Sweet, gentle Hunter is 7 yr. old Golden Retriever who was surrendered to a shelter in Iowa. He came from a very busy home life with lots of competition for attention, with 8 cats and three dogs, and a toddler who used him as a jungle gym. He was timid and shy when he first got here, but with each passing day he is relaxing more and showing his amazing personality.

He is light blond with white markings on his face and paws, and I think some of his feathering has been trimmed way down. His coat was dirty especially around the neck and ruff. He was nervous at first when I gave him a bath but he quickly relaxed when he realized it involved lots of body contact and petting. When we finished, it was as if his inner pupper came out, and that was what he needed to shift gears. He has the softest fur I have ever seen in a Golden—it feels like velvet. His toenails were also really long and he was sensitive about having his feet touched so I brought him to my favorite groomer at a large pet store. He barreled through the sliding doors and met a big Lab in the waiting area and didn’t miss a beat. “New” things don’t seem to faze him. A couple of different friends have stopped over and he politely greets them at the door with his tail wagging—no jumping or barking (unlike one resident dog who shall remain nameless).

He is REALLY food motivated and I don’t think he had any formal training beyond “sit.” One of the first times I had him do “down” and then “stay,” he looked at me as if he had all the time in the world, with the most loving adorable eyes, I thought my heart was going to melt. He is a Velcro dog to the max. He follows me everywhere—to the laundry room, up and down stairs, to the bathroom. The only time he’s let me out of his sight was when FM #2 was making bacon one morning, and that was more compelling than I was. The down side of this is that he does have some separation anxiety. He whines at the door when I leave, but settles down after a few minutes. I have been leaving him free roam when I leave (2 – 4 hrs) and he has been a perfect gentleman. The first day he got into the cat food which is barricaded off, but he has left that alone since. He is getting more settled and is just blossoming as he gets into our predictable routine. He gets along great with the cats—they are super relaxed around him.

I don’t think Hunter has ever been walked. He pulls like crazy on a flat collar leash, so I quickly switched him over a Gentle Leader, and he is a quick study so is getting the hang of walking with that. He loves exercise, which is good because he needs to lose a few lbs and firm up. He is a natural though—loves to be outside and walks for him are a smelling adventure. He has fantastic recall, so will not need a fenced yard.

Hunter will do best in a quiet household where he can get lots of attention to make up for lost time when he was one of 11 pets! He looks to my very passive 7-year-old female resident Golden for direction, so another low-key middle-aged or senior dog for a companion would be good. He will be fine as an only dog too because he is so focused on his people. A family with older children will be fine.

If you are interested in Hunter, please contact your placement advisor soon!