Artie is a lover and a leaner! This 18 month old Golden Retriever /Black Lab mix is affectionate, friendly, fun loving and just the teensiest bit silly. He loves to gently give hugs by standing on his back legs and leaning gently in as you scratch him.
This gorgeous boy was just too wonderful to be left sitting in a shelter, but that’s where we found him - just waiting for someone to come and take him out of there. Artie was so admired by the shelter staff that when they discovered he was going to get to be a Squad Dog, they were almost as excited as he was.
Artie is a bit of a contradiction in terms. He seems always in motion, a curious boy that loves to explore his surroundings, yet he’s also not a high-energy dog. He’s the best of both worlds! He truly loves everybody and his tail is usually in full wag mode. He will make a great addition to any family. Please be sure to meet him. Artie will probably do best with another active, playful dog. He also requires a tall fence since he can easily scale a 4.5' fence.
Update from Artie's foster mom:
Artie is a fun and happy boy - not to mention handsome!!! Any respectable 80s rock star would kill to have Artie’s beautiful shiny, black, curly mane!!
Artie has come a long way since his first day as a Squad Dog. When we first brought him home to meet his foster brother and sisters he didn’t quite know what to do. (I think he was a true loner before he came into the system). In a very short timeframe, he began to understand that it is really cool to be around other dogs and their humans.
He was also not accustomed to being inside, although that changed quickly!! He now understands that he has his very own toys and his humans have theirs.
It was also delightful to find that while Artie probably never had any type of formal training in the housebreaking department, he has never once had an accident in the house after the first one. He has also learned the commands Sit and Lay Down. He no longer jumps on his humans unless he is asked to “Come Up” for a shoulder rub and kiss.
Artie would make an excellent agility dog. He’s extremely intelligent and agile and has awesome athletic abilities - he can jump 3+ feet in the air going for a Frisbee! He loves to play fetch and will bring the tennis ball or Frisbee back. He also loves the water and will play in the pool chasing balls all day long if you let him.
He has a lot of energy and would do best with either another playful dog in the house or with an owner who is with him most of the time. At the end of a day he’s content to lie at your feet and chew a toy. Oh, did I mention that he is crate trained - although he prefers to sleep with his humans if they will let him.
Having the opportunity to foster Artie has been a pleasure. Watching him go from scared shelter dog to confident young dog has been so fun and rewarding. We look forward to Artie finding his forever home because he so deserves it, but it will be difficult to see him leave as he has truly touched our hearts.
It should be noted that Artie can both jump and climb a fence, thus it is required that he have either a tall privacy type fence or be leash walked.
Come out and see Artie at the next adoption - you can’t miss him. He doesn’t like doggy adoption day and is always the one barking and jumping (he does NOT do this at home). We have figured out that he is truly that smart!!! Bark, Jump, Bark, Jump - no one will try to take me away from the humans who have been so nice to me! Go figure - this is probably the first time in his whole life he has ever been treated with any kind of love or attention so he just wants to know it will always be there. Can you blame him?
