Merry Christmas! From Riley D.

What does a shelter dog have to be thankful for? How about a warm house, a soft place to sleep, lots of toys, great food, and people who love him unconditionally? Titus was found chained up to the shelter gate overnight at a very full shelter in rural Iowa. The shelter contacted RAGOM. RAGOM quickly stepped in to help, and Titus found his way to our home the day before Thanksgiving. He is so happy to be in our house! He seems so grateful to be out of the shelter, and can’t seem to get enough attention.

What does a foster home have to be thankful for? How about a PERFECT Golden foster dog? We got Titus the day before Thanksgiving, and he fit into our home almost immediately. Even with all the extra activity of the holiday and guests in our house, he’s done really well.

It’s so fulfilling to rescue a dog from a shelter and show him what the “Golden” life is all about. Some dogs have never been inside a house, some have been abused, some starved, some have never gotten love or attention. Titus sensed almost immediately that he was safe here, and he has shown what a truly perfect and loving dog he really is!

Thank you RAGOM for making it all possible!

Titus is approximately 18 months old. The shelter listed him as a Golden Retriever/Lab mix, but my vet and I both think he is PB Golden Retriever. He is a light golden color with a small patch of white on his chest. Titus is utd on vaccinations (will need a DHPPC booster 12/15), is micro chipped, has been neutered, and is on flea/tick and heartworm prevention. His fecal exam showed that he had coccidia, so he is being treated with a medication for 10 days. Titus knows basic commands - sit, lay down, stay, come, down, wait, off, and learned to shake with alternating paws today! He is a very smart dog!

He is completely housebroken and has free roam of the house. During the day he usually goes to work with me or is crated, only so he won’t annoy our hospice dog, Max, all day. He (for obvious reasons!) likes going to work with me better than staying home, but he does really well at home all day too. He has been left alone for 4 hours with free roam and has done great, not a thing out of place. He does not get on furniture unless asked, does not counter surf or get in the trash, and has been VERY good at not stealing anything off the Christmas tree. He does, however, love to sleep under the tree! Titus is great with dogs, our 2 cats, and my 6 year old daughter. He is a tall/long/lanky dog that weighs about 72 pounds, but needs to put on another 5 to 10 pounds. I was nervous at first with his size, but he has proven that he is a gentle giant and is well aware of his size. He has yet to knock anything over and he doesn’t get overly excited in the house. Titus really loves toys, and he enjoys picking his favorites out of the dog toy box to play with. He is very gentle with toys, he hasn’t destroyed a single one and he has yet to de-stuff any! He loves to play tug with the rope toy with my 6 year old daughter. He’s very gentle with her, and she loves that he lets her win! She likes to lay on the floor with him and give him belly rubs - he loves it!!

Titus rides really well in the car, the first day I got him he slept in the back seat the entire way! We are working on introducing him to new places/situations (vet clinic, the park, pet stores, etc) and he has done really well. He loves meeting new people, and everyone loves him! Titus does great with a fenced-in yard, though I’m not sure it’s completely necessary as he never wants to get very far from his people. He loves going for walks, but doesn’t require hours of exercise like some Goldens I’ve fostered. He’s perfectly happy with a short 20 minute walk in the morning and a 30-45 minute walk in the evening. This week we’ve cut out walks since he was neutered and had some swelling, and he hasn’t been too crazy from lack of exercise. He has shown no resource guarding whatsoever. I can take food/toys away, other dogs can take toys, and our cat even sneaks some of his food while he’s eating - none of it has been a problem! Titus is very easy-going and doesn’t let much bother him.

Titus does like to jump up when he is excited (mainly with new people), and we are really working on that. He also pulls when on the leash, but we are getting him used to the Gentle Leader and he is doing really well. These two minor issues are honestly the only “negative” things that I’ve noticed - and with a little training they will be completely taken care of!

I think Titus would be a great fit with almost any family - with or without dogs/cats, with or without a fenced-in yard, he would LOVE to have kids to play with, and he would love to have a family to call his own that will love and spoil him! I’m not exaggerating when I call him the “perfect” dog - we really think he is! We are having a hard time not adopting him ourselves! He is a complete lover, always wanting for someone to pet him or rub his belly or (if invited) to sit on someone’s lap. If you are interested in Titus, please contact your Placement advisor soon - he’s sure to be adopted quickly!