Clyde

Updated 8/27/10

Clyde – or Little Bit, as we call him – has had such a wonderful transformation! He has learned to trust people, not be so afraid of thunderstorms, play with toys, fetch, walk & jog on a leash, come when called, eat his food without needing persuasion (he is up to 55 pounds – yay!), swim, and to not be afraid of the dog park or passing a dog on the street.

This little guy is HIGH energy if he is comfortable with his surroundings.  He’ll jump around and spin in circles! (If he’s nervous or feels cowed, though, he’ll stay very quiet.)

He’ll need a patient forever family who will give him time to adjust—and he’ll need a good buddy. You can see from the photos that he sticks to our GR Sherman like glue!. A friendly young dog who will mentor him, play with him, and build his confidence will be crucial. And who will help him be a guard dog! You can see how Little Bit and Sherman have set up their Guard Station right by the front door (they only LOOK like they’re snoozing!).

Updated 7/06/10

On her way to work, a dog-loving lawyer spotted two Goldens living in a drainage pipe at the intersection of two busy highways. She alerted her coworkers, and the office quickly agreed to take on the case pro bono. The plan was a simple one: change the dogs’ situation before a likely charge of vagrancy could be filed by the authorities.  The young pair (apparently mom and son) were confident enough (and hungry enough) to accept a meal, but would they be willing to avoid prosecution by leaving the ditch where they’d set up camp? It may have felt safe to them, but “those big rigs whizzing by make my hair stand on end. I am afraid they’ll get hit,” said their rescuer. Luckily, it wasn’t long before  a team of intrepid ladies managed to nab the pair and stash them in the office bathroom.

Step One completed! Bonny and Clyde were now safe (and law-abiding), but glued to each other and absolutely petrified.

On to Step Two: a GRR Rapid Response Team was immediately convened, and a volunteer soon joined Bonny and Clyde in the ladies’ room. And with a little persuasion, the two dogs ultimately agreed to head out of town and into their new lives.

While Bonny has just a little bit of white on her dainty toes, her son  is, well, maybe only 90% Golden. He is, however, 100% adorable!— his white chest, white toes, white tail-tip, and the white stripe on his little face make him even cuter. Nicknamed “Little Bit” by his foster family, he is gradually gaining confidence—and getting lots and lots of help from his foster brother Sherman, who is happy to show him the ropes.

His foster mom says:

Clyde loves being with Sherman, and he likes the cat and will sniff her carefully. But he’s scared of other dogs that we have met at the dog park and walking on the street. Right now he’s scared of everything. He started out howling at night; guess he just missed his mom and didn’t know what was happening. He doesn't do that any more, though—as long as he can see where we are, he’s fine. He is getting more and more excited about walks and about playing.  He is starting to come up to us for petting.  He bounces up and down when we come home and then runs to his cage. He is the sweetest little guy ever! Very gentle and calm for his age

He’s reliably housetrained BUT he won’t tell you when he needs to go. I just take him out every four hours at least. He gets on the couch when we are not home and puts all the dog toys on it.  Likes to “furnish” his crate with toys, too.

Clyde needs to be with humans as much as possible. He needs to learn that they are his safety net and that they love him.  During storms, he sits in my lap on the floor and I pet and cuddle him.  That has made a huge difference in his ability to trust me. He needs a calm household with another friendly dog to mentor him and a patient family who can show him that he doesn’t need to be scared of the world. I have to say he has already improved 100% since we first got him!