Pistol 10-021 [1]

** Waiting List **

January 28, 2010:

Welcome the newest member of RAGOM....Pistol! Pistol is a 1 1/2 year old gorgeous golden!

Pistol owners made a very hard, but loving decision to surrender him to RAGOM. His owners are a point in their life where they would like to travel abroad and realize that traveling with a young teenager would not be fair to Pistol.

If you haven't noticed already Pistol is a very handsome boy. He is lean (63 lbs) and long and has the typical Golden personality. He was vetted and neutered and is up to date on his vaccines. He will need a booster vaccine in 3 weeks and is also being treated for Lyme's disease with antibiotics for one month. Don't let the Lyme's disease deter you from thinking about Pistol as he is showing no signs of Lyme's disease. His test was faintly positive, but to prevent complications in the future, he needs to complete his antibiotics. It is very unlikely that he will develop any complications from the Lyme's disease with proper treatment.

Pistol met our children (ages 5 and 7), resident golden mix and cat without problems. He is interested in our cat, but more in a playful way. Our cat is dog savvy and just tells Pistol to stay away with a hiss or a swat. He has settled into our busy family routine wonderfully and it seems like he has been here more than a few days.

Here is what we have learned about Pistol:

• He is potty trained and crate trained.
• He gets along well with children and was exposed to children ranging from 6 to 16 years of age in his previous home. Since he is a young teenager, he may be too energetic for smaller children. I would suggest children ages 6 and older.
• He gets along with other dogs, but doesn't need one in his home and would probably prefer to be the only one to get all the attention (which dog doesn't!)
• He appears to be fine with cats, but does appear to be somewhat interested in them. I believe with continued exposure and direction he would be fine with cats.
• He likes his walks and would make an excellent running partner. He also rides well in the car.
• He enjoys the outdoors as he had free roam at his former house. A fence is probably not necessary as listens well to his name, which I learned the other day when the door was left open and he decided to check out the neighborhood. I called his name and he came right back (thank goodness!).
• He LOVES and I mean LOVES tennis balls! He even drops the ball at your feet so you can throw it again. Smart Pistol!
• He is not a velcro dog, but does like to be petted, hugged and kissed
• He would benefit from obedience training, but already knows basic commands (sit, shake, down).

Whoever adopts Pistol is going to be one lucky family. He is a gem!