Tanner's time at RAGOM

FROM RETRIEVE A GOLDEN OF MINNESOTA (RAGOM) WEBSITE:

September 20, 2012 Welcome to RAGOM sweet Tanner! Tanner’s age is approximated at 10 months to one year old. This lovable gentle guy is a 60 pound GR mix, un-neutered male with a winning GR personality and smile.

He arrived at our house very tired but very happy to be with us. Tanner has had a rough start in life. We wish he could tell us his whole story. This is what we know. He was left with a friend who promised to return for him. They never returned. Tanner was passed around to different homes before finding a GS to care for him. When this GS took him in, he was exhausted, dehydrated and starving. The GS gave him to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue because she could not afford to buy him food. RLRR sent him on to RAGOM.

Tanner, FM and FD send their thanks to all who helped him find his way to us (including RAGOM temporary foster Nicole and her husband who helped with transport).

As of today, Tanner is UTD and micro chipped. His neuter surgery is scheduled in October. Tanner was diagnosed with two tick borne diseases, Lyme’s Disease and Anaplasmosis, both treatable. He was prescribed Doxcycline to fight both conditions. Tanner came to us with sores and bruises (FM shudders to think of their origin). All are healing fine. His pads are well worn from roaming the highways and byways (looking for a home). They will heal over time.

Tanner was a big hit at the vet’s office. Several staff members came to check this guy out and they said, “He is so gentle and handsome.” Tanner has been with us for four days and this is what we have learned about him: he has the sweet temperament of a GR; he’s a calm and loving young guy who is 100% housebroken; sleeps through the night on a dog bed; loves to be near his people; has free roam when someone is at home; respects baby gates; is a quick learner; knows his name and comes when called; loves belly rubs; walks nicely on a leash without pulling and loves car rides, except he insists on riding in the front passenger seat. Sometimes he is shy when men approach him, but he recovers quickly and accepts their attention with enthusiasm.

Tanner’s fur is the texture of a German Shepherd’s coat and the colors of a GR. His constantly wagging tail has a unique color combination of black, gold and white. His ears are tipped with black. It’s worth saying again, he is an extremely handsome guy!

Tanner settled into our household within five minutes of his arrival. But, this gentle guy, who is so adaptable, deserves to find a permanent loving home. More updates to follow soon.

Tanner is dreaming about his forever home.

09/27/2012: Thank you to all of you who stopped by to say “hi” and give hugs to sweet Tanner at Goldzilla. Tanner did great with all of the new dogs and people that he met.

Tanner was unexpectedly reunited with his brother, Niji, a RAGOM alumnus. Yes, it's true!!! Niji’s owners thought we were holding their dog, when in fact it was Tanner. Tanner’s unique coloring on his tail caught their eye. Niji used to have the same black arrowhead shaped splotch of fur on his tail.

Thanks to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, they both found their way to RAGOM. Based on Niji’s age, Tanner is 14 months old. Like his brother, Tanner does not bark. We were told that Niji howls. "Not so with Tanner", we said. No more than five minutes later, when a few GR fosters were synchronizing their barking , Tanner began to softly howl….note the word, softly. J
Tanner’s coat has a top coat that is fairly coarse and an undercoat that is much softer. The texture of his undercoat is not as soft as a GR’s but not as coarse as a Labrador’s coat. Because he is now getting high quality food and is groomed every day, Tanner has “blown” a lot of his undercoat. His shedding has decreased substantially. Tanner’s water drinking technique is a bit goofy. He uses his tongue to lap the water up, but then bites at the water in the dish at the same time, splashing water all over the floor. (His brother drinks water exactly the same way.) To keep some of the water off the floor, FM put down a plastic dog tray that catches most of the water, but not all of it. Expect the floor to get very wet when Tanner’s drinking water.

Tanner is a quiet guy in the house but when he gets outside watch him go. He wants to run and explore. Tanner has a high prey drive for squirrels and chipmunks. Be aware that he can cover a long distance in a short time. His recall is phenomenal and he will come back on command even when he is “hunting”. Good boy! He leaps and bounds like a gazelle when he is running. At times, he bounces and jumps like a fox. He has shown no desire to jump our 4 ft. fence though. One thing is for sure, Tanner needs to have plenty of daily exercise. Off leash daily exercise is a must for this energetic boy.

This happy guy does not know how to play. FM is still trying to find an off leash activity that Tanner likes to do….besides run. FM has thrown a Frisbee, a tennis ball, a squeaky ball and a stick. Tanner showed no interest. This morning he tried to play tug with GRanddog, Bella. He was unsure how to do it, but he tried! Having a playful dog in his forever home might help Tanner learn how to play. Tanner was a good passenger on our 7 hour round trip to Goldzilla, except that he thought he should be sitting in the front passenger seat.
It just looks like I'm driving!

10/04/2012: “A wonderful family picked me out of the crowd at Goldzilla. I think it was love at first sight. One week later, they drove a long way to visit with me. When they were leaving, I jumped into their van, ready to go home with them. I was a little sad after they left. Foster Dad said let’s go fishing (he thought it might help me feel better). It did, even though I almost fell out of the boat into the lake a couple of times. I didn’t know that you can’t sit on the outer edge of the boat, silly me. Once I settled in, I enjoyed the wind in my face and the sun on my back.

On Monday, Foster Mom told me that this wonderful family wants me to live with them forever! I’m adopted!” Note from Foster Mom: We are all thrilled that Tanner has met the family of his dreams. He will be loved unconditionally and he will return their love tenfold. His neutering is scheduled for October 18. His family will pick him up after he has recovered. (I am going to miss this sweet guy!)