# Need to find a home for my sweet 11 month old Golden boy- Houston Texas area only



## ggdenny (Nov 2, 2008)

Golden Retriever Rescue of Houston - Adopt, Foster, Rescue a Golden Retriever - Home
Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue

I wish you could keep him.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I wish you could keep him but failing this I so hope someone on the forum adopts him!!!!!! How about a pic? Best of luck in your new owner search and fingers crossed that he goes to a loving family.


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## DaisyGolden (Jan 4, 2008)

Maybe you should re-home your husband and keep your golden.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

Yeah, I wish I could keep him too, I am still hoping I can convince my husband to suck it up and that we'll deal with it. He is an awesome dog. We're not one of those people that are giving him up because he has lost his puppy cuteness, etc. He is really great, and so well behaved for a dog as young as he is. He just decided recently that it is too much for our family; our son recently got sick with a bone infection, so we have been in and out of the hospital, and now my husband has to work from home, while taking care of my son, as well as the 2 dogs. The Newfoundland is pretty self-sufficient and lays around most of the time, but he feels that everything we're dealing with, as well as a puppy, and adding a newborn human to the mix is going to put us all over the edge, and the dogs are the ones that are going to suffer. We keep him in most of the time, but if he can't be supervised, he's in his crate and although he doesn't bark or whine about it, it still makes me sad. We try hard to take them to the dog park once a week, but sometimes it's not possible, and once we have a toddler, and a newborn, it's going to be impossible to take both of the dogs to the dogpark with the toddler and baby in tow.
I feel so horrible handing him over to a rescue, and I am trying really hard to find him a home with somebody I personally know, or somebody in our area, so we could still see him from time to time, and he could still visit with his friend the Newfie, and possibly have doggie dates at one of the local dog-parks. The new baby is due in May, so I have awhile to find him the perfect home, I am just looking at all of my different options right now. There are a lot of crazy people on Craigslist, so I am going to try to avoid that. I would think that only people serious about the Golden Retreiver breed would be on a site like this. Also, posting a dog on Craigslist around the holidays is definitely not a good idea.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

DaisyGolden said:


> Maybe you should re-home your husband and keep your golden.


 
ha ha ha.....I don't think the kids would appreciate that, and unless I can teach The Dude to change diapers, burp the baby, etc. I kind of need him around when that new baby gets here.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

I don't have a lot of recent pics available right now, just one, after it rained and he was playing in the mud, but there are a couple of really cute puppy photos.....


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Have you contacted your breeder? Maybe (s)he knows a solution!


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

What a handsome boy and what a cute puppy he was ... good luck on finding him a happy, safe forever home.


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

I highly suggest contacting a golden rescue in your area. There are a ton of forum members who are very active in their local golden rescues and we can't say enough amazing things about their rescues! We also have a large portion of forum members who have been on the receiving end of a dog from a rescue group and the lives that some of these dogs now lead are incredible. 

I understand that you want him to stay with a friend or someone you know, however please trust that the rescues will do everything they possibly can to find your dog a new, loving, AMAZING home. They spend a great deal of time and effort getting to know each of their potential adoptive families, as well as getting to know the dog's personality in order to find the best possible match. 

I'm sorry that the Dude is having to be re-homed. He looks so happy in that pic with the muddy paws!!


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## ggdenny (Nov 2, 2008)

Can you talk to you husband about hiring some help with the dogs - like a dog walker? Dog walkers can be fairly inexpensive and make a world of difference in a family's life until routines become stable, predictable and manageable.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

I know, he is so great, and such a happy boy...that's why it hurts me so much- but I know he'll be happy with his next home too..he's young enough that he can make the adjustment. I kind of don't want to accept the fact, and am still hoping the husband will change his mind....once I sign that paperwork for the rescue org........it's too late, and I will be giving up one of the sweetest puppies I've ever had in my life. But, if he can bring that same kind of happiness to another family, and receive a bunch of love back, it would be worth it.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I wish we were closer. I'd take him. I recenly lost my old guy.

Other than that I hope you find him a great home or even better that your husband changes his mind.

If you do place him personally please get vet refs and make sure things are as they are represented. I think it might be a good idea to leave his microchip in your name so if he ever did get show up at a shelter you would be notified.

good luck and congratulations on your new baby.

Your newfie is adorable too.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

ggdenny said:


> Can you talk to you husband about hiring some help with the dogs - like a dog walker? Dog walkers can be fairly inexpensive and make a world of difference in a family's life until routines become stable, predictable and manageable.


 
You know, that is a good idea....we live in a subdivision in the Houston suburbs that is very family oriented, so there are kids/teenagers all over. The only thing is, The Dude needs work on the leash because he gets so excited and pulls, and you can't take one dog without the other, and only the strongest person can handle him and the 120 lb Newfie who also gets very excited and pulls on the leash. I tried taking them both out at the same time and nearly dislocated a shoulder, lost skin on of my hands from the leashes being wound around them, and I ended up losing the leashes and they ran off! We got them back, but after my husband had to chase them around the block.

My husband's main concern is having a puppy along with a newborn. The Dude tends to jump when excited or when wanting to meet new people. He's afraid something could happen with the baby, even though The Dude is the sweetest dog, accidents happen. We have to watch our Newfie like a hawk, because even though she is a gentle giant, she doesn't realize how big she is, and could sit on somebody, and he did swat my toddler with her big massive paw by accident and caused a big scratch by his eye- obviously, she didn't mean it, it's just that she is SO big. She has stepped on my feet, and I felt like my foot was broken! It is going to be really hard to keep our eyes on both dogs, and both kids at the same time, and I don't want to have to crate them all of the time. We can handle one dog with everything else, but 2, especially with one of them being a puppy is going to be too much. I am willing to try, but my husband is not, and I don't want it to cause a rift between us, especially with a newborn coming soon, and a toddler who is really starting to pick up on things.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

coppers-mom said:


> I wish we were closer. I'd take him. I recenly lost my old guy.
> 
> Other than that I hope you find him a great home or even better that your husband changes his mind.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I am sorry to hear about your loss. That is always really hard. My husband's first dog (that he got on his own) passed away after 18 years with him. It was an English Bulldog/Sharpei mix. My sister recently lost her black lab, and I wanted her to take The Dude, but they also have a Husky and her husband said "NO MORE DOGS". They live in Arizona, and I was willing to drive him out there to take him to them. Mean husbands!!


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

At ten months, you have just about made it through the worst part of the puppyhood. By 18 months - 2 years he is going a lot to be more settled.

As far as walking, a Sensible Halter works wonders. Other members here recommend other types of halters.

Gates were my best friend when I had 3 young dogs (one 50 lbs, one 80 lbs and one 120 lbs ) and a 15 month old baby and a newborn. It was chaotic at times, but my children grew up in the middle of these dogs, and I really think it helped them grow into the caring, loving and generous kids they are today.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

Wow...so you did it with 3 dogs. I am still going to try to work on my husband...maybe if I don't look for a new home for him, he can't go! I love that my kids are raised around animals. My son was a little over one years old when we got Dixie, our Newfoundland- she was actually a very easy puppy and we didn't have many problems- just needy and always needing to be around people and getting constant attention.
One of the reasons we decided to get The Dude, was as a playmate for Dixie. We were going to get another Newfoundland, but then also thought about going through a rescue org. The opportunity to get The Dude as a young puppy came up, so we got him, and it's been a lot of fun. I too agree that the worst months are over with, and especially now that he is neutered, he seems to get calmer every day. By May, I think things will be a lot better, honestly.
A big issue though is our yard, and we don't have several thousand dollars laying around to fix it. It rains quite hard here, and there is a big dip in the middle of our back yard, and water accumulates big-time. Newfies and Goldens are huge water dogs, and our two guys have a field day, thus getting really muddy. Having to corral a huge and large muddy dog into crates and keeping them off the very light carpet is tough...I don't know how much money we have wasted on carpet cleaners. We are thinking of getting a dog run built, but then again, it also gets very hot and humid here in the Summer (and beyond...today is almost 80 degrees for example) and it's too hot to just leave them outside, so they are indoors almost all of the time. My husband is careless and will just leave them out for too long, and they get bored and destructive, and then he gets all upset because he has to fix the mess. I think the last straw for him was that he left them out too long the other day (he works from home) and one of them chewed the Comcast cable, and we lost cable and internet access for a few days (BAD because my husband works from home, and needs to have that internet). Even though it was his fault for leaving them out there, he is still really mad, and has decided 2 dogs are too much with everything else going on, and since he is home all day, he has to do the majority of the work involving the dogs, and he can't take it anymore. I'm kind of in a tough spot because I have been arguing with him about this, and not wanting to just "give our dog away" and his retort is that I am away at work all day, and don't have to deal with the insanity, and as insane as it is now, it's only going to get worse with a newborn.
All I know is that I look back at my sister, and once they started having kids, the dogs kind of took a back-seat to everything, and were pretty much left outside all day (not a good thing for Arizona) and neglected. I don't want that to happen to my fur babies, but I also don't want anything to happen to my human babies due to all of the chaos going on in the house. Last night I was laying on the bed, and The Dude jumped up onto my preggo stomach, which just added fuel to the fire......


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I volunteer for rescue, and I just wanted to assure you that the rescue groups in Houston are wonderful organizations that make sure the homes they adopt to are top notch and provide the best care and love for the dogs. They screen adopters, which is important, and since they have a process in place they are really good at it. I hope you will work with a rescue group rather than trying to find a home by yourself, only because individuals can lie and tell you anything they think you want to hear, but the rescue's screening process weeds out that kind of problem.

I'm sorry you are having to make this decision, I can understand your husband's point of view though. I hope you can find a solution you are both comfortable with.


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Please, please dont give up. I know how hard it can be. I have two goldens and three young children, 6, 4 and 16 months and believe me, it can be really chaotic here at times, but the thought of giving my goldens up, frankly, makes me physically ill. Make the baby gate your best friend. I have one in every room of the house. If I cant be with my dogs and I need to contain them while I tend to the baby/kids/messes/laundry/etc. I designate a certain area for them where I know they cant destroy anything. And lots, and lots and I mean lots of toys and goodies that can entertain them while I cant. Kongs stuffed with goodies, chew toys, you name it.Its all about getting a good routine going so everyone gets attention. Guaranteed it will be rough when bringing a newborn home and the routine is no where to be found, but honestly, it goes by so quick and then things start to fall into place and you will be able to breath and spend time with your dogs. I would play with my older two kids and my dogs outside while the baby napped or go on a nice long walk while the baby slept in the stroller, thats win, win right there. You get to walk, the dogs get exercise, and the baby gets a nice nap. I would also designate at least an hour in the evening where my hubby could watch the kids and I could go run my dogs or take an obedience class with them. I found it very therapeutic to have some alone time and my dogs, of course, loved it. I still do this to this day. Husbands can be tough cookies for sure, but just explain to him that it will all work out in the end, tell him your willing to work this all out and he should be too. I am living proof that it can be done. And everyone on this forum is awesome and always available to chat. Good luck!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Two thoughts:

Training will address the issues your husband is concerned about. A well-trained, properly managed Golden will be no more hassle than a self-sufficient Neuf. Your baby is due in May. If you start now, you'll have five months of training time. 

If you've truly decided that keeping him is not an option, keep in mind that if he was purchased from a responsible breeder, you have an ethical and likely contractual obligation to contact the breeder, as that person may wish to take the dog back and re-home himself.

Otherwise, a reputable rescue will be your best bet.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your advice and input. People are really friendly and helpful on these forums. I am really going to keep trying to convince the hubby to keep The Dude in the family...he is a family member and it's not right to "kick him out" of the family because things are a little chaotic.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

Good luck. I hope you're able to keep your pup. If you do have to rehome him, I recommend Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue. I used to live in Houston/Clear Lake, and it seems like a good group.


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Hooray! So happy to hear that news. Please keep us posted on how things are going. I agree with Quiz in taking some classes NOW with the Dude. If you stay on it and do your homework with him come May you will have the new and improved well behaved, walking on a loose leash, non destructive Dude. I got my now two year old Midas when I was 5 months pregnant, I know I am crazy, but we took classes together until I was about to pop and man did it pay off. Not only did it help with the pains of pregnancy to get up and move around, but by the time my baby came along I had a very well behaved dog. It was soooooooooooo worth it. Give it a whirl, you cant go wrong and then you know you tried everything.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Only you and your husband know what you can handle.

Yes, in those early years, we did wash the kitchen floor probably everyday because of the mud that was dragged in.

My 120 lb dog was a Great Pyrenees. Do you have a deck on your house? We put self latching gates on our deck, and Goliath would just love to lie on the deck for hours, watching over "his neighborhood" especially during the colder weather. During the hot weather, we had to be more careful about him being out there too long. He was too big to jump over it and it kept the mud off him. He lived to be 13 with arthritus not hitting him until his last year or so. I often think it was because he spent most of his outdoor time on the deck, rather than on the cold ground. This might be a solution for your Neuf, I am assuming they have similar personalities.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

We have a Petco right by our house.....and I know they have classes. That might be the big factor that convinces DH to let us keep him.....yay.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I,too, hope you can work on perhaps getting him in a class and keeping him. Steph is right in that many of the issues your husband is concerned about will be addressed with training... and the fact that he'll be older by the time the new baby arrives. You also have to consider that your newf may be lost without his companion. All that being said, rescues are great in making sure good homes are found. And if you used a reputable breeder, they would undoubtedly take him back and find him a good home.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

It would be wonderful if your husband would change his mind but it will take a big commitment to working with the pup training him and the kids. With the way your husband feels, it may be better to rehome him to a home where he will receive lots of attention, training, love and not be in a crate all the time. Definitely go with a Houston Rescue. They will find a loving qualified home for him which sounds like what you are looking for.
I am sorry your husband is wanting to rehome him but if he feels that way, it will be better for the Dude to have a home where everyone loves him.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

Great news! I brought up the training issue to my husband and he has agreed to let us keep The Dude in the family. I think after a couple of days, he realized that it's not fair to not keep him, and that the both of us need to work harder with the dogs. I am going to sign up for some classes. I think The Dude has picked up on the fact that my husband hasn't been too happy with him, and he has been an angel, except for on Friday night when he decided to sit on my head while I was sleeping- which the husband found hilarious. I think my husband also saw that I am a lot more attached than he thought, and he may also have been a little jealous that The Dude is a lot more bonded to me than he is to him.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Hope your husband keeps up his good attitude. It will take a commitment from you to do the classes/training so the Dude will be a respectful family member. Plus teach your child to respect and how to treat the dog


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

That is great news! Thanks for keeping us posted. Getting your hubby involved in the training classes will be an excellent way for him to develop a stronger bond with The Dude, and hopefully things continue to progress over the next few months!  

If you or him are ever having a hard time and need a place to vent about your pup, or need some advice, please stop in here - as you've noticed, there are plenty of people with great advice and who are always happy to help out!


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

I am sooo happy that your husband changed his mind! Please keep us updated on The Dude's progress...and more pictures would be nice...along with new baby pictures when the time comes!!


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

At training be sure to bring up new baby issues. You might get a life like doll and some baby clothes that smell of a real baby to practice.


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

OH, me too, I am so happy things worked out where you can keep the Dude. I just knew if you talked things over with your hubby, it would work out. So glad about the training classes. Just remember to do your homework with the Dude, be committed to his training, and never give up. If you do all that I am sure the Dude will blossom into a great, well behaved dog that is a pleasure to be around. Good luck with the Dude and your new bundle. And yes, yes, keep us posted.


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

Great news.........


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Aw, I just read this thread today and am so happy you and your husband decided to be proactive about this! Get The Dude (love his name) some training, install some baby gates and maybe make a schedule for who does what with the dogs and at what time. I'd also recommend using what you learn at obedience classes with your newf so she receives the same benefits. Once they are better behaved on walks, then it'll be easier to find someone to walk them. Best case scenario is that the dogs get so well trained that you can easily walk them with the stroller and take the kids and the dogs for walks at the same time! 

There's a lady on the street who has a double stroller and two dogs - she's always out walking them and the dogs behave so well. We stopped to chat once and she commented on Ranger's backpack and the next time I saw her, she had backpacks for both dogs. She said the dogs carried all the baby stuff and both were much more tired after their outings than they'd been before. That's the beauty of a dog backpack: it gives the dogs a "job" and uses mental energy. Maybe it's something to look into for The Dude?

Your other option for someone walking your dogs is to look into a professional dog walker. The good ones can handle any dog and the REALLY good ones will also help do some training while they have them. I have an amazing dog walker and she upholds Ranger's training while taking him (and 5 other dogs) out to the park. Sometimes he walks on leash, sometimes off leash, but he always comes back tired and happy. She's $20 a walk and she's out for 2-3 hours at a time. It's WELL worth the money.

I'm so happy to read the ending to this thread! The Dude seems like such a wonderful boy and I'm sure he'll continue to grow and learn and eventually be a dream family dog.


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

I really hope everything will work out for everyone.


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## Littlegoo (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I have very high hopes for The Dude and just know these classes are going to make him just about perfect. At 10 months old, he is pretty awesome and mellow (until he is let out, or goes to the dogpark- then he's crazy boy) and has pretty good house manners. As long as he is given dog toys or bones to play with, he leaves everything else alone, and he and the Newf share very nicely. He is also unusually gentle and aware of his surroundings and seems to know that he has to be more aware of things when our son is around. I think my husband, after thinking about it for a couple of days, realized he was being a little rash, and was using The Dude as a scapegoat, which wasn't fair.


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