Mudd (affectionately called “Muddy Buddy” by his foster parents) is a 1 year old male that has been matched for adoption.

Intake Date: 2/5/2024
Date of Birth: 7/16/2022
Weight: 61 lbs
Neutered Male Golden Retriever Mix

Activity Level: Mudd is a bundle of energy when he’s outside, chasing squirrels, playing ball, or simply enjoying the
great outdoors. Indoors, he’s more laid-back, content to lounge by your feet or cuddle up next to you on the couch.

Housebroken: Knock on wood, Mudd is fully housebroken! He’ll let you know when he needs to go outside,
typically between 5:30-7:00 am.

Obedience Commands: While Mudd may not be an obedience champion just yet, he’s a quick learner. He responds
well to the command “come” and is a pro at sitting when it’s harness time.

Interactions with Other Dogs: Mudd hasn’t had much interaction with other dogs besides his neighborly fence-line
escapades. We’ll learn more about his social skills when he spends time with his furry friend in early March.

Interactions with Children and Cats: Mudd adores the neighbor’s twins, showing us he’s great with older kids. As
for cats, he hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting any yet.

Leash Manners: Currently, leash walking is a work in progress for Mudd. He’s a bit resistant, preferring to be a
“floppy” 61 lbs when it comes to walks. But we’re working on it!

Car Riding: Mudd may need a little lift into the car, but once he’s in, he settles down after a few minutes of shaking.
With more exposure to car rides, he’s sure to become a seasoned traveler.

Crate Training: So far, we haven’t needed to use a crate with Mudd. He’s been well-behaved during short periods
alone.

Favorite Activities: Mudd’s favorite pastimes include cuddling on the couch, playing ball, and giving endless kisses.
He’s a true velcro dog, always wanting to be close to his humans.

Challenges: Mudd may beg for food at the table, but he responds well to redirection. He’s also been known to let
out a soft growl in certain situations, but it’s quickly diffused with gentle reminders and affection.

Unique Quirks: From howling at sirens to playing fetch with himself, Mudd’s personality shines through in all sorts
of adorable ways. He’s guaranteed to keep you entertained with his antics!

Ideal Home: Mudd thrives on companionship, whether it’s from humans or furry friends. While he may enjoy the
company of another dog, he’ll do just as well in a loving home where he’s the center of attention.

Answers to Questions from Foster Mom

1)    What is your foster dog’s activity level (energetic, playful, likes to fetch or play tug, mild-mannered, quiet, etc.)?

Mudd has not yet been neutered (scheduled for 2/19) so I am not sure how this might change after that.   He enjoys spending time in our yard chasing squirrels or running along the fence line with the companionship of the neighbor’s dog on the other side of the fence.  He also enjoys playing ball and just sitting in the middle of the yard listening to the birds and the cows behind our house.  He is very much a velcro dog so he will not spend a lot of time outside unless we are in the yard with him. We watch him from the door when we let him out, but twice a day we will actually go out with him and that is when he gets playful. I would say his energy level is medium when outside playing and low when inside. He is totally happy to lay by my feet or right inside the kitchen door.

2)    Is he/she reliably housebroken?  If not, what is the problem?

Knock on wood, Mudd is housebroken.  He will wake us up by either whining or jumping in bed when he needs to go outside.  This is usually between 5:30-7:00am.

3)     What obedience commands does the dog seem to know and follow?

If you clap your hands and say “come Mudd” you will grab his attention and he usually comes in from the back yard.  That is about all we have figured out so far.  Having said that, when we put the harness in front of him he will sit down so it is easy to get it on.

4)     How is your foster dog with other dogs?

Other than running along the fence line with the neighbor’s dog Mudd has not interacted with any other dogs.  We are watching our daughter’s dog the first week in March so we will know more after that.

5)     How is he/she with cats?

We don’t have cats

6)     How is he/she with children?

There have been no children in our house, but he loves our neighbor’s twins who are seniors in HS.

7)     How is your foster dog on a leash?

Once you attach the leash to the harness Mudd turns into 61lbs of dead weight, either by sinking into the floor or rolling over for a belly rub.  We have not been able to take him on a walk, he has only walked halfway across our front lawn and then refuses to walk any more. We work on this daily. Unfortunately he is not treat or food motivated.

eight)     How does he/she ride in the car (getting in and out, while traveling)?

We have to lift him into the car, but he jumps out on his own.  He lays on the backseat floor, and shakes during the beginning of the ride, after about 5-10 minutes he calms down.  This is also something we are working on by taking him on various car rides as we run errands across Charlotte.

9)     How is he/she in a crate?

So far we have not used a crate, it is set up but it appears that he is not used to it.  We have only left him alone for short period of times and so far so good.

10)  What does your foster dog seem to enjoy/like most?

Mudd’s favorite activity is sitting on the couch and giving me doggie kisses and begging to be petted, he also enjoys hanging out in the kitchen when we cook dinner and of course, chasing squirrels and tennis balls in the backyard.

11)  What negative behaviors have you observed (e.g. separation anxiety, begging, jumping)?

Mudd does beg for food when we eat, but if we ignore him and say “no” he will go and lay down. We have heard him growl a few times, once at the vet when the chip was inserted and once when people entered our house for the Super Bowl party. It is a very low/soft growl with no aggressive behavior, we told him “no” and gave our friends hugs and then Mudd was fine and throughout the night he went around and asked every single person to pet him.

12)  How does your foster dog react to thunderstorms, fireworks, loud noises?

Mudd howls at sirens which is really funny, except for when it happens in the middle of the night. He will jump if we drop something on the floor and the first time he heard my hair dryer he left the bathroom but now he is used to it.

13)  What else can you share about your foster dog that would be helpful in our search for his/her forever home?

He loves to jump up on the couches so he can get as close to you as possible.  At night he jumps up in bed for a few minutes but then sleeps on our bedroom floor.  He is definitely a velcro dog and prefers when Ed and I are close together vs in different floors in the house.

14) Do you think your foster dog would do best in a home with other dogs?

I can’t answer this question, but he definitely needs companionship which could be a dog or human companionship.

15)  Please share any cute things your foster does, or any funny stories!

Mudd is a very affectionate dog and if allowed, will give you endless kisses. When we play ball, Mudd will pick-up the ball and then throw it and chase it by himself a few times, it is so funny to watch.