| Golden Retriever | Born: March 1998 |
| Male | Weight not specified |
Status: Deceased
Great news – Nikko was adopted today! Nikko will be living with his forever family on a small private lake. Since he loves being outside so much this is really going to be the perfect home for him…and I am sure that his new family will be giving him the best possible life during his Golden years.
Nikko has been on summer vacation up north at the cabin the last few days. His foster grandma and grandpa bought him a new water toy that he played fetch with all afternoon! This is his 3rd trip to the cabin over the last few months and I think he is really taking a liking to it up there. He loves having a big yard to play in, stairs to run up and down, new friends to meet and water to play in. He’s the perfect cabin guest too because he’s not very demanding -- just give him water, food, and a toy to play with and he’s set. He only barks occasionally when there’s a visitor or if he wants to play more. He sleeps wherever he wants at night, but his favorite place is right next to his foster grandma and grandpa at the foot of their bed.
Nikko is such a handsome, loving dog. We’ve had two senior dogs at our house now and let me tell you how great they are. They are so easy to take care of –
Nikko obeys commands, has free roam of the house without causing any trouble, has never had an accident, doesn’t bark much…the list of good qualities goes on. The only thing Nikko demands from us is a little love each day…and we have plenty of that to give!
Here are some new pictures of Nikko enjoying the outdoors. As you can see, he’s so happy to retrieve the ball for us!
Nikko is a healthy puppy!! We had a follow up vet visit this week and there was good news all around. Nikko’s ear infection is all cleared up. We were VERY happy to hear that – he was starting to hide from us anytime we needed to clean them. The vet also tested his thyroid levels and after four weeks of treatment it seems that the current medication he is taking has stabilized everything. We celebrated by going to the fenced in baseball field and playing fetch almost every day this week. Nikko loves running after a tennis ball, it is his favorite sport!
With all the nice warm weather that we’ve had lately Nikko has been able to spend a lot of time outdoors. He absolutely loves to lay in the shade, and roll around in the grass. With Nikko, the dog days of summer last all season!!
It has been a busy week for Nikko. He has met many new people and dogs. The highlight of the week really shows off the playful, puppy side of this dog. Nikko’s new favorite game is jump. He loves to have one of us hold his squeaky bone up in the air, tell him to sit and encourage him as he jumps up to grab his toy. Nikko’s second favorite game is fetch. He has shown that he can play this game anywhere and with anything. Even if there isn’t a tennis ball to chase, Nikko can adapt and fetch a shoe. No worries though -- Nikko doesn’t chew, he just fetches.
Nikko is ready and willing to be adopted by a caring person or family who wants a loving, easy-going dog.
Nikko goes swimming!
This last weekend Nikko got to enjoy the beautiful weather at a cabin in central Minnesota. As you can see, he is such a great retriever – eventually all of the water toys ended up in his mouth – the Frisbee, the football, the tennis ball…it seemed like every time I turned around he found a new one. And, when someone else had one of his toys he made sure to swim from person to person just in case of an overthrow! He seemed really happy at the cabin – he loved being outdoors and around all the activity (with his furry coat of hair I’m sure the water felt very cool and relaxing for him).
Nikko met all kinds of new people this last weekend and 4 of them wanted to adopt him if they had the space. He has the cutest face and just seems to adapt so well to new people and his surroundings that everyone took an instant liking to him. So, if you’re looking for a lake companion for the summer please contact placement and ask to meet him.
Nikko has been in foster care for almost a month now and I really can’t believe he hasn’t been adopted yet! He is a big bundle of love, in good health, and so easy to take care of. If you’re looking for a good companion that is great with people and kids, non-aggressive and house-trained please email placement
ragom [dot] org because Nikko is still looking for his forever home!
Nikko sure is a hit around our neighborhood – he has the most charming face and his big furry tail wags and wags whenever someone stops to pet him. Nikko is also really good with kids, so if you want a family dog, then Nikko is for you! I’m sure he misses the 3 boys that he used to live with.
One thing we have learned about Nikko is that he is very stubborn sometimes. Nikko must have been spoiled in his previous home, because when he doesn’t want to do something he’ll just sit down – and being that he weighs 85 lbs. it’s not always easy to move him! As I said in my last update, we started using the harness for walks with him…he was great with it on until one day he just stopped liking it and would sit down on the sidewalk whenever we started walking. So, we’re back to just using the leash. I tell you this dog sure knows how to get his way (or maybe, I’m just such a pushover!).
Even though Nikko is a little stubborn sometimes, he makes up for it with his love. In his previous home, Nikko usually stayed on the main floor of the house and slept in the entryway at night. One night, his mom went to let him outside but couldn’t find him anywhere. After a little searching, she found Nikko upstairs in their newborn’s room sleeping right by his crib. They had just brought their son home from the hospital and Nikko just knew where he needed to be that night! What more could you ask for in a dog?
Healthwise, we are still working on clearing up Nikko’s ear infection. And, he’s been on his thyroid medication for a couple of weeks now so in early June he will go back in for a check-up to see how it is working.
Today Nikko is going to make a trip to the cabin up north. I’m sure he’ll enjoy being outside more so watch for more pictures next week!
Well, it was a big week for Nikko! He went to PetCo yesterday and hung out with lots of other RAGOM Goldens and had a great time. Nikko was well behaved and really started to do well around the other dogs (in his old home he was the only dog so he’s still getting used to sharing the attention!). He had a wonderful time and met lots of nice families…I’m sure he’s going to find his forever home soon! We also got something new for Nikko yesterday – it’s called the Easy Walk Harness (made by the Gentle Leader people) and it has really helped us enjoy our walks more. It fits right around Nikko’s breastbone and gently discourages him from pulling. Even though he’s a pretty strong guy and weights 85 lbs., with this harness on even a young kid could easily control Nikko – works like magic!
And, we also have an update on Nikko’s health. After some additional blood work this week, we found out that Nikko has an under-active thyroid. We got him on some medication for it now and that should help his activity level increase soon (and probably also help him lose some weight). His ear infection is clearing up and we’ll be done with treatment for that soon.
Nikko is such a pleasure to have around the house – he does this little dance whenever we walk in the door…his whole body wiggles, he prances around and just has this look about him that says “pet me now!” If you are looking for a cute, droopy-eyed dog that loves being taken on walks, playing fetch and being petted, then Nikko is the dog for you…email placement if you’re interested in meeting this big sweetie.
Happy Birthday to Nikko!! Nikko is now 9 years old! He had a great birthday, on Friday he got a jumbo bone to eat then on Saturday he got his belated birthday walk, a nice hour long stroll along the river. After all of that he was one happy, satisfied puppy!
Nikko is going to make his forever family very happy. Every time you go outside, whether it be for the day to go to work or to take the garbage out, you are greeted by his adorable droopy face and a mouthful of stuffed animal when you open the door. Nikko is a low maintenance dog. He loves to be petted and scratched, but is just as content to lay about the house, chewing on a rope toy or bone.
Nikko had his vet visit tonight and all is well. He is up to date on all shots and in good health. He does have an ear infection but he has received drops for that and it should be cleared up in a week or so.
Nikko is slowly adjusting to city life. He grew up in a small town outside the Twin Cities metro area and had a fenced in yard so all the cars and traffic in our neighborhood are new for him.
Nikko’s birthday is on Friday - he will be turning 9 years old and he’s very excited to open his presents…watch for more updates soon!
