CHARM SCHOOL GRADUATE RATES “HOT TICKET” FOR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Austin: The latest Golden rescue news in Austin, Texas centers around 5-year-old Max, who was surrendered to a local shelter due to too much “getting out and running off,” said his owners at the time. They didn’t have room for Max IN the house, which is where he wanted to be—so, the resourceful dog devoted his energies to looking for a home who’d bring him right into the family room and make him part of the gang.

His plan worked!

But first, he made his way to Dog Manners Academy to polish off a few rough edges—for one thing, his occasional tendency to “guard” toys & bones, even from his human pals at times. We’ll provide the full report to Max’s new home (and a consult with the trainer, of course), but here are a few highlights.

First off, trainer Greg pronounces Max “friendly, relaxed, well-behaved, affectionate, and fun to have around. He got along well with all the boarding dogs and got along with and minded all the humans in the house. When he came here, he wasn’t that well crate-trained. We’ve also learned that he’s a fence jumper, though not a very good one: more of a fence crawler. But he got the job done, so don’t give him a chance! Just go outside with Max & don’t leave him on his own. Be out there with him, love on him, and play with him.

“As for the resource guarding, we immediately put Max on a hand-feeding program that moves the dog through bowl approaches, bowl touches, and bowl removals. We saw no red flags and were able to move Max quickly through the steps. When he completed his stay, we were able to hold the bowl as he ate, then let it go and drop in a treat, then take hold of it again. This is the most critical step, and Max passed with flying colors. The next phase is to learn exchanges—where the dog learns that having you take something away is actually very rewarding, since he gets something better! Max wasn’t here long enough to complete that program, but we’ll work with his new family on it. Still, in his new home, we highly recommend keeping toys, bones and chewies picked up. I know this is tough, especially for a family with children, so if he gets something he shouldn’t have (before he learns Exchanges), just let him have it until he gets bored with it and abandons it—or scatter a bunch of treats around the floor. When Max moves away from the high-value object, the human can swoop in and snatch it away.”

Max headed to foster care in late November and began working on his new skills while getting ready for his next challenge: heartworm treatment. But first, one little blip: somewhere along the line this fella swallowed a couple of rocks! When he came to foster care he was acting funny and drooling a lot, and the X-rays showed two golf-ball-sized stones in his tummy. Luckily, no surgery was needed & the unorthodox treats moved through on their own. Just one more reason to keep an eye on him when he’s outdoors!

The first heartworm shot was completed on January 11, which puts Max on track for the all-clear round about mid-March: spring break time. Meanwhile, foster dad says, “Max is outgoing, calm, and very loving. He is wonderful and should be a great dog for that perfect family. He’s housetrained & overall very good in the house – loves to sleep on the bed with you, loves attention and petting. And loves tennis balls, but will willingly trade for a fresh one. He’d enjoy an active family who can give him the leadership he needs, and who want to include him in their fun.”

Does Max sound like the dog for you? (And really, who wouldn’t want a Golden with Higher Education) If so, let us know and we’ll give you ALL the details!