Meet Kenny, a young male Golden Retriever Mix (possibly golden/shepherd mix) who came into rescue after his family didn’t have time for him.  Kenny is approximately 1 - 1 1/2 years old and is big, playful, sensitive, and smart.

Kenny is basically a big puppy. He is a tall boy with a gorgeous coat and long, fluffy tail. When he chases the ball or runs he is a bit klutzy! He hops and pounces on his toys (and his humans sometimes, but he’s learning). He loves to play tug and fetch.  He is a smart boy and a fast learner. His foster family is working with him on ‘drop it’, and also on some typical puppy behaviors (being mouthy, jumpy, and pawing for attention).  

He needs daily exercise (30min-1 hr, twice a day walks plus play in between). He’s very energetic but will calm down nicely. Mental stimulation in addition to aerobic exercise is important for him. 

Kenny LOVES attention and is persistent about getting your attention if you’re not engaged with him (ie, nose-butting you or grabbing your ankles with his paws). He walks very well on leash, with a few gentle reminders along the way. He will pull toward other dogs and maybe a bark or two but redirects pretty easily. This is not aggression but excitement. He does the same with the neighborhood cats.

He is curious and alert when he hears noises around the house. He will alert to it, watch, and cock his head in the most adorable way. New sights and sounds can spook him, so he will need patience and reassurance. If something startles him in the backyard, he will bark, run inside the door…and keep barking toward the outside. He was afraid of the rocking chair, and the black granite fireplace. His foster family is reassuring him by introducing the “thing” again, slowly. They stay near him and let him sniff and explore. This is working well. 

Kenny was treated very roughly by his former owners, so earning trust can take some time. To help him, Kenny has spent some time with a positive reinforcement trainer where he learned a lot, including “go to place/bed”, Sit, Down, Ready (ie to receive a cue), being gentle with treats, crate training, etc. He was also evaluated for head, neck & ear handling sensitivity which resulted from his former owners rough handling. He does not like being handled around the neck and ears; and will cower and twirl around if you sneak up from behind. Giving him a cue or alert so he knows you’re there helps a lot. Until he learns to trust, Kenny’s humans will need to go slow with him. 

Kenny thinks every human and dog is a play toy for him. He greets by going fast, right up to a dog’s muzzle and nudging, then going in for the play. He also will “belly-down” and crawl to them. Or, he might just do the play bow, and jump right up to start pawing and gnawing on them (a bit fast for some dogs). 

Kenny would like a home with active humans, an all-adult home, and opportunities to play with doggie friends. A yard is important for him as throughout the day he trots around and explores. Someone home more than not – Kenny is smart and will “self-employ” if left alone too long (he gets curious and bored and needs direction). We would like humans who will respect that Kenny needs time to adjust and a continued positive reinforcement approach to be followed to recondition his previous “punishment oriented” training.

If you are interested in Kenny, please complete our adoption application. Questions can be directed to nancy@roversretreat.org

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