Adopted
Tommy is a
gorgeous little Golden boy found roaming the countryside by a Good Samaritan,
who then took him to the local shelter—who promptly turned the lucky little
fellow over to GRR. The vets put Tommy’s age at just 6 to 9 months, and he must
have spent most of his young life pretty much just fending for himself: when
found, he was skinny as a rail, covered in fleas, and had a terrible skin
condition from scratching so much. His coat was coarse and dull, and his feet
resembled brillo pads. But after just a week and a half in foster care, Tommy
looks like a whole different dog. His eyes are bright, he's gained a couple of
pounds, his fur is getting soft and shiny… and his skin has completely cleared
up! (He’s been enjoying lots of sponge baths, and just as soon as the stitches
from his neuter surgery come out, he is looking forward to a full luxury bubble
bath!)
Despite his rough start in life, Tommy has a heart of pure gold and a sweet
personality. During his first few days with us, he spent a lot of time in his
crate because he had just been neutered and, to be honest, I think he enjoyed
the rest and relaxation. But now he’s feeling perkier and getting to know what
it's like to live inside a real home, with good food, a soft bed, and lots of
love. He has fit in seamlessly with our dogs, one an alpha female and another an
alpha male. He gets along wonderfully with both of them, but he REALLY loves to
play with our 1-year-old Golden boy, Tucker.
Tommy loves to be petted and loved on, but he doesn’t pester you to continue if
you stop—he just lies down at your feet, waiting patiently for the next round of
love! He does well when people come to the house; he’s eager to see them, but he
doesn’t jump up. He would do well with children.
He is just now learning his commands, and although SIT is all he knows so far,
he is very smart (and food-motivated, which sure does help with training). We
are working on his other commands, and he is an attentive student. He is still
learning his name and doesn’t always come when you call him, but whistle and he
runs right to you. He would love obedience class! He is housetrained for the
most part, but we still watch him carefully and take him out every 30 minutes or
so. I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised at how well he has done with
this—I have raised and housetrained three puppies, and he has been the easiest
one yet! He is crate trained and goes in nicely when we put him up to leave the
house. Other than that, he is loose in the house when we are at home and sleeps
through the night by our bed on his cushion. He is so good that he even waits
for you to wake up before he gets up!
The biggest challenge we have with Tommy is pulling on a leash. He has been so
used to running and roaming the streets on his own that it is completely alien
to him to be tethered to something, and he wants to bolt as soon as the door
opens. He is getting better every day, and I know that with consistent training
and walks in his forever home, he will do just fine.
Tommy is a TOTAL SWEETHEART. If you are looking for a smart, gorgeous, loving
Golden puppy, and you have the time, understanding, and patience to train him,
love him, and give him the chance to learn to be a carefree puppy who knows he
can leave all the day-to-day worries to his family, this is your guy. He has
spent so much time on his own that he is still learning the connection between
human beings and himself, and learning to trust. He will make a GREAT family dog
-- all he needs is a chance to be all that he can be!
Update 08/24/06:
Tommy is doing great and really
settling in well. We discovered (as we suspected) that he LOVES the water. His
favorite place is the shallow "sunning deck" and he can be found there most of
the day. He loves to jump in and play as long as his foster brother Tucker goes
in before he does! He is not so shy any more and is starting to understand that
he is part of the family. He likes to let the whole neighborhood know that he
has taken over ownership of our backyard... just announcing to the world that he
is there! Wondering if he waiting for an answer back... remember 101 Dalmations??
:-)
His puppy instincts are finally starting to show---he'd play day and night if he
could. Fortunately, he tires out and follows his foster brother's lead, and
settles down nicely when we do.