Bear

Profile

Someone is going to be so lucky to get this dog! Before I tell you about Bear, though, I want to thank the many wonderful volunteers who drove him almost 1,000 miles to get him safely to RAGOM. Thank you! Bear is eternally grateful and so are we.
 
Bear is a sweet, healthy, happy six year old male Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever mix who came to us from a shelter in Alabama where his time was almost up. He ended up there through no fault of his own when his family had to move and couldn't take him along. Their loss is someone else's gain as Bear is one TERRIFIC dog. There are so many good things to say about him I hardly know where to start.

Bear is calm, affectionate, even-tempered, well socialized, and very well mannered. After going through a ton of transitions including the loss of his family, a stay in a chaotic shelter, a two-day cross-country journey and several days with a temporary foster he's taken it all in stride and has remained incredibly sweet and well behaved. He accepts each new thing with grace and enthusiasm and has really impressed us with his wonderful personality.

Bear must have been an indoor dog because he seems to know how to live in a house and has settled in with no problem whatsoever. I think stairs were a new thing for him but after his first trip down, which was clearly scary, he realized that they were no big deal and now runs up and down like a pro. Bear is housebroken and doesn't seem to have any bad habits. He jumped up once when he wanted a really desirable treat but other than that he's doing his home state proud and is proving to be a true southern gentleman. He has really great manners. He barks when he's outside and people pass by but other than that he's very quiet. We have yet to hear him bark indoors, even when someone comes to the door. He gets along great with everyone and everything, both human and otherwise, and quickly wins over everyone he meets. He really enjoys attention and affection but isn't pushy about it and if you're busy he's happy to lay quietly and just keep an eye on you. He knows sit, come, and down (sort of) and he's so eager to please that he should be a snap to train. He also loves to retrieve and while he's not perfect at giving up the ball, he does eventually realize that you can't throw it again until he drops it. :)

So far Bear seems so adaptable that we think he could live in almost any environment. He gets along well with our resident dog but while he was at his temporary foster he was the only dog and he seemed fine with that too. He's been perfect with our cats, politely sniffing when they allow but backing off immediately when they tell him it's too much. The shelter reported that he lived with children and while he was at his temporary foster he spent the day with her five-year-old grandson and they really enjoyed each other so it looks like kids are fine. Our house is fairly quiet so we haven't yet seen how he does with a ton of activity but we'll invite our neighbor kids over soon to see how he feels about a lot of noise and movement. I think he'll be fine but until then that's an open question. We have a fenced yard which Bear enjoys exploring but he was on a tie-out at his temp foster's and he did fine with that. He does pull on a flat collar and hasn't yet adjusted to the gentle leader but with some additional training he'll be a great walking companion. He loves to go for walks and really loves to ride in the car. He's a fantastic traveling companion and sits quietly in the back seat enjoying the scenery or taking a nap. We haven't left him for long periods yet but he doesn't seem to have any separation anxiety. He sleeps quietly through the night and doesn't stir until he hears that we're awake. Overall he's just an exceptional dog and a terrific companion.

In summary:
No apparent issues or anxieties.
Another dog or only dog - either is fine.
Fence or no fence - either is fine.
Kids are great.
Cats are great.

I can tell that Bear isn't going to be in foster care long so contact your placement advisor and snatch him up before someone else does!