Remembered 

Bogie

Hello!

We wanted to give you an update on Bogie. We adopted him last December, and he became part of the family quickly! He loves playing with our girls and lounging on our couch. We recently went camping and he had a great time! Our family (especially Dan) and Bogie have really bonded in the past year. I've attached our family Halloween picture - everyone went as the Scooby Doo gang. Bogie really enjoyed trick-or-treating. We are getting ready to take Christmas pictures this Saturday. :) We have really enjoyed the adoption process; when it's time for another Golden, we'll be back!

Thank you so much for all you do for the Goldens and for the families!
Jen and Dan

Updated 10/23/10

Bogie is definitely ready to boogie… right into his new home! He’s a big, sturdy boy with personality plus, and now that he has lost some weight and grown some hair, you can see just exactly how handsome he really is. (One of our volunteers commented, “Now he looks more like a real Golden and less like a manatee with a Golden head attached.”)

As you can see from the photos, he’s got a waist now and his coat is coming in all over, though it will take a while for that stylish “lion tail” to turn into a true Golden  plume. In another few months, he’ll have a luxuriant wavy coiffure that even Liberace would envy!

Bogie is quite the character. He loves to snuggle. He adores car rides, and he’s getting better about NOT trying to jump into the front seat with you. He walks well on a Halti lead unless he sees another dog or a cat he wants to check out… or unless he simply decides he wants to go THAT way and not THIS way. Yes, this guy can be a stubborn fella. On occasion he even resorts to going limp and falling to the  floor! But he’s come a long, long way in the past few months, and we are proud of him. (:

Bogie is trustworthy loose in the house when nobody’s home, and we’re happy to report that he couldn’t care less about thunderstorms. He’s OK with kids, OK with other dogs, but he doesn’t need them to be happy… what he DOES need is a patient owner who loves to cuddle and who will enjoy working with Bogie on his “deportment” – but will also find those hijinks endearing. It’s all part of the package!

Updated 8/31/10

Bogie’s a sweetheart who is content to make his foster family happy. He follows people around to be with someone.  He is an equal-time puppy – he doesn’t care if it’s Mom or Dad, he’ll follow you to be nearby. He solicits petting with his nose, and like most Goldens, he’s never had enough petting! He loves to be on any available lap, and races into the den when it looks like Dad is going to watch TV or work on the computer.  He wants to be first into the comfortable leather “dad’s chair” and curls there until he’s told it’s not his turn on the chair!

He wants to play with his 4-year-old Golden foster brother—who, unfortunately, only wants to play with a tennis ball. He became comfy very quickly with relaxing with the rest of the pack & has no trouble finding a spot to lie down and chill out.  He’ll take a chair, couch, or doggie bed or bare floor; you’ll see.

Bogie has lost almost 10% of his body weight so far. He had some picky eating issues at f irst, but now he’s getting more regular with his two meals per day.  He occasionally leaves some of his food—which we then pick up to let him know it’s “now or never.”  He eats broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, and other veggies, either by hand or mixed into his meal. 

Bogie is a big boy who has lots to learn.

He's been learning to swim; I go into the water and pull him in after me and support his tail while he “treadmills” in the water of Lady Bird Lake.  He doesn’t fetch balls, nor does he swim after our other dogs who are fetching items, so his swimming isn’t yet “voluntary.”  He comes to me in the water if I let him swim back in towards shore on a long nylon leash we use, so he doesn’t mind the water; he just isn’t accustomed to it yet.

He’s learning to walk easily on a leash, but for added control, we are still using a prong collar, because he sometimes still pulls when he’s with other dogs or sees other dogs.  He loves to greet other people and other dogs and may try to jump up on children and people if not restrained. Of course, there’s no aggression involved! – his fluffy tail is wagging all the time. He’s got a sweet disposition.

Bogie is learning that when he goes outside he'll be allowed to come back inside again; but he still has some funny behaviors when the door is opened! He will stand still, not approach the door , and even flop on the floor when he’s being coaxed to go out to the backyard after meals and to “do his business.”   Having the other dogs outside seems to let him know it’s okay. Sometimes he likes to bark at shadows in the backyard when he goes out for his last "pit stop" of the day, so we stay by his side to let him know he's "safe." 
We’ve found that sometimes he’s skittish when we put our hands above his head to tug on his collar and shies away from your hand as if he had been hit on the head by someone in his past.  It’s sad because he has such a good disposition.

He still has a few dry skin issues, but nothing bad.  His coat is starting to grow back in, and he'll be a nice-looking strawberry-blonde boy when it's fully grown back.

He can't jump up into our SUV yet to go on rides, and needs a boos to get in.  As he slims down, he'll learn to jump in like our other dogs.  He's going to be a great addition to any family who wants a loveable, big, boy.

Updated 8/27/10

Drum roll please – Bogie is down to 100 pounds! I've been walking him twice daily & there is just the hint of a waistline now. Rah!

This guy would need a giant-size crate, so luckily it’s isn’t necessary to crate him.. though on occasion he has squeezed into an open crate for a snooze. For all his size, he’s a bouncy fellow, especially around kids, whom he really likes. And he’s always very excited to meet & greet new dogs, although he does try to mount them—looks like he needs a little work on dog-dog interactions. (:

Bogie adores  car rides. He'll stick his nose out to get better smells. Swimming? Well, he got in and paddled around, but I can’t say he really liked it. Maybe in time! It’s the perfect exercise for a chubby tub, after all. Grooming? There’s nothing to groom yet!

In our house he has been something of a picky eater, so how this big boy ever got so fat is beyond me!! He ate practically nothing for the first five or six days here. Of course, it’s possible that, for all his social & happy behavior, he IS understandably stressed by all his recent life changes, and that’s affecting his appetite. Anyway, I finally tried straight canned food which he ate once or twice then turned his nose up at that. Then I tried fresh, raw green beans & he ate them like candy (from my hand). ! I tried cantaloupe for dessert & he loved that too! The next day I tried peeled cucumber, yellow peppers, & more cantaloupe for dessert. And now, finally, he’s started to snack on his dry kibble.

Other than his obesity, Bogie’s a healthy guy and a very easy dog – outgoing, lovable, and perky. And cute! When he's excited  he  sometimes does  his happy dance—he’ll quickly hop from one front foot to another. It's really charming! He’s definitely ready for the forever home who’ll keep him active and entertained and work with him until he reaches a healthy weight. Call now – don’t miss the joy of watching a wonderful new best friend slim down, grow a lush coat, and become the most handsome dog on the block

Updated 8/6/10

Bogie came to GRR after his original owners surrendered him to a local vet clinic, where they’d brought him to be shaved down for numerous very severe, hard mats—the hair was matted so tight to the skin that it was pulling & causing Bogie pain. Since he’s been clipped bare just about all over, it will take a while for him to look like a real Golden Retriever, coat-wise; he’ll have that “fuzzy” look for a good while. Personality-wise, though, he is all Golden—sweet and friendly. He’s also energetic (despite being about 30 pounds overweight – he weighed in at 115 pounds) and strong as a bull!

Bogie had skin infections and ear infections, both of which are being treated. And with good diet and exercise he should start trimming down fast. He’s a big goofball and minus the extra weight will be a fantastic dog.