We are delighted to welcome Kinnick to RAGOM. Kinnick is a 1-year-old “Gold Labradoodle” (according to his original vet) who spent his first year of life tied up outside and without the human interaction he so desires. He is just a big puppy who wants to be with his humans—a “10” on the affection scale!

Kinnick came to RAGOM via a wonderful rescue and veterinarian in Iowa who worked with Kinnick’s owners to surrender him. His coat was so dirty and matted that it needed to be shaved off, so he looks less like a Labradoodle but his hair will grow back.

Kinnick loves cuddling and wants to be in physical contact—he seems to think he is a lap dog. Frequently throughout my work-from-home day, he will come up and lay is head in my lap, gaze up at me with those big brown eyes, and give a long sigh. He is also happy to snuggle with our resident Golden Retriever or Cavalier.

Kinnick is very playful with both of our dogs and shows no aggressive behaviors. He is appropriately playful with humans but we are not sure how he would be with younger children.

We have had numerous “strangers” at our house over the last few days with construction underway in our home, and Kinnick has not shown any fear or aggression. He is also a perfect boy with respect to his food: I can remove his bowl or play with his food and he is just fine with it all.

Kinnick has not had any training in the first year of his life, so he does not know the basic commands. We have begun leash training and found that a chest Gentle Leader works the best. He is not opposed to it so I think he will catch on quickly. He really enjoys going on his walks and does well on his leash.

The other training objective we are working on is house training. It has been our first priority since he was not accustomed to being in a house. The first couple of days were rough, but he is now catching on and we have not had an accident for a few days. He is a smart boy and really wants to please, so it is important that he get immediate positive reinforcement.

His favorite toys are the ones that squeak, and his routine is to take the toys out of the basket one by one until they are all spread out. Unfortunately, he has not yet learned how to put them back in the basket!

The forever home and family for Kinnick will need to be an active family who can give him time and attention for training and exercise. Given Kinnick’s size and exuberance coupled with his delayed training, a family with older children, 10 and over, would be best for him.

Because Kinnick spent his first year of life tied up outdoors, he should not be on a tie out. Rather, he will require a home with a fenced yard where he can safely enjoy the freedom of running around.

The family should also be committed to some form of obedience training. While not mandatory, I think Kinnick would also do best in a family that has another dog that can help him learn to play; size of the other dog is not important.

It is unknown as to how he would do with a cat. My sense is that he would want to play versus hunt as we have not witnessed a high prey drive.

Kinnick is such a wonderful boy: very sweet, smart, and focused on pleasing his humans. He is learning and gaining more confidence each day.