Maxie (Aeros 14-131)

Profile

Hugs and kisses -Karin Sardvig

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care	Fence	Kid Friendly	Another Dog	Cat Friendly
May 18, 2014	physical	10+	yes	yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land (Iowa, to be exact), a dirty smelly dog sat in a shelter, waiting to be claimed. But no one came. His allotted days were coming to an end. That's when another miracle began. Shelter personnel called a local Ragom volunteer, describing the scared guy as an "awesome dog" and asked for Ragom's help.

Formally named Aeros (nicknamed Max), this mellow golden/yellow lab mix spent a week with his rescuing angel in Iowa. He arrived in St. Paul on May 18, 2014. Welcome to our world, Max!

Max is a compact 60 lb. neutered male. The vet estimates that he is 5-7 years old. He is UTD on all vaccines. He tested negative for HW and Lyme disease. His fecal is negative. He is housebroken. Max and my three residents met one another enthusiastically but not aggressively. Max was clearly unfamiliar with cats and their rather astonishing ability to leap tall buildings effortlessly. He and the resident felines have taken a "one step at a time" approach and now, a week later, the cats exhibit no fear of him and will walk right by him. He has shown puzzled interest - but no aggression - toward them.

Max panted for about an hour after he arrived. He then seemed to settle down and spent the night on a bed next to my bed - where he continues to sleep. (Although he needed to go out in the middle of the night the first two days - waking me up by pacing, he now sleeps through the night.) He picked at his meals for a few days and then regained his usual robust appetite. He eats by himself in a room with the door closed...BECAUSE he eats very slowly and, if interrupted by my guys, will stop eating altogether. Being used to 3 dogs who inhale their meals without pausing for breath, Max brings a whole new dimension to meal time.

Max is a mellow affectionate boy who loves to be hugged and patted and kissed. He needs the following in his Forever Home:

A physical fence
Another dog
A home where someone is home much of the day. Max becomes anxious when he is left by himself. Crating compounds the situation and is not an option. Thankfully, he is not destructive when he is left loose in the house. His pattern is to bark for a short period of time when I leave the house and again upon my return. He also pants and is generally unsettled. However we are working on this and bribery in the form of frozen peanut butter kongs seems to be helping! For the first time today, he was more interested in his kong (in the kitchen) than coming to bark good-bye to me at the living room window when I left to do errands. Hooray for Max!

Max loves his fenced back yard. He is the self appointed "tracker" of the chipmunks and it is obvious that meeting Mr. Chippy is at the top of his priority list. He also relishes self administered back rubs and the warmer weather has him seeking out cool shady spots where he can relax and enjoy the good life.

At a Glance #14-131

Mixed Breed	Born: May 2009
Male	75 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

Hugs and kisses -Karin Sardvig

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care	Fence	Kid Friendly	Another Dog	Cat Friendly
May 18, 2014	physical	10+	yes	yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land (Iowa, to be exact), a dirty smelly dog sat in a shelter, waiting to be claimed. But no one came. His allotted days were coming to an end. That's when another miracle began. Shelter personnel called a local Ragom volunteer, describing the scared guy as an "awesome dog" and asked for Ragom's help.

Formally named Aeros (nicknamed Max), this mellow golden/yellow lab mix spent a week with his rescuing angel in Iowa. He arrived in St. Paul on May 18, 2014. Welcome to our world, Max!

Max is a compact 60 lb. neutered male. The vet estimates that he is 5-7 years old. He is UTD on all vaccines. He tested negative for HW and Lyme disease. His fecal is negative. He is housebroken. Max and my three residents met one another enthusiastically but not aggressively. Max was clearly unfamiliar with cats and their rather astonishing ability to leap tall buildings effortlessly. He and the resident felines have taken a "one step at a time" approach and now, a week later, the cats exhibit no fear of him and will walk right by him. He has shown puzzled interest - but no aggression - toward them.

Max panted for about an hour after he arrived. He then seemed to settle down and spent the night on a bed next to my bed - where he continues to sleep. (Although he needed to go out in the middle of the night the first two days - waking me up by pacing, he now sleeps through the night.) He picked at his meals for a few days and then regained his usual robust appetite. He eats by himself in a room with the door closed...BECAUSE he eats very slowly and, if interrupted by my guys, will stop eating altogether. Being used to 3 dogs who inhale their meals without pausing for breath, Max brings a whole new dimension to meal time.

Max is a mellow affectionate boy who loves to be hugged and patted and kissed. He needs the following in his Forever Home:

A physical fence
Another dog
A home where someone is home much of the day. Max becomes anxious when he is left by himself. Crating compounds the situation and is not an option. Thankfully, he is not destructive when he is left loose in the house. His pattern is to bark for a short period of time when I leave the house and again upon my return. He also pants and is generally unsettled. However we are working on this and bribery in the form of frozen peanut butter kongs seems to be helping! For the first time today, he was more interested in his kong (in the kitchen) than coming to bark good-bye to me at the living room window when I left to do errands. Hooray for Max!

Max loves his fenced back yard. He is the self appointed "tracker" of the chipmunks and it is obvious that meeting Mr. Chippy is at the top of his priority list. He also relishes self administered back rubs and the warmer weather has him seeking out cool shady spots where he can relax and enjoy the good life.

Updates

Monday, November 10, 2014

Hi dog updates people. Here's the best news ever - please change Maxie's status to Adopted!!!!! Yippee for him!!

Maxie has been adopted!!!!

We knew that there was something special about the Rs - mom, dad, two daughters (A is 10 and E is 6 1/2) and Hollywood, the Rs 13 lb. Shorkie - as soon as we met them. But it was when A and E sat down on the floor to get better acquainted with Maxie that the magic really started. It was pats - snuggles - kisses - giggles and hugs. Maxie just melted. Always a sweetheart, he couldn't get close enough to the girls. He just reveled in the attention and love. Maxie was also obviously smitten w Hollywood who, despite her pint size, has a take-charge personality. Hollywood will keep him in line, no doubt!
Look at the smile on his face - he just exudes happiness - as they were getting ready to leave FM's house and go to his new home:

FM is just delighted that this wonderful family and sweet teddy bear of a guy have found each other. And so ends the chapter "My Time with Ragom" in the book entitled Maxie's Life and Adventures. I'm sure there will be many more happy chapters with his forever family! We love you, Maxie R.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

First and most important, a big thank you to Karin for remembering Maxie with a paw print at Goldzilla. He loved those hugs and kisses! We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity in helping Ragom continue its good work.

Maxie continues to be a sweet mellow addition to the resident pack. And, as the crowd demonstrates multiple times throughout the day, they sure know how to relax:

Maxie also provides me with plenty of laughs on any given day. Apropos of nothing, he came up to me the other day - smiling, tail wagging, asking for hugs - while FM was on the phone. It wasn't until I hung that FM realized she had seen that behavior before...from my very first Ragom adoptee, King. Maxie (as did King) thought FM was talking to him when FM was on the phone and he responded appropriately given that conclusion. What to do except laugh and provide the requested hugs!

Maxie does best when we maintain some structure and consistency in his world. For example, we always sit and wait before we go out, before meals and when we cross the street. We have worked very hard on taking treats politely from FM, ie, leaving my fingers intact. Initially, when Maxie was more excitable, this was a tough lesson but he has learned and practices "gentle" about 99% of the time now.

Thought you'd enjoy this picture of Maxie as he continues what a resident started: de-stuffing a froggie. Don't you just love that face!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Maxie had a wonderful time at Goldzilla! With his fun loving personality, he truly is an honorary golden!

After parking at the Park, our (FM, daughter, 3 residents, and Maxie) first hurdle was the bus. Given her puppy mill background, Zozo (12-108) understandably wanted no part of going up those steep steps. After a lift from FM, however, we all boarded. Maxie sat with Zozo and provided good support for her on the ride over to the tents. In fact, his support was so good that on the return trip, Zozo followed Maxie up the steps without hesitation as if she had been doing this her entire life!

Once there, Maxie - as were all the guys - was just overcome by all the excitement, smells, people and other dogs to meet. He loved meeting prospective adopters at the Foster Tent. He had a chance to meet Bear’s (10-277) foster mom and Zozo's foster mom. He loved walking around and exploring. Best of all was meeting so many new dogs. We came home after the Parade and all the guys - including the honorary golden - slept the rest of the day.

Maxie, sweet boy, has also taken our anti-anxiety program to the next level. FM noticed a change in his behavior about a week ago. Up until that time, when FM came home from errands or whatever, Maxie would greet me with tail wagging and dancing about, just asking for some attention, even though he knows that FM doesn't greet him immediately. Now, when FM comes home, Maxie still wags his tail but there's very little dancing. Instead, Maxie immediately turns around, gets a bone and lies down to chew it vigorously for several minutes. After about 10 minutes, Maxie gets his hugs and pats. How about that! Maxie has found a constructive acceptable outlet for his excitement. Is he smart or what! Have a wonderful week!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Hi! Maxie here! I am having the most fun this summer.

FM always says that I'm such a nice guy that she wonders how I ever ended up in a shelter, scared and dirty. I don't even like to think about those days and FM also tells me that those days are over forever. She says that I'll never have to be alone and frightened again. I believe her and, as a result, I have really relaxed into a happy go-along kind of guy.

Well, I have relaxed a lot - but I still have some drive left in me. Very quickly after I got here, I saw a job that needed doing. The residents are too laid back to take this job on so, with my ability to focus, I stepped up to the task. My job is to patrol the back yard for the chipmunks - to make sure they don't gain a foothold. When FM asks us "Do you want to go out?", all of us guys answer "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I know at that point that its time for me to put on my hat and badge and prepare for work. Outside, I first reconnoiter the entire perimeter of the yard and then do some "in and out" work to make sure that there aren't any chippies hiding among the flower beds. I do this every time we go out but vary the route so that I don't become predictable to the chippies.

The most fun is when I find one of those pesky little guys and he breaks and makes a run for it. I haven't caught one yet, but its not because I don't try. Boy oh boy, the chase is fun!! Generally, resident Zozo (12-108) joins in the pursuit with great enthusiasm. She doesn't have the focus necessary to patrol and sometimes I wonder if she knows what she's chasing. But, she's so happy to be helping me that I tell her she does a great job and thank her when the excitement is over. This is me after patrol:

FM marvels at how much I enjoy and how thoroughly I do my job when I go out. She calls me her happy hunter. Most times, when we come in, FM slips me a little treat for a job well done. If you need your yard patrolled, don't call Ghostbusters, call your placement advisor and ask for me!

That's all for now. I'm going to be in the foster tent from 10:30-11:30 at Goldzilla on September 14th. Even if your yard doesn't need patrolling, stop by and see me. I love meeting people!

Here's another note about Goldzilla: on the 14th there will be a large board with pictures of all the foster dogs like me near the baseball backstop. You can help by purchasing a foster paw print sticker at the merchandising tent (increments of $10, $25, $50, and $100). Once purchased, place the sticker next to the picture of the dog you'd like to support. You will also be able to write that particular dog a note, which will be posted on the dog's page after the event. Of course, I'd like to get a lot of stickers, but I also have a lot of friends being fostered who would appreciate getting stickers too. We'd really appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. See you on the 14th!!!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Maxie has had one of those quiet summer weeks. He has taken a giant step forward in his efforts to remain composed as we pass by other dogs on our daily walks. One house in the neighborhood, in particular, has proved to be invaluable in our training effort. We pass by this house about 4 times/week. The yard has a chain link fence. The owner leaves two small dogs loose in the yard about 80% of the time. These little guys follow us the length of the property - barking - whenever we pass by. It takes FM's firm grip, repeating, "Leave it," and a great deal of self-control on Maxie's part as we "run the gauntlet." Max has improved tremendously.

Max continues to be an easy, mellow addition to the resident pack. He knows all of our vocabulary: come, sit, lie down, wait, go out, treat, eat, stop, go, gentle, easy, love, walk, and the all important GOOD BOY! Grooming is easy: FM uses a Furminator once a week and this keeps Max in tip-top shape. Max loves his hugs and kisses. I think his favorites, though, are walks and meals. If you're looking for a guy who will fit in to your home and routine quickly and happily, let your placement adviser know.

Thought you'd enjoy the attached pictures. By the flowers, Max looks almost regal. FM caught him giving Dudley an affectionate nuzzle also. Dudley looks a bit surprised by Max's enthusiasm, doesn't he.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Marvelous Max has had a fun week. He attended the Meet and Greet at Chuck and Don's in Edina this past weekend. FM is just amazed. He handles this whole experience - all the strange dogs, people, the surroundings, and the attendant confusion - with great aplomb. He's well-behaved and friendly. It's as if he has been doing this his whole life. He was particularly welcoming to a brother and sister who were perhaps 4 and 5 years of age. They obviously liked Maxie and his calm smiling demeanor, and they gave him lots of hugs and pats during the time we were there.

Max is doing so well on his manners that we are starting to work on a new area: car rides. Although Max would love to sit in the front when we go in the car, FM tethers him in the backseat. He's well-behaved, but pants a lot. Accordingly, we've started on the first phase of de-sensitizing Max to riding in the car: Max and FM leave the house and sit in the car for 20 minutes or so. After his panting subsides, Maxie gets treats and we return to the house. Wonder what the neighbors think!

Thought you'd enjoy the pictures below of my favorite platinum flower child on one of the paths in the garden.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

About a month ago, we determined that Max had a limp that was largely treatable through some dietary supplements and some modifications to his exercise schedule. So, FM has added fish oil tablets, Dasaquin and 1/2 of a low dose of Rimadyl to his daily diet. To give these time to get into his system, we cut back on the length of his walks for a short period of time also. We are now averaging 1 3/4 - 2 miles on Max's daily walks. The best news is that Max's limp has virtually disappeared. And that's terrific because the high point of Max's day is walking. Resident Cubbie, always up for an adventure, is his exercise partner. Picture two handsome guys - one platinum and one golden in color - skipping down the front walk as we set off - prancing with excitement for about another 25 yards - and then settling into a businesslike brisk pace for our daily excursion. (Max has completely accepted the Gentle Leader and the GL has turned walking with him into totally pleasurable experience for FM.)

Max has also become a star at "Sit" - about 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time Maxie asks FM if she really wants him to sit. In other words, FM says "Sit" and Max has apparently been stricken deaf instantaneously. He has elevated standing and peering around vacantly into an art form. But FM knows that game and out waits our Max. We've had some long pauses - 25 seconds or so - before Maxie relents and lowers his butt to the floor. But it gets there. Are dogs funny or what!

More and more of Max's sweetheart personality comes out every day. He's so affectionate and endears himself to me and to the guys. I have never seen him out of sorts or any behaviors that indicate he's other than a happy go along guy. He definitely has the laissez faire attitude which is common to the residents. Here he is resting and snoozing with resident Cubbie after one of their walks.

The miscellaneous observation of the week is that FM has to pierce and squish Max's fish oil tablets into his meals. If they are left intact - like small bullets - he won't touch them.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Our best guy Maxie has had a busy week and a half. He, resident social butterfly Cubbie and I were at the Ragom booth at the Pet-a-Palooza celebration on the State Fairgrounds last weekend. What fun! Lots of Ragom people and dogs and lots of visitors, many of whom also had dogs! FM was wondering what to expect from Max. As mentioned in previous write-ups, Max is very interested in other dogs on our daily walks. Given that, FM had mentally constructed several close to nightmare scenarios about our potential Pet-a-Palooza experience. Was FM happily surprised or what! Maybe it was the sheer overwhelming number of dogs that shell shocked Max but he was calm and composed throughout our visit. In fact, Max was the well behaved counter balance to resident Cubbie who greeted every single person who came by as if s/he were a long lost best friend and celebrated accordingly. Everyone was exhausted and slept the rest of the day after we got home.

FM realized this past week that the length of time that Max is excited after FM returns home from errands or other activities is much shorter than when Max initially arrived here. In addition, the level of his excitement is much more in line with the residents: enthusiastic but not tipping over the line into anxious. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that people unfamiliar with Max's shelter experience background would only see an "acceptable" happy greeting. What progress he has made and continues to make. Kudos to Max for his resiliency!

Max came quite close to achieving his objective of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Chippy this weekend. One (of several, I'm sure) of the chippies' "safe houses" in the back yard is a gutter extension. Now, we all know what it means to "tree a cat." In this case, Maxie "guttered the chippy." So close and yet so far! If Max could have figured out how to slide up inside that gutter extension himself, he would have. So, FM took Maxie inside for treats - the chippy escaped - and everyone lived to play the game another day!

Max continues to be a super easy guy to have around. He is very affectionate - loves his hugs and pats and kisses. He not only accepts attention but will request pats/love as necessary. He is not, however, a clingy guy. He gets along w everyone and even has started to play resident Cubbie's favorite game: take one bone - have a dog on each end - and settle back to enjoy the pulling and mock growling - until someone "wins". Max enjoys the chew bones but has shown no interest in "stuffies". Maybe if FM gets a few stuffies that have squeakers that actually work Max will change his mind! FM has seen no resource guarding. He takes his treats very gently. He now sits before being asked to when it’s time to eat.

The miscellaneous observation of the week is that Max showed some mild discomfort with fireworks on the 4th of July. He got up and started to walk around after the first few loud bangs. However, he settled right back down to sleep after FM closed the windows, turned on the AC and selected some music on the radio.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hi everybody -

Aeros - better known as Maxie - here. From where I'm sitting, the world is a wonderful place to be: plenty of good food and water, new friends, comfy beds, walks every day, and hugs and kisses from my FM. Have I died and gone to heaven or what! So, what's really good about being here:

1. First of all, I finally got the inner tube off. Wearing that was totally unexpected and I still can't figure out why I had it on. The worst thing was that we never even went swimming. Go figure.

2. Love - love - love those frozen peanut butter kongs! I get one whenever FM leaves the house for a long time. (If its a short absence, we get biscuits.) Resident Cubbie is loose in the house along with me when FM goes out. He also gets a small kong. I'm so glad because that means I don't have to share my big one!

3. The residents are mellow. Well, Zozo, our puppy mill girl (12-108) isn't mellow - but she is very sweet. All of us guys protect her. The very first night I was here, I looked out the living room window and barked at people walking down the street. Now, I have a very deep bark and it scared Zozo so much that she ran to FM and was just shaking. Zozo and I have compromised: I don't bark much anymore and she doesn't shake when I do.

4. The cats (Sidney and Dudley) are a mystery to me. I never knew such creatures existed. They are very undoglike. I would like to play with them and have tried several times. However, both of them just sit very quietly when I do and give me the beady fish eye. Its quite off-putting. In fact, the first week I was here, when I wanted to play, Duddy scrunched up his face - he looked like Dirty Harry - and said, "Go on - make my day." Yikes! Things are much more relaxed now but I'm still pretty careful around them.

5. FM walks me every day and doesn't seem to mind a whole lot when I go searching for Mr. and Mrs. Chippy in her gardens. I'm learning good table manners. I've learned that I don't "win" if I try to dash out the door and be first down the steps. I've learned to sit before we cross the street - and a whole lot of other times too! I'm learned that trying to drag FM down the street on walks - because I'm so happy to be out and about - is counter productive. I get lots of praise when I do things "right". And the residents help me a lot: Cubbie knows all the places on our walks where we need to sit - even before we get there! And Bear (10-277) has got that "Wait" down pat. Boy, can he wait.

Bear and Zozo have explained that there is a Forever Home out there that is perfect for me. That FH has a void in it that only I can fill. It will have another dog (maybe even cats!) and a person who won't leave me alone for too long during the day. I hope-hope-hope this FH also has pnb kongs! Bear and Zozo explained that I will be a PERFECT match for the person or people in the FH and that they will love me and care for me for the rest of my life. I don't know who this is but I'm waiting for them. I promise that I will give them all my love and devotion in return and be the best boy in the whole world. I gave FM an "I love you" soulful look the other day. See the picture below. If you want me to look at you like that, contact your Placement Advisor.

The miscellaneous observation of the week is that I never get up on the furniture or the bed - with one exception. If FM is in the back yard and we guys are in the house, sometimes I'll miss her and want to make sure that she's still out there. Then I'll jump up on the bed and peek out the window. (See below.) That's the only time!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Remember Max's first update when FM said that someone needed to be home much of the day with Max because he was anxious? NEWSFLASH!!! Max has shown such terrific progress between then and now that FM would be comfortable in Max going to a forever home where he was home by himself on a part-time basis, perhaps about 4 hours a day. Max is really "settling in." (A picture of Max snuggling with the residents - a sure sign of being comfortable - is included below.) He has been working diligently and enthusiastically on those exercises/tasks which are so helpful as he works toward attaining a quasi Zen-like state - obedience, good manners and the like. (Look at the picture below of Max sitting and waiting - with his buddy, resident RAGOM boy, Bear 10-277 - before heading out to the backyard.) No doubt we'll be able to report continuing progress in the coming weeks. FM is delighted for Max that he is becoming so much more confident that his world is a good place to be.

Not knowing Max's activity level before his rescue, we started with 1-mile walks and then increased our mileage. FM notice that Maxie limped after some of our 2-3 mile walks on back-to-back days. In view of that, when the vet removed the growth on Max's back leg (it was benign!), he took a few X-rays of Max's front legs. He found that Max has some loss of cartilage in his front leg elbows and some arthritis. In view of this, we will be altering Max's exercise schedule somewhat: several walks a day, but for shorter distances. We will also be trying a low dose of Rimadyl to make sure that Max is not uncomfortable.

Walks are, by the way, one of Max's favorite activities and one of the residents always joins us. So, picture this: two dogs - one of whom is wearing an inner tube that is as big as he is - walking down the street. (Inner tube picture below.) Further, there are 3 leashes involved: Max wears two (a RAGOM precaution to insure foster safety). It's no surprise that many of the people we meet look twice; a few have gone out of their way so that they do not encounter us. Doesn't bother the dogs at all!

The miscellaneous observation for the week is that we had a storm several days ago after we had gone to bed in the evening. Max woke up when it started to thunder. He went right back to sleep for the rest of the night after a few pats and murmured "It's OK." What a good boy!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

It's been a busy week for our Max.

Early this past week, the vet removed a wart-like growth on Max's left back leg. By the time it was over, the poor guy had a 4 inch suture! Max was still groggy when he came home and wearing the cone of shame quickly became a nightmare for everyone. Max bumped into every doorway and wall he could find, startling and confusing his already woozy self further with each bump. Our resident puppy mill girl, already inclined to being spooky, was rolling her eyes and sticking close to FM as a result of all the noise and excitement. First thing the next morning, we bought an inflatable collar - looks like an inner tube - which was a huge improvement. Max still bumped into things but now he bounced off them. So, peace again prevailed in Happy Valley.

Max apparently equated his day at the vet with a return to his shelter experience: noise, kennels, other animals, strange smells, and so forth. So, he stuck close to FM and exhibited some of his "old" behaviors for several days after that visit. He's back on track and gaining confidence now, however. He's generally comfortable with his GL. FM still gets a few head tosses when we start on our walks - but figures that's Max's way of asking whether FM is alert. He "Sits" and "Waits" (and drools!) before his meals. He "Sits" and "Waits" before going out - and that's even with the screen door wide open! What a guy! What terrific progress!

Max attended the Edina Meet and Greet this past Saturday. He met a lot of new dogs and people, including quite a few children. He was calm and self contained with everyone, enjoying hugs and pats and giving out a few kisses too. FM had not seen him interact with youngsters before and based on this experience, am able to rate him "kid friendly". Because we don't know his background and whether he lived with children previously, however, FM has confined prospective children's ages to 10+. As you can see by the picture below, he was EXHAUSTED from all the excitement and, once home, slept the rest of the day.

Max needs a forever home where there is lots of love and where he can become more and more confident that his world is a safe and secure and predictable place to be. In return, he will give you his devotion: head bumps and kisses and tail wagging and big brown eyes shining with love and appreciation.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Aeros - who we are calling Max - has settled in to his foster home just beautifully. Most important for everyone to know is that this guy is just a sweetheart! Around the house he is just like an old shoe - comfortable, easy to get along with, sweet and affectionate. He reminds me of a plush teddy bear with his almost platinum coat and big brown eyes. What a doll!

As he settles in, Max is becoming more relaxed about FM leaving the house for errands and/or other activities. He has stopped barking when FM leaves or arrives back home. Although he "snoots" the living room picture window a bit, so do the residents as they engage in their daily activities, such as guarding the street from strangers. Max greets me happily when FM returns but his enthusiastic greetings are not as anxious as they were several weeks ago. This past Friday, for example, I was gone for about 4 1/2 hours, came home, and then - unexpectedly - had to leave again for 2 hours. This was a tougher "test" for Max than I wanted or anticipated. But he handled it beautifully: no extreme nervousness at any point. Good for Max that he is starting to feel safe and secure!

One of a number of steps that FM is taking with Max to build his confidence in his new surroundings is good manners. His training to date appears to have been casual and informal. So, Max is getting used to walking on a Gentle Leader. As a result, his daily walks are a happier experience for all of us! While taking walks are Max's favorite activity, the highlight of each walk for Max is when we meet another dog. And, as we are generally down by the River, there are lots of dogs. Max is not aggressive - but he is enthusiastic and with his powerful lab chest, very strong. So, we have introduced the command "Leave It" into our vocabulary. Further reinforcing "Leave It" is blatant bribery: FM initially tried training treats but, as these were met with disdain by Max, we upped our game to pieces of hot dog,. Success! The hot dog rewards are doled out as Max tries to sit/sits and waits for another dog to pass by. He is trying very hard. He is getting better and better at this!

We are also working on "Sit" - before meals, before we go on walks, before we cross the street, before we go out to the back yard. Who knew there were so many opportunities to sit in one day. Max is improving in this area also. Having the residents, who know the drill, model the behavior also helps immeasurably. Quite often, "Wait" is linked to sit... as in, "Wait" ("Let me get the dish of food onto the floor before you start eating") and "Wait" ( "Let me lock the door before we start down the steps"). Max will not only benefit from obedience lessons, he will love this activity. He's smart and has a lot of drive - very "left brain" - and obedience is an activity that will allow him to excel.

A side note: remember when FM said that Max ate his food slowly a week ago? Not any more. He now gobbles his meals as fast as the residents. He then joins the post dinner doggie game of musical dishes - as the 4 of them go from dish to dish to make sure every morsel is gone from each.

A few pictures are included below. As I took the one of Max with Dudley, the resident Maine Coon cat, I overheard them discussing whether LeBron James and the Heat will be making it a threepeat this year. Who knew!?! Have a good week!!

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At a Glance #14-131

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