So for those keeping score at home, Manny is my fifth foster dog. Now that I’ve had a handful, their little differences and quirks are becoming all the more noticeable.
One thing that they’ve all shared, other than Hunter, is the desire to be on the couch. Before they even see me sit on it, they can tell that it’s something they would like to be on top of.
Manny so far has not been an exception to this rule- he’s on the couch right now. Manny has been the quickest learner, he came knowing sit and shake, but he already has a pretty good handle on down and drop.
On the house breaking front, they first learn not to poop in the house. They also learn quickly that it is more derisable to pee outside, but it takes them awhile to learn that peeing inside is, in fact, prohibited. Often they will pee as soon as we go out, andget their reward, and then pee again immediately upon coming in. I think it is mostly a function of how frrquently they do each one.
All golden retrievers do not, in fact, retrieve. That’s not news to me, as half my dogs growing up weren’t all that into fetching. What’s weird is that they all fetch longer and with more focus when we are inside. Even if they are playful and focusing on me, fetching seems to take a back seat to tug-of-war and chase outdoors.
The motivation with all dogs is a lot different. Hunter couldn’t care less about people and was nrarly as ambivalent about food, but he’d go bonkers when he saw another dog. Manny, so far, doesn’t care about other dogs, but he loooooves his treats.
Other than Hunter, they have all followed me around incessantly, even waking up to go sleep in another room. Hunter would just sleep in front of the door, trying to take any opportunity to go outside that might come up.
Anyhow, those are my observations so far. Now that I’m an expert on this, expect more observations as they occur to me.