Leo 10-246

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    Introducing Leo, a 9 month old PB male Golden Retriever pup!  Dubbed “Leo the Licker” by members of his transport team, the nickname has stuck!  He is such a sweet boy and loves to give kisses!  He is lighter colored and has an absolutely gorgeous coat!  He loves to be brushed too!  Leo went to the vet this week and was neutered, hw tested (negative!), and had his fecal tested (negative!!).   He is utd on vaccinations.  He is slightly underweight at 53#, so he is getting a little more food to help with that.  He also has a mild skin infection, so he will be on antibiotics for 10 days.

    Leo is a VERY energetic puppy with minimal training.   He has made tremendous strides in the few days he has been in foster care, but still has a lot to learn as far as training goes.  He learned “down” (from sitting to laying down) in about 10 minutes, and knows both verbal and hand signals.  He is completely trained on the Gentle Leader and walks like a dream on leash.  He knows sit, down, and drop it.  Leo has never jumped up on anyone, he politely greets everyone and waits for them to love him up!  He does not always come when called (though this is something we are really working on!).  He thinks it’s a game (chase the Leo) and runs off.  I do not give chase and ignore him, and he usually comes to me right away.  However, I would not trust him to stay near me off leash in an unfenced area.  We are working on his manners in the house as well.  Before coming to RAGOM, Leo spent a lot of time outside and seems to be more comfortable outside.  He has picked up on the house “rules” fairly quickly - including not stealing towels, shoes, and kid toys (stuffed animals especially.)  I do keep a close eye on him to make sure he hasn’t gotten into anything he isn’t supposed to.  He will “drop it” as soon as you tell him.   Leo LOVES his new fleece dog bed that I made him right before he came to stay with us.  He loves to curl up on it in the evening with a Kong or a Nylabone and chew, chew, chew!   He is completely housebroken and will whine when he wants to go out! 

Requirements for Leo:
- MUST have a physical fence - He does not always come when called and makes a game of it when you try to catch him, even in the fenced in yard. 
-Leo would do well with another active, well-behaved  dog in the household, but it’s not absolutely necessary.  Cats would be fine as well.  The first day he was very interested in our 2 young resident cats, but now ignores them for the most part.  One of them is *always* hungry, he will steal a few pieces of kibble out of Leo’s food bowl while Leo is eating - Leo doesn’t care at all!  
-He needs an active family who is dedicated to providing the exercise and training that he needs.  I have been working with him a lot, but he will need to continue his training in his forever home.  He currently gets a short 30 minute walk either in the morning or at lunchtime, and a long walk (and sometimes a refreshing swim in the lake, on a long leash of course!) in the evening.  Once home, he usually romps around the backyard with my daughter for a little while.  He learned how to climb the play-set stairs and go down the slide- he loves it!   He’s usually pretty worn out by the time we come inside and is fairly calm for the rest of the evening.
-An experienced dog owner would be best for him - his training/exercise requirements may be too much for a first time dog owner. 
-He would love a home by a lake or that has a pool - this boy loves to swim! 
-He’s great with kids - Please remember that he is a big, rambunctious puppy so keep that in mind if you have little ones.  I trust him completely with my 6 year old daughter.  She sits with him on his dog bed and reads to him and he loves it!  He quietly follows her around, it’s so cute!  

Stay tuned - more on Leo to come as we get to know him better!  (Including more super adorable pictures!) 

At a Glance #10-246

Golden Retriever Born: November 2009
Male 55 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

    Introducing Leo, a 9 month old PB male Golden Retriever pup!  Dubbed “Leo the Licker” by members of his transport team, the nickname has stuck!  He is such a sweet boy and loves to give kisses!  He is lighter colored and has an absolutely gorgeous coat!  He loves to be brushed too!  Leo went to the vet this week and was neutered, hw tested (negative!), and had his fecal tested (negative!!).   He is utd on vaccinations.  He is slightly underweight at 53#, so he is getting a little more food to help with that.  He also has a mild skin infection, so he will be on antibiotics for 10 days.

    Leo is a VERY energetic puppy with minimal training.   He has made tremendous strides in the few days he has been in foster care, but still has a lot to learn as far as training goes.  He learned “down” (from sitting to laying down) in about 10 minutes, and knows both verbal and hand signals.  He is completely trained on the Gentle Leader and walks like a dream on leash.  He knows sit, down, and drop it.  Leo has never jumped up on anyone, he politely greets everyone and waits for them to love him up!  He does not always come when called (though this is something we are really working on!).  He thinks it’s a game (chase the Leo) and runs off.  I do not give chase and ignore him, and he usually comes to me right away.  However, I would not trust him to stay near me off leash in an unfenced area.  We are working on his manners in the house as well.  Before coming to RAGOM, Leo spent a lot of time outside and seems to be more comfortable outside.  He has picked up on the house “rules” fairly quickly - including not stealing towels, shoes, and kid toys (stuffed animals especially.)  I do keep a close eye on him to make sure he hasn’t gotten into anything he isn’t supposed to.  He will “drop it” as soon as you tell him.   Leo LOVES his new fleece dog bed that I made him right before he came to stay with us.  He loves to curl up on it in the evening with a Kong or a Nylabone and chew, chew, chew!   He is completely housebroken and will whine when he wants to go out! 

Requirements for Leo:
- MUST have a physical fence - He does not always come when called and makes a game of it when you try to catch him, even in the fenced in yard. 
-Leo would do well with another active, well-behaved  dog in the household, but it’s not absolutely necessary.  Cats would be fine as well.  The first day he was very interested in our 2 young resident cats, but now ignores them for the most part.  One of them is *always* hungry, he will steal a few pieces of kibble out of Leo’s food bowl while Leo is eating - Leo doesn’t care at all!  
-He needs an active family who is dedicated to providing the exercise and training that he needs.  I have been working with him a lot, but he will need to continue his training in his forever home.  He currently gets a short 30 minute walk either in the morning or at lunchtime, and a long walk (and sometimes a refreshing swim in the lake, on a long leash of course!) in the evening.  Once home, he usually romps around the backyard with my daughter for a little while.  He learned how to climb the play-set stairs and go down the slide- he loves it!   He’s usually pretty worn out by the time we come inside and is fairly calm for the rest of the evening.
-An experienced dog owner would be best for him - his training/exercise requirements may be too much for a first time dog owner. 
-He would love a home by a lake or that has a pool - this boy loves to swim! 
-He’s great with kids - Please remember that he is a big, rambunctious puppy so keep that in mind if you have little ones.  I trust him completely with my 6 year old daughter.  She sits with him on his dog bed and reads to him and he loves it!  He quietly follows her around, it’s so cute!  

Stay tuned - more on Leo to come as we get to know him better!  (Including more super adorable pictures!) 

Updates

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Leo was adopted and it was found not to be a good match with the family, as he was being mouthy with them.  He was returned to RAGOM and I was lucky enough to get to foster him again!  Thanks to the RAGOM transport volunteers for getting him to Clear Lake.  They both said what a wonderful, sweet, loving puppy he was for them!  He slept the whole 3 hours from Clear Lake to our house.

We are SO happy to have him back, he is such a great dog.  My daughter even begged to get to sleep in his kennel with him!  We settled on her sleeping on the floor next to his kennel. 

We have not had any issues with him being mouthy.  He does get very excited when toys are involved, so we are working on him taking toys gently.  We will continue to work with him and monitor the situation.  My 6 year old daughter plays with him and is able to take toys from him without any issues. 

Leo is a high energy puppy who needs guidance, structure, exercise, and most importantly, love!  Obedience training would be ideal for him, as it would reinforce the training that he’s already had and increase the bond between him and his new owner.  He will also require a lot of brushing, as his coat mats very easily.  Luckily, he loves to be brushed! 

Leo has settled in nicely again in our home.  He does not bother our cats, has not had any accidents, respects boundaries set for him (baby gates), and has really enjoyed romping around in the back yard (especially in the piles of leaves.)

  

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Leo :  I am really enjoying this beautiful Iowa fall weather!  We have been going to a state park nearby a lot for walks.  I really like to chase the leaves and carry them around!  I beg FM to let me swim, but she usually says no because of the sore on my foot.   Well this week she said yes since my foot was looking so much better!  I had so much fun splashing around!  I like to stick my head under water to look for fish, but this water was too muddy to see anything!  I really wanted to chase the geese that were nearby, but my leash wouldn’t go that far.  So I rolled in the mud by the water to make up for not being able to catch the geese.  FM wasn’t too happy about the mud, but I promised her that I would be good for a bath when we got home.  I had so much fun and was so worn out that I slept all evening.  I may be a puppy with a lot of energy, but sometimes I do get tired from playing too much!

Click here to see a video FM took of me at the park.

FM:  Our loveable Leo has had some friends to play with this week.  We are dog sitting a Border Collie and a Lab this week, and they have all gotten along great!  Leo would be happy with another dog, but it is not absolutely necessary.  He wants to play with them all the time, so he is probably not the best match for a senior dog.

The sore on Leo’s foot has completely healed and we haven’t seen any other evidence of allergies in him.  

Leo has a couple coming down from Minnesota this weekend to meet him!  We are keeping our fingers crossed, they sound like a great match for Leo!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Leo had a minor setback this week.  He developed a few sores on one of his front paws, was itchy, and was licking his feet.  These are classic allergy symptoms.  We think that he got into something on a recent hike in the woods, as he has been fine up until now, but there is the possibility that he may have some seasonal allergies.  He is on some meds and seems to be doing a lot better.  The sores are healing and he doesn’t lick them anymore. 

Other than that, Leo has been doing really great!  He met several 6 week old kittens at work and loved them!  He was so gentle with them and let them crawl over all his body.  He is also getting a lot more interested in his toys.  He’ll entertain himself for hours with different toys we have here.  He is also bringing the ball or stick back consistently when we play fetch.  This week he decided that he wanted to start bringing toys to work.  Each morning I tell him to pick a toy and he’ll go find one (or two!) that he wants to bring.  He’s so proud of himself and insists on carrying the toys in his mouth to the car and at work. 

He has been doing really well on his recall, though he’s not always willing to come if there is something exciting that he wants to go see.  I still wouldn’t trust him off-leash, but he has come a long way.  We have been working on introducing him to new people and situations.  I don’t think he’s met a person that he didn’t instantly love.  He is very good with greeting new people, he has never jumped up and will sit next to the new person and patiently wait for them to pet him.   He is a joy to have around and has such great manners; sometimes I forget that he is a 10 month old puppy!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Leo continues to do great in our home.  He is such a sweet and loving little guy!  He absolutely adores my daughter.  He is so gentle with her that she can now hold his leash on walks with no problem.  He has a lot more confidence in our house, though he still has no desire to get on any of the furniture or beds.  He has yet to counter surf, but has started to hang out in the kitchen more.  He likes to stand near me while I’m cooking, hoping I’ll drop something!  We have been working on him staying out of the kitchen while we are preparing food or eating.  

Leo has recently learned “wait,” “stay,” and “go get your ball.”  I make him “wait” before going out the door, before eating, getting out of the car, etc.  I can put a treat on the floor in front of him and tell him to wait, and he will not take it until I tell him “ok.”  He is such a smart puppy!  I will tell him “go get your ball” and he will look everywhere for his tennis ball!  He has been playing fetch a lot more now, and wanting to interact with us while he plays.  He is doing a lot better with “come” as well.  

Here is a link of a video of Leo playing with a treat at my work this week.  He is such a goofy puppy!  
Click here to view

  

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Hi!  Leo here.  FM says I get to do an update!  I really like my foster home!  There is always something going on and they are busy, busy, busy!  Luckily, they bring me along most of the time!
 
We went to a “Beat State” picnic on Saturday.  Whatever that is.  All I know is everyone was wearing black and gold and cheering “Go Hawks!”  There were a lot of people to love me and even a Boxer named Tacoma to play with!  We ran and ran in the back yard until we couldn’t move.  I was so tired!  I sprawled out in the cool grass for a nap. 

At night FM sits by me and brushes me.  It feels soooo good that I sometimes fall asleep.  Sometimes she messes with my toes and uses this buzzing thing “to make them smooth.”   She calls it a nail grinder, but I don’t care, I just continue my nap.  I also love to have my teeth brushed!

FM says I am doing much better with my training.  I am pretty much perfect walking with a Gentle Leader, and pretty darn good with a regular collar as well!  I still turn on my “selective hearing” when FM tells me to “come,” but I am getting better.  I love my crate.  When I am tired and ready for bed, I go in and wait for FM to kiss me goodnight and give me a treat.  If I’m not already in my crate, she simply says “kennel” and I run in and wait for the yummy puppy treats she keeps nearby.  I have a special Nylabone that I keep in the crate to chew on in case I get bored.  Speaking of chewing, I am proud to say that I have not chewed up anything here!  Fm says she is so proud of me!  I do love to chew, but I am very good about getting my toys out and chewing on those.  I have snuck a stuffed animal or two from one of the bedrooms (the room that I’m not allowed in, with all the good kid toys and stuffed animals!)  I haven’t destroyed them (like I did with my new stuffed duck) and I dropped them as soon as I was caught. 

Another thing - I don’t really like to get on any of the human furniture.  FM will invite me up on the couch and I’ll get up for a few minutes, but then I get right back down.  I also don’t counter surf or get into the trash.  FM taught me to sit down before I get my dinner, now I run to where my bowl is and automatically sit down as soon as I hear her pouring the kibble into my bowl!  I wait very patiently!  I also take my time eating.  I actually chew my food, unlike some Goldens! 

FM told me that I am fitting in so well here!  Now that I am getting used to being here, I am not so hyper and even have some days where I want to be lazy!  FM has cut out the morning/lunch time walk since she has been so busy, and that’s fine with me!  We still go for a walk in the evening and that usually takes care of my excess energy.  I am mellow in the house most of the time - I can be found playing with my toys or napping next to FM’s chair or in my crate.  FM says that I am great dog to have around and that she has so much fun with me!  She also says that I will make some lucky family very happy!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

    Leo had a busy first week here!  Over the holiday weekend we were able to spend more time at home with Leo and learned many new things about him!  Leo has no storm anxiety, does fine left alone (in a crate), and is not afraid of loud noises.  We did a little re-modeling this weekend and the power tools did not bother him at all! 

        Leo does really well in the car.  I take him to work with me every day (30 minute commute).  He will either stand or sit on the back seat of my truck and look out the window.  Not only does he get an extra walk at lunch by coming to work with me, he also gets exposed to new sights, sounds, people, and pets.  I do plan on leaving him home a few days starting this week, so he can get used to being alone during the day.  Unfortunately, most people don’t get to take their pets to work, so he needs to get used to staying home during the day too.)

        It was also discovered that Leo does not get along with small dogs.  I’m not sure what it is about them, but he will not leave them alone.  We met with 2 small dogs today (male and female) and he was so focused on them that none of the dogs were able to enjoy themselves.  It’s not that he would hurt them, he is just obsessed with them and will not leave them alone.  He does fine with other dogs, he’s been around medium and large dogs and he hasn’t had a problem.

        Leo hit a huge milestone last night!  He actually played fetch with me!!  Until now, he would chase the ball, but would never bring it back.  He brought his ball to me and we played fetch (inside) for almost 20 minutes.  He wouldn’t do it outside (doesn’t want to give up his toy), but he really enjoys playing it inside.  I think with a little more work he will be able to enjoy playing fetch outside as well.  Leo enjoys toys of all types - balls, Nylabones, Kongs, robe toys, plastic water bottles, soft toys, etc.  He will destroy stuffed toys in record time!  He plays by himself really well.  He will entertain himself for hours with a few fun toys.  Leo does love attention, but he is not a velcro dog.

        Here’s a link to a video of silly Leo on Labor Day.  We were filling up the kiddie pool for him and he was HYPER!  He ran laps in the yard for about 10 minutes.  Then, after that, he decided to roll in the wet grass/mud until he was a nice chocolate color.  Another bath for Leo!  He is so good for baths, he just stands there (no shaking/spraying the bathroom with water) while I soap him up and rinse him.  Such a good boy!