Duke
aka
Choppers
#13-01 Duke,
age 5 years
I am an Extraordinary Golden
40 lbs.
AVAILABLE
A dog who has mastered “sit,” “down,” and “heal,” who loves to cuddle, is full
of energy but knows when to settle down, and snuggles up to his foster
pups—Duke’s growth over the past few months in foster care is nothing short of
incredible.
Duke loves to cuddle with his foster mom’s children; he loves to sit on their
laps and roll over for tummy rubs.
He also has learned the unique art “nose nudging”—Duke’s own way of showing you
now’s a good time to rub his little head.
And you can depend on Duke to be quite the gentleman—showing the most eloquent
manners as he lay under the table while his foster family eats their dinner;
Duke also just loves to be near his humans as he snuggles up next to his foster
mom’s feet while she’s working at her desk.
Though Duke connects closely with his humans, he also loves bonding with his
foster pups. While his foster siblings lounge around the house, Duke’s tiny size
suits him perfectly as he sidles up and props his head on top of his furry
friends. When he’s got a bit of
energy, he loves to roughhouse with them, nipping their legs as they trot by.
Duke bounces around the house with his stuffie lodged in his choppers; and then,
when he’s ready (and you are too), he’ll toss it in the air and catch it for his
final performance!
His foster mom says that he still has a bit of an issue with strangers coming to
the door, letting a few barks slip, but his confidence has improved
tremendously; when out in public, he walks nicely on the leash without any
problems.
She says, “If a stranger comes to the door, Duke will bark at him, but he
quickly stops when I ask him to. “ When his foster family hosted a bar b que and
a slumber party with both adults and children milling about, Duke was placed in
his crate; his foster family was happy to report that Duke didn’t have any
problems at these social events.
His foster mom continues to reiterate Duke’s lovable and sweet nature. Though it
may take time to get to know him, Duke is worth it. With all dogs, as Duke is no
different, he just needs a family who is willing to work with him correcting his
only bad behavior: barking.
Because who wouldn’t want Duke’s little over shot jaw
smiling at you all day long?
#13-001 Choppers, age 5
Weight: 35 pounds
AVAILABLE
Our #1 dog of 2013 is still looking for that A-Number-One forever home. He’s determined to find it! In fact, he is so eager to become the well-rounded doggie of your dreams that he asked GRR to enrol him in some Continuing Education classes to boost his Adoptability Quotient, and of course we were happy to oblige.
But first: he also decided that the name “Choppers” wasn’t to his liking. “After all, I am a different dog now than I was in January – I am healthier, happier and all around a brand-new boy. My foster family calls me DUKE and I like that grand new name just fine.”
Duke is 100% house-trained and nice & calm indoors, though he may do a little investigating of trash cans and highly interesting objects left at his level. He’s especially peppy in the morning (very smart at this time of year, when it gets hot so fast!) & will run around chasing the other dogs. He plays well with them—very physically, in fact, despite his petite 36-pound size. He’s good with cats, too. He doesn’t care about thunderstorms (hooray!). His favorite game is Keep Away, preferably played with his favorite toy of all, an oversize Kong “Kick & Fetch” ball. He also likes to take a stuffie and run around the room tossing it in the air. Very cute!
Duke is a sweetheart! “He loves to be cuddled & petted all the time. He will rub his head on you and lets you hug him when he is next to you. He loves hugs and kisses any time of the day. He will crawl into my children’s laps if they are sitting on the floor, and he snuggles with them while they watch TV. Duke may take a little time to warm up, but once he does, watch out, because he then becomes your best friend forever.”
In short, little Duke is a marvelous & endearing companion. So—why the CE courses? Well, he wanted some tips on overcoming his shyness with new people. He is timid with new people and that has translated into him tending to bark & occasionally even growl at strangers who come into the house. “I need a way to feel less nervous & defensive when a brand new person shows up,” explained Duke.
Duke’s trainer/teacher promptly came up with a solution to the situation. When new folks drop by, Duke is safely in his crate. Once the guests have been seated, Duke comes out to meet them – on his terms, so he can approach slowly, sideways, however he wants. “He is fine with this routine,” says his foster mom. “With time and patience, the problem seems to be going away. He spent one weekend a few months ago barking off and on at my oldest son when he came home from college for a visit—but when he returned for the summer you’d think that Duke had been his dog forever. He follows all three of my adult children around the house like their little happy shadow. He loves to lie at their feet and have his back rubbed! Once he knows someone, he remembers them & will greet them at the door with tail wagging. We have been working with him every day, and have seen him grow into a smart dog who loves to learn. He is mastering SIT and DOWN.”
Duke needs a special owner who will love him for the wonderful dog he is, and who’s willing to work with him to overcome his “stranger” issues—which have been resolving nicely with patience and training. “The best home for him would be with relaxed, experienced owners who will realize that he needs a little time to warm up to you at first, but once he does, you are his best buddy. He just loves hugs, kisses and attention from the special people in his life. He has a loving, sweet nature that just makes you fall in love with him!”
It’s the Return of Choppers! This little fellow is the first GRR dog of 2013, and he was our first 2013 Extraordinary Golden Fund dog, too. Thanks to your generosity, he had the spinal surgery he needed in mid-January, and he’s all recovered and feeling just fine! “Choppers loves to chase a laser pointer around the house and backyard when it's dark,” says his foster mom. “You’d never know this guy was reluctant to even walk just three months ago.”
Choppers did so well in foster care the first time around that it didn’t take
long to find him an adoptive home, too. His new parents loved him, and he loved
them—so what was the problem? Well, if there’s one thing we know about rescue
dogs, it’s that there’s always an element of “learn as you go”… and what we
didn’t realize at first was that Choppers really, really needs another dog in
the house to give him confidence and make him feel secure. Finding himself an
only dog, he apparently thought, “Wow! Since there’s nobody else here, I guess
it’s up to me to protect Mom and Dad from any & all intruders.” This translated
to him “going berserk” when anyone stopped by, from the postman to visiting
friends. Pretty soon everyone (not just Choppers!) was getting stressed, so we
all decided it would be best for him to come back into foster care.
Three dog friends and two cats – that’s more like it! With plenty of other
canines to look to, Choppers is finding it a lot easier just to go with the
flow. “Average energy boy,” says his
current foster mom. “Plays very physically with my three but leaves the cats
alone. He does bark at noises or when people come to the door, but there’s no
growling or anything like that. He was fine with the pizza delivery guy and only
barked when our dogs barked. He is very smart and quick at learning new things!
He really listens when you tell him no. We’ve found that he doesn't like loud
noises, but he’s handled us using the garden tools out in the backyard.”
Choppers does love to chew, but his foster family has a ready supply of
Nylabones and dog toys to keep him from turning his attentions to inappropriate
things.
Choppers will need a family who’s looking for a pint-size pal—and who has at
least one other friendly dog to make him feel supported and secure and give him
a model for how to act. “He can feel a little unsure of himself at times,” says
his foster mom. “His new family should have some experience with dogs and be
willing to work with him on this issue. He’s really a good boy, very cute and
easygoing in our home!”
#13-001 Choppers, age 4 1/2
Choppers has two GRR “firsts” in his file: first dog of 2013, AND first EGF dog of the year (and probably a third first, too – we aren’t sure we’ve ever had to draw on our Extraordinary Golden Fund before January was even at the halfway point!).
But let’s back up to January 4th, when volunteer J.C. headed
to the shelter to meet the little stray. The photos showed a petite blondie
huddled in the corner of his kennel, head down. “I
did a very limited evaluation because this guy is in pain.
He can't or won’t get up,”
reported a worried J.C. “They think he has
been hit by a car, but they do not have an X-ray machine to check on injuries.
I did scratch his side and head.
He didn't object. He’s skin and bones under that fluffy fur.”
We secured an early release for Choppers and whisked the tiny 30-pounder to the nearest GRR vet. “Acts frozen, and his pupils are dilated,” said the vet. “We think he’s in a lot of pain.” The X-rays showed why: Choppers had a fractured lumbar vertebra, likely the result of being hit by a car, and the broken bone was pressing on his nerves. Just walking meant overcoming pain at every step. And beyond the fractured spine: “Looks like this dog has been hit by a car not just once, but at least two or even three times. He also suffered a broken femur about 5 months ago—amazingly, it’s healed up pretty well by itself. His muscles are a little weak in that leg, and the leg is a tiny bit shorter, but he uses it with no problem.”
…but that back injury wasn’t going to get better on its own. Luckily, there’s an operation that can help: a a laminectomy, where the top part of the broken vertebra is removed to release pressure on those trapped spinal nerves. Luckily, too, Choppers was a fine candidate for surgery—“Let’s do it ASAP!” voted the GRR Board. And on January 14, Choppers had his surgery.
Just as the vet expected, there was lots of scar tissue around the nerves, but “it cleaned up nicely, and we relieved the pressure. We think he’ll do well.” And by the very next morning, Choppers was already walking much more comfortably. “That’s better!” you could see him thinking. He’d been just about petrified with fear & worry when he first came to the clinic, but post-op he decided that surgeon Dr Kerpsack is A-OK. “He wags his tail when he sees Dr. Kerpsack,” said the staff.
Now, it’s on to rehab, and luckily a GRR foster family was up to the task. “He started out timid and scared, but as he’s started to recognize me he’s very kind, gentle, and sweet, and warming up. He seems to be improving with his walking daily.” And just last week: “He is such a sweetheart. He has his stitches out now, and he got groomed today. He is wagging his tail all the time now! On activity restrictions for one more week although I don’t anticipate he’ll be an active dog. I think he would be great for a low-key family. He is small and gets along well with other dogs and cats. He’s not playful, so wouldn’t be a good playmate for an active dog. Really he’s just a little lover who has been through a lot and seems content to lie at your feet.”
Thank you from all of us at GRR!
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