Taylor
Updated 12/8/11
Breakfast; nap on the
sofa; supper; nap on the sofa; bedtime: move to sleep peacefully all night in
the bedroom. But it’s not all snoozing! Between naps & mealtimes: Go on any car
ride offered (taking the kids to school, picking up the cleaning, etc.); enjoy
attention from anyone, including children, though small children might be a
problem – he just can’t take much commotion or rough play. He doesn’t mind other
dogs and is always interested in saying “hi” to another calm canine,
but again, if someone approaches him with too much vigor he’ll back off
and give a little snap. He likes the quiet life!
Retrieving? HA – no,
thanks! Not in his job description. (: He doesn’t care for water sports, either.
He likes to be brushed, but we leave any difficult grooming to the
professionals!
Taylor is very reliable
indoors, but as an older dog he does have the occasional little leak; he takes
Proin to keep that under control, and it’s helping. His hips are pretty rocky,
but it doesn’t seem to affect him much; we just keep walks short and make sure
to lift him into the car for those much-loved rides.
Taylor is a very sweet
old dog. He appreciates attention, but isn't obnoxious about asking for it. He
has never been a high-energy fellow, and even his walks are getting shorter
these days. He would do great with a calm family, couple, or single person
looking for a cute, sedate little pal.
Updated 1/18/11
The New Year is here. Time for resolutions and new beginnings. Time to find Taylor his forever home!
Taylor is our sweet foster dog who has been with us for quite a while now. We’ve loved having him and he has fit easily into our family, but it is time for him to be the Number One Dog in someone’s life. For the past year, Taylor has been living with a couple of very big, very young Goldens, and he tends to get relegated to the back of the pack.
At just 40 pounds and half the height of a standard Golden, Taylor is the perfect “pocket dog.” In fact, while Taylor never speaks about it, his lineage is a bit of a question! It is obvious that there’s plenty of Golden in his pedigree, but we’re not so sure what that little bit of something else is. He likes to refer to himself as being a bit roguish. Taylor has also seen quite a few New Year’s Days come and go, but don’t let his age fool you. There is still a lot of life and love left in him. Small dog, big heart!
Taylor has been very appreciative that he is no longer on the streets and is safe and warm, with his very own loveseat to sleep on. Not being one to take without giving back, he has decided that it is his job to keep us safe from the scourge of squirrels! He is extremely diligent about running any and all squirrel intruders off the property, and just to prove how seriously he takes his job, he will sit under whichever tree the squirrel ran to and gently remind the squirrel it is not allowed back in the yard. He is more than willing to do this for as long as it takes!
In addition to his backyard vigilance, Taylor has also appointed himself guardian of the daily schedule. We no longer have to ever worry about sleeping through the alarm. He knows when we are to be up, when we should be eating breakfast, when it is time to take the kids to school, when it is time to pick them up, when it is dinner time, when it is walk time, and when we should be heading for bed. If we are late for anything, he gently reminds us, just like he reminds the squirrels. (If only we could get him to understand the concept of weekends and days off!)
Taylor really is an easygoing dog. He is very adaptable to almost any situation. He loves to go to the dog park and for rides in the car. While he can’t go very far, he still loves to go for walks or anywhere you want to take him. He does fine with other dogs and older children. Taylor is really looking forward to starting out his New Year with his new forever family.
Updated 10/23/10
Attention! Time to get up. Reveille will be in 5 minutes.
Are you a morning person? Do you want to be? If so, then I’m your man (well, I’m really a dog but I can still be your “man”). I like to get up early in the morning and get on with my day. I just hate wasting too much of the day in bed when there’s better things to do… like EAT! All you have to do is let me outside to do my business and then feed me. After that, I’ll leave you alone to do your thing (which could be going back to bed if you really want to waste the best hours of the day on sleep). Actually, I spend most of the day sleeping, but not early in the morning, because that’s the best time to eat! I do enjoy eating. Don’t we all? I don’t really eat very much because I’m pretty small, but I do relish meal time.
If you like walking, then I’m your man (oops… dog). I’m very good on a leash and I like to walk. We’ll be great walking buds. I’m not much of a runner, but I can do short sprints if there is a squirrel to chase. I don’t like to swim and I’m not much good at chasing a ball and retrieving it (yes… I’m a Golden Retriever but I’m more Golden than Retriever).
If you like driving, then I’m your man (oops… dog). You can take me with you to work, to the park, to the pet store, or on vacation. I don’t even have to hang my head out the window. Just bring me along and I’ll lie down on the seat and chill.
Do you want to feel loved and appreciated? Doesn’t everybody? My foster parents love me, but they hope I can find a really special home of my own. I’m so gentle and calm that half the time you wouldn’t even know that I’m around. I like to be close to people so I’ll never be far from you. That way, if you want to pet me or brush me, I’ll be easy to find. I’m available for cuddling too!
So, let me recap for you. I’m great at sleeping, walking, eating, and riding in cars. Not so great at fetching, jumping, moving fast, or cooking. I really do sound like your man!
Updated 5/17/10
Hard to believe it has been a whole year and more since Taylor first came to town, all the way from Abilene! It’s been a long time since our last update, too, for the simple reason that this little guy is just so sweet and easy that there isn’t much new to add. He’s very reliable in the house, extremely calm and just likes to snooze. We’ve never crated him – there’s no need. Occasionally, he will come and remind us that he could use some loving. After the appropriate amount of scratching and baby talk, he goes back to his (yes, it IS his) love seat and sleeps. Taylor does not play with or chew on toys. He gets very excited when it is meal time. He does a little "happy dance" in front of his bowl while waiting for us to fill it.
Taylor loves to go to dog park and meet new dogs. He has kind of, almost, sort of, played with another dog, but for the most part, he just likes to say hi. He attended the swim party this past weekend and had a blast socializing with everyone, people AND dogs. His only exposure to cats is when the neighbor cat sits outside our front door and sets all the dogs into a tizzy. Taylor joins right in!
Taylor is the perfect car rider! He cannot get into my car on his own, but he can get out. He is great on the leash and absolutely loves going for slow walks. As for grooming, he would be happy to have you brush him all day long. He is not so excited about baths and nail clippings. He tolerates baths, but he still gives you a very dirty look while you are bathing him.
Taylor would do best in a calm, less active home. He deals well with our two high-energy Goldens, but he is at his best when everything slows down just a bit. Taylor really likes routine. He knows when we usually get up, he knows when it is time to take the kids to school, he knows when it is time to go for a walk, etc. If we forget, he gently reminds us by standing in front of us and barking. That’s really his only flaw—he doesn't get the idea of weekends! Morning potty time and breakfast are at 6:30 AM during the week, so he really doesn't understand why that shouldn't be the case for weekends too!
Updated 10/06/09
Both of my kids and all of their friends think Taylor is just the most wonderful foster dog we have ever had! They all love him. He’s very, very calm and very affectionate in his quiet way. And his house manners are perfect: no accidents ever, and he does not chew, shred, steal, dumpster-dive or furniture-climb. He sleeps in one spot until it is time to move to another spot to sleep. We don’t ever crate him – there is no need to.
Taylor loves to be brushed, though he can be a bit sensitive about his backside and tail. His tail was broken at some point and doesn’t move, which certainly adds to his calm appearance! He is a little nervous about car rides, but he’s learning that they can be really fun.
We think Taylor would be great with an
older couple or a family with older kids. He would do well as the only dog, or
in a home with an older, calm dog. He deals OK with our high-energy dogs, but
you can tell they sometimes overwhelm him. They try to engage him in play, but
he doesn’t really get it. He’d rather spend time next to his family, just
hanging out and getting plenty of pets!
Updated 8/3/09:
Little Taylor is all finished with his heartworm treatment and ready to find his forever home.
He likes children and adults. He’d like
to play with his foster dad’s dogs, but they are bit too big and rowdy for him!
He loves to be petted and brushed and would adore sleeping in bed with his
family.
Cuddling and affection are definitely on his list of favorite things. This
pint-size fellow would be very happy as an only dog or with dogs about his size
who might be able to play with him.
Tiny Taylor has settled right into his foster home and gets
this A+ report!
Taylor has already had his first heartworm injection, and so far, so good. He’ll
have shot #2 this coming week, and that means he’ll be all ready for his forever
home even before school starts in the fall.
He seems to get along best with older dogs, like my 12-year-old GRR girl Ellie
Grace. He is a little overwhelmed by my Irish Setters (the ADHD children of the
dog world), in particular my special-needs Irish Mr. Murphy, who has the canine
equivalent of cerebral palsy. They are just so much taller than he is! All in
all, though, he is doing very well adjusting to the family, so I’m sure he will
be just fine in your home. I do think he’d be perfectly happy as an only dog, as
long as he got plenty of pets and hugs and treats and more petting.
Taylor is a good car rider. I haven’t seen him around cats, but he seems just
fine with kids. Since his tail doesn’t wag, you can’t judge his mood by his back
end, but he sure does like you to gaze at him when you are petting him. He does
not bark much, either—just looks at you with that cute face!
Taylor would like to sleep in the bedroom, but since there are three other dogs
in the household, he ends up sleeping on the couch—now that’s a tough life!
Tailor-made for the lap dog set!
Tiny Taylor, at just 43 pounds, is the perfect size to curl up in your lap… and that is exactly where he likes to be. This affectionate little guy likes nothing more than to cuddle. We all know that dogs are not supposed to jump up, but when Taylor hops up in greeting and puts his paws on your leg, it’s just a little love tap—so instead of telling him “off,” you’re more likely to find yourself automatically stroking his velvety little head. One odd thing, though—don’t expect a tail wag. Taylor’s rescuer told us that he didn’t move his tail, so we asked the vet what was going on with that. His answer: “Taylor broke his tail at some point, but don't worry about it. It’s fine as it is. Taylor is a cool dog!”
Taylor came to GRR all the way from Abilene, where there’s no local Golden rescue. From his photos he sure looked like a small GR, but up close and in person, we could see that there’s something else in the mix—maybe Cocker or Corgi? Who knows! He’s a peach no matter what his pedigree. He IS an escape artist, and at his tiny size he can squeeze through gaps in fencing (as his poor foster mom discovered soon after he moved in!), so secure fencing will be a must for this little fella.
Unfortunately, Taylor has heartworms, so he’ll be in foster
care for several months having treatment. Of course, if you’re interested in
taking him through the treatment in your home, please let us know! We can tell
you all about it. Taylor gets along fine with laidback dogs, and he’d probably
be very happy as an only pooch too, as long as he got plenty of pets.
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