Rupert 08-394

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Allow me to introduce my new friend, Rupert. Rupert is a gorgeous 5 year old male (neutered) Golden Retriever/Lab mix. Rupert needs a new home because his family had to move and they couldn't take him along. Rupert had been in a Humane Society for 2 1/2 months before he came into RAGOM's care.

This is one big boy! We are told he weighs 85 pounds and I'm excited to get him on a scale to check. I think he may weigh more than that. I'm sending along a picture of Rupert and our black dog Emma to show their size difference. Our dog weighs about 55 pounds and Rupert is MUCH larger. He has been in our home for less than 24 hours so far but I can tell you that he is gentle, housebroken, and knows basic commands like "sit" and "down". He LOVES tennis balls and we're told he really likes to swim. He heard the neighborhood children outside this morning and Rupert stood by the window watching them, wagging his tail. He appears to like children. We'll learn more soon.

We brushed out his coat for some time last night and will continue this job today as he is pretty matted. He had a badly needed bath/shower this morning and feels much cleaner. He has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday for an exam but he seems to be in good general health.

More information to come as we all get to know each other better.

 

At a Glance #08-394

Mixed Breed Born: July 2003
Male Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

Allow me to introduce my new friend, Rupert. Rupert is a gorgeous 5 year old male (neutered) Golden Retriever/Lab mix. Rupert needs a new home because his family had to move and they couldn't take him along. Rupert had been in a Humane Society for 2 1/2 months before he came into RAGOM's care.

This is one big boy! We are told he weighs 85 pounds and I'm excited to get him on a scale to check. I think he may weigh more than that. I'm sending along a picture of Rupert and our black dog Emma to show their size difference. Our dog weighs about 55 pounds and Rupert is MUCH larger. He has been in our home for less than 24 hours so far but I can tell you that he is gentle, housebroken, and knows basic commands like "sit" and "down". He LOVES tennis balls and we're told he really likes to swim. He heard the neighborhood children outside this morning and Rupert stood by the window watching them, wagging his tail. He appears to like children. We'll learn more soon.

We brushed out his coat for some time last night and will continue this job today as he is pretty matted. He had a badly needed bath/shower this morning and feels much cleaner. He has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday for an exam but he seems to be in good general health.

More information to come as we all get to know each other better.

 

Updates

Monday, October 13, 2008

 

Hello everyone! This is Rupert and his foster mom checking in to say hi!

Rupert has been with us for 7 weeks now and I can see how much calmer he is compared to when he first came to stay with us. He lounges around on the furniture, in the kitchen, and basically anywhere we are. His weight is down to 96 pounds! We also learned over the last few weeks that Rupert does not like water with slobber in it even if it's his own slobber. He'll get several big drinks out of a fresh bowl of water but if he slobbers in it, he won't drink from it until it's changed. It's really cute. I think we're spoiling him. He's still crazy for his tennis balls and can be puppy like when playing but he calms down nicely and acts more like the dog of 5 years that he is.

Rupert is not a perfect gentleman on leash like I wish he were although my husband says he walks nicely for him. Rupert and I took a nature walk along a wooded trail (no roads or traffic nearby) and I had him on a flexi leash minus the Gentle Leader and he seemed calmer and happier. It was an enjoyable walk but I know the flexi leash does not offer me much control so I wouldn't use it on a busy city street or similar area. It was a beautiful autumn day and we had a good time together. I'm sure Rupert can be taught to walk nicely on a leash but he needs a better teacher than we are. We're inconsistent and a dog can't learn that way.

He's still waiting for his fur-ever home. A home where he can be loved for just being himself, the big snuggle bug that he is. In the mean time, he'll be here hanging out with us and our dogs. He has alot of love and loyalty to share. If you would like to meet Rupert, please contact placementatragom [dot] org. Happy autumn everyone!

 

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Rupert says "woof" to all of the nice people that stopped and visited with him yesterday at the Petsmart Event. It took Rupert a bit to settle down in that type of semi-chaotic environment. It was his first "in-store" experience and he was clearly out of sorts for a while. He did eventually calm down but did not have most of his manners while we were there. He slept all the way home and was quite thirsty!

Rupert has been with us for 3 weeks now and has settled nicely into our routine. We weighed him yesterday and he is down to 100 pounds. He has 10 more pounds to lose to be at his ideal weight.  Rupert does need some training. He will occasionally jump up on people which is a no-no for a big guy like him. It is a common and easily corrected behavior and he has only done that a couple of times. He scratches at our exit door and gives a bark when we leave. He doesn't do it for long, but we want to mention it so that his readers are familiar with him. He does not initiate play with our 2 dogs. He's good with them and our cat but I don't think he needs other dogs around him to be happy. He still pulls like a bull when we go on walks.  We have used a Gentle Leader head collar and a Gentle Leader harness and get the same result with either one. Again, walking nicely is something he can learn through training but if you're envisioning a slow stroll through the park, it will take him a while to get there. I would not recommend having children or the frail walking him until he masters the loose leash technique. He's a young 5 years old and sometimes reminds me of a puppy.

The good news is he is completely healthy. He has the kindest eyes, sparkling white teeth, and loves to give and receive affection. He is not agressive and loves to snuggle. He loves children, but don't forget he might jump up on them until better trained. We have not exposed him to toddlers as there are none in our family. He loves to play fetch and will now sit and wait for you to throw the ball. I have pulled on his fur repeatedly to rid him of his tangles and he takes it well. He is a good dog and we love him to pieces. He has a big deep bark to accompany his size. If my dogs see something to bark at, he immediately joins them. I have to call them all in the house quickly out of respect for my neighbors.  Sometimes at night, he'll hear something to bark about. When the barking originates right next to my bed, it is quite jolting but I like the fact that he's paying attention while we sleep. We have not taken him swimming yet which is a shame because I bet he would be a champion swimmer with his strength and we're told that he really likes it. He keeps himself busy with his tennis balls, kongs, and any other ball given to him. He has shredded many stuffed animals along with rope tugs. We recommend sturdy dog toys for this fellow.  He does not counter surf or beg at the table. He's not a food monger and does not always finish his meals.

Rupert's head is on my lap and his tail is wagging as I type this. He's beautiful and happy and looks at me with adoring eyes. What more can I ask for?

If you want to meet Rupert, please e-mail placementatragom [dot] org.

 

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

He's an update on our buddy Rupert. He went to the vet today and weighed in at 104 pounds! Yep, we knew he was a big boy. He may be big, but he's a real sweetie. He was microchipped today, he is up to date on all of his shots, his stool sample was negative and he was given a heartworm preventative. His teeth are in grr-eat shape and the vet even thinks that he likely had a cleaning not too long ago. The only item to mention regarding his health is that his left ear has some yeast and bacteria in it, so we are treating that with a daily cleaner and ointment. Other than that, he's a healthy fellow.

Rupert has had free roam of half of the house while we're away at work and has had no problems at all. He didn't potty in the house nor did he disturb anything. What a good boy! He's working up to free roam of the whole house but I don't foresee any problems. He likes toys such as tennis balls, rope tugs, and Kongs. We make sure he has these things to keep him busy while we're gone. He loves to play fetch and is a gregarious retriever.

I should mention that Rupert makes a mess around the water dish when he drinks. He drools and splashes but we certainly don't mind. As far as our house goes, that's normal behavior. His kisses are equally wet but oh, so precious and gentle. We can't tell if Rupert has ever been leash walked before as he pulls a great deal against the Gentle Leader. Weighing 104 pounds, he has a lot to pull with! He is showing signs of improvement each day as he is a bit calmer with each walk. We walk him twice a day for 30 minutes.

We have many of his knots combed out of his fur and his coat looks much better but we're not done yet. He has ignored the cat thus far but will give a light whine on occasion when the cat passes by. His previous family said that he is good with cats and lived with 2 of them. At night, Rupert sleeps in our bedroom. Sometimes he chooses to sleep in the dog bed and sometimes on the floor. He quietly sleeps all night long. Rupert is not skittish at all.

He is good with our 2 girl dogs but doesn't initiate play with them at this point. He has been with us for only 3 days and we may see this change.

Rupert is looking for his forever home. Please contact placementatragom [dot] org if you would like to meet this happy fellow.