Maximus

Maximus,  age 1

MATCHED

Update 10/16/12:

If you’re looking for a very large, friendly, handsome Golden with lots of energy and lots to offer, Max is your boy! He lives up to his name as he is “Max”-imum everything!

He’s a year old and has some filling out to do. Max is a very large boy (weighs about 100 pounds) with plenty of energy to spare. He’s very social and loves to play, spending hours with our 1 1/2-year-old Golden boy racing, chasing, and playing dog games. That said, he certainly plays well and gets along great with all four of our Goldens. Max knows his place in the pack and shows no dominance. He learns quickly as he follows their lead. He sits for treats and patiently waits his turn to receive them and takes them gently. During dog dinner preparation, all dogs are required to lie down and wait patiently until dinner is served, and he’s learned that if he gets up, dinner will be delayed until he takes the proper position. He learned this ritual after just 3 days with us; it’s a remarkable learned behavior and the attached “Dinner Time” photo shows just how well he does.

Considering his size and age, Max does well on a leash. However, being as large as he is, caution must be taken if he sees something that catches his eye, as he has the strength to take you along with him for a ride! 

He doesn’t mind getting brushed—both fur AND teeth! When he witnessed our 4 getting their teeth brushed, he was curious and wanted to be included. He does quite well and eagerly waits his turn.

Even with his height, Max is not a counter surfer. We have a low kitchen table and he leaves items on it alone. He acclimates well to his new environments (work and home) and is an excellent car rider. Max does well staying alone with the other dogs. We left them for 3 hours and he showed no anxiety, except to bark when we left to indicate his disapproval for us having the audacity to leave him behind, and there was no destruction upon our return. During a recent visit to the vet he wasn’t anxious; in fact, he was a perfect gentleman and the staff fell in love with him! 

We are extremely impressed with this boy—he’s smart, listens well, learns quickly and is very sweet and easygoing. He has no issues we can detect, and loud noises and thunderstorms don’t affect him whatsoever. His size is impressive and certainly turns heads. He needs a release for his energy, and a home with an playmate would be extremely beneficial. He is very social, playful and energetic around other dogs. He’s a great companion with lots to offer in both size and heart! 

Update 10/13/12:

“We have this very large male Golden who was surrendered to our shelter yesterday because he is hard to contain.  They say he is “way too big” and keeps busting through the fence. He keeps getting out of the yard and it is costing them too much money. (Note, he is not neutered – go figure…) Are you interested?”

Looking at the shelter photo, we thought, well, he doesn’t look THAT large! But once we met him in person… wow, he IS that big! At just one year old and still filling out, the aptly named Maximus already tips the scales at just over 100 pounds. With those long legs, it’s no wonder he was able to clamber over fences or push out loose boards!

Lucky Max soon headed off to a foster family with a pack of other friendly Goldens—including Mojo, the 120-pound Great Pyrenees/Golden mix. (At last, someone Max’s own size!) Foster mom reports:

Max is great young man--well-behaved, listens to commands and loves  1 1/2-year-old Yogi. His first day here, they played and played and played together the entire day. I'm surprised they just didn't drop from exhaustion. They are true buds--BFF! All the dogs eat dinner together and sit together to get their evening treat and no growls, grabbing, snapping, etc. No quibbles whatsoever, no marking territory; he knows his place in the pack and gets along with everyone. He's as tall as Mojo, just not as filled out yet (as you’d expect at only a year old). He looks young--lanky, not a real pretty coat yet (short, not much feather development), but a handsome boy nonetheless.  He has no issues that we can detect as yet. He's not afraid of the vacuum one bit (that was today's chore). Everyone sleeps peacefully together... too cute! Doesn't mind getting brushed. He’s just a great young man! 

My understanding is that Max’s original owners surrendered him because hewould jump the fence. My take is that the poor boy was bored. He loves to be near humans and dogs alike... he is very social.  Our doggy potty pen is separately fenced from our property to keep them confined to a specific area for a specific reason. The fence isn't very high, nor is the gate leading out to the property. He's not tried to jump either and so far has shown no interest in doing so.

He will make a great dog for someone who loves a BIG dog. We ALWAYS get looks and comments about Mojo wherever we take him. I can only imagine walking both Mo and Max together. We'd never get a walk in!

Max is being treated for a case of kennel cough (not unusual in shelter dogs) but should soon be in the pink and ready for his new home! 

Adoption Procedures