Introducing Skipper, RAGOM's newest distinguished gentleman! Skipper is a purebred Golden Retriever whose main goal in life seems to center around love, both giving and receiving. He comes to us from a very devoted and loving family, and it definitely shows in his super sweet personality! His family is returning to their homeland and sadly, are not able to bring Skipper along. We've promised Skipper and his mom and dad that we'll find him another wonderful family to call his own.

Skipper had a checkup with his RAGOM vet yesterday and the results are in...he's as healthy as can be! Skipper weighed in at 69.9 lbs and could stand to lose just a couple pounds. FM wishes that was all SHE needed to lose! He does have some tartar buildup on his teeth so we picked up an elk antler on our way home from the vet. Skipper loves it and has been giving it a good workout - hopefully all that chewing will help put a little sparkle back into his pearly whites. He's also a bit itchy so we've started giving him a couple Benadryl and a fish oil capsule with his breakfast and dinner and he snarfs everything right up :)
Skipper did not have a physical fence in his previous home and was trained to his boundaries. We have a 6' privacy fence here and would prefer his adoptive home have a physical fence or secure tie-out in order to keep Skipper safe. I'm happy to say he hasn't shown any signs of bolting out an open door or gate since he's been here! We haven't been able to test Skipper with other dogs or kids yet, since we have neither in our household. We'll try to meet some dogs soon. Skipper's family reports that he just sniffs other dogs and calmly walks away and is good with kids ages 5 and up. Until we've seen him interact with younger kids, we'll stick with ages 10+ just to be safe, but he's such a lover that I think he'd also do fine with younger kiddos. We do have a resident cat who has become quite adept at putting dogs in their place, as in "bottom of the food chain". After an initial chase the first day, I'm happy to report that Skipper has passed the cat test. I still watch them closely though, only because I don't trust the cat!

Skipper loves loves loves.... treats, walks (does well on a flat collar), car rides, more treats, kisses, ear scritches, belly rubs, catnip toys (oops, had to put those away!), a few more treats, destuffing dog toys (oops, had to put those away, too!), his bully stick and elk antler!! Oh, and did I mention treats? Tomorrow  we'll see if he's a fan of a frozen peanut butter Kong!

Skipper has yet to try out the furniture and we don't invite him up in case this is something his adoptive family doesn't want him to do, or prefers he uses only specific pieces of furniture. We've let him choose where to sleep at night and so far he likes his dog bed in the dining room. He's more than welcome to sleep on the dog bed in our bedroom, but so far has chosen not to. That darn cat may have swayed his decision somewhat.
Skipper is just the biggest sweetheart ever! If you're looking for a guy who's young enough at heart to accompany you on whatever adventure you have planned for the day AND mature enough to chill out with you at home when you're feeling like a couch potato, Skipper's a perfect match! Contact your Placement Advisor to meet this handsome boy and stay tuned for more updates and pictures coming soon!