Clifford 08-177

back to Memorials

Profile

Sponsored by: Bill and Linda H 

 

 

Clifford, a Big Red 4 year old very handsome male golden, arrived in Ames Iowa on August 5 after an extended stay in boarding. Clifford’s story is a sad tale of a dog whose biggest fault has been that he hasn’t lived in a home that is right for him. You see, Clifford is a hunting dog with high prey motivation and little bite inhibition. This makes Clifford unfriendly to some other animals. This also makes Clifford sound much worse than he really is however.  Clifford simply shouldn’t be paired with small dogs, cats or young kids and needs a leader who will be alert to his instincts. But he will be a great dog for the right home!! We just need to do a better job of finding that home for Clifford!!

Clifford certainly fits into our pack well. He is completely housetrained so has run of the house.  He stands by the door when he wants out to potty. He is very obedient and loving. He is extremely alert and energetic but is easy controlled as he responds immediately to voice commands; sit, drop, come, no, off, leave and stay. He gets along great with foster brother Chopper, our 10 year old super mellow male golden. He has been trained to a gentle leader, walking at heel with little pulling or tugging. He sleeps by the side of our bed the whole night through.

We are told he is crate trained and will “crate up” on command but haven’t experienced this since we don’t have anything large enough for him to try. We do know that Clifford is a talker but not a barker. When he is anxious or nervous he might whine or whimper but isn’t the least bit loud. He just has a nice conversation with you.

Clifford is a healthy boy weighing about 100 pounds. This isn’t fat either; he is very tall and thin.  He is up to date on all vaccinations and has checked out negative for everything else. His medical history says that he had a seizure in March 2007 but nothing since. He is not on meds now and shows no signs of having any current problems.

This boy loves to retrieve!! A fenced yard (6 ft. or more) would be a big plus but this guy is currently living in a condo with no backyard at all so it isn’t absolutely necessary. We are told that Cliff can easily jump a four foot fence so he isn’t a dog you can just throw outside and forget.

If you are an outdoors type, jogger, roller bladder, hiker or hunter, Clifford would be a great companion dog for you.  He is big, energetic and extremely athletic. I bet he would make a great fly ball or agility dog too. We would love to tell you more about this lovable guy if you are the right kind of home for him.

   
   

At a Glance #08-177

Golden Retriever Born: January 2004
Male Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by: Bill and Linda H 

 

 

Clifford, a Big Red 4 year old very handsome male golden, arrived in Ames Iowa on August 5 after an extended stay in boarding. Clifford’s story is a sad tale of a dog whose biggest fault has been that he hasn’t lived in a home that is right for him. You see, Clifford is a hunting dog with high prey motivation and little bite inhibition. This makes Clifford unfriendly to some other animals. This also makes Clifford sound much worse than he really is however.  Clifford simply shouldn’t be paired with small dogs, cats or young kids and needs a leader who will be alert to his instincts. But he will be a great dog for the right home!! We just need to do a better job of finding that home for Clifford!!

Clifford certainly fits into our pack well. He is completely housetrained so has run of the house.  He stands by the door when he wants out to potty. He is very obedient and loving. He is extremely alert and energetic but is easy controlled as he responds immediately to voice commands; sit, drop, come, no, off, leave and stay. He gets along great with foster brother Chopper, our 10 year old super mellow male golden. He has been trained to a gentle leader, walking at heel with little pulling or tugging. He sleeps by the side of our bed the whole night through.

We are told he is crate trained and will “crate up” on command but haven’t experienced this since we don’t have anything large enough for him to try. We do know that Clifford is a talker but not a barker. When he is anxious or nervous he might whine or whimper but isn’t the least bit loud. He just has a nice conversation with you.

Clifford is a healthy boy weighing about 100 pounds. This isn’t fat either; he is very tall and thin.  He is up to date on all vaccinations and has checked out negative for everything else. His medical history says that he had a seizure in March 2007 but nothing since. He is not on meds now and shows no signs of having any current problems.

This boy loves to retrieve!! A fenced yard (6 ft. or more) would be a big plus but this guy is currently living in a condo with no backyard at all so it isn’t absolutely necessary. We are told that Cliff can easily jump a four foot fence so he isn’t a dog you can just throw outside and forget.

If you are an outdoors type, jogger, roller bladder, hiker or hunter, Clifford would be a great companion dog for you.  He is big, energetic and extremely athletic. I bet he would make a great fly ball or agility dog too. We would love to tell you more about this lovable guy if you are the right kind of home for him.

   
   

Updates

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

 

Our beloved big red dog Clifford, 08-177, crossed the bridge last Thursday afternoon.  Unfortunately he was a victim of his own good (?) genetics, i.e. large size doesn't make for a long life among dogs.  In the end he was suffering from Liver failure, severe arthritis and several other afflictions.  He was not eating and lost 10%+ of his weight in a short period of time.   It broke our hearts to watch him have trouble staying upright during his increasingly shorter walks.    He just wasn't the playful Clifford we all loved. 

At 110 pounds, without an ounce of it being extra, he was one athletic guy.  Our next door neighbors were in constant awe as he flew after his Frisbee.  As one often remarked, he almost could touch the moon when he jumped. 

Clifford is perhaps the dog that came the farthest while in our care.  He came to us as a foster with a history of aggression to small dogs.  He had been in multiple homes that had difficulty controlling his high prey drive.  And after a short stay with us, it was evident that Cliff was not going to be an easy placement.  He desperately needed a family that wouldn’t let him get into trouble ever again.  So in the end he became our failed foster.  If anyone ever questioned the value of dog rescue they only have to read Clifford’s success story.   

During his second year with us, Clifford earned the Canine Good Citizenship Award.  As he aged he continued to mellow too.  He learned to be a reliable doggie daycare companion to small dogs.  He learned to be a great companion to our grandson.  He learned to fill our days with joy as we went from full-time employment to part-time to being fully retired.   We will miss him for the rest of our lives.   RIP Clifford.  

 

 

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Clifford has had a very good day.  He visited the county park this morning and met two very mellow Golden Retrievers without incident.  Later we walked in the nearby city park and he was introduced to two Shelties, again without any problems whatsoever.  Everything Clifford did today reinforced my belief that he is territorial and protective of his space, not dog aggressive.  Clifford just isn’t the most socially accomplished dog.  All we have to do is keep Clifford under control around other dogs and he does wonderfully well.

Clifford continues to impress us with his athletic ability.  We discovered recently that he is a great Frisbee player.  I’ve tried to get pictures of him in full flight but I’m not a very good action photographer.  Clifford fully extended with all four paws off the ground and grabbing the disc out of the air is a sight to behold.

We also recently learned that Clifford has mild storm anxiety last week.  He doesn’t do anything destructive but does try to get to a safe place when the thunder rolls through.

We are amazed that Clifford hasn’t had potential adopters lined up to meet him.  Perhaps Clifford’s reputation is keeping people away but it shouldn’t.  He is very affectionate, loving, obedient and very well trained. He is perhaps the smartest and most alert dog I have every encountered.  He is a very special dog that only needs an experienced owner who is willing to keep him safe and away from trouble.  This is one very wonderful dog.