Cass was adopted on Sunday, September 21 by a wonderful family. He will have a dog brother and a dog sister and cat friends in his new home. He will also have access to the lake for swims and mischief.
Sweet, serious Cass is going to get the attention and patience that he needs with these experienced ladies. And is going to get to travel the country with them in their Airstream.
There may be a slight adjustment for Cass, as he is a declared Packer fan . . . and likes to sport the green and gold!!!Thanks Juls and Sarah and Theo and Sophie for giving this special boy an amazing next act!!!
Cass 14-145
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 5/23/2014 | Preferred | Yes | Optional | Yes | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
We are excited to welcome young Master Cass to the RAGOM family.
Cass was recently surrendered by a family in North Dakota that did not have the resources to give him his best life.
He is an approximately 6 - 8 month old Golden mix weighing about 55 pounds. And as of yesterday (May 27), he has been vetted and is getting up to date on his shots (a few boosters required in a couple of weeks). Cass has been microchipped and has started on preventatives (tested negative for HW and Lyme disease). Cass is scheduled to be neutered on June 5.
Cass knows some basic commands (sit, lie down, come, leave it, kennel) and is housebroken and crate trained. He listens very well for a pup his age and appears to know his name.
He is getting along great with the other dogs in the house (no resource guarding - although he does try to steal whatever they are playing with) and had a brief stay in a temporary foster home with cats where he did fine with them as well.
Cass is a very typical puppy - he loves to explore and chase and wrestle and chew. He is an excellent retriever and LOVES to play fetch with the tennis ball. He brings the ball and puts it in your hand or drops it at your feet. We are making sure he has lots of appropriate items to chew (he has a hard mouth and needs good Nylabones or other chew toys) and keeping an eye on the stuffies. He loves to play fetch with the small squeaky ones, but will tear up the fluffy ones left to his own ambitions. Cass has shown interest in plants and garbage cans, but responds to verbal commands to "leave it." He still needs constant supervision to make sure he learns to be a good citizen.
He is always excited for walks and can be managed walking with a harness. We will get him started on a Gentle Leader in the next few days. He does pull on a flat leash and will need some additional training/practice. Interestingly, he gets most excited and pulls when he sees children while we are walking. Oh - and he has a tough time walking past the tennis court. The sound of those balls makes him a bit wild . . .
Cass is a very gentle and loves to be petted and roll over for belly rubs. Right now, he is a bit insecure over the changes in his life and is pretty clingy, following his foster mom from room to room. There is still some puppy exuberance when meeting new people (he does jump up to say hello or to say good-morning), but if ignored or told to sit, he gets under control almost immediately.
He loves to romp and play with the other dogs. While there is no requirement for another dog in the home, it would be very nice if his family had access to an area where he can play fetch off-leash and chase some doggie friends.
Cass does bark when first crated and left alone, so he might not be the right dog for an apartment or condo situation.
Stay tuned as we get to know Cass better, and send good thoughts for a quick recovery from his surgery next week.
At a Glance #14-145
| Mixed Breed | Born: November 2013 |
| Male | Weight not specified |
Status: Adopted
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 5/23/2014 | Preferred | Yes | Optional | Yes | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
We are excited to welcome young Master Cass to the RAGOM family.
Cass was recently surrendered by a family in North Dakota that did not have the resources to give him his best life.
He is an approximately 6 - 8 month old Golden mix weighing about 55 pounds. And as of yesterday (May 27), he has been vetted and is getting up to date on his shots (a few boosters required in a couple of weeks). Cass has been microchipped and has started on preventatives (tested negative for HW and Lyme disease). Cass is scheduled to be neutered on June 5.
Cass knows some basic commands (sit, lie down, come, leave it, kennel) and is housebroken and crate trained. He listens very well for a pup his age and appears to know his name.
He is getting along great with the other dogs in the house (no resource guarding - although he does try to steal whatever they are playing with) and had a brief stay in a temporary foster home with cats where he did fine with them as well.
Cass is a very typical puppy - he loves to explore and chase and wrestle and chew. He is an excellent retriever and LOVES to play fetch with the tennis ball. He brings the ball and puts it in your hand or drops it at your feet. We are making sure he has lots of appropriate items to chew (he has a hard mouth and needs good Nylabones or other chew toys) and keeping an eye on the stuffies. He loves to play fetch with the small squeaky ones, but will tear up the fluffy ones left to his own ambitions. Cass has shown interest in plants and garbage cans, but responds to verbal commands to "leave it." He still needs constant supervision to make sure he learns to be a good citizen.
He is always excited for walks and can be managed walking with a harness. We will get him started on a Gentle Leader in the next few days. He does pull on a flat leash and will need some additional training/practice. Interestingly, he gets most excited and pulls when he sees children while we are walking. Oh - and he has a tough time walking past the tennis court. The sound of those balls makes him a bit wild . . .
Cass is a very gentle and loves to be petted and roll over for belly rubs. Right now, he is a bit insecure over the changes in his life and is pretty clingy, following his foster mom from room to room. There is still some puppy exuberance when meeting new people (he does jump up to say hello or to say good-morning), but if ignored or told to sit, he gets under control almost immediately.
He loves to romp and play with the other dogs. While there is no requirement for another dog in the home, it would be very nice if his family had access to an area where he can play fetch off-leash and chase some doggie friends.
Cass does bark when first crated and left alone, so he might not be the right dog for an apartment or condo situation.
Stay tuned as we get to know Cass better, and send good thoughts for a quick recovery from his surgery next week.
Updates
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
It has been a busy week and 1/2 for our friend Cass.
He was adopted by an amazing family and eagerly went home with them for a few days. He loved playing with his three-year-old (human) brother and was very gentle with him. He followed the boy around and would lay at his feet while he played. They also reported that Cass was very smart and eager to learn and to please them.
Unfortunately, due to Cass' separation anxiety (he barks and whines and gets very upset when left alone), they did not feel like they were the right fit/family for him. Cass is young and can overcome these issues with time and routine and the right "stay-at-home" environment, but it will take some patience on the part of his new family to work with him.
So, Cass is back with his same foster family. He shed a few tears and missed his family the first day, but then he settled back into the routine here.
On his first night back, he decided he was a big boy and no longer needed to sleep in his crate. So, he pushed in between the other dogs and slept the night curled up with his buddies on a dog bed.
Speaking of big boy, Cass seems like he is SO much bigger to me - after only a week away. He hasn't filled out, but this young guy is still getting taller.
His family worked with him on his commands and on his manners when greeting new people. "Stay" continues to be a challenge for him, so lots of repetition (and some treats) are being used to reinforce the work they were doing.
Cass continues to love car rides and is always happy when it is rainy or colder so he can go along and help with errands. He got some solo time with foster mom on an outing to a park and a restaurant with a bunch of nieces and nephews this week. He really did a nice job - getting excited to meet new people, but then remembering his manners and plopping his bum down so he could get some pets.
Tennis balls continue to be Cass' drug of choice. He is happy chasing them, catching them, fetching them, or just hanging out with his many ball friends.
Cass and Sophie (14-077) continue to romp and wrestle and play nicely together. But just to make sure that things don't get dull around here, we have another guest for the week. Tovel (14-104) has come to stay with us while his family is traveling for the holiday week. And Cass could not be happier to have another buddy/chew toy. The boys have been loving hanging out in the yard and chasing tennis balls (of course) and keeping the world safe from bunnies and squirrels.
Tovel has given Cass a few corrections when his puppy exuberance becomes annoying. But good for Cass to learn his dog manners and he is responding well to the leadership. It is good training, because Cass has a tendency to want whatever toy, ball, bone is in another dog's mouth. Sophie and my resident Golden are not the best instructors for him, as they will let the wee boy chew on the other end of whatever bone they might have. And chasing balls is beneath them.
There is really nothing bad to say about Cass. He listens well for a dog his age (will need obedience training and consistency with his new family) and while he can get very excited when he meets new people (or greets you after you have been gone), he is learning to get himself under control. He also calms down very quickly and is happy to just "hang out" when it is appropriate. His barking is not excessive - and he has a lovely, deep bark. Cass will let you know when there are people on the property and will bark at some dogs as they pass by the front window. He does not bark at all when he is leashed and out walking. He is still overly interested in people food and will jump up to check out the counter, but again, training and consistency will help him learn what is expected.
The barking/crying in his crate (he does the same thing when he is not crated, so it is not specifically related to his crate) when you leave is an ongoing problem that will need to be addressed. And will be something an adoptive family will want to consider with regard to the noise for their neighbors. Cass has been through a lot of change in the past few months and it is normal that he is nervous and insecure. So, this may be a short term challenge, but a consideration nonetheless.
Cass is relaxed and happy hanging out with the pack here. But he really needs to find his forever family that will help him feel safe and secure and guide him through is "teens." Please contact your placement coordinator if you are interested in learning more about Cass.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Cass has had a very, very busy 10 days, settling into his foster home, having a playdate with his sister, Molly 14-139, entertaining a houseful of visitors (including another dog), and trying to follow the vet's orders for "reduced activity" since his neuter.
He was neutered last Thursday (6/5) and while he was under, they also repaired a hernia. Cass had a tough afternoon/evening as the anesthesia slowly wore off. But he had a quiet night and by Friday morning, he was already climbing the stairs and trying to start a wrestling match with the other dogs. His incisions are healing nicely and so far, Cass is not trying to lick or pull at the stitches. He looks a little funny with his shaved belly and thighs, but he doesn't seem at all embarrassed.
Cass did great with a houseful of people (including teenagers) and visiting dogs. He was not stressed at all and enjoyed having more hands to pet him and more pups to chase. He really is a sweet, playful boy and is just so happy to be touched and loved! Each morning, he would wake up and run to my niece's door, wanting to be let in to say good-morning.
Here are a few photos of Cass with Molly 14-139. I especially like the photo where he is trying to get both tennis balls into his mouth so he does not have to share. This boy LOVES his tennis balls.
Cass is doing well on his Gentle Leader and while he isn't thrilled with the purple flowers, he is walking like a champ. His first day or two, he kept trying to do somersaults into the pavement to try to get it off his nose (and gave himself a nice scratch), but now he sits nicely to put it on and can't wait to get going on his walk. He is on "modified" activity while he recovers from surgery, so we are trying to trick him with a few shorter walks.
Happy to report that Cass does not seem to have any thunder phobia - he played and ate and slept through the storms the other night with no problem. And he doesn't mind being out in the rain, especially if there is a walk involved. His curly, curly coat gets even curlier when he is wet. Such a cutie!
Cass also has no issues with the vacuum cleaner or the spot carpet machine. He walks up and puts his nose on them while they are running to see if there is any game afoot. Everything is a potential game/toy with this silly young boy.
While he crates nicely and is fine (and quiet) in his crates when you are home or at night, he does bark (and cry and whine) rather vehemently when you first leave the house. We are trying to use yummy treats and peanut-butter-filled Kongs to try to give him a positive experience when leaving, but so far, it has not reduced his barking. Hoping that with a good routine and some security, this will diminish over time. I don't think this is a negative reaction to the crate - he just does not like to be left behind.
Cass rides nicely in the backseat of the car, watching out the window or laying down. He DOES try to sneak/crawl into the front seat, so I would suggest a barrier or putting him in a harness while driving if he does not respond to correction. He, like many Goldens, LOVES to be in the car and to "go along" with his people (or his dog friends).
He is continuing to chase and wrestle and chew on Sophie 14-077 and to cuddle with any dog that will let him lay next to them (or on top of them if there is not enough room).
Cass has a family interested in adopting him and we are waiting to see if they can set up a meeting in the next week or so. So stay tuned for more of antics from Cass and his posse.