Kipper #3585

It’s me, Kipper (#3585)!  I’m a 3-1/2 month old, female, golden retriever puppy.  You may remember my Mom, Heidi, who Golden Bond Rescue rescued from a mid-west puppy mill last winter.  My foster mom says I look so much like her.  That makes me feel proud.  She was a good mama.

I’ve had such a great beginning in life.  While I was still with my Mom living at a kennel in Beavercreek, I learned so much good stuff.  I’m 100% house-trained; when you ask me to sit, my butt hits the ground; and I’m not afraid of vacuum cleaners or sirens or lots of other noises, because I learned early that they are just a normal part of life.  I was also well socialized by all of the wonderful volunteers who came up to play with my siblings and me.  Good times!

My foster mom says that I have smart pants [Kipper’s foster mom here – I told her she is a smarty pants.] I learn things quickly.  I am learning “off” and “leave it” and “quiet” and to trade for treats.  I’m still a work in progress, though.  I actually know that I’m supposed to stay off of things, but sometimes I just can’t help myself and decide to do it anyway.  After all, I’m just a baaaby!

My foster mom closely supervises me when I’m on the loose in the house and yard, because I’m curious about EVERYTHING and will put pretty much ANYTHING in my mouth.  But I’m learning to trade for treats, unless it’s something I REALLY want.  Then my foster mom has to pry it out of my mouth.  No fair!  What about finders keepers?

I’m VERY food motivated and try to see if I can get stuff off the counter.  Unfortunately, I can’t reach up there yet.  But I’m growing like a weed, and it won’t be long before I can snatch something from up there.  My foster mom says that I definitely need work on this for my own good.

I sleep in my crate in my foster mom’s bedroom and never make a fuss at night.  I just sleep until we all wake up in the morning.  I also spend time in my exercise pen on and off throughout the day because my foster mom can’t get stuff done while I’m on the loose, and sometimes she says I need a time-out.  She says I’m a handful, which sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it? While I’d rather be out and about, I don’t fuss when I’m in there, unless I don’t know where my foster mom is, but I settle down pretty quickly.  Truthfully, I usually just fall asleep.

I love that my foster home has 3 other dogs and a cat.  My Uncle Guthrie (that’s what I call him) is my fave.  He plays with me lots.  He’s very patient with me and lets me play-bite him.  Sometimes I play kinda rough tough, and he lets out an ouchie sound.  One of the dogs doesn’t like me much, so sometimes I pester her just to get a rise out of her.  It’s fun!  The kitty doesn’t care much for me either – she’s old – and when I get the chance, I kind of mall her.  Now she just mostly stays out of my reach.  I’m starting to be a little less interested in her now though.  If she won’t play with me, what good is she?

One thing that I should mention is that my baby teeth are VERY sharp!  My foster mom sings the Baby Shark song to me, but sometimes she also says naughty words when I play-bite her.  I guess it really hurts.  I just can’t help it though, like I said I’m just a baaaby!

If you have lots of time to spend with me and the stamina to keep up with me and help me learn, let’s talk.  I’m sure to wiggle my way into your heart.

Kipper’s foster mom here:  Kipper is adorable, lots of fun, and she can be very sweet. I love it when she chases her tail or rolls on her back asking for a belly rub.  And oh that soft, sweet tummy.  Kipper will also keep you on your toes!  And you need to stay on your toes to make sure she doesn’t get into something that will harm her.  She has already been to the ER Vet because she ingested things she shouldn’t eat. She needs constant supervision during this phase of her puppyhood. Kipper should go to a home with at least one other playful dog so she can learn from him/her, help to keep her from getting bored and into trouble, and so that she has a buddy in life.  She would be a bit much for a senior dog though.  She should also begin puppy classes ASAP and continue with obedience classes as she grows.  Besides learning how to help her learn good manners, it’s a wonderful bonding experience for both of you.