A lot has happened with Freddie since his last long update.  Let's see if we can do some catching up.

First, a very special thank you to Mary and Carl for sponsoring Freddie.  And to the wonderful person that gave Freddie a Valentine icon in memory of Lucy and Seger, thanks!
Now for some details.  Freddie is a mixed breed.  We believe he is Great Pyrenees and Golden Retriever, called a Golden Pyrenees.  If you google for that mix, the pictures look so much like Freddie.  At his last Vet visit, end of January, Freddie got his latest round of shots and a clean bill of health.  He weighed in between 80 and 85 pounds.  The Vet looked him over and felt he was 3 years old, perhaps a few months younger.  Since Freddie came to us as a stray, we may never know for sure.

Freddie has many positive traits that make him a great dog with a couple of not so positive traits.  But first, let's talk about his strengths.

As noted above, Freddie really loves people.  Old, young, men, women, everyone.  Freddie really bonds to people and is very attached to me.  He is motivated to please people and loves to be around people, get pets from them, and snuggle.  He's a bit big to be a lap dog, but that doesn't stop Freddie from trying.  Freddie is also treat motivated and a smart dog that learns quickly.  Both of these make him very easy to train, something he needs since he's such a big boy and still has some puppy left in him.

Freddie is kennel trained and does pretty good for several hours a day.  We have left him for up to 6 hours a few times and he did fine.  He usually just curls up and naps.  Freddie has been left along in the house for short periods of time without any problems.  He's never chewed anything or gotten into something he shouldn't or had a accident.

When we first started working with Freddie, he pulled like a freight train on the leash.  This is one reason he was returned when he was first adopted, the new owners couldn't handle him.  At 85 pounds, Freddie is very solidly built and a strong dog.  So he was trained to walk on a gentle leader and is now one of the easiest dogs to walk.  Stays right beside you and doesn't pull.  The gentle leader also helps control Freddie when he sees a rabbit or squirrel out on a walk.  Freddie has a strong prey drive, probably developed from his time as a stray, so he views any small furry critter as dinner.

Riding in the car is no problem.  He is usually tethered in the back seat because he wants to crawl into the driver's lap and help drive.  I told him that until he gets his license, he has to stay in the back seat.  He's been on a lot of short trips to the store, does great waiting while we shop.  However, as the weather warms up this spring, will probably have to stop leaving him in the car since he has a heavy coat and would get overheated too quickly.

Speaking of all the fur, Freddie is a dog built for our Minnesota winters.  He loves the cold, loves the snow, and will play for hours in it.  This winter I've seen the joy he has as he plows through all the fresh snowfalls we have had.  He's blazed several trails in the yard that our other dogs use when they go outside.  Because of all his fur, Freddie is going to need frequent brushing.  Fortunately he loves grooming!

Now for his special needs.  Freddie really needs to be an only dog.  We may never know why, but Freddie is not happy with certain dogs.  Some dogs he ignores, but there are other dogs (like German Shepherds) that set him off and he gets agitated and aggressive if he gets too close.  Because of this, Freddie attended a special class at Canine Coach for Dog to Dog aggression.  It was a six week course that teaches dog owners how to work with dogs that react to other dogs and help socialize a dog toward other dogs.  Because Freddie is so smart and easy to train, he did really good in the class.  Freddie barely paid attention to the other dogs and did his training drills and got his treats as rewards.  Some of the people that know Freddie commented on how much easier he was to handle and how much calmer he was after taking the class.  I would highly recommend this class to anyone that is interested in adopting Freddie.  Even though Freddie has graduated, like most dog training classes, it is more about training the handler than the dog, and the techniques used in the class are great for managing Freddie.

Because of Freddie's need to be separate from other dogs, a fenced in yard is a must with him.  This is to keep Freddie and other dogs safe.  An invisible fence or a tie out would not work for him because they would not prevent other dogs from wandering into his space.  And even though Freddie loves kids and is very gentle around them, his new home needs to be adults or older children that are dog savvy and big enough to handle Freddie.  Freddie probably isn't a good dog for an inexperienced dog owner and needs a more experienced owner.  Training for Freddie is a must.  That will help establish the bond between Freddie and his new family and make Freddie more comfortable and calm.  Freddie may not be able to attend a group class but there are many resources for individual sessions available.

If you are looking for a cute, loving big ball of fur, and have a fence with no other dogs, then give Freddie a chance.  Everyone that meets him can't believe what a great dog he is.  So if you think you have what it takes for Freddie, give your placement advisor a shout!