I am very happy to introduce Gustavus "Gus" and to welcome him to America!  To start out, I would like to give a huge "Thank you" to Gus's sponsors - Craig, Laurie and their pups Alasdair and Berit!   It is because of sponsors like you that we are able continue to do the work that we do and Gus and I are very thankful.
  

Gustavus has been with us now for a little over a week and he has adjusted so well to the indoor, family life.  When he first came to our home, it was like watching a child on Christmas morning - he grabbed every toy from the toy bin and ran to show us what he had.  He would then drop it and run and get another.  Once everything was in a pile at our feet, he simply danced around picking up and dropping everything - he couldn't decide what to play with first.  The whole time, his tail was going a mile a minute.  His happiness and joy at experiencing new things has not waned - he loves exploring, experiencing and finding new things.  About two days ago, he finally slowing crawled up onto to the couch.  He sat for a minute and then, with a deep sigh, laid down and slept for hours without moving.  When I would reach over to pet him, he didn't even open his eyes, but would thump his tail and snuggle deeper into the couch.
 

A few days after joining us, Gus had his first vet appointment.  He is a healthy 70 pound boy.  He does have a broken tooth that will need to be addressed in the next year, he tested positve to exposure to Anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease, and had a double ear infection, but otherwise he is very healthy.  He was also given a course of antibiotics to help with some open sores he still had.  Live was tough for this poor boy in the shelter and it is obvious he was picked on and, being more of a lover than fighter, he most likely did not fight back.  His sores are healing nicely and will soon be a distant memory of a life he no longer has to live.  His coat is still pretty coarse, but we have already seen an improvement with a good diet and fish oil supplements.
   

Last Friday, Gus went from being one of 70 abandoned goldens in a large shelter outside of Istanbul, Turkey, to a local TV star when WCCO sent out a reporter and camera crew to meet him.  He did fantastic and showed his adorable personality!  You can watch him here .

Last Saturday, Gus attended a Meet and Greet and did so well.  He was able to see four of his friends from Turkey and greeted them all happily.  He also greeted every person he met with his signature thumping tail and smile.  He also had the chance to actually play with some dogs.  My resident dogs are not big players and Gus is great at reading their signals to leave them alone, but he does really want to play.  He will play bow to them or take his paw and gently pat them on the head, trying to engage them.  But, sadly, they do not respond.  At the Meet and Greet, he had lots of dogs ready, willing and able to play and was just so happy (even though it was a very controlled play since we were inside in a tight space).  Today we are babysitting a puppy and Gus and he have played non-stop for hours - it is safe to say that this boy does know how to play and keep up with a rambunctious 13 week old.  I would love to see Gus in a home where he has the chance to play with other dogs.
             

If you think Gus may be a perfect fit for your home, let your placement advisor know.  He is waiting for his perfect forever home.