Clyde 10-130

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I would like to welcome Clyde, our honorary golden, to the RAGOM family!  He weighs 70+ pounds, but that amount will be exacted after a visit to the vet.  He was born in July 2009, so he is approximately 9 months old.  Clyde is still a puppy and was surrendered because he was too much for the family. 

I have found that Clyde is very smart and wants to please.  Due to this I think that he should be put through some obedience.  He reportedly had some obedience but I believe that his adoptive family should take him through themselves to reinforce what was learned prior and to build upon that.  Since he is so smart he will need to be kept occupied through exercise and obedience.  With these two components, he will be an absolutely perfect dog!

Clyde is, for lack of a better term, a strong brickhouse.  He has muscles and isn't afraid to use them!  He needs a gentle leader for walks otherwise he has the capacity to pull you wherever he wants to go :-)  Again, with obedience this is something that can be worked on and eliminated as an issue.  Not only is his body strong, but he has a monster of a tail!  This thing can be heard for miles when he is happy :-) 

He met my 3 dogs with no issues on his part, other than be a little scared - but who wouldn't be scared being met by 3 large exhuberent dogs!  He is in love with Millie and they are constantly playing with each other, chasing each other around my living room, giving kisses and play bowing.  He hasn't been reading the signals of my two male residents.  They have been raising their lip when he tries to take their toys/bones and he isn't backing off.  I'm hoping that this is just some of his puppy naitivity.

I took him on a homevisit today and it really took him a little while to settle down.  He was very excited to be in a new place and needed to explore the whole house.  I found out that he also bonds well with males.  He has nothing against us females, however he really took to the guy at the homevisit. 

Although Clyde hasn't been here for long, I can tell that everything he does is because he needs attention.  He wants nothing more than to be pet by you, hugged by you, giving big slobbery kisses to you.  He wants to be near you and he needs positive reinforcement.  I have found that if he needs redirection and this is given in a neutral tone with lots of loving afterwards that he is very receptive to this!   He is an incredibly smart dog who needs an outlet for that.

Of course, being a puppy means he needs lots of exercise too!  He was receiving daily runs at his previous home but I think that a few walks a day, combined wtih attention, and tasks to help him use his mind he will not need that high of a level of exercise.  Of course, if you are a runner all the better :-)

I have found that he truly loves kids.  Unfortunately he loves them so much that he will knock them down in his exuberence.  Due to this and the fact that he has a very strong tail that I can see hitting a kid in the face, I am saying that he needs to be in a home with older kids.  With younger kids they are at risk for being inadvertedly hurt. 

It was reported by his surrendering family that his recall is not so hot, especially when on the trail of a critter such as a bird.  He gets so distracted that he doesn't come when called.  Due to this, I think a fence would be the optimal thing for him, unless you are commited to several levels of obedience.  He has really started listening to me and my directions but I haven't and won't be letting him off leash. 

Clyde is housetrained!  Although he has only been here for a short while, I can lthat he is housetrained because he hasn't marked my carpet which has been thoroughly marked by Millie's UTI's and former fosters :-)  I watched him and he didn't make a move to potty, he smelled and moved on!

He is exceptional in cars!  I keep him in the back seat and he immediately lays down.  I also figured out that him being in a car is like a baby being in a car as it puts him straight to sleep! 

So if you're home can accomodate the needs of a puppy; exercise, obedience, occasional puppy misteps and you love giving belly rubs and getting slobbery kisses, please let your placement advisor know!

 

At a Glance #10-130

Mixed Breed Born: July 2009
Male 73 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

I would like to welcome Clyde, our honorary golden, to the RAGOM family!  He weighs 70+ pounds, but that amount will be exacted after a visit to the vet.  He was born in July 2009, so he is approximately 9 months old.  Clyde is still a puppy and was surrendered because he was too much for the family. 

I have found that Clyde is very smart and wants to please.  Due to this I think that he should be put through some obedience.  He reportedly had some obedience but I believe that his adoptive family should take him through themselves to reinforce what was learned prior and to build upon that.  Since he is so smart he will need to be kept occupied through exercise and obedience.  With these two components, he will be an absolutely perfect dog!

Clyde is, for lack of a better term, a strong brickhouse.  He has muscles and isn't afraid to use them!  He needs a gentle leader for walks otherwise he has the capacity to pull you wherever he wants to go :-)  Again, with obedience this is something that can be worked on and eliminated as an issue.  Not only is his body strong, but he has a monster of a tail!  This thing can be heard for miles when he is happy :-) 

He met my 3 dogs with no issues on his part, other than be a little scared - but who wouldn't be scared being met by 3 large exhuberent dogs!  He is in love with Millie and they are constantly playing with each other, chasing each other around my living room, giving kisses and play bowing.  He hasn't been reading the signals of my two male residents.  They have been raising their lip when he tries to take their toys/bones and he isn't backing off.  I'm hoping that this is just some of his puppy naitivity.

I took him on a homevisit today and it really took him a little while to settle down.  He was very excited to be in a new place and needed to explore the whole house.  I found out that he also bonds well with males.  He has nothing against us females, however he really took to the guy at the homevisit. 

Although Clyde hasn't been here for long, I can tell that everything he does is because he needs attention.  He wants nothing more than to be pet by you, hugged by you, giving big slobbery kisses to you.  He wants to be near you and he needs positive reinforcement.  I have found that if he needs redirection and this is given in a neutral tone with lots of loving afterwards that he is very receptive to this!   He is an incredibly smart dog who needs an outlet for that.

Of course, being a puppy means he needs lots of exercise too!  He was receiving daily runs at his previous home but I think that a few walks a day, combined wtih attention, and tasks to help him use his mind he will not need that high of a level of exercise.  Of course, if you are a runner all the better :-)

I have found that he truly loves kids.  Unfortunately he loves them so much that he will knock them down in his exuberence.  Due to this and the fact that he has a very strong tail that I can see hitting a kid in the face, I am saying that he needs to be in a home with older kids.  With younger kids they are at risk for being inadvertedly hurt. 

It was reported by his surrendering family that his recall is not so hot, especially when on the trail of a critter such as a bird.  He gets so distracted that he doesn't come when called.  Due to this, I think a fence would be the optimal thing for him, unless you are commited to several levels of obedience.  He has really started listening to me and my directions but I haven't and won't be letting him off leash. 

Clyde is housetrained!  Although he has only been here for a short while, I can lthat he is housetrained because he hasn't marked my carpet which has been thoroughly marked by Millie's UTI's and former fosters :-)  I watched him and he didn't make a move to potty, he smelled and moved on!

He is exceptional in cars!  I keep him in the back seat and he immediately lays down.  I also figured out that him being in a car is like a baby being in a car as it puts him straight to sleep! 

So if you're home can accomodate the needs of a puppy; exercise, obedience, occasional puppy misteps and you love giving belly rubs and getting slobbery kisses, please let your placement advisor know!

 

Updates

Sunday, May 23, 2010

From Clyde's forever family...

Here is a picture of Clyde playing frisbee in the backyard. He loves to play with the frisbee and tennis balls and will play all day if given the opportunity! Clyde and my parent's dog, Buddy, are getting better and are beginning to play with each other: usually they taunt each other with a stick, ball, or frisbee and then go running around the yard. I believe Clyde almost got worn out the other day after Buddy left.

He thinks he's lap dog and will try (and has succeeded) in sitting on my lap while sitting in a chair. He hasn't figured out how to properly climb up on the furniture- he prefers to jump from behind or from the ends. I no longer need a tv, Clyde is my source of entertainment, excitement, and not getting anything 'productive' done!

Monday, May 10, 2010

My how time flies!  Clyde has been busy busy here at casa la dog.  He has a girlfriend, Millie, whom he gives so much love and attention to.  They are constantly giving each other kisses in between the zoomies.  They now lay together when napping at times too.  So very cute. 

He still continues to torment my poor kitty, Gizmo.  He now has a couple owwies on his nose to indicate his obsession.  Gizmo really wants to like him and will do the kitty give me love and attention sounds, but Clyde just overwhelms him.  Due to their intense love affair, Clyde now sleeps in Gizmo's spot during the day (see the pics).  He thinks, rather knows, that a 70 pound dog is meant to lay on the back of a couch!

I no longer kennel him at night as he knows "bedtime, go lay down" and he will find a place to rest his head.  I gate all the dogs in my bedroom so there are no midnight walks so he quickly learned that there is no fun to be had staying up when everyone else is asleep.

Clyde went to the PetCo event in Maplewood on Saturday and had a blast!  He met so many people and didn't meet one he disliked!  He also got introduced to lots of different dogs and had a great time horsing around, especially with Spice!  He had some mild barking, but otherwise he was a complete cuddle bug!

I cannot say enough about how sweet and loving this guy is.  He is literally a complete goofball who will steal your heart.  If you think you'd like to meet him, please contact your placement advisor!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

I'll be honest, Clyde is a fantasticly goofy dog who hasn't stopped making me laugh since he arrived.  The vet used a very highly diagnostic label for him "leggy doofus" and I think that fits perfectly.  He has rolled off the couch at least a dozen times trying to show me his tummy, he jumped in the shower with me this morning and is, in general, a happy dog! Clyde and my cat Gizmo have an interesting relationship.  Gizmo is a very dog saavy kitty and therefore puts up with the craziness of fostering.  Clyde has an absolute facination with Gizmo and wants to give kisses and smell his bum whenever possible.  Gizmo hasn't pulled out his claws yet but I can hear the open pawed slaps he lays on Clyde from across the room!  I included a couple pictures of Gizmo playing with Clyde's tail.  I tried to get a video of their interaction but all you could hear was me laughing.  Due to how he is interacting with Gizmo, I think he would be better off without a cat in his furever home.  He hasn't tried to hurt Giz and I don't see him hurting any cat but if you have a somewhat sensitive kitty, you don't need Clyde pestering him.


 Clyde would do well as an only dog because then he could get all the attention himself!  He is a clown and does require a bit of energy (which puppy doesn't!?).  However, he really loves playing so if you have another dog that has a similar level of energy he would do well with that as well.  What he wouldn't do well with is a dog like my two males, who are just putting up with him until he leaves.  He is learning to respect them and their space but still thinks that if he gets in their faces a little bit more they might learn to love him.  Clyde met a couple under 10 pound dogs at the vet this weekend and did perfectly so I know he could live with a small dog too.

Another positive for Clyde is he has no resource guarding.  He has been playing with a toy or sitting by a bone and Millie will come and take it away from him and he just looks at her like "what??" and lets the prize go without a sound or movement.  He just happily moves on to the next toy.  And speaking of toys, he has some toy ADHD which means you will need to have a lot of toys to keep him happy.  He also eats in my small kitchen at the same time as the other 3 dogs and has no issues with that either.  He sits to get his food like the rest of them and doesn't flinch when they finish first and stand around watching and waiting for him to be done as well.

I have found that what Clyde needs more than exercise is consistency.  He needs someone who can set up healthy boundaries and follow through on them.  He now knows that if he wants to be pet, he needs to sit.  So, he now comes up to me and sits down looking like the proudest little dog in the world.  No matter what I am doing, I stop and tell him "good sit" and give him a cuddle.  If he jumps, he is told "off" and he'll then sit and get a cuddle.  He is learning that there is no positive reinforcement (ie any kind of touch) for not being in control.  He has a good handle on this, however he needs the reinforcement everyday.  With this reinforcement, he will be a well adjusted and happy dog!  Along with this reinforcement he needs assurance that he is being a good dog and that he is loved.  He is truly a velcro dog and follows me around everywhere.

I always kennel my foster dogs overnight for not only the safety of the pack, but it gives my fosters a chance to feel safe and comfortable falling asleep and lets me sleep too!  The first night it took about 30-60 seconds for him to lay down and fall asleep but the second night he went right in and laid down.  I think he too was happy to have a little sanctuary.

Clyde is a fantastic dog who will make some family very lucky!  With consistency, attention and love he will grow out of his puppy-ness and will be a well rounded fantastic dog!  He will make you laugh on a daily basis with his antics.  If you would like to meet Clyde or know more about him, please contact your placement advisor.  He is waiting to hear from YOU!