Baxter 13-160 [1]

June 8, 2013

Please welcome Baxter to the RAGOM family! This handsome boy arrived last week from a family that knew he deserved a better life. We thank them for making the loving decision to surrender him to our care, and promise we will find him a wonderful home.

Baxter will turn 6 years old on July 21st. He weighs in at 52 pounds and will be at the perfect weight once he gains a few more pounds. He would be perfect at around 55-57 pounds. He was recovering from a foot injury when he was surrendered, and has one more week of restricted activity before he can run and play to his hearts content. He loves going for walks and walks like a dream on a Gentle Leader. On his flat collar, not so much! He is house trained and goes into his crate willingly while we’re at work. In time he may not need a crate, but he gets into too much mischief right now to allow him free roam. At night he likes to sleep under our bed. Yep, you read that right! :)

Baxter was enrolled in obedience training as a pup and earned a First Place ribbon! He’s a little rusty at some things, but really is a smart boy. He will sit and wait when we put his food dish down, without being told to do so. He knows the basic commands and would love to have an owner that will take him back to class to keep his mind active. He would be fantastic at agility!!

Baxter’s only bad habit is that he’s an alert barker. So far he doesn’t really seem to bark at much outside, but inside he barks whenever he hears a noise. His previous owner noted that he barked a lot, and we are hopeful some of his behavior may decrease as time goes by, and with more exercise. Living in a home is not new to Baxter, but he tends to bark when he hears a strange noise. It may be us closing the cupboard, one of our dogs walking in from the other room, or the garbage truck going by outside. Baxter will leap to his feet and give out several loud barks, sometimes frequently. He also does this at night sometimes when he hears one of our dogs moving around. Because of his barking, he would not be a good match for someone that lives in a townhouse or condo. In addition, although he’s good with kids, we feel a quiet home without children would be in Baxter’s best interest.

So, what does Baxter’s perfect home look like?

• One that will give him plenty of exercise and attention. For Baxter this means daily walks AND play time in the yard. He loves fetch!
• A quiet home without a lot of commotion or activity. He needs an environment without the hustle and bustle of kids so he can relax and not feel the need to be on alert all the time.
• A family that will help him with his barking and train him in a positive manner. His behavior is not going to change overnight, and his family needs to be willing to work with him regarding this issue.
• He loves our dogs, but another dog is not necessary as long as he is getting plenty of exercise to help tire him out.
• A fenced yard would be great, but not necessary if his family is committed to boundary training.

Baxter is such a sweet boy and we love him to pieces already. He loves to play in the sprinkler and loves dropping his toys in our lap for some play time. He gets the happiest look on his face when we throw his toy in the air over and over again. He's so thrilled to be getting attention! This wonderful boy deserves nothing but the best, and we’re going to make sure he gets it. He is a RAGOM boy now, after all! :)