Tucker is an energetic and playful purebred Golden Retriever puppy. He was lovingly surrendered to RAGOM by a family who found they did not have the time for a puppy and wanted him to find a home where he would get lots of love and attention. 

He is now 18 weeks old, housebroken, and much less of a mouthy puppy than when he first arrived. Most of this is due to a very patient nine-year-old resident dog who plays with Tucker, but always is teaching him bite inhibition. He is becoming a lap dog and quite a sweetheart.

When Tucker arrived, he was obsessed about his food. He would jump waist high, sometimes knocking his dish right out of my hand. He is getting fed three times a day now, and he sits and waits for his food or treats. He has green beans added to fill him up and either eats out of a slow feed bowl, a wobbly toy filled with kibble, or a bowl filled with balls to slow him down. He barely chews his food and continues to act like he is starving. Believe me, he isn’t. 

Tucker is expected to be a tall Golden. He has long legs and a thin body. He weighed about 19 pounds at 12 weeks, then 25 pounds at 14 weeks, and 32 pounds at 16 weeks.

Tucker has been visiting the vet quite a bit. Initially, I was concerned about digestive issues. He also has very scaly skin and a great deal of dandruff. Baths, a change of food, and salmon oil have been used to improve it, but the dandruff remains.

Tucker had kennel cough and another round of antibiotics. These then caused an intestinal infection, and he had more antibiotics. My conclusion is that Tucker has allergies, and likely they affect his immune system. He has had a couple fecal tests which were negative, but showed he was eating bunny poop. He also has the quirk of eating his own poop if I don’t get out to scoop it immediately. Anyone adopting Tucker should expect more than normal vet bills due to his allergies.

Tucker came with a lovely calming bed. He will often take a nap there, sometimes bringing it into another room. He loves his toys and chewing on an antler. He will do some retrieving.

Tucker loves going for walks around the neighborhood or to the parks. He knows that word and becomes alert when he hears it. He pulls some, but can be reminded to walk nicely. He will need to keep working on "heel." He is very good riding in the car for short or long drives.

Tucker is up to date on all his puppy shots now as well as rabies. He also had Lyme vaccinations. He will be neutered when he is six months old and ready to go to his forever home in mid-January.

He has seen cats next door, but not really been cat-tested. He is interested in squirrels, but not prey-driven.

Tucker respects baby gates and will go in his crate for travel, to sleep, and when I need to know he is secure. Mostly, I leave him in the kitchen/hall area with a gate. He has been there for two-plus hours and slept while I was gone. I feed my other dog separately because Tucker would gobble down all her food. He often goes on his own to his bed or the sofa for a nap.

Tucker loves all kinds of toys. He regularly empties the toy box and finds one of his toys and proudly trots out with it. He loves to wrestle with Maggie, my resident dog. They get very loud, but never out of hand. He would love to have a playful housemate or a friend to play with for socialization. He is strong and getting bigger. I think a medium to large dog would be best. A large fenced-in yard would be great for him to explore and run zoomies to burn off some energy.

Tucker likes everyone he meets. He seems interested in children, but would be better with kids 8 and older because of his size and sharp puppy teeth.

Tucker’s forever home should have time to work with him and get him in a puppy class for obedience and socialization. He needs lots of exercise and play time with people or a dog who can help him burn off his puppy energy. Tucker was bred for hunting and has lots of energy. He is very smart and eager to learn. He is also very loving and wants to be your lap dog.