Please welcome handsome Max to RAGOM! Max is in search of a new home because he wasn't feeling totally comfortable with the toddler he was living with. He especially didn't appreciate being interrupted during mealtime, so his family made the difficult and unselfish decision to surrender Max to RAGOM before things escalated. I know Max was very much loved and can't imagine how difficult it must have been to say goodbye to him. To Max's family...thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving him enough to keep him safe!

Max just turned 7 on June 10th, is neutered and up-to-date on his shots. He weighed in at 98.7 lbs at the vet on Monday   (shhh, don't tell him he's now on a diet!), was microchipped and received his heartworm and flea & tick meds. He's currently taking 1 Apoquel pill daily for skin allergies (very common in Goldens). The vet said Max has great teeth, good hips and is very healthy.

Max's new family will need to be committed to taking him to obedience classes. It appears he may have already had some basic obedience but could always benefit from a refresher course or two, plus it's a great way to bond with your new family member. Max loves his walks and does well using the Easy Walk Harness. We spent our first few days getting used to each other, with Max forging ahead and zigging when I zagged :) Something must have clicked overnight, as this morning he walked like a champ! I tried a Gentle Leader with Max and quickly realized he's a distant relative of Houdini...I've never walked a dog who could actually unhook the GL from his leash! Max also loves car rides but gets so excited while in a vehicle that it would be best to use a crate.

I haven't experienced any problems with Max guarding his food dish, either while eating or walking past his empty food dish between meals. However, this was a problem in his previous family's home and his first foster home, both of which had children under the age of 5. For this reason, Max will need to be placed in a home with dog savvy kids over the age of 10, as we don't want any unfortunate incidents for either him or the children.

When he first arrived in the Cities, Max spent a couple of days in a temporary foster home with an 11 and 13 year old and did wonderfully with them. I think he'd also love to have a running partner, but I explained to him on day one that the only way he'd get me to jog is by having mass quantities of chocolate at the finish line. Needless to say, there's been no jogging in this foster home.

Max's recall seems quite good, but I can only test him within a fenced area as RAGOM foster dogs aren't allowed to run free in uncontained areas. He definitely notices squirrels, bunnies and cats on our walks and would love to give chase. When indoors, he never chases our cat (but likes to catch a good butt sniff whenever he can!). A fenced in yard would be a plus for this guy...he'd happily keep it free of critters and be able to chase a few tennis balls when it's not too hot. As for other dogs, his previous family said he gets along with some dogs and not others. He shared his home with a Cocker Spaniel with no problems. He's been to dog parks in the past and was more interested in greeting each and every human rather than playing with the other dogs.

We've left Max home alone for a few hours with free roam and have had no problems. He and the cat are content to snooze the time away. In his previous home he was left uncrated for a full work day and was a very good boy. Max is a total love bug and can usually be found walking around with a stuffie in his mouth or sleeping with one - so cute! He rarely barks and when he does, it's just once or twice, usually in answer to the dogs next door or alerting us of possible harm when someone walks by.

Max would like nothing better than hopping up on the couch to keep you company or snuggling in bed - if you allow that sort of thing - we normally discourage it just in case his new family would rather he keep four on the floor. I did let him hop up on the guest bed while we were watching TV downstairs, so I may have already started an undesirable trait. Oh...and the love seat with a prime view of the neighborhood. Oops :) Max hasn't counter surfed so far, but we were trained years ago by our cat that no crumb left on the counters is safe, so there's really nothing of value for Max to find.

If Max sounds too good to be true (and so far, he is!!) and seems like a good fit for your family, please contact your Placement advisor. He'd love to start interviewing for his potential furever family!