Adopted

Dolce is Italian for “sweet,” and that’s a good description of this wonderful 9-month-old Golden boy. He came to GRR when his original owners gave him to somebody else—who quickly realized that young Dolce wasn’t “outdoor ranch dog” material! He just loves being indoors.

Dolce is a happy dog, confident in his actions and attitude, and loves to play. He particularly likes his “squeaky toy boot” and chewing on nylabones and stuffed toys. He likes to climb up on any convenient lap, and will “allow” himself to be petted forever! He’ll also find a cozy couch or chair and make himself comfortable there too, with or without an invitation. He likes to get into bed with his people—and sometimes needs to be relocated! Once he’s on the floor or a doggie bed, though, he’ll sleep there through the night.

Before coming to our home, Dolce made a stop at the vet for neuter surgery and an operation to fix an eye problem called entropion—that’s an eyelid that turns in, so the lashes scrape against and irritate the eye. To keep him from scratching at his newly repaired eye, he had to wear a big Elizabethan collar for a while. But now that he’s recovered from his operations and that “conehead” collar is off, he’s really showing off his gorgeous looks and fantastic personality.

Dolce plays nicely with our two older Goldens and has a good time chasing after the squirrels and birds he sees in the yard. He loves to go on walks; he pulls a little when walking with other dogs, but not so much when going for a solo stroll. He’s very friendly in greeting everyone he meets. We’ve already taught him to tone down his vigorous jumping up on new friends, but he’ll need more training to eliminate that habit. (He can be a little too enthusiastic for small children, so his new family will need to be vigilant to prevent “knockdowns”!) Like many puppies, he’s somewhat “mouthy,” but that too can be resolved with positive training.

He’s only had two minor accidents in the house—pretty impressive for such a youngster! Usually he’ll do his business outdoors and quickly return to the door to come back inside. We started out crating him when leaving the house for longer than a few minutes, but he’s now had free run of the house for an hour or more with no problems. He is developing into an exceptionally good dog!

Dolce adores being petted, but will relax at your feet when it’s time for a break. He enjoys swimming and is just learning to fetch tennis balls or floating training toys—he hasn’t quite grasped the concept of “retrieving” them, though! Instead of carrying them all the way back to shore, he’s only making it about halfway. He’s more focused on swimming after his other doggie pals in the water than on getting toys and bringing them back.

Dolce loves to verbalize when his dinner or breakfast is being prepared, and he will bark to get your attention. It’s not annoying, more like announcing “Here I am!” He’s got a lot of spirit and will be a fantastic dog who will give his new family a lifetime of love.