Mike

Profile

Hello, everyone! I would like to introduce you to this gorgeous young boy, Mike! Mike entered RAGOM's care a little over a week ago. Mike and his brothers, Robbie and Chip, who also came into RAGOM Sunday, were found roaming gravel roads and ditches after, from all indications, they were dumped and forced to live on their own for quite some time. Some wonderful employees from the area's local humane society were able to bring them into their care, and they decided these boys needed foster homes in order to grow and flourish, so they were surrendered to RAGOM.

When we first picked Mikey up, he shook and cowered away from us for close to two hours. However, after seeing our resident dog run and play, he so badly wanted to get up and at least explore his new temporary home. He began to sniff and explore, which led to him actually greeting and acknowledging our resident dog. Mikey wasn't quite sure about our young, rambunctious resident dog all up in his face, but after they worked things out, they have been running and playing together ever since! Mikey has come so incredibly far in the time he has been in our home.

Here is a little bit about Mikey for those of you who are interested in this extremely special boy:

• He weighs 39 pounds and is at a perfect weight for his body.
• He was exposed to cats at the shelter and there were no reported issues.
• Mikey is a mixed breed dog. From all indications, he and his brothers are mixed with Brittany Spaniel, but Mikey and his brother, Robbie, look very, very much like Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. This breed of dog is very rare, but if you look at pictures and study their temperament, that's almost definitely in his DNA somewhere! The only way to truly know is to give them a DNA test, but whatever his mix is, he's pretty fantastic!
• He is fully house trained. No accidents in the house at all.
• He is quite curious in the kitchen and does need to be watched so he doesn't snag any food items.
• We had a big storm earlier this week, and we witnessed no storm anxiety. He acknowledged the thunder, but didn't seem to mind at all.
• Mikey is crated for a full workday (up to 8 hours) with no issue. He is currently crated alongside our resident dog, and when there is another dog in the home with him, he seems to have no issues with his crate. We have also been giving him all of his meals in his crate, and he is crated during our (human) mealtime(s), as he does have a tendency to beg for some of our dinner. :-)
• Mikey needs slow, deliberate introductions to other dogs. He has had some pretty scary experiences in his young life and, due to that, he sometimes feels threatened when dogs approach him too quickly. When he is allowed to initiate a slow and calculated introduction, he is much more comfortable and relaxed. As stated previously, he and our resident get along very well now, and he truly does need another dog in the home so he can look to them for cues and confidence.
• He is the most cuddly little dog I've ever known. He LOVES people and he always wants to be near them. If you're looking for a dog who wants to cuddle up and sleep with you, this is your boy!

Mikey has had a lot of people play a very big role in his young life. At this point, he is looking for his heroes. He is looking for someone who is going to be patient, understanding, and most importantly, full of love to give. Mikey sure has a lot of love to give in return, so if you're looking for that second dog to accompany your calm, confident resident dog, this may just be your boy.