Prince has met his forever family! This lucky boy, now known as Snowden, is busy settling in to his wonderful new life with his Mom and Dad, and two feline siblings. He was a fabulous foster, and we sure will miss him!
Snowden (Prince 14-346)
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 11/1/2014 | Required | Yes | Optional | Not tested | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
Please welcome Prince to RAGOM! This handsome two year old came from a shelter in Alabama where he was picked up as a stray. His beautiful coat was covered in mats and fleas when he got to Minnesota, but the wonderful folks at Stone Mountain where he was boarded for a few days took care of that. They had to shave him and give him two flea baths, but now he feels much better! Don’t let his skinny, bald appearance fool you… his coat will grow back in to be full and beautiful, and if the hair on his head is any indication, he will be fluffy and oh-so soft! He is substituting a manly plaid coat for his own right now, because November in Minnesota feels awfully cold for a bald boy from Alabama!
We went in to see the vet yesterday to get him a booster shot, and he weighed in at 66 pounds. The vet thought his ideal weight would be about 70. They found that he has a cataract in his left eye, but they said when younger dogs get them, they often don’t get any worse. While it might affect his vision a tiny bit, he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.
Prince is one of the sweetest dogs out there! Has settled in to our home wonderfully, and we are already in love! It took a few days for his foster sister to warm up to him, as he is only two years old and still a puppy in many ways. He is very playful, but he learned very quickly to take her cues and he now knows when she wants him to quit. I think he would be happy with another energetic dog to play with, but I have a feeling he would be fine as an only dog with a family that has a lot of time to devote to exercise and training. He will definitely need training! He is sweet, and wants to please, but he needs to be taught some basic manners. When he learns a little, he will be darn near the perfect dog!
I think he was definitely someone’s well-loved pet at some point. It seems like he was taught some simple commands, but doesn’t necessarily remember them all that well. When he first met us, he didn’t jump, and I could almost see his thought… “I am supposed to sit when I meet people!” Because he was very careful to keep his tush on the ground even though he was excited to see us. He also knows “sit” most of the time, but I haven’t come across any other commands that he seems to know. It was said when he was surrendered to RAGOM that he was only partly potty-trained, but he has yet to go in my house. He gives appropriate cues when he needs to go out- whining and pawing at the back door. It is pretty common for any dog to have a few accidents in a new environment, but so far he has been a potty pro.
He walks well on a leash most of the time… until he sees a rabbit, deer, or something that he would like to sniff. He does pull like a freight train in these instances, so his forever family will need someone that can handle a big dog that pulls. We have been using an Easy Walk Harness, and this seems to help, but he will still pull suddenly if he wants to get to something. He does love his walks! We had a few walks one day, totaling a little over 12 miles, and that finally tired him out!
I think he would do best at a home with a fence. He does not listen all that well, and does not come when called reliably, although we are working on that. At this point, he is not the kind of dog that could be left off leash and be trusted to stick around. I have had him on a long lead when out in our fenced yard, because I have no doubt that he could jump over the four foot fence if he wanted to. He does seem to respect that boundary though.
Prince has a couple of funny habits left over from his time as a stray. He is very cautious of cars when they drive by us on our walks. He slows way down and leans on me when they go by. He is not afraid exactly, you can just tell that he knows he needs to get out of their way! He also is a master of getting into our covered garbage can. The cover is a non-issue for him. He just walks in and bumps it hard with his nose and gets the cover off. His forever family will probably need to have a garbage can that is inaccessible to him when he is not supervised! He is also very cautious of new things and situations. Not exactly afraid, he just needs a minute to think about it, and investigate until he is comfortable.
He will need to be given appropriate things to chew, as he is a little mouthy and chewy (as are so many young Goldens!) I have caught him chewing his bed, the handle on the recliner, a sock, the couch, a towel, etc… He also destroyed Foster Dad’s water bottle and a boot while left with free roam for about 10 minutes while Foster Dad took a shower. He is easily re-directed though, and will easily transition to chewing on whatever toy you give him! It would be a good idea to have him kenneled while unsupervised until he learns what is and is not appropriate to chew. He loves his kennel anyway, and doesn’t mind taking a nap in there.
He is a first rate snuggler! After his uncomfortable nights running the streets, and then at the shelter, he loves to lie on your lap on the nice warm couch and cuddle. We went yesterday to visit my Grandma after his vet visit, and once he had investigated the house, he settled down to take a nap in my lap on the floor. If I would stop petting him, he would roll over on his back and put a paw up to try to grab one of my hands. Very sweet!
All in all, with lots of love and some training, Prince will turn out to be the perfect dog for a family ready to deal with a strong, energetic dog who still acts very much like a puppy! Please let your placement advisor know if Prince looks like he would be a good fit for you!
At a Glance #14-346
| Mixed Breed | Born: October 2012 |
| Male | 65 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 11/1/2014 | Required | Yes | Optional | Not tested | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
Please welcome Prince to RAGOM! This handsome two year old came from a shelter in Alabama where he was picked up as a stray. His beautiful coat was covered in mats and fleas when he got to Minnesota, but the wonderful folks at Stone Mountain where he was boarded for a few days took care of that. They had to shave him and give him two flea baths, but now he feels much better! Don’t let his skinny, bald appearance fool you… his coat will grow back in to be full and beautiful, and if the hair on his head is any indication, he will be fluffy and oh-so soft! He is substituting a manly plaid coat for his own right now, because November in Minnesota feels awfully cold for a bald boy from Alabama!
We went in to see the vet yesterday to get him a booster shot, and he weighed in at 66 pounds. The vet thought his ideal weight would be about 70. They found that he has a cataract in his left eye, but they said when younger dogs get them, they often don’t get any worse. While it might affect his vision a tiny bit, he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.
Prince is one of the sweetest dogs out there! Has settled in to our home wonderfully, and we are already in love! It took a few days for his foster sister to warm up to him, as he is only two years old and still a puppy in many ways. He is very playful, but he learned very quickly to take her cues and he now knows when she wants him to quit. I think he would be happy with another energetic dog to play with, but I have a feeling he would be fine as an only dog with a family that has a lot of time to devote to exercise and training. He will definitely need training! He is sweet, and wants to please, but he needs to be taught some basic manners. When he learns a little, he will be darn near the perfect dog!
I think he was definitely someone’s well-loved pet at some point. It seems like he was taught some simple commands, but doesn’t necessarily remember them all that well. When he first met us, he didn’t jump, and I could almost see his thought… “I am supposed to sit when I meet people!” Because he was very careful to keep his tush on the ground even though he was excited to see us. He also knows “sit” most of the time, but I haven’t come across any other commands that he seems to know. It was said when he was surrendered to RAGOM that he was only partly potty-trained, but he has yet to go in my house. He gives appropriate cues when he needs to go out- whining and pawing at the back door. It is pretty common for any dog to have a few accidents in a new environment, but so far he has been a potty pro.
He walks well on a leash most of the time… until he sees a rabbit, deer, or something that he would like to sniff. He does pull like a freight train in these instances, so his forever family will need someone that can handle a big dog that pulls. We have been using an Easy Walk Harness, and this seems to help, but he will still pull suddenly if he wants to get to something. He does love his walks! We had a few walks one day, totaling a little over 12 miles, and that finally tired him out!
I think he would do best at a home with a fence. He does not listen all that well, and does not come when called reliably, although we are working on that. At this point, he is not the kind of dog that could be left off leash and be trusted to stick around. I have had him on a long lead when out in our fenced yard, because I have no doubt that he could jump over the four foot fence if he wanted to. He does seem to respect that boundary though.
Prince has a couple of funny habits left over from his time as a stray. He is very cautious of cars when they drive by us on our walks. He slows way down and leans on me when they go by. He is not afraid exactly, you can just tell that he knows he needs to get out of their way! He also is a master of getting into our covered garbage can. The cover is a non-issue for him. He just walks in and bumps it hard with his nose and gets the cover off. His forever family will probably need to have a garbage can that is inaccessible to him when he is not supervised! He is also very cautious of new things and situations. Not exactly afraid, he just needs a minute to think about it, and investigate until he is comfortable.
He will need to be given appropriate things to chew, as he is a little mouthy and chewy (as are so many young Goldens!) I have caught him chewing his bed, the handle on the recliner, a sock, the couch, a towel, etc… He also destroyed Foster Dad’s water bottle and a boot while left with free roam for about 10 minutes while Foster Dad took a shower. He is easily re-directed though, and will easily transition to chewing on whatever toy you give him! It would be a good idea to have him kenneled while unsupervised until he learns what is and is not appropriate to chew. He loves his kennel anyway, and doesn’t mind taking a nap in there.
He is a first rate snuggler! After his uncomfortable nights running the streets, and then at the shelter, he loves to lie on your lap on the nice warm couch and cuddle. We went yesterday to visit my Grandma after his vet visit, and once he had investigated the house, he settled down to take a nap in my lap on the floor. If I would stop petting him, he would roll over on his back and put a paw up to try to grab one of my hands. Very sweet!
All in all, with lots of love and some training, Prince will turn out to be the perfect dog for a family ready to deal with a strong, energetic dog who still acts very much like a puppy! Please let your placement advisor know if Prince looks like he would be a good fit for you!
Updates
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Hi guys, Prince here!
I am loving life in my foster home! Foster mom says I’m cute, but that I can be a little stinker. I don’t know why she thinks that. I am nothing but a perfect gentleman! She called me “stinker” (and some other things) a lot the other night when I kept stealing pieces of fabric off her quilting table. I was trying to be sneaky, but she noticed when she was short a couple of squares. When she told me to drop them, I could tell she was serious, so I spit them right out. She did a lot of grumbling about all that spitty fabric! I just don’t understand humans… If you can’t chew on it, why bother playing with it at all?
Talking about chewing makes me think of my favorite toy in the whole, wide world. My delicious red Kong! Foster Mom stuffs it with treats and gives it to me every morning so I have something to keep me busy when I am in my kennel waiting for her to come home from work. I know now that when she grabs the Kong in the morning, it means it’s time for her to leave, so I run into my kennel and wait for her to bring it to me.
We had a visitor last week for Thanksgiving. His name was Odin, and Foster Mom said he was her very first foster. He stayed with us all week while his family was out of town. I got along great with him, even though Foster Mom was a little worried because sometimes I growl at other boy dogs (since they make me a little nervous). Odin is a pretty laid back guy though, so he and I got along great.
I am what Foster Mom calls a “lap dog”. I love to sleep on the couch, and I love it even more if I can be in someone’s lap. Foster Dad seems to think I am too big to do that, but Foster Mom doesn’t always pay enough attention to notice that I am scooting more and more onto her lap, until my whole self is curled up on a ball there. So, I must not be that big! (She always mentions something about me crushing her, but I think she’s just a baby… She likes snuggles as much as I do!) It doesn’t matter how small the chair is, I will find a way! Foster Mom said she would include a pic of me sitting in my smallest chair yet with her brother, who is one of my favorite people in the world! I also like to lie on dog beds, no matter how small they are. There is also a picture of me snuggled up in the tiny bed at my Foster Grandparent’s house. Their little crabby dog didn’t think that was so funny, but they sure did!
I am not too sure I like this cold weather all that much. It might be fun once my hair grows back, but for now, I am over it! Speaking of my hair… my wooly undercoat is starting to grow back, but it isn’t growing very evenly! Foster Mom and Dad laugh at me when they pet me, because some parts are longer than others, and they stick out in weird little tufts. They say this won’t last forever, and that soon I will be back to my old, handsome self.
Please let your placement advisor know if you think I would be a good addition to your family!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Prince may not be a purebred Golden, but he sure is as sweet as one! We aren’t really sure what he is mixed with. He has a curly tail, really puffy hair (from what we can see from the hair on his head) and his eyes are two slightly different shades of brown. Whatever he is, he will be gorgeous when his hair grows back! Heck, I think he’s cute as a button even without his hair!
We are finding out more every day that he is SO smart! I think he would be a great for obedience training (he will for sure need basic obedience, but he might have fun with advanced obedience), and he would learn tricks quickly! His intelligence does mean that he will create things to do if not given adequate exercise and mental stimulation, so he gets into stuff if left to his own devices. If we take a nice long walk and then come home and work on some training, he will settle down and take a nap on the couch or on one of our laps. He is an incredibly talented snuggler! He is so funny when he gets on the couch, because he HAS to have a pillow for his head. He will grab a pillow, put it where he wants it, and then curl up in a ball and put his head on the pillow. Very cute!
He was a naughty boy at my parent’s house last night. They have a treat jar with a lid that has a lip on it that Prince has figured out fits in his mouth very conveniently. He somehow grabbed the entire treat jar and snuck it out on to the back porch with all 3 of us standing around in the kitchen! He had eaten half the treats by the time we realized that the jar was gone. He has now earned the title “Sir Sneak Thief” at their house! That is the kind of thing he does if you’re not watching him. This dog is a thinker, and whether he uses those powers for good or evil will be the responsibility of his forever family!
We have found that he prefers a quieter environment at home. When there is a house full of people, he gets a little uncomfortable and stressed. Don’t get me wrong, he LOVES people, but I think if he was a person, they would call him an introvert. He also hates loud noises and yelling. If you even sharply correct him, his belly hits the floor and he creeps around for a little while. I was making dinner one night and he went to swipe something from the counter and I said his name a little too loudly, and the way he cowered made me feel SO bad! Now I make sure to just watch him and gently re-direct him if he does something naughty. A house full of screaming children would probably not be the best home for this guy. I think he would love to have a kid or kids to play with, but he would like them best if they were gentle and quiet.
I have changed his fence needs to "required." He likes to bolt after birds, squirrels, deer, etc, and he has the recall skills of a cat! And by that, I mean none! :) I don't trust a bit that he won't take off...
