Lucky

Hey friends! It's Lucky Boy here to tell you a little more about myself, cause I'm not just a poster-dog for hunky Doodles. I'm a hard-working, contributing member of the family with several important jobs to do.

** Food Supervisor--I carefully monitor mealtimes, making sure no food is being wasted or dropped on the floor. This leads to my next job,that of Clean Plate Captain where I do my best to pre-wash the dishes before they are loaded into the dishwasher.

** Security Chief--I get excited when I hear the Ring doorchime and I need to go check things out. If someone's there, I give a couple of short (but authoritative!) barks to alert the family.

** Kitchen Counter Inspector--It's my job to check if there's ANY possibility of anything on the counter that might be food, or have food in it. I do this when my humans aren't home; I mean, I don't know how long they'll be gone. I don't want to starve to death!

** Yoga Overseer--When Foster Mom is on the floor doing yoga, I try to be RIGHT THERE beside her licking her face, or maybe sticking my nose in her neck or nibbling on her ponytail. I'm really helping her improve her zen!

**High-Level Napper--I like to put my head on FM's lap and doze for a little while.I also try to keep all their favorite spots warm by sleeping in them before they can sit down.

So I think you can see that I am a busy boy with a lot going on. And I'm patiently waiting to find my furever family so I can be all these things for them too!

This is Lucky's Foster Mom with a one-month update! Let me start by saying that Lucky is unashamedly a mama's boy.    He loves to follow me around the house to see what I'm doing, he seeks my attention, and if I'm sitting in any kind of chair he's right there, usually resting his head on my lap, eyes closed as I scratch his head. He thinks Foster Dad is okay, but is still a little shy around him.

We've continued to learn how smart he is! We replaced our plastic kitchen garbage container with a metal one that has a foot lever to lift the lid. He hasn't been able to tip it over now, but he has tried to use his nose to raise the lid. If he figures out the foot activation, we're going to be really impressed! He also managed to carry a Rubbermaid container accidentally left on the counter into another room, pry off the lid and eat all the cookies in it. By the guilty looking faces that still had crumbs in their whiskers, the resident dogs were also involved in the unexpected living room buffet. And the other night, he suddenly happily bounded into our upstairs bedroom. He looked quite pleased with himself  for having untwisted the coated wire on his crate (being used to hold the door closed) enough to open the door and squeeze out to come find us.

But truly, he is not some evil genius! He's just highly driven by two things: food and being with his people! Coupled with a strong sense of curiosity and the fact that he's still a puppy, just in a tall skinny body, he can be very busy. Outdoor exercise helps a lot. He's doing really well on a leash, even tolerates a Gentle Leader, and we've let him off-leash some on our acreage and watched him sprint away on his long legs, but come back when called. He'd love kids or a canine companion, but as long as he gets plenty of attention and exercise (mental and physical) he'll thrive in most any situation. He's got a lot of potential!

Everyone, please meet Lucky! He is currently nearly sitting on me, supervising as I type this, and I have to stop frequently and pet him or I get a lick to the face or "the paw" reminding me to pay attention to him. Lucky came into RAGOM's care when his owner was unable to care for him and he has thoroughly settled into the comforts of home, curling up on the corner of a sofa or stretching out on the rug in the kitchen so he can see everything going on.

He was shy and skittish at first (and he's still a little hesitant around males), but his natural Doodle curiosity drew him out pretty quickly and he has explored every inch of the house and the yard. Countertops, trash cans, the toilet--he's checked it all out! 

He was very matted when he came in, so he's sporting a very short haircut and we're working to put some weight on--he's got no issues with lack of appetite, like a true Doodle he loves FOOD! The vet gave him a clean bill of health otherwise.

He loves to follow the resident dogs and has learned a lot from them, like walks are fun (when it's not too cold!), where to find food scraps, and if someone is getting attention, then everyone better get in there and get some love! He mastered steps almost immediately and with consistency, he's doing great on housetraining. He's curious about the cats but he doesn't bother them too much.

It's been great fun to watch him run with joyful abandon in our big, fenced yard and begin to engage with the other dogs, as well as learn what fun balls and chew toys are. After play time, he finds somewhere warm and curls up for a nap. A doggie sibling would help him continue to learn proper house-dog life (as well as continued training by humans) but he'd be okay as an only dog.

He sleeps quietly at night in his crate; however, he is smart enough to try to open the door, so we have to make sure it's fully latched! He just wants to be with his people! If startled he may bark a few times but he's not an excessive barker.

His name is Lucky, but we feel we're the lucky ones to be part of this sweet, loving boy's journey to being a member of someone's family.