BOBBY is now about a year old and looks very handsome with his dark curly coat. Andy, who collected him from the transport, described him as "Mind of a puppy in half a tonne of Goldie, a canine wrecking ball, but great fun." He is currently living in Nottinghamshire.

He is clumsy, can be stubborn and was a total hooligan when he arrived at Regina's. He was a bit possessive of food around other dogs but he is now fed alongside them and (as can be seen from the pics) now gets on very well with them.

He was initially hopeless on a lead but Regina can now walk him (on a harness) with Bouncer, and she walks with a stick, so she has done brilliantly with him but a new owner must be prepared for him to regress initially. For this reason we are looking for an experienced owner. He is not good with cats and he is too big and boisterous for young children even though there is no malice in him.

REPORTS ON BOBBY FROM REGINA

FIRST REPORT

Would say typical teenager, but he just acts like a overgrown puppy!!!!!! He is into everything.

I know it is not his fault, just nobody took any time out and showed him what's what. He can not understand what is a toy and what isn't, just like a puppy.
He is very stubborn, but oh so handsome!!!! He has a real long ginger coat and beautiful eyes. He is nearly house trained, has a bit of a food aggression, so we have to feed him in the conservatory. Which is no problem. He expects Bouncer to share his toy, but does not like it when Bouncer comes to take his. I am sure he will learn. He responds ever so well when you whistle, he comes flying up the garden.

All in all he is a little cracker, who is a bit rough around the edges.

He is so funny. Kevin just used his foot to move a dog bowl and Bobby decided to shove it along with his nose into the living room.

NINE DAYS ON

I am pleased to say we can leave Bobby for a few hours in the kitchen with the other 3. He is still mad as ever, he seems to play up when he wants attention, which is quite often!!!!

Kevin gave him a bath yesterday as there was quite a strong odour of him. Well, he loved it so much, half an hour later, when I mopped the floor in the bathroom he came in and went straight back into the bath looking at me as when to say "well Mother can I have another bath please???? " We had trouble to get him back out of it. I will not let him in there at the moment, as my Turkey is in the bath defrosting. I am not taking any chances hahahaha!!!!

He loves his walks and is a good as gold on the lead. We met a cat tonight and yes he was very interested in it. Bobby loves chasing the birds in the garden. He is very vocal and barks if there is a dog barking on TV or outside. He absolutely adores Bouncer and vise versa!!!!

If I didn't have Jerry-Lee and Teddy, I would keep him. He is so comical. Yes, I have a lot of work with him and I have to watch him like a hawk, but I love him to bits. It is going to break my heart to see him go!!!!!! I am dreading the day already and he is still here.

SIXTEEN DAYS ON

Just got back from taking the two hooligans for a long walk. I am knackered now. We went to the park and walked around the big lake. Bobby loved the swans and ducks. Bouncer and Bobby found a big branch, they carried it home between them. Then we met a cat, well he was very interested in it and wanted to chase it. He had loads of fusses by people walking past. I told everybody that he is looking a home.

I hope he will find a home close by as I will miss him like mad. He and Bouncer are having so much fun together. If I didn't have the other two, I would keep him!!!!! Joy, he is so funny. The other day he came running in, yelping like mad. We thought he had hurt himself and got quite worried until Kevin worked out what was wrong. Bobby can't understand why birds fly away???? He sits and watches them sitting on the roof and when they fly off he comes running crying like a baby!!!!

He was fine with the fireworks last night, never made a sound but he hates dogs barking on TV and joins in. He is getting so much better now and settling in ever so well you would not recognise him compared to what he was like. He still has his moments mind. He was very full of it this morning, but then he is only still a pup.

THREE WEEKS ON, REGINA SAYS

Bobby is absolutely beautiful. He is a fine example of a golden retriever. He is not yet neutered (op booked for next week) and, therefore, can be a bit full on but he is still only 10 months old. He loves people, whether they are small or big, but, because of him being a bit boisterous, I would suggest he goes with older children. He definitely needs a lot more training and would benefit from going to training classes, maybe even going to do some agility. He travels very well in the car.

He loves his cuddles, especially at night time, he likes nothing better then to sit with you on the settee and snuggle up. Bobby can be left alone, he absolutely fine. I leave him in the kitchen over night and when I go out in the morning or afternoon.

Bobby has got a lot better with his food aggression towards the other dogs and only grumbles on the odd occasion now. I would suggest to the new owner, if they have got another dog, not to leave them alone for a while. He is absolutely fine when I give them treats. He joins my dogs in a line and sits for them now aswell.

He loves toys and will still lift things which aren`t toys, as a true retriever he likes differed textures in his mouth and loves to carry things. We have to watch him in the kitchen as he does counter surf and will take food if it is reachable for him.

He loves his walks and does pull a bit on the lead so I put him on a harness and have no trouble controlling him. Even though I have arthritis in my knees, I find it ok walking Bobby and Bouncer at the same time.

Bobby can be very comical and makes me laugh a lot. He adores to be bathed and jumps into the bath nearly every time I open our bathroom door, waiting for a good scrub down. He can`t understand why birds do fly away and barks at them sometimes, he comes running in crying his little heart out. We thought the first couple of times he had hurt himself. He loves to play with his food bowl and the water dish , we have to stop him from tipping the water out a lot.

Whoever adopts Bobby will need a good sense of humour and will need to give him time to settle in but he is very clever and a fast learner.

They will have a cracker of a dog. It is going to break my heart to give him up, I just love him to bits!!!!

AFTER HIS OP

Regina reports "Bobby is doing ever so well after his operation. He is up and about, Looks like he is not missing his little boboballs, poor little mite. I have to take him back on Tuesday for a check up and then a week later for his three stitches to come out. "

"They are like Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Bouncer was so happy to see his little mate again last night. They all kept on kissing Bobby. Today they had a rough and tumble again, so Bobby must be feeling OK. They already started to play last night, with Bobby just laying down on the floor and Bouncer laying beside him play fighting. I am sure if Bobby wasn't up to it he would have put Bouncer in his place. I did keep a close eye on them though. I did not take him for a walk today, but we will go for a short one tomorrow. I am off now to play a game.

GOING HOME

Bobby has gone off happily to his new home in the Wirral to live with Max (a very handsome Golden Retriever). Regina is extremely happy for him to be going to such a wonderful home but, naturally, is very sad to see him go, as is his very good friend and partner in crime, Bouncer.

Joan, his new mum, had been getting more excited by the day whilst waiting to travel to Nottinghamshire to get him. She has amassed loads of towels in preparation for two wet mucky pups, as they both seem to love water. Max isn't going in the sea at the moment, as the water is too cold, but in a month or two, they will both go swimming everyday! Joan has just bought two balls on ropes that float, one for each of them, so they will have loads of fun in the summer, for sure.

Joan has put Bobby's name down to start an agility course for beginners at the end of March so we are all hoping he enjoys it but are quietly confident. Apparently, everybody at Flyball can't wait to meet him (dogs included!) so, by the sound of it, his social calender is really filling up! What a lucky boy:)

UPDATE ON BOBBY AND HIS ARRIVAL AT HIS FOREVER HOME

It appears that Bobby just had to be Bobby and has made his mark already:)))))))))

Bobby had only been in the car for about half an hour having left Regina's, when he was violently sick in the car and had diarrhoea and then Max (his new brother) promptly sat on it so everybody was out of the car and with the help of wet wipes and kitchen roll, the mess was all cleaned up before continuing on the long journey home from Nottinghamshire, taking loads of breaks.

On arrival at the Wirral, the tide was out, so Max and Bobby were taken on the beach, mainly to give Max a run as he had been in the car most of the day, and Bobby was on the extension lead. All of a sudden, Bobby slipped his collar and was off! Poor Joan just stood there for a moment, in total disbelief. They called Max back and put him on the lead and hoped that Bobby would follow but no chance!!!!!! Well, this is our Bobby we are talking about!!!!! He had his freedom and he was determined to enjoy it.

Apparently, he chased every seagull he could find, and eventually, when he'd run out of energy, he returned back to the traumatised group of observers and laid down, as if nothing had happened.....phew!!!!!!!!!!!

Since then, he has settled in really well. He goes to the park every morning and can now be trusted to be let off with Max. They play with all the other dogs and have a great time! Every night he runs around the church yard and he has already met the pony who lives next door. He has been introduced to the cat but, sadly, she was not too impressed and all bets are on the cat!

He will be going to obedience classes and will, hopefully, follow in the footsteps of his brother Max who competes in flyball.

UPDATE ON BOBBY (FOUR MONTHS ON)

Joan says, "The last four months have been very eventful. Bobby has certainly changed our lives!
You forget how lively a young dog is, and Max is now at the plod stage.
But Bobby is turning into a lovely dog."

"Three weeks ago he passed his Bronze Good Citizens Award for obedience. He had to walk to heel, sit stay and down stay for a minute each, wait to be told to walk through an open door and wait at the other side, be groomed, and be examined by the instructor, and he passed with flying colours! So we are now going for the Silver, which is more difficult."

"He no longer tries to go upstairs, and sits and waits to be told when to eat, and overnight he and Max sleep together. He has started the flyball training, and is actually taking the ball out of the flyball box now. The only problem he has is the jumps, which is most unusual as they're not very high, but he doesn't seem to have any co-ordination, and it's really quite funny to watch him lol So, I'm going to take him to a small agility class to see if we can get him a bit more co-ordinated, and if the flyball training continues to progress well, he may be able to try a competition before the end of the season, in October! If not, we'll just continue training over the Winter for next year, as long as he is happy doing it, time doesn't matter, but he certainly has the speed! He will make a really good flyball dog in the future!"

"We have, however, had one big problem with Bobby, which I know you didn't know about, and it is that he is a car chaser. When we first began to let him off the lead in the park, everything was fine. And then one day, out of the blue, this car roared along the road at the end of the park, and he took off out of the park gate and into a busy road, and a car missed him by inches. This is a problem I have never had to deal with before, but we're getting a lot of advice and support from the dog trainers, but, as we continue to get him ball-oriantated, he appears to be concentrating more on the balls than the traffic, so hopefully, in time, he will stop."

"He is a lovely, friendly dog and he has now made many doggy friends."

©2008 Irish Retriever Rescue UK