# advice needed on adoption of 4 year old Goldie



## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

I am writing to see if anyone has advice for me on rescuing a four year old un neutered golden retriever in Singapore. 

We are a family of four living in Singapore and after many discussions we have decided that we are ready for the commitment of a dog and able to provide a forever loving home. I grew up with dogs and had always loved the energy, chiiled nature and endless love that Goldies have. 

We had initially considered a puppy but I have just found out that there is a 4 year old male goldie that needs a new home here in Singapore.

As I have never taken on an adult dog before and we have two young children, and an unfenced yard, (we are not near a road and we are surrounded by a golf course) I was hoping someone could advise as to what I need to look out for and ask the current owners in order to see if he will be a good match for us. My kids are 5 & 2.

The Goldie is a four year old male that has spent his life in a loving environment and is walked daily but is mostly left alone. The reason the owners (couple with no children) would like to rehome him is they feel guilty because they work very long hours and he spends the day alone in one room of an apartment.

Any advice or questions you could give me to ask his owner or to look out for when we meet him on the weekend would be much appreciated.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I helped a GR Rescue with Intakes. We had a questionnaire we used when someone wanted to surrender a Golden to our Group. Here are some of the questions from it-

Has the dog ever been around children before, if so, how did the dog act when around children. What were the ages of the children.

Has the dog ever bitten anyone, if so, all the details pertaining to the bite incident. 

How does the dog react whenever a toy or bone is taken away from it. 

Has the dog received any formal training-if so how much.

Is the dog afraid of anything, if so how does it react?

When was the last time the dog had been to the Vet, is the dog current on it's vaccinations, currently on HW meds. 

I would want a copy of all the Vet records.

Both of my goldens were adotped at the age of 2. My girl will be 9 soon and my boy is 4. 

I would recommend taking your children with you when you meet the dog to see how it acts around them. 

Best of luck to you.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

we recently adopted a 4 year old flat coated retriever. The best thing was that the flattie was re-homed by the breeder and we had a one month trial period to make sure that everything goes OK; as far as the flattie adjusting, our puppy adjusting, the family and also learn about her temperament. Needless to say we all fell in love with her and everyone is happy! She has separation anxiety, she is a counter surfer, she poops excessively, she had a bad UTI, she did not know basic commands, no muscle or endurance - so we have been working with her slowly. 
From the first day she came over though, I think she felt that she was loved because she has acted as if she was born in our house. We also do not have a fenced in yard and we have taken her on walks around the perimeter of our property on and off leash. She has never crossed over but on the same vein we never allow our pets outside without us.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

I emailed a fellow GRF member in Singapore. You may get a PM (Private Message).

If she sees my email and writes you, you'll see the notification just below your user name on the top right of any page. You won't be able to respond until you've had 15 posts, but hopefully you guys can connect 

I recently did a rescue of an adult golden who was confined all the time. He's now living with his new family who have 4 kids, the youngest 1 and 3. It's going super well.


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## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

Thanks for such positive responses and helpful advice. 
We visited Buddy yesterday and there was NO WAY we were letting him back with his owner. He is in a really bad way  In fact he has very little hair left due to a bad skin condition that has been left untreated and is barely able to walk 500m let alone up or down stairs due to being chained to a fridge. Let me add this kitchen is 30'c+, small, with no ventiallation or natural light. There is also a list of other skin and teeth related conditons...
Last night before bed he appeared to have a panic attack so we kept him beside our bed. We have also given him his first bath in a loooong time but the smell is still almost unbearable.

Amazingly he is the most friendly, sweet and kind natured dog ever. Poor Buddy. How could we not take him. We took him to the beach for the first time in his life yesterday and he is also terrified of the water. He appears great with kids and didn't react to other dogs barking at him. I am trying to locate a vet here but not really sure where to go from here. 
What have we signed ourselves up for? Feeling a little helpless. 
Any advice would be appreciated.
THanks

Jac


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## Makomom (Feb 28, 2012)

I am so glad you adopted him! You will be surprised at how good dog food will help with his skin and coat. We adopted Max 4 months ago and he was full of fleas and hair falling out and constant scratching and biting ....also underweight. He has totally changed and is a beautiful golden again. I am sure your Buddy will thrive with your love and attention. Getting him to a vet is a must and a good vet can help guide you.


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## thorbreafortuna (Jun 9, 2013)

God bless you for saving him! No doubt that your first step is to get him seen by a vet to assess his condition and take it from there. Good luck to you.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Did you connect with my friend in Singapore? She received my message and replied. 

We've adopted several adult goldens. With love and good food they all turned back into the happy pups God intended them to be, as your boy will.

God bless you for giving him a second chance at a good life


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Jac*

Jac

See dborgers message. I am sure his friend can help you.
Bless you for adopting him!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Thank you for bringing Buddy home.

Everything is going to be new to him and I mean _*everything.*_ It's going to take time for him to relax, adjust and settle in, it could take several weeks. Be patient with him, take things slow and try not to rush things with him. Go at his own pace. 

First all of, get him checked out by a Vet and get him on his way to becoming healthy. 

Wishing you the best of luck, he sounds like a wonderful boy. With time, you're going to see a huge difference in him not just physcially, but you'll see the wonderful boy he is and will become.


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## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

We took Buddy to the vet yesterday and we are going to have to tackle his issues in stages. First is his skin. I was happy with the Vets non aggressive approach and fairly holistic approach, apart from all the antibiotics, steroids etc, etc. 
My biggest concern at the moment in regards to his health is the fact he cannot really walk. The vet (no xrays) checked his hips and said he had good range but due to being confined for so long he has muscle wastage. 
He is unable to walk for more than 5meters before his legs collapse under him. 
When we first met Buddy we took him for a 1km long walk and was a little shaky but not like this. Maybe we just wore him out. 
We are taking things very slowly but it is so hard to imagine him being well. 
Thanks again for your kind words of support


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## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

*connection made*

Hi,

Yes thank you. Your friend did get in touch. I am unable to send a message back as I have not had enough posts. I would like to ask her some advice on local vets here. Do you think you could get her to email me with a non GRF email contact.
Thanks 
Jac



dborgers said:


> Did you connect with my friend in Singapore? She received my message and replied.
> 
> We've adopted several adult goldens. With love and good food they all turned back into the happy pups God intended them to be, as your boy will.
> 
> God bless you for giving him a second chance at a good life


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

jacylinsingapore said:


> Hi,
> 
> Yes thank you. Your friend did get in touch. I am unable to send a message back as I have not had enough posts. I would like to ask her some advice on local vets here. Do you think you could get her to email me with a non GRF email contact.
> Thanks
> Jac


Check your PM's (click below your name, top right of the page "Your Notifications". Scroll down. You'll see my message)

Danny


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Good for you for saving him. Things will be glorious after a little while. Poor baby-chaining a golden is just horrible. They are too loving and sensitive. Best of luck and hang in there. We'll want photos soon! 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Jac*

Jac

God Bless you for saving him!


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## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to update you all and let you know how Buddy is doing. 
I have added a picture of my hubby and the kids walking him in our local park but as you can see it is grainy and HUGE I am not sure really sure how to add pictures correctly.
Buddy is amazing in every sense of the word and we couldn't imagine life without him. He has the most amazing temperament and is a real sweetie, especially around kids and other dogs and cats. I don't think he is going to make a great guard dog  
I can't believe how quickly his health he has recovered and he is even starting to grow hair in some of the bald patches. He can now climb a flight of stairs and handle a 30 min walk. We are still taking things slowly though. My only complaint is that he is the stinkiest dog ever but I am hoping that once his skin completely heals this may fix itself too. Any suggestions welcome.
The vet seems to think he may need to be on steroids for his skin indefinitely but I would like to start him on a BARF diet and see if that helps him out. 
Again thank you all for you kind words and support and I will be sure to come back here for any advice in the future.

Cheers

Jac


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## jacylinsingapore (Sep 18, 2013)

I can't add a photo unless it is connected to a URL any suggestions for adding a pdf or screen shot?


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

You can use the feature "Manage Attachments" below the "Go Advanced" text box (button below text box) to upload directly from your computer. SCROLL DOWN below the Go Advanced text box and you'll see a button "MANAGE ATTACHMENTS". Click that and upload directly from your computer.

After uploading click "Preview" and you should see your pic in the post.

Or you could sign up for a free account at PhotoBucket.com and upload there, then link the URL with the postcard icon above the text box. We'd love to see some pictures of him as he blossoms in his new and wonderful life 

Did you get in touch with my friend in Singapore? She said she'd be more than happy to talk to you. I PM'd you her email address 

I'm so happy Jack is doing well. God bless you for rescuing him from a horrible situation


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## Maddie'sMom2011 (Apr 26, 2011)

Thank you so much for saving Buddy from, I'm sure, was a golden retriever's worse nightmare. Thank you! :smooch: Thank you! :smooch: Thank you :smooch:!


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Thank you so much for rescuing Buddy, you are indeed his angels. Is there anywhere you can take him swimming? It is a great way to build his muscle mass, and is easy on his joints. Sounds like you both won the jackpot! Welcome HOME Buddy!


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

Soooo happy you have him and very eager for the photos. And, yes, his previous owners should feel guilty. Grrr.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Buddy*

Can't wait to see the photos.
Danny (dborgers) gave you some instructions.


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