Soldier Gooding

WONDERFUL NEWS FOR OUR BRAVE BOY AS HE BECOMES A FOREVER FOSTER (AUGUST 2017)

Due to his severe health problems, it was decided the best option for him would be to remain forever with his fosterer, Geraldine, and her lovely bitch, Millie.

He could not have done better and the latest reports (May 2018) are that, against all the odds, he is still going strong and is very happy, bless him.

HISTORY

Soldier is a cream coloured Golden Retriever who was ten years old when he came into IRR care. He was not neutered due to his age and health problems but he was deemed well enough to receive the necessary vaccinations to travel to the UK. He was groomed by Kathryn as usual and went into foster in the UK with Geraldine.

Soldier came through Ennis Pound where, because of legal wranglings, he spent almost a year in the kennels until Martina in Babydog Rescue was able to facilitate him getting to Irish Retriever Rescue.

Kathryn said, “This boy cannot be rehomed on his own. His mate was looked after by the owner’s mother but poor Soldier was left forelorn. He misses canine company and needs to be rehomed with a resident female who would turn him into a little puppy, dancing and playing again.

He likes his bed, probably the only thing in his whole life that belonged to him. This boy has had a truly tragic life and if anyone deserves to have his twilight years in a caring, loving home Soldier does”.

HEALTH

He has a very bad heart but, apparently, his heart rate has now dropped from 320 to 158!

This boy has suffered dreadfully from ear infections but is on the mend and this is being treated. He has a little arthritis but it is very minor. He is very light for his frame and, although he needs muscle build up, his weight should be kept quite low.

Geraldine, his fosterer, says “Since Soldier came to us we have seen nothing but improvement in every way especially a massive improvement in Soldier’s health over the past few months and it is now relatively ‘good’.

Soldier is almost totally deaf and has a drooping right eyelid. His mouth is excellent and he has clean healthy teeth. His bladder is good but he can be sensitive to ‘meat and chicken’

His ears are now so much better than they were although they do still have to be cleaned at least once a week, just to keep him comfortable. He does not appear to have any pain in his ears now and he will be due for a ‘checkup’ at our vets very shortly.

The ‘deafness’ cannot be alleviated due to past problems although, now, one of the main infections seems to have been eliminated due to the correct anti-biotics being used, along with weekly ear washes to remove outer ear debris.

His hind quarters, weak due to Arthritis, have strengthened due to his daily walks and he has put on weight.

His skin shows no obvious signs of anything adverse and his feet are in good condition.

He does really need grooming daily as his coat is extremely thick in places.

After trial and error, I recommend his diet is ‘fish based’ as opposed to meat, which seems to upset his tummy. His joy of joys is his ‘calf hooves, stuffed with a delicious concoction of fish meal. He demolishes these almost completely, they are great fun for him and they keep his teeth clean at the same time.

His preference for food is ‘fish’ of any type. Favourite at the moment is tinned pilchards, along with pasta, raw vegetables and kibble. Next is tuna and/or fresh fish. I have found that adding ‘meat’ to his meals does not suit his ‘tummy’ so I suggest that is avoided. The same goes for just dry ‘kibble/food. He has now been thoroughly spoilt with his dining habits. He is also partial to a frozen, fat free yogurt, most certainly after his walk and served out of the ‘carton’ please!!

He tends to drink a lot of water but this is probably due to his heart medications”.

PERSONALITY

He is a big boy with a very sweet personality.

Geraldine says, “Soldier is a wonderful dog that is now ‘coming into his own’. He is absolutely no trouble in the home and loves Millie his companion, He has bonded very well with us.

He is very welcoming and inquisitive with people. He can be a bit wary of other dogs initially but he settles down after a couple of minutes. He is calm and laid back, probably due to his poor hearing, which means he doesn’t react to loud noises and nothing bothers him. He is a perfect gent”.

SOCIAL LEARNING

Considering his deafness, he has learned how to react to basic ‘hand and, facial signals and is happy to obey. His weight has increased as has his confidence and he appears to be a happy contented dog now.

TRAVEL: He travels well in the car.

HOUSETRAINING: He wasn’t house-trained at first though, in all the time in kennels, he would never dirty his kennel and was very clean. Geraldine says, “He is a very clean boy in the home. We have only had two accidents since he came to us. That was our fault, for putting him outside too early at night (lesson learned)”.

SEPARATION ANXIETY: I rarely leave my dogs alone, only maybe to pop to the shops but it doesn’t appear to bother him. He is quite happy to see us in the mornings and returning from shops etc:-.

RESOURCE GUARDING: He is not at all food aggressive. Soldier loves his food and has never left a ‘scrap’ from his two meals each day, he even licks the bits from Millie’s dish when she has finished!!

LEADWALKING and RECALL: Kathryn had said “He is strong on the lead but not overly so. We don’t know what his recall is like but it is still early days yet”.

When in foster, Geraldine found “Soldier can be ‘hard work’ on the lead, he is quite strong and tends to pull to the right for some reason! He is going ‘his way’ and, whoever is on the other end of the lead, is going with him or not! If he is in an enclosed, safe area, it’s best to just let him wander off and do his own thing.

Soldier is quite an independent dog and, loves to be let off his lead (in a safe environment only)! Because of his lack of hearing it is impossible for him to acknowledge the commands therefore he has to be watched as he tends to think he is a young dog again and can go wandering off on his own without a care in the world. However, in just the past few days, I notice he is keeping an eye out for me and is tending to not forge ahead. This is pleasing as it’s showing he is bonding, not only with me/us but also Millie.

He is always ready for his walk and appears to enjoy it but he does get quite tired and, on our return from walk, he leads the way and is quite happy to get onto the back seat of the car (he still needs a little help with this). There is no growling from him at all now when helping him into the car. He then lies or stands until we get home”.

ADULTS and CHILDREN: He is a friendly boy, loves people and loves to be stroked and cuddled by whomsoever is willing to give him love. A delight all ways round. He is a generous spirited, kind, obedient dog.

DOGS: He missed not having a female companion but, now, the dogs seem to have bonded very well. And he and Millie seem to have a mutual respect for each other. She loves to play and, occasionally, Soldier attempts to appease her, even though he knows he hasn’t got that energy anymore.

He is quite good with other dogs now. He will give an ‘initial’ growl to let them know that he’s the big boss but, if he could, he would be off trotting around with them although I don’t actually let that happen.

SOLDIER’S DREAM HOME

Soldier is a beautiful (very hairy) kind natured intelligent dog who just wants his home comforts forever. He has suffered far too much already so he deserves patience, kindness and understanding.

He would be suitable for a loving couple without children and with a middle aged, gentle bitch. Someone in ‘good health’, combined with long legs to keep up with him would be an advantage!

He is the sort of dog that needs someone with plenty of rescue experience. Unfortunately, because of Soldiers deafness, there is a lot of patience required in trying to teach him ‘not’ to pull when on leash and it is really best for him to have his freedom in a safe, enclosed field.

There is still some work to do with Soldier but it’s early days yet He has come a long way in a short time and he can only continue to progress.

This old boy needs a chance with people who are prepared to take it slowly. He has had so many changes in his challenging life but seems to cope with it all. IRR are truly in awe of how, despite everything, he still manages to happily wag his tail.