Moose

Our sweet Moose has found his family!  Mosse will join fur-siblings, Molly and RAGOM alum Olivia, two human siblings and mom and dad.  His new family understands his need for ongoing manners training and are committed to setting him up for success!  We are so excited for him, but we will certainly miss our baby Moo!  The cat, on the other hand, is more than happy to see him go!

Congratulations to the R family and we wish you many happy years with Moose!

Moose is on the loose and looking for his forever home!

Moose is a returning RAGOM dog, and while we are sad his adoption was not a perfect fit, we are happy to have him in our home. He is an uncomplicated boy, and as the days have passed, we have become more in tune with his needs and how we can help him become the best boy ever!

In his short life (14 months), Moose has lived in 5 different homes, each one filled with love, but not always the best fit for his personality. He has mastered “sit” and “paw” and we are working on recall, but that is the extent of his obedience training. He is a very friendly boy who needs to learn how to be a well-mannered family member, so we have been working with a professional on behavioral training.

We are on a mission to find the very best home for Moose. His new family should be active to ensure he gets his exercise and absolutely committed to continuing the positive training we have started. The good news is the behaviors that put him in the proverbial doghouse can be eliminated or moderated with dedicated training. Potential adopters should plan for a slightly longer adoption process because we are going to take extra time to introduce Moose to his applicants, talk about his ongoing training, and give everyone time to make a thoughtful decision.

If you have made it this far – thank you for sticking with us! First, let’s talk about why we think Moose is a good boy!

Snuggles. This boy is a champion snuggler! He loves to lay on your lap, sit on your lap, pin you to the couch and snooze. He is the sweetest boy when he is settled and at rest – much like toddlers.

Intelligent. While a bit of a wild child, Moose is very smart.  He trains easily because he is treat motivated. He knows when he is being naughty, he just doesn’t care.

Play time. He is very good at fetch and will play as long as you will. Given his interest in playing in the water from garden hoses, it is quite possible he will be a water dog. Moose loves to wrestle with one of our RDs and will initiate play.

Grooming. Moose is a beautiful dog – he has a very regal bearing. He tolerates bath time but isn’t a fan of the high velocity dryer. He uses these opportunities to practice his “pathetic face.”

Crating. Moose sleeps quietly in his crate at night. There have been a few nights that he needs a short potty break, but then he is back in his crate and settled for the rest of the night. Moose cannot be crated during the day because of his energy level – being crated at night is about all he should be asked to manage. He has not been destructive while we are at work.

Eating. Moose tends to gulp his food, so we feed him with a Porcini food dispenser. He figured it out after a couple of meals and now it takes longer for him to finish a meal. Much better for his digestion and it stimulates his mind at the same time! He also comes running when he hears the ice dispenser.

Fears or anxieties. While we haven’t had any thunderstorms this winter, loud noises do not seem to panic him. He has shown no signs of separation anxiety, and he does not resource guard.

Moose’s new home should have the following parameters:

Kids – Moose loves humans of all ages, however, it will probably be about 6 months to a year before his manners have been perfected and he likes to steal objects. No one wants sad kids or vet bills for ingested toys. To ensure a successful adoption, children in the home should be 12+.

Other Dogs – He likes other dogs, and gets along with every dog he has met, big and small.  Any other dog in the house will need to be medium to large and willing to play hard.

Cats – Moose loves our cat and wants to play with her. Bella would rather he go away. Our only concern is that he is too enthusiastic about trying to engage with her, so for her safety, we usually call him off (even though Bella is a “stand your ground” kind of kitty).

Fenced Yard – Moose needs room to run to burn off all his excess energy. Since his recall is undeveloped and his prey drive for chasing critters is strong, he will need a fenced yard for his safety and physical development.

Now, let’s discuss the stuff we are working on.

Introductions to humans and other dogs. We have worked with a professional dog trainer to guide him through these exciting moments in his life. Left uncontrolled in these situations, an overstimulated Moose would jump and nip at humans in his excitement and he was also known to mount with determination. While it takes friends a little longer to get in the door, we are happy to report the training is helping him be calmer and more welcoming, and we expect him to continue to improve.

Counter surfing.  Moose is a master counter/table/shelf surfer.  If we leave it out, eventually it will end up in his mouth. After learning about “trading”, he quickly drops anything for a treat. Modifying this behavior will require exposing him to surfing opportunities and rewarding him for “leave it.” We are working on this and he does respond to “leave it,” but he also really, really wants to take that mitten off the table!

Other dogs in the home. We have 3 resident dogs, but Moose’s favorite friend is Herbert, a 4 year old Golden Retriever. They play A LOT and sometimes the playing can get extremely active. Any dogs already in the applicant’s home must be willing to frequently play with Moose and match his energy level. Our experience is that eventually this play style will mellow as he matures.

Walks. We have not had enough opportunities to evaluate his leash walking abilities. Our trainer gave us instructions to help him be successful on walks, which we will implement soon.

We just adore Moose, and we know we will find a family who will love him as much as we do. His “happy-go-lucky” personality is irresistible, and he responds quickly to training and new routines, so it won’t be long before he is the best-behaved boy ever!

Allow me to introduce you to Moose, a dark gold handsome 1 year old Golden Retriever. He had his initial wellness exam and received a clean bill of health! Moose is 55lbs, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, on monthly preventatives, Heartworm & internal parasite negative and healthy as can be.

Moose arrived with a small vocabulary such as sit, paw/shake and down. In the short time Moose has been in foster care he is continuing to expand his knowledge with the words wait, stay, heel, settle, kennel, come, off and stop. I have been putting hand signals with some of them to increase his knowledge as well. He is house trained; kennel trained and walks on a leash. We are also working on him being invited onto the bed or furniture instead of just pouncing. He does get along well with my 2 goldens and will play with them, but he also has no problem doing his own thing and leaving them out of it. Moose rides very well in the vehicle and he loads up and unloads willingly and excitedly.

Moose sleeps in his kennel by the bed at night and stays in his kennel when I am out of the house. Being young, he does like to chew and has been content chewing on appropriate toys. On the occasion he has grabbed an item that is not for chewing, he has been willing to trade for a treat or toy. He is affectionate, responds well to praise and takes treats or food very gently from my hand.

Moose is a young boy and even though he is building a list of commands, he definitely needs continued training in his new home to perfect them and expand that list. He will require a family with patience that will commit to his training, so he can be the best well-mannered and well-adjusted Golden Retriever that he wants to be. Moose is going to make a great family member and companion.