Welcome to RAGOM Joey! 

Joey arrived from Sioux City, Iowa this last weekend after being found as a stray.  The shelter was full in Iowa and RAGOM quickly came to his rescue.  Thank you to all the volunteers who transported and fostered him until he could arrive at our home in Shakopee, MN.  We have no history on Joey due to him being a stray.  Joey went to the vet and weighed in at a whopping 87 pounds.  He is not overweight, he is just big.  I am not surprised as he is a tall dog with very big paws.  You just want to hug all 87 pounds of him as he is so cute! The vet estimated him to be 3-4 years old, and may even be younger, but his teeth were somewhat worn so it was difficult to estimate.  The vet felt he was a Chesapeake/Labrador mix with a golden heart.  He was neutered before arriving to RAGOM and was brought up to date on his vaccinations, microchipped, and given a 1 week course of antibiotics for a mild skin infection.  He occasionally itches and has a small granuloma on his forepaw, so there is a possibility of allergies, but the vet would like Joey to finish the antibiotics first as the itching may be due to the skin infection.  Otherwise he was given a clean bill of health.  Since arriving on Sunday Joey has settled into our routine very nicely and I am quickly falling in love with this big guy.  He has made me his favorite (it is so nice to be adored!) and likes to be close to me, but doesn't overwhelm me.  He tends to follow me from room to room, but quickly plops down on the floor and relaxes.  He met our resident dog (golden/lab mix) without issues, as well as our resident cat.  He was very gentle with our two children (ages 4 and 6) despite his size. Highlights of Joey: -He appears to have been with a family previously as he listens well and knows sit, shake and stay. -He prefers to be with people more than other dogs.  He gets along with other dogs, but would prefer the company of a person, therefore, he hasn't initiated play with our resident dog.  However, he has tried to mount her twice while playing outside as I think he gets very excited with play. -He appears to be housebroken, other than initial scent marking when he arrived at our home, as he has not had an accident overnight or when we are away from the house. -Overall he been good with our children, but there have been three instances where he has growled to let them know that he didn't like what they were doing. -He has not been in a crate at our home, but stays in the laundry room while we are away and has done well with this arrangement.-He has slept through the night by our bed without problems.-He walks very well on a leash and would be an excellent running partner. -He likes to retrieve stuffed toys and will bring them back to you.  He is still working on releasing, but will let you take the toy out of his mouth without problem. -He gets very excited when we say "outside" and likes to play with us in the backyard.  He doesn't seem to be a flight risk and stays close. -He likes to be petted and have his belly rubbed. -He rides fairly well in the car and likes to have his head out the window.  Since he is a big dog he would likely do best in the back of a car laying down, otherwise his weight shifts to easily with the car.-He doesn't mind a bath, but I can tell it isn't his first choice either.   -He is fine with the cat until I start giving the cat attention and then he tries to nudge and nip at the cat to let me and the cat know that he wants the attention. Joey is meeting two other dogs tonight.  One is a puppy as we are interested to see how he does with a younger dog.  I will update you on that meeting tomorrow.  Enjoy the pictures of this lovable, adorable guy!