SAM, who seems to be around 5 yrs old, has been in shared foster care for 12 wks, and has been almost the perfect house guest. He is house-trained, obedient, extremely affectionate and very calm around the house. He is very good with children he has met on walks, and also with elderly people.

He has been in shared foster care between Jan (in the Andover area) and Aileen (in the Wokingham area), so has been living in close quarters with three male retrievers at Jan’s, and 2 female retrievers at Aileen’s, and he settled quickly and easily in both households.

Sam has not had much training and does not yet understand some basic commands, but he walks well on a halti. He is not possessive of either food or toys and he is used to being handled and groomed.

Sam has a strong hunting instinct, and so can’t be homed with any small furry or feathery pets. He also has shown aggression to some dogs when he meets them outside his home environment. He is a large and powerful dog and can be difficult to control under these circumstances. With his fosterers he always wears a muzzle when out walking for the safety and protection of other dogs he may meet.

Because of these issues, Sam needs a special home where his adopter understands his difficulties and is willing to work very hard to identify the root cause of his aggression and re-train him.

©2008 Irish Retriever Rescue UK