Butters – Age 10
Rescued April 2014
Butters’ family moved out of the country
8 years, 113 lbs., male, red
Butters was surrendered to us by this owners who had had him since he was a puppy because they were re-locating back to Eastern Europe. They didn’t want to subject him to the 4,500 mile trip and on top of which, their new living situation would not be conducive to having a dog. Butters is a wonderful, although currently rather full figured boy! These pictures were taken when he was his heaviest ( a ‘robust’ 113 lbs.) but he is already down to 100 lbs. with only another 10-15 lbs. to go. He is a tall and big boned dog that will be at a good weight at right around 85 lbs. or so. He has a beautiful deep red coat with incredibly soft and gentle brown eyes. He was purchased from a reputable breeder and was AKC registered but his papers became lost over the years.
Although it took him a little while to settle in to his foster home (as is normal for well-loved dogs that are suddenly uprooted from the only home they have ever known), he is now completely at home and continues to prove himself to be a completely splendid dog! He has always been a totally inside dog and is completely housetrained. He can also be trusted loose in the house when you’re gone and there are no ‘surprised’ upon your return. He has been trained not to get on furniture (although I am sure he could happily be ‘untrained’, if his new family wants a sofa cuddler!). He is great with other dogs…although he didn’t live with one, his surrendering owner had a brother with 4 Goldens and Butters frequently visited with them or stayed there when his owners were traveling. He is also perfectly fine with cats and lived with one at his owner’s house. He is good with kids…he was originally purchased for the owners 10 year old child so grew up with one and is also great with the 8 & 12 year old children in his foster home. He loves water and will happily swim in anything larger than a raindrop! He is thoroughly enjoying going to his foster family’s lake house now that the weather is nice. I am sure he would love a family with a pool or a lake/beach house (or at least occasional access to any or all of those!). He likes to fetch and bring the ball back but isn’t terribly adept at dropping it…his preferred ending to a fetch is to play a happy game of keep-away!
He is wonderful in the care and loves to go for rides. He is a little scared and nervous at the vet’s office (although he was perfectly polite…he was just saying WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE IN THESE WHITE COATS? PLEASE, CAN WE PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LEAVE NOW?). He doesn’t love storms but is in no way destructive….he just goes and lies down somewhere away from a window or French door (e.g. behind the sofa) and waits until it is over. Butters is a complete and total ‘people dog’. Where you are is where he will be. That’s why his pictures are all close-ups….he wanted to just stand as close as possible to the GRRCC photographer. In fact, his owners lived on a golf course. His owner said that when he and Butters were out in the yard, golfers would come up to the fence from the fairway just to meet and pet him. Yet another useless Golden watchdogJ. His owner said Butters, like so many Golden, occasionally is ‘itchy’ in the Spring and gets an occasional hotspot. However, these respond quickly to just some topical cortisone spray and have not been a chronic or serious problem. He had a tooth pulled and 2 large-ish ‘lumps’ removed (both benign) and, except for a couple of shaved patches from the surgery, he is medically 100% sound and ‘good to go’
Butters is just a very sweet and very, very ‘easy’ dog to have around. True to his breed, he just wants people to love. In exchange for that he will return that love tenfold!
Foster Home Update May 9th:
Good morning! Butters visited MH this morning to have his stitches out & they also gave him vaccination boosters. Our boy is down 13 pounds so far; weighed in at an even 100. We’re just loving every second of having him here. He LOVES to ride in the car, so his people must’ve taken him everywhere. The ladies at the bank just get a hoot out of him! We’re headed to the mountains again this weekend & the kids can’t wait to take him swimming now that his stitches are out! Last weekend he literally cried because we wouldn’t let him get in the lake! A good and happy boy!! Will keep you posted.