Adoption Pending

Duke came to GRRCC as an owner surrender.  His previous owners felt they were not able to give Duke the time and attention he deserved.  They only had Duke for about a year, and we don’t know much about his first home.  We want to find the perfect home for Duke this time around so he won’t be “bounced” any more.

Duke is five years old and is in good health.  He has plenty of energy and loves to run and play in the yard.  He gets along well with other dogs but does have a slight dominant streak.  His foster parents have 3 other Goldens and he does well with them, but they are experienced foster “siblings” so are used to dogs coming and going.  We do not feel Duke “needs” another dog in his forever home, though he does enjoy interacting with other dogs outside.  Inside, he tends to settle down by himself and ignore the other dogs.

Duke did live with a cat in his previous home.  However, if he goes to a new home with a cat, the cat MUST be dog savvy and willing to stand his/her ground and not run, or Duke will give chase.  We have a video of Duke with the cat in his previous home, so we know he’s capable of living with a cat. But we all know every cat is different and Duke will not be going to a home with a “scaredy cat.”  Only confident felines for Duke!

Duke needs a strong leader.  This is non-negotiable.  Duke’s foster mom has made tremendous progress with him and says he is a smart, sweet boy. But Duke is the kind of dog that will take a mile if you give him an inch.  He’s a bit more stubborn than the average Golden, though when he sees he has pleased his foster mom by being “good,” he is obviously very proud of himself.

Duke has a tendency to chew up soft toys so his foster mom encourages him to pick up only non-destructible toys.  He also has chewed up non-toy items a couple of times.  The last time he did that, he was taken to our vet for an x-ray to make sure nothing bad got left inside; he got the all clear, but our vet was able to see staples on the x-ray – probably evidence of a past “indiscretion” on Duke’s part.  Therefore, Duke needs to be crated when he can’t be watched or when his people leave the house.  Again, this is non-negotiable.  Because he likes to chew inappropriate things, a home with small children or with messy adults would not be good for Duke.

Duke’s foster mom feels he absolutely needs a fenced yard and a home in which his people are present a good part of the day. This is because he has to be crated and it is not ideal to leave a dog in a crate for the typical 8-10 hour work day most people have.  Duke is learning to walk well on a harness. He eats from a slow feeder because he has a tendency to gulp his food.

Duke is a beautiful, sweet boy with a lot of love to give. He is just slightly more challenging than some Goldens, and we owe it to him to find the right situation for him.  We know his perfect home is out there waiting for him.