Max
Max is an approximately 18mths old Golden Retriever who was fostered in Scotland by Lorna.
PERSONALITY
She describes him as “a big boy who is very strong but he has a lovely nature. He has settled in really well to the routine here and gets on very well with Lola and Martha. He has become much more confident and there is little sign of the anxiety he initially showed during the journey here (crawling on his belly).
He is a quick learner so further training shouldn’t be an issue. He has the potential to be a fabulous dog for someone”.
Max is a lovely gentle boy but he does have some issues. He seems unsure of household items like the hoover, mop, ironing board and will leave the room when they appear.
He can be very lively and a bit boisterous when playing with Lola and, sometimes, he needs to be calmed but he can also be quite chilled. He has a tendency to bark when he’s in the house or garden if he sees something passing by on the road.
HEALTH
Max is in good health and weighs 34.4k. He did have some matting in the fur round his neck.
SOCIAL LEARNING
Lorna says “I think that Max has had some basic training in the past as he will sit on command, can do a down and will sometimes wait”.
TRAVEL: We’ve been for a short car journey and he jumped into the car and settled fine. He did bark when we were parked but I think that was because a dog in another car started first. He also barked at a van that passed us.
HOUSETRAINING: Initially, there were a few accidents in the house but that may have been stress as he is fine in the house now. He doesn’t ask to go out but he will start to pace so I just take him out when that happens. He’s always been fine overnight”.
LEADWALKING: His lead walking was pretty awful but is improving and he is very strong but that can be worked on too.
He doesn’t like cars passing and will lunge at them. Lorna did a bit of work on this but was a bit hampered by the icy conditions on the pavements.
She says “I’ve been taking him out on his own as he is calmer and we’ve been walking along by the road. When a car passes, I’ve been rewarding him for looking at me and ignoring it and that seems to be working. He is beginning to wait at the kerb before crossing. He still pulls a lot especially if he gets the scent of something he’s interested in. He’s made such good progress in a relatively short time so I’m sure he’ll continue to improve”.
RESOURCE GUARDING: He shares toys but we did have a small grumble when Lola tried to take a chew toy from him.
SEPARATION ANXIETY: He has now been left for about 2 hours with the other dogs and for periods of about an hour on his own and is absolutely fine.
ADULTS: He greets adults happily and has also met older children with no problem.
DOGS: He greets other dogs quite enthusiastically but with no aggression while out walking.
CATS: He’s not yet met any cats but he did bark furiously at a cat crossing the garden and I believe he would give chase if he could so I think cats would be a no-go.
MAX’S DREAM HOME
Max is a lovely young dog who simply needs someone who will take a proper interest in him and will be happy to continue with his basic training.
Another slightly older and well rounded dog would benefit him greatly.
December 2017
Max has gone to live in his Forever Home
