Will

Update 4/11/10:

Three months have passed since Will finished his HW treatment, and he is more than ready to find that perfect family! Anyone who adopts him will be welcoming a truly fun fella into the household.

* Reliably housetrained, even when left alone for 8 or 9 hours; no crate needed.
* Trustworthy and non-destructive, and will improve your housekeeping by making sure you keep those counters clean as a whistle and uncluttered. (He has nabbed raisin bread, English muffins, and butter—perhaps thinking the extra fat would improve his coat? Who knows, he may be right! His fur is very pretty.)
* Loves older kids
* Does not jump up.
* Not possessive about treats & toys
* Likes all the dogs he meets & is friendly with all the neighbor dogs. At bedtime, sleeps back to back with his Golden foster sister, Paisley.
* Loves car rides. Happy as a lark in the backseat of Dad’s fancy club cab Dodge Laramie pickup. Has gone on long (1-hour+) rides to Granite Shoals.
* Great on the leash. He comes right along, sniffing with his nose down. He'll try to follow a good smell.
* Retrieves tennis balls. “He beats Paisley to the ball every time, no matter how far behind Paisley he starts out!”
* Sleeps quietly all night, even during storms. Fine during heavy rain & thunder. One funny habit he has is stuffing himself into a tiny “nest” type puppy bed. It is waaaay to tiny, but Will does not care! He circles the bed 1 to 4 times before lying down. He doesn’t fit & he looks very silly. (:
* Healthy! Done with heartworm treatment. He has had two seizures since last fall, but right now the vet’s instructions are just to watch & record—the seizures are too infrequent for meds.
* Don’t be fooled by the gray muzzle—he’s plenty young, and acts even younger, even puppylike! Dances when Dad comes home from work. Wants tummy rubs. Rolls in the grass like a puppy, wiggling upside down for a back scratch.

In short: No worries — ready for adoption!
 

Update: 01/11/10

This good boy is all finished with his heartworm treatment and ready to find his forever home. At age seven, he’s that perfect combination of calm indoors, peppy outdoors. He’s loose in the house for an 8-hour work day with no problems—no accidents, nothing bothered  (as long as you remember to put anything tempting out of his reach—he’ll  definitely help improve your housekeeping).  But does he love the outdoors & playing when his family is around! He still has some serious puppy left in his personality—he’s outgoing, with tons of play energy, & doesn’t quit until you do. (The heartworms don’t seem to have done  any lasting damage—his stamina is GREAT.)  Occasionally he even stays outside to play on his own.  Most often, though, he wants to be with you and follows you back inside.

He plays well with my Golden girl—no barking, nothing too rough, though he always does get to the ball first. He’s good on lead with a little pulling; he’s great in the car and has settled right down for hour-long  trips. Thunder and rain don’t bother him and don’t keep him from going out to take care of business.  

Will’s coat is shorter than the average Golden coat and doesn’t require much care. He puts up with brushing, but it’s not his favorite; he’ll maneuver away to let you know he’s had enough!

Will would make a great dog for a family with older kids or anyone who enjoys a friendly, active pal for companionship and play. He likes walks, and he LOVES retrieving balls and toys—so a big backyard where he can fetch would be great. I think he  wants to do “something” every day—you choose! He’ll be happy to go right along. 

When Will and his partner Kate appeared at the pound, we saw their pictures and figured someone would soon be reclaiming the handsome pair. After all,  they were wearing name tags, rabies tags, even microchip tags. But when the owner was contacted, he decided  to surrender his Goldens to the shelter—the reclaim fee was more than he wanted to pay ($150 per dog, since not only were the two running loose, but they weren’t altered—in fact, Kate was in heat). We did find out that Will and Kate were either brother and sister, a breeding pair, or both! – and that they had lived as outdoor dogs and had never been apart. Will turned out to have heartworms, but amazingly, Kate is HW negative!

Getting used to a brand-new indoor life without your long-time partner can be pretty stressful, but Will is settling in. He did a LOT of barking at first, but seems to be calming down—though he still “talks” a lot when he can’t see his foster mom. He is getting better about going into his crate, too. He is GREAT with the cats! Just ignores them.

He has a lot of energy for a 7-year-old guy with heartworms who has just been neutered! He’ll need  a fairly active family, and for sure another dog to keep him company. More news as we get to know this guy better.

Adoption Procedures