Greetings everyone!  I apologize for the delay in updates on Abe. We've been keeping busy!
 
As I mentioned previously we've been working on training Abe on a number of things, mostly surrounding things to do with his resource guarding with people.  First I'll explain the other training - the counter surfing (if you want to call it that - standing up and looking but not touching/grabbing) - he's learned that's not okay and hasn't done it probably since last Monday - in over a week.  We've also been working to teach him "stay" - he knew sit pretty well but has gotten even better (faster and knows to do it on his own) but he wasn't real great with stay.  He's been doing very well with stay now.  Also, "wait", "OK" and "gentle" are things we've worked on teaching him while feeding him.  He's an extremely smart dog and picks up things very fast.
 
To work on his resource guarding with people while eating, we've been feeding him by hand (as I mentioned) and also doing a little bit of a few other things - first the last few handfuls of food we put in his dish and keep our hand in the dish - while he eats.  Then, we started adding the last 5 handfuls or so to the dish one handful at a time - adding each handful as he's already eating so he gets used to the idea of a hand reaching down toward his food bowl being a good thing.  Abe has learned to trust us very quickly and hasn't growled at us once since the earlier time I mentioned in my first update.  I've also been testing Abe with bones - we went to the pet store on Saturday and I let him smell all the good stuff - and pet him, etc while he was checking everything out - no reactions.  I picked out a bone with some peanut butter flavored stuff inside...  He thought that was very yummy!  But, he let me hold it for him and take it away from him multiple times on the way home - so that was awesome!  (He was working on eating it in the seat next to me on the way home).
 
Speaking of Saturday.  Abe and I spent the day together. I had to work (for about 3 hours), and an errand to run before going into work. The errand was about a 30 mile drive away from home, then work was another 15 mile drive from there.  Abe started out in the front seat next to me and decided about 2 minutes into the ride that he would move to the back seat.  He moved back there and instantly laid right down and fell right asleep! He reminded me of a baby getting tired in the car :-) He is absolutely perfect in the car! He patiently waited for me in the car during my 15 minute errand, then we were off to my work. Again, he went to sleep and enjoyed the ride :-)  Once we got to my work he was just a doll!  He made me cry actually. You see I recently lost my resident boy - Sammy 05-397 about 8 weeks ago. The week he passed I brought him into work with me and he was just an angel and wanted to do nothing but stay right by me and laid right by my feet, quiet as could be.  Abe and I got in my office and he laid right down - content as could be just to be right by me.  I wouldn't have even known he was there.  My door was open and lots of interesting things to get into out in our department area - but he wanted nothing to do with all of that (my resident Gracie could learn a thing or two from him in this area!!!). I took his leash off - and we went outside my department downstairs and down the hall - all over the building and he just followed me everywhere I went.  It really stood out to me while at work that day with him how much him and I have bonded.  Abe made me cry for two reasons that day - first off - obviously he reminded me of my Sammy... but also because it breaks my heart that we cannot keep him :-(  He is such an angel... and just loves his humans so much.
 
One more story!  Sorry, I'm good at writing novels! I almost forgot to tell you this! On Saturday, before Abe and I went on our trip to do the errand, go to work and the pet store, I had decided I would cut out the mats he had near his sensitive areas (in the back)...  you know where goldens get that long hair :-)  Abe let me cut them out and was just so happy to get the attention :-)  He was seriously the most calm dog I've ever done this with!  So, then I decided since he was doing so well I'd attempt to cut his nails - which I hadn't done yet with him.  He did not move a centimeter! He was just in pure heaven. He lets you poke and prod him and just looks at you with these eyes that say "thanks for loving me!".  The very last nail I cut - one of his dew claws.. I cut the most tiny tiny piece off the very end... but I guess they had not been cut in some time... as the quick was at the very very end...   YIKES! Poor Abe!!!   The only reason I could even tell I cut too much is he pulled his leg a little tiny bit.  I then decided to look at his nail just cause of the slight reaction and I saw red.. oh no!!!  I felt HORRIBLE!  I was on our lighter colored carpet so thankfully there was a sock not too far away (Gracie loves socks and we always seem to find one around...   Abe doesn't touch them)...  I put a sock on his foot and we walked into the kitchen and I grabbed the qwik stopper stuff.  So again, here I am poking and prodding him and Abe was a completely sweetheart through the whole thing!  I still feel absolutely horrible I did that (BAD FOSTER MOM!!!).  I thought to myself if I was going to provoke a reaction out of Abe - it should have been right then and there... but nothing. In fact he did nothing but LICK me, as if to tell me it was ok. (I was a mess and kept apologizing and kissing him!).
 
I cannot tell you what a special dog Abe is.  Being a special dog, he just needs some special needs...  A family, as I've mentioned before, without any other dogs and without small children.  He just does not function well when eating around other dogs and every now and then a toy will provoke the same reaction from him it appears (we've slowly introduced toys to get a feel for his reactions... he had a reaction once with Gracie over a toy (he wants her toy, regardless that he has one in his mouth).   We have had no issues with Abe being aggressive in any way around Gracie when food or toys are not present while he's been at our house (11 days now). I also think Abe has a little too much of an interest in cats.  By that I mean he seems very interested in them and watches for them.  He has never gotten close to one here, but has seen them at various times and tried to chase them... and by chase them I mean a full fledged run down the hallway and stairs as fast as he possibly can after them!
 
So... in summary - if you'd love a handsome, loveable, cuddly fella and don't have any dogs, cats or small children - tell placement you'd like to meet Abe :-)

Okay, just a short update.  I wanted to clarify - Abe has NOT bit a person while eating (or any other time) - he's only growled.  He has not displayed any of this behavior to a person without food involved and he has not displayed this behavior with other dogs except when food or attention (where two dogs were wanting the same person's attention) were involved.  We haven't seen him act that way in relation to people's attention while he's been at our house.  His previous foster dad said an easy fix to the attention was to have one dog on one side and the other dog on the other side of him.  Abe has gotten along fine with our resident Gracie outside of the food situation.
 
So - I mention this because if you are interested in him (and don't have another dog) but are worried about casually meeting other dogs - this shouldn't be a problem at all.  So long as you don't try to feed them around each other, etc they will be completely fine.  I don't get the impression that his jealousy over people attention would develop until Abe had gotten to know the other dog a little better (like a dog in his life that he was in regular competition with, etc) so meeting other dogs casually I wouldn't expect to be a problem.  (In the 4 days he's been at our house he has not displayed any signs of getting jealous for attention).
 
Abe is SUCH a sweetheart!!!!  We have been working on some training with him and he is a very, very fast learner.  He seems very eager to please.  Honestly, outside of the food situation with Gracie the other day - I cannot say enough great things about him (I know I'm repeating myself, but I cannot stress this enough!) This wonderful boy just needs to be in the right home (without other dogs and with no small children) and he will flourish!  Email placement if you are interested in learning more about this guy or meeting him.  You won't be sorry, I promise :-)  You will love this handsome fella!