Rocket is a truly wonderful dog and if we did not already have a dog, we would adopt him ourselves. Right now Rocket is showing the wear and tear of the past few months. His fur has been shaved and he is overweight (back to this in a bit), but when the fur grows back and he gets back down to "dating weight", he is going to be drop-dead handsome. His fur is light brown -- my wife calls it rattan colored, he has gold-brown eyes and a perfect black nose; but, most of all, Rocket's face and carriage are lit up by enthusiasm, and intelligence.

This is the smartest dog I have ever known. He is uncannily aware. The average Golden needs to be shown something half a dozen times to learn it properly. It is enough to show Rocket twice. Rocket is hugely affectionate, loves pats, and will roll onto his back to get belly rubs -- and there are acres of belly to be rubbed (remember the  weight?). He bonded to us in just a couple of days and prefers to stay close; at the moment he is at my feet under the desk sleeping off his morning walk. Rocket is perfectly house trained and he stays off furniture without being told -- except he would climb onto the bed if we allowed it. We have been letting him roam freely in the house while we are at work with no ill consequences. He has had some obedience training, possibly professional training, and responds to "sit", "stay", "come", and "that's enough." He is the only dog I have owned or fostered that responds reliably to a  "down" command when it is given from a distance. He never jumps on people, is good with children as young as 5 years old, possibly even younger, although we have not had an opportunity to see him with toddlers.

Rocket and Woody, my Golden, got along together immediately. No hostilities, no jockeying for dominance. Rocket does chase cats, but the cats just move off a ways and settle down for a nap while waiting for him to catch up (remember the weight?). Rocket's health is excellent. He is 8 years old, but has the vigor of a much younger dog and should have many happy years with his forever family.  Now about that weight: Rocket is both big-boned and overweight.  Imagine the biggest Golden Retriever you have ever seen. Have one in mind? Now think bigger... No, even bigger. Rocket weighs 124 lbs. He is a sweet, giant, creampuff, a 124 lb cream puff! Rocket's proper weight is probably in the neighborhood of 85 or 90 lbs, already big for a Golden, but he is 30 to 40 lbs overweight.  He is strong and carries his weight surprisingly well, and is even able to run -- lumber, lumber -- short distances with me. He shows no signs of arthritis or Dysplasia, but breathes noisily. The noisy breathing is already much better and should go away entirely as he loses weight. Rocket has been placed on a stiff regimen of diet and exercise, but it will take months to take the weight off.  He is a wonderful pet for anyone who desires a loving creampuff to cuddle!

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