Beau

Beau  -  Age 8

Update 2/3/12

Meet Beau.  Beau the Magnificent - a big teddy bear of a blonde boy with a handsome block-head and a personality larger than life. 

Beau has an awesome personality.  He is happy go-lucky, always looks like he has a smile on his face, and lives for a ride in the car or for the leash to come out when he’ll hop and dance with joy.  He is totally reliable inside the house – no accidents, no destruction - and always has free roam of the house while his foster family is at work.  He had a great life before GRR and was well-loved and very well socialized.  He spent his first five years going to work every day with his dad where Beau had dozens of ‘co-workers’ to hang out with.  He knows sit, down, shake, stay, watch me and will wait for your command to eat.  He is very responsive to anything you ask of him and is very observant of everything around him and catches on quickly to house rules and routines. 

Beau takes his job as the doorman of his home seriously.  A warning barker, Beau will let you know anytime someone comes to your home or if an enemy cat penetrates the perimeter ‘safety zone’.  He is very excited by visitors and will bark a lot to start, which can be intimidating due to his size,  but he very quickly warms up to new friends.  He needs you to take control and let him know that the person is welcome.  On trips to dog friendly places like PetSmart, Beau is the perfect gentleman and meets all other dogs and people with a wag of the tail.

He gets along great with the other dogs in his foster home and those that he meets at the dog park.  There was a short lived power struggle early on in the house with a bit of loud woofing between Beau and his foster brother, but once Beau figured out that Cooper the Basset believes he is king, Beau let him have his way.  Beau is fascinated and extremely excited by the neighborhood cats; based on this observation and the recommendation of his surrendering family, Beau would be best in a non-cat home. 

Beau does very well on a leash and loves to go walking or jogging.  He gets excited by other big dogs that he encounters on a walk but responds to a firm command of ‘leave it’ and can be redirected to focus on something else and keep moving.  Beau reportedly melts for kids but he is just too big for small kids or anyone who is frail.  He would never intentionally harm someone but in his excitement he could easily knock someone over.

Beau is such a joy to have around and is so easy to care for.  He is in great health, but came in at a hefty 120 pounds.  He has already quickly shed 10 pounds while in foster care with regular walks and a standard portioned diet and will easily shed the remainder.  Currently at 110 lbs, Beau still has about 20 pounds to lose to reach a target weight of about 90 lbs.  He will always be on the big side for a Golden Retriever, but in his case it just means that there will still be plenty to love.   He adores being brushed and petted, wants to snuggle in bed with you [but will jump down as soon as you ask] or just follow you from room to room.

A very youthful 8 years old, Beau is the perfect age and temperament.  He is past the wild and crazy young Golden days but is still spunky and playful and is as active as you want to be.  If you have a quiet day planned, Beau is very content to quietly hang out with you around the house but he is also ready for an adventure anytime you take out the leash.  He loves his walks and runs so much that he quickly learned which shoes are worn for that and now starts the happy dance as soon as they come out of the closet.  Beau adores running around and being silly, rolling in the grass and wrestling or playing chase with the other dogs.  He needs a nice big yard to play in and a pool would be his dream come true, although not necessary.  This boy loves water!  There is not much out there right now in Texas, but the kiddie pool at the dog park is heaven to him. 

The ideal home for Beau will be one that provides him daily walks or runs, has a nice sized fenced in yard for spontaneous playtime, has no small kiddos or frail elderly, and will allow him to snuggle with them to his heart’s content.  Beau would love a family and other dogs, but he will adapt well to a single person who devotes their time to him as well. 

Beau is truly a magnificent dog - a gentle giant with a real ‘Golden personality’.  He is going to make someone very happy to have him in their life and will leave one foster home very sad to see him go.