Adopted
Pete...
He was wandering Highway 620 all alone…no tags, no food, and no prospects. But
he had spirit, and he was hungry. And lucky! He crossed the path of a wonderful
Good Samaritan, who brought the “walking skeleton” into her home and named him
Petey—because it rhymes with “sweetie,” which perfectly fits his personality.
(When we heard his name, we thought it was P.D., for Pretty Dog – that fits him
too.) The Good Sam nursed Petey back to health, even treating a heavy load of
heartworms, and kept him safe and sound for several months—but though her home
was filled with love, it wasn’t fenced. She realized that a peppy young Golden
needs a safe place to play and run, so she called on GRR.
With his great smile, his ready-to-go energy, and his lovable nature, Petey/P.D.
will fit into an active family. He loves people, loves stuffed toys, and loves
to be on your lap. He wasn’t at all shy or nervous about moving in with us and
our two 9-year-old Goldens. At about 2 years old, he’s nearing the end of the
“uncontrolled missile” phase of puppyhood, but he still has that boundless
energy that lights up the place sometimes. He was neutered not long ago—on April
10—but he recovered quickly and wanted to play with anybody and everybody within
a week!
A lost neighborhood dog was delivered to us, probably as the resident “dog
people.” Petey played with him non-stop for hours, until his owners were located
and came to pick up their (now-tired) pooch. Afterwards Petey was very mellow
for a few days – winding down from all that fun! Speaking of fun, we have lots
of it when we try to get him into a car. We don’t know whether it will be the
“hop-quickly-into-the-car-Petey” or
“step-gingerly-into-the-car-one-foot-at-a-time-Petey” when we take him for rides
or to go swimming. It’s fun to watch. He rides nicely, and sometimes wants to
move into the front seat to supervise. Petey had to stay out of the water for
two weeks following his neuter, but he’s shown us that he likes to swim, and
he’s a good swimmer. We haven’t tried him out on fetching balls in the water
yet, but expect he’ll do just fine.
He’s definitely on the slim side, but he has a good appetite. He’s not
protective about his food. He would like to chase the outdoor cats he encounters
on walks, but his former owner said he basically ignored the indoor cat he lived
with for several months, so we think he’ll have no problem living with cats.
He’s mellow during storms, unperturbed by thunder and lightning – just another
example of how comfortable he feels about himself and his surroundings.
Petey is healthy and totally housebroken. He sleeps on the floor next to our bed
through the night without any problems or noise. He’ll quietly snooze at your
feet when you are typing stories about him on the computer or watching TV. And
sometimes he’ll “worm” his way onto your lap and keep you company his preferred
way. Petey loves to greet you with a ball, toy, or stuffed animal in his mouth
and will fetch it if you throw it for him. But like many a Golden, he’s not the
best at actually giving it up once he’s fetched it! He has been caught gnawing
at the corners of pillows and stuffed doggie beds when he’s too lazy to get his
stuffed animal toys, so he’ll need watching, a good alternative to chewing, and
some extra training.
He doesn’t jump up to greet you. He likes to meet children on our walks; in his
former home, he was best pals with a nine-year-old boy, so we know he’ll do
great with kids. He’d be a fine “only dog,” but he’ll also fit in great with a
family that already has a dog or two. He gets along. He needs help in learning
to come when he’s called, and will benefit from a training course with his new
family.
Petey has it all: super disposition, plenty of energy, and fantastic potential.
He’s wonderful, loving, and fun—everything a Golden Retriever is meant to be.