Hunter 05-00-146

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11/22/05: Hunter arrived back in the Twin Cities in a flurry of gorgeous red tail wagging! He's young and energetic for his age, he's curious about everything, and he's full of energy and is a beautiful dog. Right now, he's chewing on a tennis ball, waiting for a call to help someone out with their Thanksgiving leftovers!

At a Glance #05-00-146

Breed not specified Born: January 1998
Male Weight not specified

Status: Adopted

Profile

11/22/05: Hunter arrived back in the Twin Cities in a flurry of gorgeous red tail wagging! He's young and energetic for his age, he's curious about everything, and he's full of energy and is a beautiful dog. Right now, he's chewing on a tennis ball, waiting for a call to help someone out with their Thanksgiving leftovers!

Updates

Thursday, January 5, 2006

Hunter had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s Holiday, and was a very good boy while we watched several college bowl games together. Hunter would lie quietly on the floor with his Nylabones and tennis ball. I cheered wildly for my alma mater and Hunter thought that was fun. His tail was wagging nonstop for nearly four hours. We even won the game!

Hunter comes when called and during our daily trip to the golf course, I let him loose for a few minutes. He has earned that, and since Zoom was with us the danger of him running away was nonexistent. The golf course was covered in 6 inches of new snow, and Hunter and Zoom had the best time running and burrowing into the snow. Every time the two “kids” would venture more than 50 yards away, I would call their names and they would try to outrun each other back to me. They had a very good time and by the time we were ready to go home, the two walked slowly behind me trying stay in my tracks. It was a very peaceful night in our house after that adventure.

Hunter’s behavior at home is predictable now that we have had him for a month. He likes to be with either Gail or I and will follow us around the house. If I am upstairs, he will come up and check on me. If we are upstairs and he hears someone downstairs, he’ll go down to check on what is occurring there. The bottom line is Hunter likes to be around people. We have never seen him try to get on a sofa, futon or bed. I think he was trained as a puppy not to climb on furniture. While Zoom loves to sit on the futon and look out the window, Hunter is content to watch the activities outdoors from the floor. We also have noticed that he doesn’t shed as much as the other fosters we have had in our care. Hunter is low maintenance in many respects. He needs to have his chew items, people contact, and attention, but he is not an overwhelming dog.

As I have mentioned, we think the world of him and he would make a terrific companion for most people. Please give him your consideration when contemplating a RAGOM dog. Call or email RAGOM and they’ll forward that information to us. After receiving your interest, we’ll discuss it with Hunter and go from there.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Hunter has been with us for three weeks and during that time he made an easy and quick adjustment to our house and routine. We know he loves treats and food, but there is more to this almost 8-year old dog. He is great with other dogs after he has a little to time to get to know them. He respects their space and possessions, and he doesn’t guard resources. Zoom and Hunter share the sun room every day and when we return home Zoom’s toys are where Zoom put them and Hunter’s toys are with Hunter, at least that is the way it appears. Nothing else in the room is ever disturbed. Hunter is a very good boy when we are away.

Hunter adores affection and loves to be petted. He loves to sit on the floor next to us as we scratch his ears. He also loves to chew on his tennis bones (balls), Nylabones, or racket balls. There is no question he likes to chew, but only on those items that are provided to him. He has never chewed on shoes, furniture, books, etc. Hunter loves to walk or run; the more he can get out and exercise the happier he is. We have a routine of going to a golf course every night regardless of the weather and walk the 3.5-mile perimeter. On occasion, I will drop the leash and let Hunter go where ever he wants. Hunter is not one to roam or run away. He walks ahead of me, rarely getting more than 50 feet away, and he comes back when his name is called. The one thing about an 8-year old dog is that he recognizes his name and knows that come means come.

Hunter is a dog that can take or leave playing with other dogs, but he is very sociable. By that, he doesn’t engage in tug-of-war, initiate the chase, or play fight, but is very friendly to other dogs when they are together in our backyard. He hasn’t shown any signs of wanting to be the alpha dog. With regard to play time, we are not sure if he is not interested because he is older or he never learned how to play. On occasion, he will chase Zoom around the backyard but that activity doesn’t typically last very long, much to Zoom’s disappointment. When Phoebe, a Beagle-Bassett mix, came over to play he joined in the fun for a while, but after 15-20 minutes of chase he decided to let the younger kids go it alone.

Considering Hunter’s behavior, we think he would interact wonderfully with another dog, but we don’t think we would be that playful with a younger, higher energy dog. We also think he would do very well as a single dog in a family. Little kids might be a problem because he is always looking for a free treat, and he would consider a child’s sandwich, cookie, or anything edible just that. To be on the safe side, Hunter shouldn’t be considered too seriously by a family that has children under 8-10 years old.

Hunter is a warm, affectionate, wonderful dog that is all Golden all the time. He is handsome, loving, and inquisitive. He doesn’t get on the furniture and sleeps through the night in our bedroom. He needs love, attention and exercise to be happy, as well as a few treats. In turn, he will be your Velcro buddy and never have you out of sight when you are home. He is the perfect dog to greet you after a hard day because his tail wags constantly. If you think he may be the perfect dog for you, please call or email RAGOM.

Monday, December 5, 2005

At the request of Zoom, we asked if we could foster Hunter until he finds his forever home. After Max (05-240) and Nevi (05-295) were adopted in the past few weeks, Zoom has been home alone with no dogs to share her toys and playtime. We looked through the list and although Hunter had a foster, Zoom pleaded until he came to our house.

Hunter is wonderful, happy, tail-wagging Golden Retriever, who has shown us the calm side of his demeanor since he joined our pack. He seems to have left his nervous, frenetic behavior behind. All we know of him is an affectionate, big reddish dog who loves to run, play ball, and chew on nylon bones and tennis balls. If fact, we have renamed tennis balls to “tennis bones” just for Hunter. At 7½ years, however, he doesn’t play with Zoom nearly as much as we thought he would.

Hunter is not tall, but he is broad. He weighs about 75 pounds and wags his tail constantly and not out of nervousness; he just likes people and he shows it. He is a food hound, however, like most Goldens and he can stay busy looking for and sniffing out “free” treats. We have caught him a few times looking over the counter, but our counter is clean and there is nothing there to tempt him. We have seen his counter-surfing tendencies subside over the last few days.

Hunter stays in the Sun Room with Zoom all day. He gets along famously with her (from the first hour on), and when we arrive home nothing is disturbed. At night, Zoom and Hunter go with me for a 3-4 mile run in the golf course. Hunter loves to walk or run, and can do so seemingly for hours. He is very good on a Gentle Leader and seems to know in advance which way I plan to turn. So far, the longest we have run is 4 miles and he has kept up with me to the end. After the run, it is home to dinner. Hunter likes food, there is no doubt about that, and can consume his dinner in a matter of seconds. Since he eats alone, so that there is no fear of interference, we are teaching him to wait before he eats. Maybe this will slow down his eating pace a bit. At night, he likes to lay by our side and chew on his tennis balls or Nylabones. Sometimes, he will just lie there peacefully and watch events unfold from the carpet. At night, he sleeps by our bed.

You have to meet Hunter to appreciate him. His photo does not show how handsome he is. He is not a frenetic dog with a destructive behavior; quite the opposite. So far, Hunter has shown us nothing but a handsome, loving dog that would be perfect, absolutely perfect, in a home with an active couple with older kids. He would fit in well with another dog, but he doesn’t need a playmate to be happy. He needs and loves exercise, so a routine which provide him a walk or run at least once a day would be wonderful for his physical and mental health.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Hunter, the barking madman who came to us 1 1/2 weeks ago, has turned into a very nice gentleman. I have been giving him Banana flower essences for being a bully, and his barking has stopped! This weekend when dogs came and went at our boarding facility, he no longer barked at everyone. He came out and met Buddy and Hank, nose to nose, sniffed, wagged his tail and went on to check out other things. WOW!

I groomed him today - shaved big mats from his groin area, and he rolled over on his own so I could do it. He was a perfect gentleman for grooming, did not object to anything!!!! Great for the bath and blow dry! He is a different dog! I know that essences work, but it always amazes me when there's such a dramatic difference.

Hunter is ready to find his forever home, and he comes with a bottle of Banana! You wouldn't believe this is the same dog that whined and barked the entire trip from the Cities to Balsam Lake!! He also knows sit, stay, and come. Did I mention he doesn't bark anymore?

Check out my before & after pics - I clean up real nice, don't I??