Remembered

Thor is a moose of a guy with huge bones.  He’s 97 lbs. of cuddles.

Thor was originally rescued from Town Lake Animal Shelter as a stray, over a year ago.  He was in terrible condition in the spring of 2000 – flea & tick infested and 11 lbs. heavier, filthy ears, filthier coat, sparse fur, heavily matted, and the worst – he had been recently sprayed by a skunk.  Thor proved to be gentle, affectionate, and somewhat afraid of thunderstorms.  My most vivid memory of Thor was at 2:00 a.m., while the lightning cracked and the thunder popped.  Thor & I were camped in the living room.  The only place Thor felt safe was snuggled next to me, on the couch.  We shared a pillow all night long, skunk odor wafting around us.

This summer Thor’s adoptive parents returned him to our program. They did not have any other dogs or pets or children, so it was a quiet household.  Thor wanted to be with his parents all the time.  If they were outside in the pool, he scratched at the patio screen to get to them.  If they had company & didn’t want him in the same room, Thor barked through the closed door. 

We brought Thor back to our home for foster care & evaluation…  Thor is doing great with my six (!) other Goldens, so I wonder if he would do best in a busy household with multiple pets.  He is a buffalo who shoves through doorways & is unaware that he squishes the rest of us as he moves from spot to spot.    Thor gently kisses the other dogs & likes to lie near them.  He was allowed on our nightly 5:00 dog drive on his very first night here.  Seven Goldens packed in one Explorer, driving at 15 mph through the neighborhood, air conditioner on high.  There was not a single growl or rumble or groan. All the dogs approve of their friend Thor. 

Thor likes hanging out with all our Goldens, and loves tennis balls, carrying them around or fetching them in the yard.  Thor would like to play & wrestle with Agent Cooper age 11, but the Oldster is too fragile to rough house with such a big & strong playmate.  Coop mutters to Thor, “Are you nuts?  My bones would shatter if I wrestled with you!”  Little Rocky Ping Pong age 10 weighs in at 56 lbs.  He is afraid Thor will accidentally crush him, so he spends much of his time in safe zones (couch, under things, in Gary’s office).

We tried baby gating Thor alone in the kitchen, the first time we left him.  He evidentially can hoist himself over the tall gates, which are anchored into the wall.  We returned to find him in the living room with the 6 other Goldens, pleased as punch.  Now when we leave the house, we leave Thor loose with everyone else.  This works fine.   Interestingly, we tried putting Thor on one side of a baby gate with the other dogs, when company came over.  Thor did not bark or try to climb over the tall baby gate as long as he was with our other Goldens.  During thunderstorms, Thor likes to hide in his big plastic kennel which he considers his 'safe zone'. 

We really like this big lug.  He is as enjoyable as we remembered.  Thor would enjoy a  positive obedience class and could also stand a ballet class to become graceful!  Thor would enjoy a home with other canine companions or else one where humans were home with him a lot.  He is a true Golden in that he hates to be alone.

08/17/01:

Update from Thor’s foster mother –

 Thor was in the running for “Mr. Perfect” until the day the UPS truck pulled in front of our house.  I had lined seven bowls on the kitchen counter, preparing the Goldens’ lunch.  Dry food on the bottom, scoops of canned food in the middle, vitamins & minerals on top.  My entourage encircled me as I worked.  When the doorbell rang, the gang sent up a cacophony of barking, dead certain that Hitler’s troops had come to annihilate us all.  We blasted toward the front door as fast as our legs could carry us.  Moments later, six Goldens accompanied me back to the kitchen, merrily investigating our exciting new cardboard box.  We were stunned to spot Golden #7 – Thor, front feet on the counter, tall as a man, delicately eating canned food from every single bowl. 

 The Big Guy is actually doing wonderfully in foster care.  We are quite proud of him.  Thor is kind hearted and silly and loyal and a team player.  He is snoring behind me, as I type.  Thor was gentle & considerate of Ancient Hazel age 14-15.  Thor offered Hazel a play bow & asked her to wrestle.  She politely declined, and Thor accepted the rebuff like a gentleman.

He still does goofy things like giving sloppy wet kisses, or carrying around a ripped up sheepskin toy. Thor sleeps quietly all night long, unless I can’t sleep.  Then he joins me in the living room where we watch television & wish morning would come.  He is a friend, a companion, a buddy.  He has been an easy foster son, and we are happy to share our home with him.

Update 08/23/01:

08/23/01  Thor (aka Jumbo) is moving closer to receiving his "Doggie Excellence Award."  Gary walked our Golden Retriever crew in 3 shifts this evening.  His report for Thor, on a leash:

"Thor is better than any of our dogs on a leash!  He was perfect.  He never veered off the sidewalk, and never stopped to pee. Thor is naturally a very fast walker, probably because of his long legs.  I matched his gait, and at that speed he did not pull at all.  Thor was very, very pleasant to walk."

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