Finnegan (Leon 13-402) [1]

 Happy Holidays Leon! We hope you find your forever home soon!!  Molly (10-069), Shea, Ellie and Anna  

Please welcome Leon 13-402 to RAGOM. Leon is a 5-year-old Golden mix. My guess is Yellow Lab with a hint of Greyhound? Leon was surrendered to the Tri-County Humane Society because of a divorce in his family. Leon was sent to RAGOM because he did not do well in the shelter setting. He was very scared there.

As to be expected, Leon was a bit nervous on the ride home with me and once we got home. Leon met my pack of dogs and cats with no problems. Much to my surprise, Leon went for my large wire crate for a place of safety. He did come to me several times the first day for petting. I made sure to let him outside often so he would know to do his business out there. No accidents in the house at all!

Since Leon seemed to be house trained, I left the crate door open for the night. Leon stayed in the crate until morning when he came upstairs and laid next to my bed. Once up, we went outside, had breakfast, and then went for a walk. Leon did pretty well on the walk, but does pull pretty hard on the leash. I will be trying a Gentle Leader with him to see if that helps. Leon started to come out of his shell more the second day. He still spent most of his time in the crate, but was seeming more relaxed with the other dogs and his new home. Leon seems to possibly know a few commands, but could be rusty at them or I haven't used the correct words. He does take treats very gently.

The second night, Leon spent most of the night sleeping on the floor next to my bed. He greeted me in the morning with his snout on the bed. After the normal morning routine, it was the day to get Leon in to the vet's office to have his wellness check and get vaccines up to date. Leon weighed in at 45.5 lbs. Dr. Becky thought Leon was in good condition. The only not-so-good was he tested positive for Lyme Disease. The testing positive only means that he was bit once by the same type of tick that carries Lyme Disease. Since he has no symptoms of Lyme, it is a very safe bet that he doesn't have it. Lyme Disease is very treatable now and can be cured. Leon was better in the car on this trip.

Leon continues to become more relaxed here and part of the pack. He is part of the greeting committee now when I come in from outside. Leon also likes to be a lap dog when I sit in the recliner. The more he settles in, the sweeter and more affectionate he becomes. Leon seems to be a very nice boy that will only get better the longer he is here. He's only been here 4 days now, so there is much more to learn.

Here are a few highlights of Leon 13-402 that I know so far:

• Leon gets along with other dogs or could be a only dog.
• Leon gets along with cats. He mostly ignores them.
• Leon came from a family with all age kids and was good with them.
• Leon is said to like water.
• Leon is totally housebroke.
• Leon barks very little.
• Leon has very good recall outside.

Leon's only fault so far is that his is camera shy. I hope to get better pictures in the future. Does Leon 13-402 sound like the dog for you? Contact your placement adviser to find out.