Macaroni

Introducing Macaroni!

Macaroni is a sweet and handsome 3mth old yellow Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever mix puppy.  Part cuddle bug, part adventurer, and part best friend, this boy is always ready for the fun in life.   He has many nicknames and is often called Mac or Macaroo and he responds to all.  Macaroni is a long and lanky puppy and will most likely be the size of a larger Lab when full grown, approx. 65lbs.  Mac is a very social puppy who loves people and meeting new friends, and going all kinds of fun places.  He hasn’t met a stick or twig he didn’t want to chew, and he has a remarkable sniffer to sus out all kinds of intriguing smells under the snow.  He is a puppy ready for anything and that includes finding his perfect forever family!

Macaroni had a rough start to life as a discarded puppy mill pup.   Luckily, he came into Pound Dog Rescue so we could help this special boy find his furever home.  This sweet boy is a fun and confident puppy up for any adventure.  He is smart, food motivated and takes gentle corrections well.  Play time is a great time! Macaroni loves to play with his people and with toys.  He lives with other dogs in the home but he is more of a people pup and although he enjoys going for walks with his foster dog siblings, he doesn’t play with them much and prefers to play independently with toys or with his people.  We would be looking for a home for Macaroni where he is the only dog and will get all of his people’s time and attention, especially for his very formative first year.  He should absolutely though have a good dog friend to go on walks with and socialize with.

Macaroni loves to be outside exploring or running around with a ball or stuffed animal, so he hopes his furever home has a backyard. Though he is a puppy now, he will grow into being a dog that needs adequate exercise and stimulation. He also loves being a part of everything that goes on in the house and wants to be where the action is.  This pup is an excellent supervisor and will watch what is going on either from one of the dog beds or from the kitchen mat.  

Macaroni is a confident pup who takes well to training.  He will be an excellent puppy for experienced dog owners who are also confident and can take the leadership role with him.  Anyone who loves training obedience skills and teach advanced skills would have a lot of fun with this pup.  Although he is not a suitable puppy for first time dog owners, he will be a fantastic dog in the hands of those who are confident dog handlers/trainers.   He is very smart and very motivated to learn.  We are looking for his forever family to be committed to advanced dog training classes and doing more with him than just the basics.  This puppy has huge potential and we want him to live to his full potential.

Macaroni does not love being left alone yet.  This is common in puppies and teaching them to be ok alone, to self soothe, is an important life lesson for all pups.  His crate training is going well, and he is making great strides, but he does use his excellent singing voice to let you know he is not happy to be in the crate initially. This pup does not want to miss out on any fun! Macaroni is fed in his crate, so he is learning it is not such a bad place to be but is still very vocal about it. For this reason Macaroni is not a dog that can live in an apartment or condo and needs a detached home.   At night, he is good in his crate with just a bit of half-hearted whining for the first few minutes.  He is crated in our room at night and this goes well and he sleeps all night long.  He needs his new family to continue with the crate training and give him time alone every day during the day so he can grow in confidence being alone.  If his new family has a work from home person then there will need to be a place for Mac to be crated during work time where his barking in the crate won’t interfere with work.  Puppies need 100% of your supervision when not in their crates; you cannot expect to work and have Macaroni running around in the room with you as he won’t have your full attention.   As he matures he will settle into a good crating schedule, but this is new for him now and he is still learning. 

Macaroni likes to play with toys but when he gets tired he does enjoy cuddle time with his people.  He likes to sit on the couch or floor next to us and have a nap.  He loves affection and being told he is a good boy, but he isn’t a dog that is constantly pestering for attention.   He is nicely independent where he can play with toys in his dog bed and entertain himself too.   He doesn’t love being held so we are working on this.  Although, it won’t be much longer where being held is even an option as he is a growing puppy!! But we are teaching him that manipulations and handling are a positive and he gets daily handling training.  

Please know that while this cutie has a great balance of rest and sleep now, he will require plenty of exercise and stimulation during the day as he grows to get all his fun puppy energy out and keep his mind engaged. Currently he goes out quite regularly throughout the day for a bathroom break and exercise in the backyard.  At this age he can only hold it in his crate for a few hours so he does need his people to have a schedule that can accommodate a puppy schedule.  Puppies need to be taken outside for bathroom breaks very regularly when they are small and will not be able to hold it for an 8hr work day.  We are also looking for families that are fully aware of the time commitment of a puppy and the work involved.  Puppies are a total joy and bring so much love and happiness into a home, but you cannot underestimate the work and time involved in raising a puppy properly.  They need constant supervision while young to expedite the house training stage and to ensure they aren’t chewing on anything inappropriate.

Macaroni’s leash training is going well. Being a puppy, he is still easily distracted so with a gentle distraction and some encouraging words, he is back on way again. Macaroni is a very smart boy and advanced training will help this wonderful pup continue to flourish and engage his mind so his new family needs to be committed to ensuring that he can get these chances and be set up for success. His house training is going well, and he will always do his business when you take him outside. However, if he is playing in the house, he needs to be watched as he doesn’t know how to tell you it is time to take a bathroom break.   Supervision and many trips outside are key to successful housetraining.

Since Mac is a puppy, he needs a family with children 8 years of age or older who can handle puppy antics, be careful to close doors, understand that sometimes hands look like toys when playing, and who can be gentle with him and handle him appropriately.   As with all puppies his age he can be nippy and jumpy and he can get easily over excited so living with younger children will not be suitable for this puppy.  Mac is living with cats in his foster home and he is learning how to be respectful of the cats in his home.  The cats in his foster home are very dog savvy and don’t run from dogs or react in any way.  

Macaroni has so much to offer his furever family! He is such a special and wonderful boy, and his foster family wants the best for him.  He is and adorable puppy and is going to be a very handsome dog who is sure to get a lot of attention with his golden boy good looks.  We are looking for his perfect fit though so please use the spaces provided on the application to tell us all about you and why Macaroni would be the perfect fit for you!!