering him.
