Happy Valentines, Byron and Larry

Sonny was found in early December and brought to a shelter in southern Iowa with a black lab.  The two dogs were found tied together by their leashes with a note attached.  The note stated that the owner was dying and they hoped whoever found the dogs would find them a good home.  The note also stated the dog’s names and ages, that they were house trained and inside dogs.  

Sonny is a golden retriever mix and is 4 years old.  He has spent the past 2 months at the shelter and was getting stressed there.  The volunteers and workers at the shelter loved Sonny dearly and knew he needed to be in a house to start to feel at ease.  The shelter called RAGOM and asked if they could help Sonny find a great home.

Sonny arrived at our house this past weekend and is one awesome dog!  He rode very well in the car on the way here, in a crate, for more than 7 hours.  He was very excited to be in a house and with our family. He came in and greeted our 2 other dogs without any problems, but we took introductions slowly.  He spent the first 24 hours on the nervous side, did some panting and pacing, but also seemed content to be in a home.  I swear he just kept on smiling.

Sonny met our resident cat, who is not a fan of new dogs entering our house.  He passed the cat test and just completely walked away and ignored her.  If she comes near him, Sonny casually walks out of the area.  As I said before, he also has been fine with the other two dogs here.  They are both very playful and keep on wanting him to play.  Sonny can get over stimulated at times and needs his people to help him learn how to calm down when necessary.  When he and the dogs are playing and it gets a bit too wild, we ask them to all sit, offer a treat and then separate them for a short time.  He does this very well and then is back to being composed.  Sonny lets me feed him from my hand, shares food and treats with the other dogs well and also respects their space if he hears a growl.  Sonny has no resource guarding or aggressive behaviors at all.

Sonny has had no accidents since he has arrived and sits at the door when he wants to go outside.  He does like to fling a bit of snow after he does his business, so we have to always be ready for that so we don’t get some snow in the face! Sonny also does very well in a crate and with a treat in hand and the command “crate”, he runs right in.  Sonny is a big strong dog and knows how to throw his weight around.  He loves our kids (ages 6 and 9), but even our dog savvy 6 year-old daughter thought he was a  bit too large for her.  She spent the first few hours avoiding him and his wet puppy kisses, which are wild and crazy…not exactly gentle. While Sonny means no harm, his attention seeking strategies are a bit over the top.  She is now getting used to him and this morning he literally soaked her hair with kisses.  This foster mom is not a big fan of many dog kisses and he is figuring out that I don’t care for them much.

Sonny likes to counter surf and dig in the garbage.  He also pulls really hard on the leash.  Once we get out walking, he does better but just gets so excited at first.  I would describe Sonny as a nervous dog, until he starts to feel really comfortable.  However, he is not skittish and doesn’t mind loud noises.  When I was vacuuming, he followed me around.  However, he wasn’t sure about the steps in our house to go downstairs.

Sonny will be going in for a wellness appointment to make sure he is all healthy for his new family.  He is already neutered and has received some vaccinations.  Watch for a new update soon with information on his vet appointment and other details about Sonny!

Sonny is just a dream, playful, enjoys attention and just wants to be loved and feel safe.  Sonny’s family will need to be committed to providing the training and guidance he wants so badly so he can continue to be the best dog he can be!  He is the type of dog who will be forever grateful for just those two things: love and safety.  If Sonny sounds like he might fit into your family, contact your placement advisor.  

(To Sonny’s previous owner, I hope they are at peace knowing he is on his way to finding a great home! I hope others can learn from this and know there are many options for their beloved pets when they can no longer take care of them.  Contact a local shelter or rescue group; don’t just let them run.)