Duffy #3232

Spoiler Alert:  I, Duffy (#3232), am not a Golden Retriever.  I am a Lab mix and I’ve been told that my heart is pure Golden.  (That’s much better than a pure gold heart which wouldn’t work very well – and it’d probably be expensive.)  I was surrendered by my previous owner who was not able to take care of me.  He did a really nice job training me, though.  I can sit, stay, lay down, come, etc.  I also know how to walk nicely on a leash.

My foster mom says I am an easy dog.  Two squares and a walk or two a day, lots of love and a few toys are pretty much all it takes to make me a happy camper.  I will repay your efforts with lots of love and silly antics (assuming you like that sort of thing).

I spent time living on the streets with my previous owner, but I also spent time living in a house so I am fully house-trained.  I love to sit on couches and chairs; they’re so much more comfortable than concrete.  I’ll jump on the bed, but don’t stay there long.

I developed a few quirks while living on the streets, but my foster mom says they’re nothing too out-of-the-box.  For example, I suffer from a mild case of FOMO (fear of missing out) and do not like to be left behind.  (Who does ?!)  My foster mom calls it “separation anxiety.”  I do not like having doors closed on me.  I need to see you when you’re “taking care of business” and when you go outside.  If I can’t be with you, I become fearful and bark BIG time.  I also become fearful if you leave me in a room with the door closed.  That’s the downside of my FOMO but there’s an upside, too:  I love my crate, go in willingly and enjoy staying in there so everything is fine if I’m in my crate before you disappear.  It is important to me that you understand this.  I need my safe place in my crate where I never miss a beat.  I never bark while I’m in there and I never refuse to enter.  It is my happy place.

I am used to being with my people most of the time, so someone who works full time probably is not a good fit for me.  Living with someone who works part-time, or from home, or is retired would be ideal.

I love people, but can get a little too excited about meeting them.  If you remind me to sit, I will chill and sit immediately.   I think older kids would be better for me to be around since I can be a little wiggly and might knock younger kids down — unintentionally, of course.

I like other dogs.  I get along very well with the resident Golden in my foster home. I love to play with her, mostly just play-biting instead of running around, but I can get a little rough with her at times so it’s probably best that I not live with a small dog.  I haven’t been around cats but I don’t chase squirrels so perhaps a cat would be okay.  The only problem would be if the cat wanted to play with me and I forgot myself and was too rough.  On second thought, perhaps cats would be a bad idea.

I always try really hard to understand what people are saying to me.  If I don’t understand what you’re saying, I will cock my head to see if that helps.  It doesn’t typically work, but I keep trying it anyway.  I love to chase flies; I never catch them but that doesn’t keep me from trying that, too.

I have a favorite blanket that I love to play with and sleep on.  Once it’s dark outside, I just want to be near you and to sleep.  (This is something that developed while I was living on the streets.)

I wish I could tell you everything I’ve been through in my life, especially during my time on the streets, but I’m not sure that you’d want to know even if I could tell you.  I like to think that now, aside from my few little quirks, I am a happy, funny, loveable dog and that I’m pretty darn easy to live with.  I would so love to find a forever home.  Could it be with you?

Duffy was adopted on October 26, 2019