ADOPTED
Summer is a sweet and loving 5 year Golden Retriever. She weighs about 65lbs and is what you would expect from the breed and has been kind and gentle with everyone she has met. We could not believe that she wanted pets and to give kisses as soon as she came home with us. Summer is coming from a puppy mill where she was used for breeding. She is still nervous and reacts to sudden movements or loud noises typically by cowering in fear. She has never shown any sign of aggression. She will need a quiet home environment, inside and out, without a lot of noises or excitement in which to feel comfortable and continue her confidence building in the world around her.
Summer currently lives with two other dogs and a cat. She barely seems to notice that the cat also lives with us and ignores him. She does enjoy being with the other dogs and gains a lot of her confidence from following their lead. She only wants to be outside and on walks when they are there with her. She has also learned from them that “let’s go for a walk” means it’s time to get excited and “come here” means it’s time to get love. She will need a home with another calm and mature dog that she can pattern off of. She isn’t one for wrestling play or rough housing so won’t enjoy a young and energetic dog sibling, but another mature dog that just wants a companion and walking buddy would be her ideal fit.
Summer has not had the opportunity to meet many children but she seems very interested in them. She pulls towards them on walks in a friendly and curious way. Because quick movements and sudden noises are very scary for her, a home with young children would not be a good fit for her, but she could share her home with gentle children over 8yrs of age who are looking for a companion dog as opposed to a playmate. Hanging out for pets and cuddles? Absolute yes!! Rough housing in the yard? That’s a no. The children in the home need to be responsible enough to close doors and gates after them every time. Summer will bolt out a door left open and is a flight risk so for her safety we need all members of the home to be door savvy.
Summer has done really well at both crate training and house training. She knows that her crate is her safe place and will often spend time
in there when she needs her own space or isn’t getting pets from anyone. She sleeps well through the night and goes in there on command. She has had very few accidents in her crate. The only time it has been an issue is when she has tummy troubles overnight and cannot hold her poop. She has not figured out stairs and has only stayed on the main floor other than a couple of steps off of the deck. Her forever home will need to have the main living space on the main floor and not require her to tackle flights of stairs at this point.
Summer does well with us on leashed walks. She is still learning to not pull when wanting to greet other dogs or people, or chase after a squirrel. She really enjoys walks and checks in with us often to make sure we’re still with her and to get an extra head pat. The only time she barks is when I am arriving home for the day and she is just too excited to see me. She started wagging her tail and tapping her toes when she gets really excited and happy. Her main commands that she knows are to come, go outside, go pee, and go in her crate. She will take food from us when she is not too nervous and will do well with training classes. Summer also does well in the car. This is still a new experience for her and she is still getting used to the whole car travel thing, but she is happy to come along on trips and will only get more comfortable with this in time.
Summer requires a home with a secure, fenced in yard. She is not a dog that will do her business while out on a walk so needs the security and safety of the fenced yard to get her bathroom duties done. She is a bigger dog so a yard with some good space for her to roam around will be required.
Summer is a beautiful girl who wants nothing more than to be a part of a family she can love. Her fur is coming in fuller and more golden since she has been rescued and given better nutrition and a safer environment. She is still a work in progress, as all dogs rescued from mills are, and her forever family needs to understand that she needs continued socialization and confidence building to bring out the fully confident dog she will one day be. Her people need to understand that she needs to be gently pushed to try new things, without pushing her too far and setting her back. A good relationship with a quality trainer will be a great benefit to her family to help Summer continue with the progress she has made in her foster home. She will be a wonderful companion to anyone who is looking for a sweet, gentle girl as long as they can give her lots of pets, walks, and gentle patience.